Page 32 - BusinessWest February 20, 2023

“Obviously, you want to win a championship, and you want
to bring that excitement to the city and to your fans. But
I do think, on
a day-to-day basis, we put a lot of focus and time and effort into creating value regardless of the s”core on the ice.
Nate Costa credits his staff of salespeople and other personnel for maintaining momentum during and after the cancelled season of 2020-21.
every single day,” he said. “But that’s what our organization really means. You have an ability to make a real impact on someone’s life. You don’t know what they’re going through; you don’t know what they’ve been through; you don’t know what they’re striving for. But at that one moment, giving someone
a stick from their favorite player, it’s a really meaningful experience.”
He recalled his employee was in tears after the encounter. “Those moments that get burned into your mind ... that’s what it’s about,” he went on. “Where else in this area can a little kid go and get to sing the national anthem in front of 6,500 people? Where else can you go and high-five professional hockey players that tomorrow night might be on the ice at the NHL level?
You can’t do that elsewhere in Western Massachusetts. How many times can we make a difference in someone’s life? How many times can we provide them with an experience they can’t
get anywhere else? We want to sell that story to people, and by extension create lifelong fans by the experiences that we’re providing.”
And although it’s not the main factor — as roster decisions are up to the St. Louis Blues — fielding a winning team is a net positive, he added.
“It definitely helps. People have been spoiled in this market because of the success of the major four,” he said, referring to the raft of titles won by the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox over the past two decades. “So that’s a good thing at the end of the day. But are we reliant on it?
No. I think we have built an organization that could be sustainable even if we’re not necessarily going to the Eastern Conference
championship.
“That was the goal from the beginning,” he added.
“Obviously, you want to win a championship, and you want to bring that excitement to the city and to your fans. But I do think, on a day-to-day basis, we put a lot of focus and time and effort
into creating value regardless of the score on the ice.”
Downtown Goals
The third major impact the Thunderbirds — and Costa — have had is on Springfield itself, especially its downtown.
“We take a lot of pride in being sort of the centerpiece for
the downtown renaissance, I think, hand in hand with MGM Springfield; I mean, none of this would be possible without their investment in downtown, too. They’re driving as much of that renaissance here as we are,” Costa said, again trying to distribute credit. “I think a good example of showing how much we mean to the downtown area is
this brand-new garage
going up across the street.
I don’t think it would
Costa >> Continued on page 65
Congratulations Nate Costa
On being named a Difference Maker!
“Your leadership of the Thunderbirds has made Springfield the gold standard in the American Hockey League!”
BOSTON WORCESTER SPRINGFIELD
www.ventryassociates.com
32 FEBRUARY 20, 2023
BusinessWest