Transcript

The transcript below has been lightly edited for readability and clarity. Click any starting timestamp to jump to that exact point in the YouTube video.

Podcast Introduction

[00:00] Don Costante:

Welcome to the Rundown Podcast, hosted by Don Costante, a nationally recognized event presentation expert with over 30 years of experience and author of Beyond the Scoreboard. This podcast takes you behind the scenes with industry leaders to unpack the insights, strategies, and creative tactics that drive unforgettable live experiences. Let’s get started.

League Events and the NHL Fan Experience

[00:27] Don Costante:

League events represent a league’s premier stage where brand, tradition, competition, and entertainment converge under clear standards, aligned execution, and unmistakable identity. These moments shape how the sport is experienced in the arena and on national broadcast around the world. My guest today is John Bochiaro, Group Vice President of Game Presentation and Entertainment for the National Hockey League. With more than 20 years of experience, including leadership positions with the New Jersey Devils and the Philadelphia Phillies, John leads the team responsible for the look and feel of marquee NHL events, such as the Winter Classic, Stadium Series, and All-Star Weekend. He also serves as the league’s liaison to all 32 clubs, building alignment and elevating presentation standards across the league. In this episode, we discuss his career journey, his design philosophy for major events, the balance between league identity and club storytelling, insights from cross-league collaboration, his perspective on emerging technology, and his thoughts on the future of game presentation. I’m ready to get started. Let’s meet John Bochiaro. Hi, John. Welcome to The Rundown.

Meet John Bochiaro

[01:47] John Bochiaro:

Hi, Don. Thanks so much for having me.

John Bochiaro’s Career Journey

[01:49] Don Costante:

You bet. John, I’d love to start right from the beginning. Walk me through your career journey, where you started to your current role now as Group VP of Game Presentation and Entertainment at the NHL.

[02:01] John Bochiaro:

Sure. My focus in college was TV production. I was a radio TV film major. I was very interested in the behind the scenes of that industry. Wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to do, but, you know, a role behind the camera, whether it was director, editing, camera operator, you know, something like that. That’s what I was attracted to. And that’s where I saw myself headed. So out of college, my first full-time gig was with NFL Films. Hmm. And you talk about a great place to start off to learn not only sports production, but production in general. Oh, yeah. Storytelling, the usage of music and everything they do and editing. It’s just, you know, it was unbelievable. I remember attending screenings once a week and seeing the features that they produced and being so inspired with the work they did. So, you know, during my time with NFL Films, entry-level position, but other opportunities opened up. I was a PA on the first ever Hard Knocks with the Baltimore Ravens and then got a really good sense of production on how that show came together. And there was some other opportunities during my time there. And one of which, and this is where networking, you know, is so important to my career. Some of the people that I worked with heard that the Philadelphia Phillies were looking for camera operators.

Learning Production at NFL Films

Networking and the Philadelphia Phillies

[03:12] John Bochiaro:

I had experience as a camera operator and they were about to open a new ballpark, Citizens Bank Park, which is where they currently play. And they were looking for camera operators for their in-arena, in-stadium show. So I signed up and said I was interested and I got a call and went to a game. This was my first experience with game presentation. I didn’t have a function that day, but I just sat in the crowd with a headset on and took it all in. So, you know, I would recommend for anybody that’s first starting off or interested in this industry. You know, you focused on what they were doing. I listened to how the show caller called the show. Everybody was on one big party line talking to each other. One thing I remember the person I was working with telling me specifically, you know, watch the Phillie Phanatic. And it’s still advice I use to this day for field cast, for mascots. Like just because you’re not on camera doesn’t mean that people are not watching you. And you see the Fanatic always working when he was out there, what he was doing during introductions and how he was mingling with the crowd. You know, it was just something I’m like, huh, this is pretty interesting on how this is coming together. So I ended up getting hired and worked for the Phillies for a few seasons and it really developed an appreciation for the industry. Two people that stick out and really guided me along this path. Bill Hooker was there and hired me. He currently works for the Utah Mammoth.

