LV Lights FC Pushing Entertainment Norms To Enhance Soccer Product On Field In Vegas
By ALAN SNEL
LVSportsBiz.com
Jose Luis Sanchez Sola wasn’t on the field Saturday night to coach the Las Vegas Lights pro soccer club, but the colorful coach known as “El Chelis” instead offered his marketing expertise by outfitting the team’s players in authentic Cinco de Mayo warrior outfits for the team introductions at Cashman Field.
“It’s not as gimmick,” Lights owner Brett Lashbrook told LVSportsBiz.com before the 8 p.m. start. “It’s a tribute to the people who lost their lives. El Chelis brought in the warrior outfits.”
Sola was suspended for seven games for “referee assault” after he used his finger to poke a referee in the chest during a United Soccer League game when his Lights played San Antonio April 27. The Lights have appealed the punishment, arguing it’s too harsh. But Sola still cannot coach the soccer club even during the appeal. But he offered a Cinco de Mayo message.
After six regular season games and three preseason matches, Lashbrook now has a business sample to analyze and, generally, he’s pleased that the home games are drawing about 8,000 fans a game.
Lashbrook has also made it a point to create extra pizzazz to the soccer games, citing the Las Vegas “entertainment capital of the world” status. That’s why he’s hired a colorful coach such as El Chelis, includes Zappos’ llamas during pregame activities, signed up a dispensary as a sponsor and focuses on a party-like atmosphere before and during the game.
“That all comes with it. We have swagger and we are pushing the norm,” Lashbrook said
Zappos llamas enjoying Cinco de Mayo Saturday night. Photo credit: Lights FC Twitter
But Lashbrook doesn’t believe the off-field activities have eclipsed the on-field soccer product.
“If anyone says we don’t take soccer seriously, we have only one loss and we are led by the most qualified coach in the history of the United Soccer League,” Lashbrook said. The team has won two, lost one and tied three during its first six regular season games heading into Saturday’s match with the Tulsa Roughnecks. The Lights and Roughnecks tied, 1-1. Attendance was announced at 7,777. OK, now.
The game even featured free showers for the players during the game. Kind of a water display.
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The Lights’ admission price point stands in sharp contrast to the Vegas Golden Knights’ playoff ticket prices. The Lights charge $15 to get into stadium and $5 for parking, while the average Golden Knights’ playoff ticket is in the $175-$200 range and it’s $35 to park at New York-New York for playoff games.
“Give us one shot. We’re priced to go,” Lashbrook said.
About two-thirds of Lights fans at games are Hispanic, with Lashbrook targeting working-class Latinos in North Las Vegas and east Las Vegas; the stereotypical hipsters of downtown Las Vegas and the Summerlin soccer moms.
“We need to get everyone to try us once,” Lashbrook said. He does acknowledge, “We have over-indexed in the Hispanic community.”
He believes the team has exceeded public expectations for attendance and is bullish on what he believes is “untapped potential.”
Lashbrook said the flag-waving, crowd singing, smoke bombs, and beach balls bouncing around the Cashman Field stands have added a “whole new life and energy” into the venue built as a baseball yard. The Lights share the aging downtown stadium, managed by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, with the Las Vegas 51s Triple A baseball team. The 51s are moving to a new ballpark in Summerlin in 2019. The Lights will stay at Cashman, remove the outfield fences and build out more facilities on the site.
Lashbrook outlined his ideas for Cashman for 2019 in a November LVSportsBiz.com story.
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