The THUNDER Rolls

The excitement is electric in Oklahoma City as its new NBA team, the Thunder, rolls out its 50th win and are in the playoffs. Who would have predicted that the regular season would end with a record equal to the likes of the Boston Celtics, that Kevin Durant would become the youngest leading scorer in NBA history and that Scott Brooks would be named NBA Coach of the Year!

 

David Stern, Commissioner for the NBA, attended the opening night game in October 2008. The next day he had a breakfast meeting with Thunder staff and applauded them saying that they had pulled off the most compressed beginning ever in professional sports.

 

"As we made the transition to OKC, we experienced a new beginning of sorts," said Pete Winemiller, Senior Vice President, Guest Relations. "Our vision was to be the most fan-centric organization in professional sports, doing a lot of little things really well." Winemiller is quick to point out that the front line staff, consisting of employees of the Thunder as well as the Ford Center, are the face of Thunder basketball. There are many recognition programs in place to keep the workforce engaged and motivated through frequent and timely, on-the-spot praise for a job well done. "Our front line is the bottom line all the time," said Winemiller.

 

MTM has had the pleasure of experiencing Thunder basketball from the inside out through various recognition initiatives. "We reached out to MTM Recognition to create a memorable first impression for our premium ticket holders," said Kelly McKeown, Thunder Marketing Director. "Their designers came back with an elegant fan box featuring a glass top etched with the Thunder logo." This commemorative box holds season tickets, parking passes, and lanyards and is the first of what will become an annual custom collection.

 

As part of an initiative to create the ultimate guest experience for private suite holders, MTM went to work to design a symbolic memento to be prominently displayed in the Founders suites. The final result was an exquisite crystal basketball on a custom walnut base. The base was topped with a basketball material that is autographed by each player.

 

"We look forward to a strong and growing relationship with the Thunder in the coming years," said Jeff Thompson, Account Executive for MTM Recognition. "We are proud to partner with the Thunder in their commitment to recognition and wish them much success for the future." We'll be watching and cheering this next week as the pivotal games are played .......       Go THUNDER!