NYRA Hires Chief Experience Officer (CXO)

[Wright Stuff]

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/85333/nyra-adds-two-executives-to-management-team?source=rss

What makes a GREAT racetrack experience?

As a New Yorker who frequents Belmont and Aqueduct and will visit Saratoga for the first time this year I am 110% on board with making my visits a more rewarding experience. I'd like to know what improvements do racing fans who attend NYRA tracks feel are needed. For those who attend other tracks what improvements have been made that bettered your experience and what still needs to be done?

[classhandicapper]

I think you are going to get different answers depending on if you are trying to attract serious horse players that wager large amounts, $2 bettors and others with small bankrolls that can't afford high incremental miscellaneous costs to play at the track when they can play at home/OTB without them, or couples, families, etc... looking for a nice day out.

[Wright Stuff]

I think you are going to get different answers depending on if you are trying to attract serious horse players that wager large amounts, $2 bettors and others with small bankrolls that can't afford high incremental miscellaneous costs to play at the track when they can play at home/OTB without them, or couples, families, etc... looking for a nice day out.


I'm just curious as to what people personally feel is a great racetrack experience.

[DeltaLover]

A move towards the wrong direction...

I do not except any improvement to come, from a senior manager who happens to be completely clueless about the industry and its many intricacies.

We need a person who is part of the culture, loves horse racing and also is a gambler and a handicapper himself.

A lawyer holding a bunch of graduate titles, who was never been involved with the game, clearly cannot understand our mentality and behavior and most likely will treat us, like addicts that should have rather been clients of one of the health care institutions where he started his career !

[Tom]

The best person for that job is probably at Belmont right now, leaning on the rail cussing out a jockey.

[Exotic1]

A move towards the wrong direction...

I do not except any improvement to come, from a senior manager who happens to be completely clueless about the industry and its many intricacies.

We need a person who is part of the culture, loves horse racing and also is a gambler and a handicapper himself.

A lawyer holding a bunch of graduate titles, who was never been involved with the game, clearly cannot understand our mentality and behavior and most likely will treat us, like addicts that should have rather been clients of one of the health care institutions where he started his career !

Too much.

[PaceAdvantage]

We need a person who is part of the culture, loves horse racing and also is a gambler and a handicapper himself. NYRA had that person....from late 2004 through mid 2012...

[thaskalos]

The best person for that job is probably at Belmont right now, leaning on the rail cussing out a jockey.

:ThmbUp:

No doubt.

[thaskalos]

The game has been going on for 200 years...and the industry is still unclear on the topic of "what the guests want"?

[ultracapper]

I've always thought that the owners should be highlighted much more than they are. After all, they are the "Kings" in "Sport of Kings". I think syndicates should be set up and local business people encouraged to get into the ownership side of it, and show them the excitement and percs that go with being on that side of the game. The alternative is encouraging people to become handicappers and bettors. Zero chance for that to work.

[aaron]

People who have been running racing for the past 45 years have failed to enhance the guest experience. Trying something new can not be a bad thing. I doubt that it will enhance the experience,but hopefully I'm wrong.

[DeltaLover]

Is not about the UX... Quality and integrirty of racing is what counts here..

[aaron]

A move towards the wrong direction...

I do not except any improvement to come, from a senior manager who happens to be completely clueless about the industry and its many intricacies.

We need a person who is part of the culture, loves horse racing and also is a gambler and a handicapper himself.

A lawyer holding a bunch of graduate titles, who was never been involved with the game, clearly cannot understand our mentality and behavior and most likely will treat us, like addicts that should have rather been clients of one of the health care institutions where he started his career !
We have had those type of people at least twice and it hasn't made a difference. The Political machines may have hindered them,but they were not the answer no matter how hard they tried. One of them worked for nothing and wasn't allowed to do his job by the real powers that be.

[Robert Goren]

I doubt if there is anybody in the racing business who can do the job. It will take somebody from the outside to do it. The problem is that racing doesn't have the money to bring in top talent. They are not going get somebody good for $400k. Good executives talents cost 10s of million and even at that price there are no guarantees. It is a bleak picture.

[Stillriledup]

I doubt if there is anybody in the racing business who can do the job. It will take somebody from the outside to do it. The problem is that racing doesn't have the money to bring in top talent. They are not going get somebody good for $400k. Good executives talents cost 10s of million and even at that price there are no guarantees. It is a bleak picture.