[04:29] John Bochiaro:

So it’s been a full circle moment, you know, working back with him again, seeing or listening to him call a show and directing and his guidance really stuck with me all these years. And then Mark DiNardo came in after Bill left and Mark was definitely one of my mentors in this industry. You know, him and I really bonded and he scheduled me, you know, multiple shifts during the courses of those upcoming seasons. And we kept in touch. And then Mark would end up being a consultant with the New Jersey Devils on a new arena project. So I’m with the Phillies. I’m still with NFL Films. And then the Trenton Titans of the ECHL in New Jersey were looking for a game presentation person. So ECHL two steps down from the NHL trend is right outside of where I live in New Jersey. I saw the posting and I figured, you know what, this seems interesting. I’ll give it a shot. They were looking for a game present lead. So I applied and I ended up getting offered the position, you know, minor leagues, low paying. I think it was 10 or $11 an hour. At this point, I’m almost 30 years old. My career is at a crossroads and I’m like, you know, what am I doing? Really? Can I even justify this? You know, I almost turned it down and I decided to take it. And I ended up leaving NFL Films. I’m almost 30. I’m working freelance for the most part, but I am now completely focused on this, you know, game presentation in the industry. And I gained valuable experience working in the minor leagues. I mean, you talk about doing things with pretty much no budget at all, limited staffing, having to make ends meet. It turned out to be a great decision.

Taking a Chance in the Minor Leagues

Joining the New Jersey Devils

[05:57] John Bochiaro:

And the Titans that year won the championship of the league with the video production experience I had. I produced a DVD with somebody else I was working with. I continued to assist afterwards. And then here’s where it gets interesting. The Titans were purchased by the New Jersey Devils in 2006. So the Devils were looking for a game presentation person and got my contact information from the Titans. And the Devils ended up hiring me in 2006, which was their last year at the Meadowlands before they were moving to a new arena. So I’m now the game presentation person with the Devils and I’m getting more experience there working for them. And as I mentioned, Mark DiNardo with the Phillies was working as a consultant for Prudential Center and the development of the new arena. And I kept in touch with him. I worked with him on the new control room they were building in Prudential Center to give my input and understand about what they were doing with the control room. And him and I talked a lot over those months, over the summer, getting ready for that season. And Mark played a pivotal role in recommending me to be the control room lead. That building was being managed by AEG at the time. And I got promoted to oversee, still have a role with game presentation with the Devils, but oversee the control room with Prudential Center.

[07:10] John Bochiaro:

So now I’m overseeing the control room and I’m working in game presentation with the Devils. I have numerous other responsibilities with other events and I’m in that role in 2007. And, you know, during that time, obviously you meet a ton of different contacts. You work closely with the NHL and the lead people. The Devils had a Stanley Cup run in 2012. We hosted a draft. And then I heard that the NHL needed a game presentation lead and I applied and got it. It’s a story of right place, right time, but also contacts, networking, making the most of every opportunity I was given and never saying no.

Pivotal Experiences That Shaped His Career

[07:45] Don Costante:

John, as you look back, was there a pivotal experience that made you realize that game presentation wasn’t just a job, but the path you wanted to pursue long term?

[07:55] John Bochiaro:

Yeah, yeah, definitely. There’s a couple. I mean, it’s funny, like over the course of your career, you remember certain situations that just pop up and stick with you throughout your journey. And a couple that quickly come to mind. You know, I remember when I was working as a camera operator and like seeing the family of four, you know, the kids in the viewfinder before they go up on the screen and then seeing their reaction when they’re on the screen and just them being so into the moment and being part of the show. That’s where like I kind of developed a love for what I was doing. Another instance that I remember was when I first started with the Devils, my supervisor at the time, he met me the first day, gave me a few things. And the last thing he said when he left the office was, hey, call the lead game presentation person and introduce yourself. This is how naive I was. Wow, there’s a lead game presentation person. Wouldn’t that be interesting if one day I became the lead game presentation person? And I just followed it in the back of my brain and moved on. But, you know, here I am. So that I think was a kind of next step. I realized when I first started with the Devils where like maybe that’s where I go from here is become a league game presentation contact.

Designing League Events

[09:04] Don Costante:

Well, speaking of league game presentation contact, let’s move into our first topic, which really covers, I think, 50 percent of your role, and that’s designing league events. You operate at the league level, which it’s quite a different lens entirely from people who work at the team or club level. League events carry history, expectation and national visibility. So my first question, John, is when you approach your league events like All-Star Weekend, the Winter Classic Stadium Series and the draft, what is your core event presentation philosophy?

John’s Event Presentation Philosophy

[09:35] John Bochiaro:

I mean, it really extends to fan experience. You know, simply stated, we want the fan to have an amazing experience from the time they arrive to the time they leave. And, you know, that extends to when they park at the venue, when they go through any of our pregame activations that are outside of the venue, which we have at all of our tentpole events, to getting into the building, to enjoying the event and being part of what we do in bowl or in-arena until the time they leave. You know, like I become jaded in the sense that, you know, I get to go to all these league events, all the outdoor games, for example, and I’m spoiled in the sense where I see them all the time. But for the most part, you know, these fans, it’s the first time they’re experiencing something like this. An All-Star Game in a particular market doesn’t come around too often. Same with our outdoor games. For the most part, it’s the first time they’re experiencing something like this. Looking at what we just got through in Miami, in Tampa with our outdoor games, Winter Classic and Stadium Series. You know, for a lot of those patrons that showed up, it was their first time experiencing something like this. We want to make sure they have a great experience and take it all in.

