Lincoln Stars Playbook: Creating a Memorable Hockey Experience

1. Lincoln Stars Playbook HOCKEY: Hungry, Outrageous, aCcountable, Kind, Enthusiastic, You

2. Table of Contents • Who we are • VISION: The Lincoln Stars Way: 3 Entertainment • TIME: the most valuable commodity • Everyone is a janitor • The “Frictionless” Experience • 5 Ways to positively impact a fan’s experience • Ways we are always improving • Amazing History of the Ice Box • Mission Statement, Goal and Impact • Core Values • Your Story?

3. Who We Are In November 2013, Ryan Schiff realized a lifelong dream and bought the Lincoln Stars. Since the day he retired from playing, he had dreamed of owning a hockey team. He believed that his love of the sport, passion for business and desire to create experiences that people will cherish made him the ideal person to own and operate a USHL franchise. Along the way to Lincoln, there were opportunities to own teams in Lewiston, Maine, Red Deer Alberta, Colorado, Georgia and pretty much everywhere in between, but once Schiff came to Lincoln to see his first stars game he was certain this was the perfect fit for his passions. The first year was a learning experience, understanding what people want, why they want it and how to hire and staff a hockey team to produce championship caliber play and a world class experience for fans. Year 2 saw the Stars go from “worst to first” and the team became relevant again for the first time in years. Year 3 was more of the same on the ice, quality play and a narrow 1 point miss on the playoffs, but still staffing issues and lack of core belief plagued the front office and attendance continued to suffer. The vision for 3 Entertainment was born. Sadly, there was little to no staff buy in and it remained largely in the penalty box. Year 4 the team made it back to the playoffs and won a series before being knocked out in round 2. After another front office restructuring, the vision for: 3 Entertainment finally began to take root. Undeterred by recent failures on the business side, Schiff began to plow forward with the new staff and implement the now common 3 Entertainment. It’s a simple concept: Fans should say 3 times at every arena event. What great customer service What great Value What great entertainment He followed this with a core values acronym spelled out simply as: HOCKEY. Hungry, Outrageous, Competitive, Kind, Enthusiastic, You. Each word symbolizes a core belief of what it means to work for and be a part of the Lincoln Stars.

4. VISION: 3 Entertainment The Lincoln Stars Way WE ARE: • What great service • What great value • What great entertainment Everything we do is designed to create and eliminate friction. What did you do today to make someone say ?

5. TIME:The most valuable commodity • Think about it: every business is in the time business • In everything you do think about how to give time to our fans not take it away • The Parking experience: is there friction or is it smooth? • The Will Call/Ticket purchase experience: is there friction or is it smooth? • The Concession experience: minimize time spent during payment • The Merchandise experience: minimize the time spent during the check out process • The Bathroom experience: are they clean? How long are the lines? • Our goal is to: minimize the time spent on line anything you can do to achieve that DO IT! • If we WIN in the time business, with our speed and frictionless delivery, our fans say • Every Second Counts for our fans. Let’s work to make each second special. • BE FAST AND MEMORABLE!

6. Everyone is a janitor • How does Disney keep their parks immaculate all day even though they serve millions of people a day? • They have 56,000 janitors on staff that’s how! • Everyperson from Walt Disney to the characters, to the person checking wristbands is a janitor. We are ALL responsible for keeping the ICE BOX spotless. • IF there is a piece of trash on the ground PICK IT UP! NOBODYshould walk past it. • IF you see paper towels are low in the bathroom, refill them. • IF a trash can is close to being full, everyone knows where the bags are - change it out.

7. The “FRICTIONLESS” Experience • What do fans really want when they come to the ICE BOX? EASY ACCESS! • How do we cater to them? Make things simple! • Make purchasing FAST and EASY without Friction • Eliminate concession lines • Make everything smooth and easy with a smile • FACEOFF use StadiumONE POS to speed purchase NO LINES • Makeour website simple to use • Make ticket purchasing a breeze • Make ticket pricing simple to understand • Arena signage should make it easy to find seating, restrooms, club areas, All You Can Eat areas

8. 5 Ways to positively impact a fan’s experience • Smile and use positive words: If someone says “thank you” respond “my pleasure” rather than “no problem”. If someone says how are you doing? respond with “Awesome” or “Fantastic” not the predictable “good” or "not bad”. Let every interaction with a fan leave them feeling amazing. • Smile and use your sense of humor: If a fan asks how the team is doing: feel free to joke around you can say “great, I’m pretty sure we have come in first or second in every game this year” Keep things light and use your gifts. • Smile and take Initiative: If you see someone carrying three drinks go grab two of them and walk with them to their seat. If you see someone struggling to find their seat, walk them all the way to their seat. Go the extra mile whenever the opportunity presents itself, always be watching for the chance to make someone’s day. • Smile, encourage and compliment: When you see someone wearing cool Stars swag or anything you like make sure to compliment them. “Sick Hat ! Love your shoes!” Do this with your fellow staff members as well as Fans. We ALL love to be loved. • Check your baggage at the door: When you enter the ice box, you are here to have fun and make someone’s day better, enhance their enjoyment of our event and make their time frictionless and amazing. We understand life can have stressful moments, but try not to dwell on negativity, rather get in the mindset of trying to make someone else’s day. When you do, it will immediately leave you feeling better than when you arrived. Remember it is always better to give than receive.

9. Ways we are always improving • EOS – we use it • Accountability – we do what we say we will do when we say we will do it • Performance Reviews- Staff should always know where they stand • Book Club – we are always reading to learn and apply • Podcasts – like books, there are thousands of impactful ones • Scripture – the answer is always available if you choose to read the book • Outrageous Ideas - we come up with lots of them

10. Amazing History of the Ice Box • 1996 Franchise begins Nebraska Fairgrounds becomes the ICE BOX • 1997 & 2003 USHL CLARK CUP CHAMPIONS • 2000 NHL pre-season comes to the ICE BOX • 1997-2002 Sell Out streak ends • 2018 A record 6 players drafted in the 2018 NHL Draft

11. MISSION STATEMENT: 3 Entertainment GOAL: 30 Sell outs IMPACT: Donate 10% of profits

12. CORE VALUES: Hungry Outrageous aCcountable Kind Enthusiastic You Be Hungry. Always exceed expectations. Be the best at your role. You will achieve your goals. Be Outrageous. “Mainstream” has never changed the world. Outrageous actions and ideas make experiences go from good to GREAT! Be You. WE > me. Team first. Are you virtuous? Your career will be defined by what you do and how you do it when nobody is watching. Be aCcountable. Do what you say you will do, when you say you will do it. Your teammates are counting on you. Be Enthusiastic. Excited to make someone’s day. Every day is someone’s first day at the ICE BOX. How will you make it memorable for them? Be Kind. LOVE your customers and your team. 1 Corinthians 13:13 People may not remember the score, but they will always remember being treated with kindness.

13. What will your story be ? Your Attitude will determine your Altitude: