Nashville Superspeedway team-human connect pivotal

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Jonathan ‘JT’ Thomas who is in a top rung position with the Nashville Superspeedway (US) says that in the organization “we are part of a family”.

Jonathan ‘JT’ Thomas is the Vice-President of Corporate Sales at the Nashville Superspeedway bringing over three decades of leadership and relationship-building experience to the world of motorsports and live events. A veteran of Speedway Motorsports, ‘JT’ has spent 14 years with the company, including 11 years at the Bristol Motor Speedway, where he played a key role in corporate partnerships and elevating the fan experience.

In an exclusive chat with ‘Coliseum’, Jonathan ‘JT’ Thomas, VP, Corporate Sales, Nashville Superspeedway, US, avers that what counts most for organizations/venues is the people – “I believe its people at the end of the day that makes thing special. The people want to have a welcoming connection. They just don’t want access. I will drive an extra few minutes for great food and great service. What is going to be the differentiator is how we serve the people. We call it going beyond, from the parking lot to the time they get back home from the venue. I believe firmly that the best experiences, the best food, the best memories are made by people leading with and serving with heart.” In Nashville Superspeedway they value people, the team and the human connect.
 

Nashville Superspeedway

The 25,000-capacity Nashville Superspeedway is a 1.330 mi tri-oval intermediate speedway near Lebanon, Tennessee (US). The track has held a variety of racing events since its opening in 2001 including the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR – American automobile racing company) and the IndyCar Series. `
 

Speedway Motorsports

Jonathon ‘JT’ Thomas started off by stating, “The Speedway Motorsports has 10 facilities we operate for NASCAR across the United States. We do big events – everything from Electric Daisy Carnival at the 80,000-capacity Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, Nevada, to the 146,000-capacity Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee. In 2016, we produced and hosted the largest college football game in the world with 159,000 people for the University of Tennessee.”

“We have a lot of facilities and we also have lot of radio broadcasting across the United States for races. We own the US Legends Cars and we build more race cars than anyone else in the world and we ship them and we also have our Speedway Motorsports properties which is basically our licensing, our merchandise and T-shirts and we do that for the other brands.”
 

Magic Piece

He added, “We have all heard that location is important. We know that being in the right place at the right time and the right facility that’s all what matters. But we also know that there are also example of a restaurant moving in on the right location and yet goes out of business. Sometimes it’s food, sometimes it’s the service, sometimes it’s something else but the reality of it is that the magic piece is people. People want to have a welcoming connection. Communication is the clear human messaging.”
 

Team-building

He added that the team in an organization counts a lot – “All our team members they are memory-makers and they want to build experiences for just not the operators. We have been privileged to have some great people in our team and we all work with purpose and clarity. In a world of engagement screen time in athletics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) paths nothing can take the place of human connection. Our teams need the time to be invested in, they need time to be known and seen.”
 

Wrap-up

 

Guest Experiences

Jonathan ‘JT’ Thomas concluded by stating, “The human touch is what makes a big difference in guest experiences. I believe that it starts with you, starts with your teams, it starts with continuing to set the bar high and let it be a repeatable bar, let it be something that becomes a part of their DNA, let it be something that you are known for and reaching to the community and creating unforgettable experiences. Don’t forget who you are serving, don’t forget your team, don’t forget the impact that you get to have by loving well, serving well and leading well.”

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