Measuring Success Beyond Attendance and Ratings

[10:39] Don Costante:

So let’s talk a little bit about how you measure success. When you design a league event, how do you define success beyond attendance and broadcast ratings?

[10:48] John Bochiaro:

We want to make sure the next one is better than our last one. I think that’s the best way of kind of summarizing it. We want to make sure that what we produce was better than the last one we did. So, you know, whether that’s learning from fan feedback, survey results, post-mortem, we quickly go from one event to another. And we need to look at past survey results or look at our internal feedback and learn from what went right, what went wrong, and address, you know, what went wrong and obviously make what went right better than it was. And I think we do a really good job of doing that.

Balancing Multiple Stakeholders

[11:26] Don Costante:

That’s fantastic. So in designing these large scale events, you’re dealing with multiple stakeholders, league leadership, participating clubs, broadcast networks, commercial partners, host cities, in the players, all of them have influence. When priorities collide, how do you decide whose objectives carry the most weight in the event presentation that you’re putting on?

[11:46] John Bochiaro:

Sure. Yeah, there is a big picture that we have to keep in mind. I would love to say that it’s drawing my line in the sand and game presentation wins all the time. But let’s be honest, it’s not realistic, right? Our rights holders pay a lot of money to broadcast our games. They reach a much bigger audience than we do in-arena and Stadium, and we have to respect that. We have to work together. That’s, you know, that’s the most important thing is working together. Not that one side needs to lose or win, but we have to work together to both be happy. You know, we take advantage of what our broadcast can do. They could amplify what we do in-arena. We do tremendous moments that are seen by whether it’s an All-Star game that has 15 or 20,000 people or an outdoor game that has 60,000 people, which is great. But the rights holder could open that up to so many more people. And we want to work with them and tell them, like, this is a moment that we have. And we would appreciate if you cover it and explain it and make sure that we’re taking the time to explain our elements and what’s important and explain and understand what they have going on and what’s important to them. And part of that journey is weekly meetings with our rights holders. Hockey operations obviously pays a pivotal role in what we do. We want to keep them updated in our plans and make sure what we’re doing works for them, tweak whatever we need to do as needed.

[13:04] John Bochiaro:

I think the bottom line is we’re all in this together and we just need to all work closely together to accomplish what is best for the event.

The Role of Players and Hockey Operations

[13:11] Don Costante:

How much impact or influence do the players have in the direction of what you’re designing?

[13:17] John Bochiaro:

A lot. Hockey operations, you know, like it’s been beaten in my head over the course of my career of how important the game is and how we can’t take anything away from the game, which I get, you know, we’re here to enhance it, not take away from the game. So we have to make sure the players are happy, you know, for example, like the time they leave the locker room game presentation controls a lot of the timing that goes into the events when the players leave, when they come out, how long they’re on the ice, how long they’re rewarming up for. Hockey players are creatures of habit. We want to not take them out of the routine. So that’s where the discussions come in with hockey operations first, make sure they’re cool and they sign off on things like that. And then, you know, like I said, we work with the teams. I mean, with the PR staff prior to each outdoor game, explain what’s going on with the timing and make sure they’re comfortable. But if there is a problem or something that they don’t like, for sure, we’re going to work with them and resolve it.

Balancing NHL Identity With Club Storytelling

[14:07] Don Costante:

Gotcha. So in events like the NHL Winter Classic and Stadium Series, the NHL brand is front and center, but the participating clubs have passionate identities. What are the non-negotiables that must feel NHL? And where do you intentionally create space for a club storytelling?

[14:25] John Bochiaro:

Yeah. If you look back at like Winter Classic and Stadium Series for this year, I think a good way to summarize it and the game presentation side is we do bring in the traditions for the most part of the clubs. You know, in this case, Florida and Miami and the Tampa Bay Lightning for the Stadium Series game at Raymond James Stadium. The league brand does extend to the and it’s not just the event, it’s everything around the event. Sure. So we have a team internally creative services department that works with us on the overall look and feel of the event. And that is part of our branding. We hire a graphics company that creates all our animations and graphics for in-stadium based off of the assets that are created in the style guide that are part of the particular event. And that’s just not part of the in bowl experience. That extends to the decor outside and the hotels. Mm-hmm. And street poles around the event. So the event is always branded in our look. Now on the game presentation side for a host team, we work very closely with our contacts at the league level, understand their traditions, understand their moments, what we can incorporate in, what’s important for their fans. Just one quick example that comes to mind is we always involve the home PA announcer into our events, working alongside with us to make it feel like a home game for them. There’s a couple exceptions to that.

