Behind the Screens
Spontaneity and a feel for the moment has been a significant part of how the Dallas Stars entertainment team has made its name around the National Hockey League. While this reputation is well earned, there is a formulaic method to their strategy that begins far before puck drop. Twenty-four hours ahead of game time,…
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Behind the Screens
Behind the Screens with the Dallas Stars: The Psychology Behind Fan Participation
First-time attendees are common at hockey games in Dallas. Therefore, the Stars’ entertainment team realizes that it has just the duration of one game to make an impression on as many people as possible. “Dallas, being a non-traditional hockey market there’s a lot of room, presentation and production-wise, for deviation from whatever the norm…
Behind the Screens
Behind the Screens with the Dallas Stars: How Content Creates A Rivalry
Although it is being phased out of the game as the years go on, fighting is still something hockey is known for. A well-timed bout can change the trajectory of a game, and it is a major moment for fans in the stands. When fisticuffs are exchanged, the Dallas Stars entertainment team jumps at…
Behind the Screens
Behind the Screens with the Dallas Stars: The Star Away From the Ice
It takes an entire team of people to create the atmosphere that the Dallas Stars produce each night. Still, there is a face of the operation, and that is Celena Rae. The anthem singer and in-game host appears frequently during each event and is perhaps the busiest person in the organization on game day….
Behind the Screens
Behind the Screens with the Dallas Stars: MVP (Most Valuable Puck)
It is hockey tradition that the three stars of each evening’s match are recognized by the fans. One at a time, each star takes a step back onto the ice and raises his stick to salute the fans who remain in attendance after the final buzzer. In the Dallas Stars’ control room, the entertainment…
Behind the Screens
Behind the Screens with the Dallas Stars: Calling the Shots
Some of the most important members in the Dallas Stars organization do not see a game in-person the entire season. Such is the case with Video Director Terri McCormack. Her chair is just around the corner from the ice, but since 2006 she has been executing each home game’s content plan from the control…
Behind the Screens
Behind the Screens with the Dallas Stars: Changing the Atmosphere on the Fly
The Stars may not have turned Dallas into a pure ‘hockey town’ but they have endeared themselves to the people of their city because of pure entertainment. Win or lose, the expectation is to give the fans a positive memory. This becomes more difficult when the team trails 3-0, but the entertainment must stick…
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From Measuring Memory to Measuring Thinking: How Simulation-Based Learning Could Reshape Higher Education
As artificial intelligence continues reshaping the workforce, higher education faces growing pressure to demonstrate its value beyond content mastery. According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report, employers expect 39% of workers’ core skills to change or become outdated by 2030, while 69% identify analytical thinking as the most essential workforce skill. As…
The Future of the Trades Depends on Mentorship and Industry Veterans Passing Down the Craft
Across the United States, industries are grappling with a skilled labor shortage. According to industry research, millions of trade jobs are expected to go unfilled in the coming years as experienced workers retire faster than new ones enter the field. At the same time, trade school enrollment has steadily increased. The conversation around skilled trades—once…
From Power Shopping to Place-Making: Tanger’s Stephen Yalof on the New Outlet Experience
For decades, the outlet trip had a familiar rhythm: get in the car, drive beyond the city, hunt for deals and come home with bags full of discounted finds. But that old model is giving way to something more layered. As retailers reinvest in store experiences to give consumers more reasons to visit, outlet…
How Relationships Build a Career, Deepen Service and Define Purpose
In a workplace still shaped by hybrid schedules, remote communication and shifting expectations around professional growth, relationships have become more than a soft skill — they are a career advantage. Gallup’s latest workplace reporting shows that global employee engagement has fallen to 20%, reflecting a broader challenge for organizations trying to keep people connected,…