By ALAN SNEL
LVsportsBiz.com
Kevin Camper has a good handle on the sports marketing scene in Las Vegas. As senior VP for sales and marketing for Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Camper sells tickets, sponsorships and merchandise for the biggest single-day sports event in Las Vegas — not one but two NASCAR events a year in March and September.
LVSportsBiz.com went one-on-one with Camper to find out what impact a second NASCAR weekend in 2018 would have on sales and marketing practices and results. Speedway Motorsports, Inc. owns Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
LVSB: What new marketing approaches will you take in 2019 after hosting two NASCAR weekends for the first time in 2018?
KC: LVMS will continue to focus on our core fans along with an eye on attracting the casual sports and entertainment goer. We will also continue our Hispanic efforts as we see tremendous upside in this community. They are very loyal and passionate which translates nicely into the NASCAR fan demographic. We also continue to amp up our digital efforts which we will be rely heavily on Thrive Hive Digital to guide and direct us in the this area.
*
LVSB: Did you find more visitors coming to the NASCAR event in March than in September? With the LVCVA sponsoring the events, is there any more pressure to attract more tourists for the September NASCAR weekend?
KC: We feel the Spring will always be big due to the large amount of snow birds that enjoy getting to a better climate in early March. September is very special in its own right since it is the kickoff of the NASCAR playoffs. As it relates to added pressure on visitors we constantly strive to drive as much visitation to the destination as possible. When folks visit Las Vegas it is a win-win for everyone not just the speedway. All of our great neighbors on and around the strip corridor benefit and that is definitely something we strive to assist with.
*
LVSB: How important is it to generating revenues to have the September NASCAR race start later to finish under the lights because it was so hot for the inaugural September NASCAR event? How will you convince fans to return after the heat of the September event?
KC: We all realize that this past September was much hotter than normal but we also understand that the middle of September is going to be warmer than March. With that being said starting later in the day and ending the racing action under the lights will make a huge impact on the overall fan experience with all of our grandstands seats being in the shade and cooler temps as the sun goes down. It should also make for some very interesting racing going from late afternoon into the night as it relates to track temperatures and overall racing conditions. We have always tried to take the approach of getting the fan experience as on point as possible and the revenues tend to follow.
*
LVSB: Has adding the second NASCAR event in September going to hurt attendance and sponsorship opportunities at the March NASCAR event?
KC: I would not say it has hurt March attendance but it definitely gives our fans another choice of attending NASCAR in Las Vegas. LVMS continues to re-image the facility to provide more social engagement areas along with enhancing the world class fan access NASCAR has been known for.
LVSB: What new corporate partner or sponsor started a deal specifically because the Speedway is now hosting two NASCAR events a year (outside of South Point)
KC: We have had several new partners come on board with the addition of our 2nd Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series weekend. Thrive Hive, UMC, Star Nursery & Westgate are several new local partners that joined us in 2018 and will be continuing into 2019 and beyond. The addition of the fall event helps our partners establish continuity with a year round presence and campaign that provides two unique event weekends to build around.
*
Follow LVSportsBiz.com on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Contact LVSportsBiz.com publisher/writer Alan Snel at asnel@LVSportsBiz.com if you would like to buy his recently released book, Long Road Back to Las Vegas.