[15:38] John Bochiaro:

But for the most part, that’s consistent throughout. Something we also do is bring in our own show caller host MCs and DJ. It’s just important going from event to event to have a team that we work with closely because of all the lead up that’s involved, the pre-production work, to have a dedicated team solely focusing on the particular event. Whereas the host club, you know, obviously has other games that they have to manage prior to and sometimes week of, which takes them away from the planning of the particular league event that we’re working on.

Serving as League Liaison to 32 Clubs

[16:09] Don Costante:

What makes your role especially unique is that it’s not just about producing league events. It’s also about influencing and elevating presentation across 32 independent organizations, which leads us to our next topic. Your role as league liaison to 32 clubs, which occupies, I believe, the other 50% of your job scope. How do you go about defining what a meaningful league support should look like?

What Meaningful League Support Looks Like

[16:33] John Bochiaro:

Yeah, and this is where my time with the Devils, I think, has really helped me in this particular area of my position is I know what they go through. I know what they deal with. I know who signs their check. It’s not me.

[16:46] Don Costante:

Yeah.

[16:46] John Bochiaro:

You know, like I know that they have the general manager that wants something and the president that wants something and their boss that wants something. So, like, I get it and I take that attitude with me as I work closely with the clubs. You know, I want us to be a tight-knit group. I really pay a lot of attention to relationships and having that close-knit family collaborative nature of sharing ideas and assisting them with whatever they may need. Building relationships when I first started was a major focus. I want to hear the issues they’re going through and I want to give them support and resources and just general advice of things that I see when I go to the games that hopefully they can take and help them with making their show better.

[17:31] Don Costante:

Well, I think what’s really good is that you’ve been in their shoes. I know years ago, back in the days when I was with the Spurs and the league kind of operated this way as well with support, the people that were providing the support had never really been in the shoes of an event director at the team level. So, you having that understanding, as you mentioned, knowing what’s going through their mind, what obstacles they’re facing is so beneficial. Now, I know your role, it’s a challenge to look at 32 clubs and try to raise the bar and create a consistent standard with event presentation. How do you go about elevating the baseline of excellence across the league while still protecting the club’s creative identity?

Elevating Standards While Protecting Club Identity

[18:12] John Bochiaro:

Yeah, yeah. And that’s where the relationship comes in, where we’re upfront and honest with each other. Like, I get it. Like I said, they have a job to do. They have to protect, like you said, their creative identity. And I’m here just to give them a view that hopefully would help them get better. So, you know, whether it’s providing best practices, that’s been a big focus of what we do. Like I said, when I first started, there wasn’t much sharing or collaborative nature between the group. Like, nobody wanted to have their ideas ripped off. Everybody was very protective. Back when I first started, if you put time and effort into it, you could find what other teams were doing. And I wanted to have it easier for everybody. I wanted to have an avenue where you could easily find best practices or other examples from other teams. You could see what other teams were doing and you could take that and make it your own or make it better. So we ask each club to provide different examples of different segments, elements for best practices, whether that’s their opening sequence, whether that’s headshots, whether that’s TV timeouts. Just have a good database where teams could see easily what other teams are doing. And like I said, hopefully elevate across the league and help them get better. The NHL game presentation department, you know, myself, Renee Riva, Sydney Rondell.

Best Practices and Shared Resources

[19:23] John Bochiaro:

We do a great job holding Zoom calls and trying to do breakout sessions and just come up with different things, different elements. We have conferences that we encourage the clubs to attend vendor recommendations. We create a database of vendors that are out there that they could easily talk to. And if they’re looking for a particular new technology, we can provide them information on what that might be. You know, it’s important to let the club establish the identity. When Vegas came into the league, they did a tremendous job of doing that. They got a lot of attention on what their show was and rightfully so. And I think with that, that caused a big focus on game presentation. And I think that’s helped all clubs with, you know, what they do and how important it is.

Policies, Guidelines, and Collaborative Solutions

[20:12] Don Costante:

Now, just a little bit more into the weeds when it comes to like the execution side of it. Is the league, are you developing certain standards, policies, guidelines, approvals in terms of execution? Or is that more in terms of in the review process, giving them feedback on what you’re seeing and going from there?