Is it rocket science to treat people with respect, clean up the game from the cheats, lower the takeouts and sell quality food at market value (not 4 dollars for a soda when you can get a soda for a buck in 7-11)?

[Longshot6977]

A move towards the wrong direction...

I do not except any improvement to come, from a senior manager who happens to be completely clueless about the industry and its many intricacies.

We need a person who is part of the culture, loves horse racing and also is a gambler and a handicapper himself.

A lawyer holding a bunch of graduate titles, who was never been involved with the game, clearly cannot understand our mentality and behavior and most likely will treat us, like addicts that should have rather been clients of one of the health care institutions where he started his career !

Wright Stuff, this is the best answer you're gonna get from this forum. Nicely said I might add. By the way, do you know either of the two execs they hired? Sometimes I wonder if these types of posts are by people who are either 'that' person or know said people and are just phishing for info to help them in their shiny new job? Just curious.

[Wright Stuff]

Wright Stuff, this is the best answer you're gonna get from this forum. Nicely said I might add. By the way, do you know either of the two execs they hired? Sometimes I wonder if these types of posts are by people who are either 'that' person or know said people and are just phishing for info to help them in their shiny new job? Just curious.

I do not know either of them. I am a long time horseplayer and handicapping contest enthusiast. My goals were to make people aware of the new CXO, query what people thought was a good racetrack experience and have a meaningful discussion. I have no horse in this race.

[classhandicapper]

I'm just curious as to what people personally feel is a great racetrack experience.

For me, it's this:

1. A clean, safe, and attractive environment

2. Reasonable entrance, program, and parking fees (people go to the track to gamble not to have their bankrolls dented before they even start)

3. High quality racing with few small fields

4. A broad range of betting options

5. Timely and clear postings and announcements on all changes to the racing card

6. Widely available and working betting machines, working TVs to get odds and watch simulcasts, working escalators, and working replay equipment

7. Decent quality food and drink at a price that doesn't make me feel like I just got pillaged

If you want to take it to the next level:

8. A mildly lower track take (maybe 1% or 1.5%) for "on track" wagers than is available via rebate from most ADWs. (this might encourage attendance and make sure more of the money is getting bet directly with the track instead of some outside ADW)

[Tom]

The game has been going on for 200 years...and the industry is still unclear on the topic of "what the guests want"?

They aren't even sure who the guests are yet! :D

[elhelmete]

She should spend a weekend at Santa Anita, dividing her time between group sales events, the infield, clubhouse, TC, etc. They have the best variety of options for every level of customer. The place is very clean, tons of food options, the nicest employees, plenty of machines and clerks, etc. They treat their group outings wonderfully.

Most importantly to me, to this point, is that I have not detected the kind of gouging I see where they try and squeeze every corner of the joint for some revenue. Oh...you want THAT seat? That's +$5. Oh, you want to park ten feet over there? An extra $3. Oh the 12oz Budweiser is $4 over here but in THAT room it's $7. None of that.

And now I fully expect the contrarian chorus to start up... ;)

[Robert Goren]

Is it rocket science to treat people with respect, clean up the game from the cheats, lower the takeouts and sell quality food at market value (not 4 dollars for a soda when you can get a soda for a buck in 7-11)?Unfortunately that's not all there is to it. You have to get word out that you are doing those things too. Plus you have convince the horsemen that giving revenue will increase it later. This business has a lot problems with their product and lot of people in power who don't want to change with times. They need somebody who get though the changes you named and more. Those people don't come cheap.

[Longshot6977]

I will be honest here and say I do love going to Monmouth and smoking a cigar and smelling/eating some BBQ food, but I can do that from home too while betting with friends. I think the time has passed for a racetrack to finally get in in gear to think about providing a great experience for their fans, whether casual or veteran fans.

At the risk of getting flamed here, is it really necessary to have a great racetrack experience? I mean, you don't have to go to a track to enjoy horse racing/betting. Even if racetracks closed their entrance gates (and still had live racing/betting and sent out simulcast signals) they may be able to cut down on expenses. The fans could bet from an OTW location or from home and have a great experience. Just my opinion. :)