[20:30] John Bochiaro:

Yes and yes. I mean, we obviously do have policies and procedures around game presentation, what you can and cannot do for sure. But at the same time, when the clubs are working on a particular thing where our policies and procedures might not match up to what they’re trying to do, we work with them and try to come up with a solution to understand what they want to do and work if we have to with Hockey Ops on approaching the subject and trying to accommodate as much as we can. We try not to have a hard no. There are situations where that does come up. But for the most part, we work with them to understand what they want to accomplish, what they want to do. And that’s where the relationship comes in to work together to try to figure it out. An example of where I come in, I try to get out to a few clubs every year, scheduled depending on league events. But I look from a different lens. You know, like, why is Club X doing this? And it’s all about providing feedback on what they are doing. And it’s never like, you have to do it this way. It’s like, here’s something I saw. Hopefully this is helpful for you. If it’s not, fine. But this is just with my experience, something I want to pass on. And hopefully it helps. You know, one thing that sticks out. We get nothing major. But when I was at a particular game, they were doing the anthem.

Providing Constructive Club Feedback

[21:43] John Bochiaro:

And in the background of the anthem, all these people’s legs was visible in the camera shot. And this might be something that you don’t think of. But I asked, I’m like, hey, just tighten up that camera shot. Like, just fix that or close the curtain behind. And again, I’m not making a big difference or anything or a huge impact. But it’s just something that they didn’t notice. And I wanted to pass on to them as something that maybe would help their show.

[22:03] Don Costante:

Yeah, I was going to ask you how you go about giving feedback or influence change in a way with the clubs that, they welcome it rather than resist it. You just kind of talked a little bit about it. You’re not kind of forcing anything. You’re working with the clubs. And obviously, they understand you’re coming from the background of being in their shoes as well, right?

[22:20] John Bochiaro:

That’s helped me so much. Because like I said, and you talked about it with your time with the NBA. Like, I’ve been there. And I know what they go through. It’s never, you have to do this. It’s, okay, tell me why you’re doing this. And let me understand what the issue is. And let me tell you my side of it as well. And let’s work together to figure it out. And that’s where I’ve worked very hard to establish the relationship with each of the game presentation people from the club, me and the department within the league to work together. We work so closely with these groups. And that’s where the job is a little bit interesting. Because like after the outdoor game, it’s not that we never see these people again. We work very closely with them all the time during the season. So, you know, we want to keep that relationship in a high regard. And we want to make sure they’re happy. And we want to be their voice behind the scenes and represent their best interests when it comes to game presentation league-wide.

The NHL Peer Review Program

[23:11] Don Costante:

Well, I know one of the things you’ve worked really hard is instituting a peer review and that best practice sharing mentality. So talk about the design and the implementation of the league’s peer review program and best practice database that you mentioned earlier, how you’re gathering all this great information. How it started, how it works, and what impact have you seen from it?

[23:33] John Bochiaro:

Yeah, the peer review program has been tremendous. Very, very proud of this. It is something that I knew the NBA did. This is towards the end of 2018-19, I want to say, where we pitched the idea internally. One person from a club goes to another club, sits with them, takes notes, and then we hold a Zoom call afterwards to go over what they saw and give feedback. So we started the program, we got approval, it was well-received, and then COVID hit. So we had to shut it down.

[24:03] Don Costante:

Of course.

[24:03] John Bochiaro:

So we shut it down for a couple years, and then we brought it back in the same form. It got feedback from the club, and, you know, the times are different now where the club lead of a game presentation department not necessarily is the show caller. So they oversee where we’re learning that having two people go from a club and to sit with that person, as long as that person is available, there was some benefit to that because it can ask questions in real time. Why did you do it this way? Or what is the reason you did this? And they can get more of an impact out of it. It doesn’t always happen exactly like that. But having two people there, even if the lead from the club they were reviewing was not available, the two people could talk as the game was going on. It’s all about building relationships with this group. Just another example of how we want the NHL game presentation staff with the clubs to have a close-knit relationship and to share ideas and to feel comfortable with each other and to ask questions. So the current form of the program is in this iteration where, you know, two people go to a club, they review, then we hold a call, they share ideas, and then we understand any issues or impacts that they’re having that the club is having. We try to, on the league level, help them as well.

[25:15] Don Costante:

Those meetings are super helpful. It helps not only the reviewer, but the reviewees as well. Oh, yeah.

Building a Best Practices Database

[25:21] John Bochiaro:

And then your second question about best practices, and I talked about it earlier too, is very important. I believe to have an easy database of examples of what clubs are doing. You know, it helps them out, but also internally helps me out when I want to provide leadership at the NHL with some examples of what teams are doing during their opening sequence or during TV timeouts or intermissions, and just gives them an easy way to check on what their peers are doing.

[25:47] Don Costante:

Love the database. From your vantage point, what are the most common presentation challenges you’ve seen across your clubs today?

Common Presentation Challenges Across Clubs

[25:54] John Bochiaro:

Yeah, that’s a good one. I mean, there are things, let’s face it, in-game presentation that are subjective. Music, for example.

[26:01] Don Costante:

Absolutely.

[26:01] John Bochiaro:

You can never make everybody happy when it comes to what music is played. And I think a good challenge or something that the group has to work through is convincing management that there is a method to game presentation, and there is a method to the madness of what we’re doing. It’s not as simple as playing a particular song during a stoppage. It’s having a music coordinator that knows that if, you know, X happens, you do this. If Y happens, you do this.

[26:24] Don Costante:

Right.

[26:24] John Bochiaro:

Being able to shift on the fly and explaining to management that we know what we’re doing and, like, this particular song. It’s subjective. And what they might not like, it can be well-received and vice versa. So convincing management to what we’re doing is a challenge that teams face. You know, one thing I’ve seen clubs do, making sure that sponsorships are on brand to what they’re doing and it’s not one giant commercial during a particular game.

[26:49] Don Costante:

Right.

[26:50] John Bochiaro:

It’s taking the time to explain that to different department heads, getting them exposure with game presentation. I remember one team had their leader of sponsorship sit on headset with them during the game to understand all the different things of what happens and why what they wanted is not as simple as it seemed, you know, what they’re dealing with. So I think that opened that person’s eyes to our particular world, which I thought was a great example of something that helps remedy that situation.

[27:19] Don Costante:

I think that’s a great idea. I wish I had had my partnership people on the headset to listen to everything. Shifting now to another topic, cross-league collaboration. You have access to something very few people in the industry experience, and that’s regular collaboration with major leagues like the NBA, Major League Baseball, and Major League Soccer. I believe you meet once a month, which is incredible. That perspective is rare. So my question for you is what insights from those cross-league conversations have directly influenced how the NHL approaches presentation?

Cross-League Collaboration

Sharing Best Practices Across Major Leagues

[27:53] John Bochiaro:

Yeah, just valuable having the contacts in the particular leagues, Tim Tubito from the NFL, Brian O’Gara from Major League Baseball, Mike Chant from the NBA, and Grace Leonard from Major League Soccer. Now, we schedule a meeting once. Whether that happens. Based on our availability, which hasn’t been great the past couple of months, you know, because we’re all in our event season. We haven’t met recently, but we try to do a Zoom call or in some cases, since we’re all in the New York area, do it in person, which has been great. I talked to best practices before. We’ve done best practices a similar way for the past few seasons, and I thought, what if not only does the NHL clubs have examples to best practices on the NHL side, what if we open this to the NBA teams and the NFL teams and the Major League Soccer teams and baseball and give all teams from all leagues access to best practices? You know, there are similarities to what we do taking NBA, for example. There are differences for sure. But there is some things that the other teams do in other leagues that might be of value to the NHL club. So why not open this up to more people and share it? I think that is something that has helped. Those conversations, I think they have opened my eyes to what they deal with and how similar it is to some of the situations that I deal with as well.

Shared Industry Challenges

[29:09] Don Costante:

I know there’s shared industry challenges out there. So what are some of the themes that are consistently surfacing in those meetings?

[29:17] John Bochiaro:

Yeah, like I said, we all go through the same thing. We asked the team to do something and they didn’t listen.

[29:23] Don Costante:

Sure.

[29:23] John Bochiaro:

Or, you know, like we have our stories like that. It depends on what topic we’re talking about or what’s happening at a particular moment. Drones is something that comes to mind. New tech is a topic. We also talk about how our particular league event went, whether it was the outdoor game Major League Baseball did in Bristol or the Super Bowl. We hear the struggles or, you know, what went well, what didn’t, what issues they had and, you know, just try to learn from that.

Are Leagues Becoming More Aligned?

[29:50] Don Costante:

Well, let me ask you this. Are leagues becoming more aligned in presentation philosophy or more differentiated in your opinion?

[29:58] John Bochiaro:

I think more aligned. I mean, it’s all about the fan experience. You know, we all go about it differently with the timings and flow that we have in our particular sports. But at the end of the day, it’s all about providing the fans with an amazing experience. It’s not just about the game anymore. You have to give the fan more than that. And we all share that philosophy, I believe, where we want to make sure that the fan attending the game has an amazing experience outside of the game itself.

Technology and the Fan Experience

[30:25] Don Costante:

So you mentioned technology, which is our next topic. So let’s talk technology. John, how do you determine whether a piece of technology enhances the event experience versus simply creating visual noise?

[30:51] John Bochiaro:

That’s where your research comes in, keeping a close database of contacts that have particularly used, you know, whatever that new tech is to get feedback before you make an investment. We always do our due diligence and research, crawl, walk, run, you know, not diving in too fast, depending on what it particularly is. But, you know, just doing research, not rushing, understanding what it is and making sure that it will enhance your show and not take away from it.

Technology That Has Enhanced NHL Events

[31:17] Don Costante:

What’s a piece of technology that you’ve used so far that you feel that has enhanced the experience?

[31:22] John Bochiaro:

We’ve worked very closely with the Famous Group. They have a package called Vixie that has many different tools that a particular club or in our case, us use at a game, whether it be sending pictures to the scoreboard or using their phone as a live camera or taking advantage of their cell phone flashlight. Their AR program is amazing. You know, it’s just something that we’ve used recently that came to mind. We used it at both Winter Classic and Stadium Series this year has definitely helped us improve and increase our show.

Where Limited-Budget Organizations Should Invest

[31:53] Don Costante:

That’s amazing. But I’m sure there’s a big price tag to that in some cases. So for organizations with limited budgets, where should their focus be?

[32:01] John Bochiaro:

I would recommend with limited budgets, like start with your staff. Focus on that. One person can’t do everything. I’m going to use the hockey mindset here. It’s a team effort. So I would say making sure staffing is a big part of it before you get too deep into the tech. Your hosts, your music coordinator. Those are the pillars of your editing graphics team. And from that, when it comes to tech, you know, lighting to me is a very important part of what we do in-arena using the clubs. As an example, lighting helps with enhancing what you’re doing. It can make a huge difference when it comes to your introductions and your show. So to me, that would be something I would focus on.

Emerging Technology and Augmented Reality

[32:39] Don Costante:

Are there emerging tools in your mind, whether it’s AI-driven workflows, real-time data integration, immersive lighting environments, or even fan-personalized platforms that you believe will fundamentally reshape how presentation departments operate in the next five years?

[32:56] John Bochiaro:

Yeah, totally. I mean, I sit in pitches all the time. Imagine going to a game and being handed glasses and seeing an AR environment on the ice that’s part of an opening sequence that extends past the video board. So it’s not only what you see on the video board, it’s something in the arena. That technology is coming, and it’s coming faster than people might think. You know, it sounds crazy, but I do think something like that isn’t too far away. So my advice to the clubs is to stay up on the latest trends, especially in tech. They change so fast. What’s good this year is going to be outdated in a few months. So you have to stay up on what’s coming out or you’ll be left behind.

Ice Projection and the Opening Sequence

[33:37] Don Costante:

One last question in regards to technology. If you, John, were hired tomorrow as director of game presentation at club level, taking a step back now, what technology would you want to implement immediately given the financial resources? Put lighting aside since you mentioned lighting.

[33:54] John Bochiaro:

Yes. Yeah, that was going to be my answer. Yeah, I’ll give ice projection a shout out because I’ve really seen improvements with that over the years. I wasn’t a big fan when it first came out. It didn’t pop as much. But now you’re seeing these systems go into certain arenas. You know, Anaheim is one that jumps out. If you haven’t seen that, the Anaheim Ducks, where it just makes an incredible difference. It pops so well. It looks amazing. It looks amazing. The design of it has gotten better. It used to be upside down to half your audience, but through creative means of designers, they’ve kind of addressed how to play to both sides of the arena. The energy prior to the game, when the players first come out, is super important. And your opening sequence plays a huge role in how the night goes. So focusing on that, I would say, should be a huge priority.

The Future of Game Presentation

[34:45] Don Costante:

Such a climatic moment, for sure, or moments leading up to the start. All right, let’s go into our next topic. And this is really around the idea of the future of game presentation. So let’s zoom out and look ahead. three-to-five-year outlook here. From your vantage point at the league level, what trends or shifts will most shape game presentation over the next three to five years?

[35:05] John Bochiaro:

Yeah, it’s a great question. I mean, we talked about technology and some of the new things that I’m pitched on. And there’s things that are going to come out next year that, you know, we’re not even aware of. So it’s about staying on top of what is out there, how to improve us as a league taking a role in understanding those developments and making sure our clubs are aware. So if they want, they could take advantage. We talked about drones earlier. That is something that is getting a lot of attention. You see the coverage in the Olympics and what’s going on with that. We had a team experiment with drone light shows in-arena. Tech is not there yet, but I think we will obviously get better over time. Taking advantage of the next thing, evolving and getting better. That’s what it’s all about. And that’s where we see the success in our clubs is those that involve and constantly update and improve their show.

Advice for Emerging Leaders

[35:52] Don Costante:

All right, let’s move on to our next topic. This is going to be advice for emerging leaders. For those working in game presentation departments or aspiring to lead at the highest level like you, John, what mindset separates those who rise from those who just plateau?

Putting in the Time and Learning Every Position

[36:09] John Bochiaro:

Yeah, I mean, I think you have to go into this job with understanding it’s not a nine-to-five position. You have to put in the time. You have to make sacrifices. You know, I made a lot of sacrifices when I was younger and still do with missing a lot of family events. It’s not easy, but that’s what this industry is. You have to put in the time and constantly look at odd hours, weekends, looking on how you could make your show better. I would suggest also what you saw that was valuable for me is working every position. You know, I was a camera operator. I was a stage manager. No job is ever too small. I rarely said no to an opportunity. I wanted to understand every particular facet of game presentation and make sure I understand directing a camera to do this. It might be a problem or the him or her has an issue with it, but why? So like I had that. I had experience. I understand I’m going to date myself, but dragging triax around a stadium is not easy, but to use a more updated example, you know, getting from one side to the other is an issue or dealing with fans. Like just experiencing that world, I think has helped me. And I would strongly suggest trying to not just be a show caller, but like coming up in the ranks and working each position and understanding what goes into it.

[37:18] Don Costante:

I love that advice. And I think those young professionals that are listening right now, what John’s talking about is by dipping your toe in all these different areas makes you better qualified in terms of when you make decisions, how those decisions are going to affect those independent areas that you get some experience in. It makes you an overall better leader, manager, event presentation director.

Networking and Never Burning Bridges

[37:38] John Bochiaro:

Totally. And then just to expand on that to networking, you see how important it was for me with contacts and networking and meeting people and how one person played a big role in getting me to the next step. And that is super important to keep in touch. Don’t make enemies. You know, don’t burn bridges.

[37:53] Don Costante:

Don’t burn bridges. Exactly. If you move on from one position to another, keep in touch. Do not burn that bridge. Definitely. This is a small industry. It’s a small world. Everybody knows each other. So definitely keep in touch. And like one thing also that I wanted to say is make sure you’re known within the particular club, meaning that sometimes the game presentation group is removed from the general office of whatever the particular club you’re working with. Sometimes you’re on press level or you’re just in a different area.

Being Visible Within Your Organization

[38:21] John Bochiaro:

So like I made a point with my time with the devils, the devils offices for the game presentation group were on a completely different side of the arena from where everybody else was. Just show your face. Make sure you show up and say hi and just do a walk around the office, you know, and make sure people know that, you know, you’re there and you’re putting the time in. I think that’s very important to make sure that you’re part of the team. So you have to work with everybody. You have to work together. It’s not going to go your way all the time. So work with your club and the different departments that game presentation. Game presentation touches, which is pretty much every department within an organization.

Final Thoughts From John Bochiaro

[38:55] Don Costante:

So John, we’ve come to the end of the interview, but before we wrap up, I want to give you the opportunity to leave listeners with one final perspective. So for those listening to today’s discussion, what are your final thoughts?

[39:07] John Bochiaro:

This is a great industry to be in game presentation. I owe everything to it. It’s a great time for the industry. There’s a lot of attention on it. Like I said, it’s not all about the game itself. There’s so much more that goes into the fan experience. And we play a big role with that. You know, you look at the game presentation size with the league. It’s tripled in size since I started. So you’re seeing more clubs, more leagues understand the importance of it, which is great. So I would strongly recommend if it’s something you’re considering to definitely pursue it and take chances, take chances on what you’re doing. If it’s something you’re interested in, you know, I made a big sacrifice and took a big step when I was younger to get within this industry and something I definitely do not regret. And I’m very thankful for.

Don Costante’s Closing Thoughts

[39:51] Don Costante:

Great advice, John. This has been a valuable discussion. Your insights into designing league events and influencing presentation across 32 clubs offers real takeaways for anyone working in this space. So thank you for joining me on The Rundown.

[40:06] John Bochiaro:

Thank you so much for having me. Appreciate it.

Podcast Closing

[40:10] Don Costante:

That’s a wrap on this episode of The Rundown. Have a question or want to share your thoughts? We’d love to hear from you. Just email [[EMAIL:TheRundown@CostanteGroup.comEmail The Rundown]]. Also, be sure to subscribe, share the podcast and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram. On behalf of Don Costante, thanks for listening. Until the next time, this is The Rundown Podcast.