Elites Get Social With The New Orleans Pelicans

I am a baaaaaaad Unilocaler ’cause this review is so so late. I was sick!
This was an amazing experience! Morgan and Chance (the rep from the pelicans) worked their magic and rolled out the red carpet for us.
First we had a Q & A with one of the writers for the Pelicans. (I totes think Seymore D. Faire is Pierre the Pelican’s daddy by the way) then we rolled on down court side to watch practice and we were treated to the cutest version of the national anthem ever!
After that they took us to the Capital One Lounge. OMG the food! I had The flank steak, stuffed sliced chicken, lobster pasta, the best pickled okra I’ve ever had, muffaletta salad and bread puddin’. Dat bread puddin’! I almost went full cookie monster on it.
After about an hour in the lounge it was game time. We were sent to our seats (100 level yo!) and settled in to watch the game. (spoiler alert: the pelicans won!)
Side note: It was my first time in the arena and I didn’t realize that the arena is built upwards and not outwards like most arenas. THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING! Cheap seats where I can still see whats going on? Yes please!

Who doesn’t like being treated like a VIP?! Thanks Morgan and Chase from the Pelicans organization for treating us like rock stars for an afternoon. I love sports. I have never been a huge fan of professional basketball but since moving to New Orleans, I have been to several Hornets/​Pelican games and I have always had a blast. It is a great way to spend a night with friends rooting on the hometown boys. This day, however, was something really special. From chatting with Pelican’s media people, going courtside for warmups, eating like kings in the Capital One lounge, and then getting great seats to watch the Pelicans kill the Timberwolves; it was an amazing night for the Unilocal Elites of New Orleans. These events just keep getting better. Thanks Unilocal team and keep up the good work!

As a huge sports fan I was definitely interested in attending this event. I follow NBA games religiously and love the continuous action of the NBA.
Once we got there we were soon brought courtside to watch the players warmup. After our awesome courtside experience we were brought to the Capital One Club to enjoy some drinks and food. I was quite impressed with the food that was served to us. They had a great variety of food from flank steak to tasty desserts. Once we got a taste of all that the Capital One Club had to offer we were whisked away to our seats.
The Pelicans really hooked us up as we all got seats in the 100 level. We had a great view of all the action. The Pelicans won big that night by like 50 pts. Way to go Pels!!!
This was a fun-​filled event and I am so thankful that Morgan and the Pelicans went above and beyond to make this event possible for us. What a fun night hanging out with Unilocal Elites!
I love the Pelicans and I love Unilocal

Oh, Morgan, I HEART YOU!
We met at the team store. We then entered some super secret entrance to a room where Chase and Jim gave us the lowdown on social media; primarily twitter. Thus began our VIP night!
After that, we moseyed on out to the floor (aka the court) and watched the guys warmup alongside the little cheerleader-​dancer girls. After checking out the scenery that is the hotbasketballplayers, we went to the Capital One Lounge and enjoyed food, drink, and dessert.
Ohhh the food. They had some Flank Steak (tapa style), lobster pasta, tomato and gouda soup, pasta-​something, mac-​n-​cheese — oh dear, I cannot remember everything; I just remember it was all. delicious. They had different stations — fruit, dessert, the kitchen counter, and a bar. Everything was so delicious! Although I was not moved by any of the desserts I had, I did very much enjoy tasting them! :)
After we had some time to eat and drink, we sauntered to our 100-​level seats. YASSSS. I was in section 114, so I could see everything without even having to turn my head left or right. ha ha ha. It was even better that we kicked the Wolves’ booties!
Much Mahalo to Chase and Jim for the hospitality! This was my first Pelicans game ever, and it set the bar high! :)

I was very happy with my first Pellies game of the year. We got to enjoy free tickets, capital one lounge access, courtside seats for warmups, and a meet and greet with the social media peeps. AND we got to do it in the name of Unilocal!
I thought the intro meeting with Jim and Chance was pretty cool. Very informative — I love random sports trivia — and I liked that we were encouraged to help get the word out via Unilocal and our own social media.
Anyway, the courtside seats for warmups were awesome. I’m not the biggest NBA fan, but my guest is, and he pointed out that he could sit there and watch NBA players shoot around all day. And I was starting to share that sentiment.
Then we got to go the Capital One Lounge and enjoy free food and drink (singular! — they’re expensive). The food was very good IMO, especially the crawfish etouffe and steak dishes. Morgan was gracious enough to buy a drink for everyone, so we at least got one of those $ 8 drinks for free, but I was gracious enough for the Lounge access in itself.
Then we got to watch the Pellies KICK ASS! And got a photo on the court after. I enjoyed the heck out of the game and hanging out with fellow Unilocalers.
Here’s to the next one!

Wow! What a fun night. I’m glad I left work early to be able to enjoy the entire event. And we really did enjoy the VIP treatment!
I’m glad we could huddle in the tshirt shop to meet Morgan and Chance, our Pelicans representative, because dang it was cold outside. We started out easy by visiting with each other (and getting some Unilocal swag) and meeting with Jim the main writer for the Pelicans. Then we were off to our courtside seats where we could oggle the players and/​or the dance team depending on your preferences. It’s funny to be a shorty so close to the players; yes, all those guys (including many of the coaches) are crazy tall.
Then we were whisked away to the Capital One lounge for snacks and beverages and cookies, lots of cookies… but maybe that was just me. Everyone enjoyed the food and it was super high quality with dishes from various chefs around town.
On to the game, I guess we didn’t clue in that we would all be sitting apart and that was a bit of bummer… although when the organization gives you free tickets that normally sell for over $ 100 each then you just say thank you. I enjoyed the game, mostly because my 4^th brother was my +1 and he explained what was going on. I am not much of a basketball person. It was fun seeing the Pelicans clobber the Timberwolves and set league records. My favorite thing was how enthusiastic the kids around me were for the game. Child enthusiasm is pretty cute.
Thanks Morgan, Rachel, Chase and the New Orleans Pelicans! We had a blast and your treated us like rockstars!
*Disclaimer* I am accepting the fact that the team’s name is the Pelicans. But for the record, I will always think baseball first when I hear that team name since that was our minor league (or whatever it was called then) from the late 19^th century through the 1950s and again for one year in 1977.

I gave up my long-​awaited Unilocal trip to Biloxi to come to the Pelicans game (two Unilocal events in a 2-​night span = babysitter issues).
The hubby, my +1, wanted the VIP treatment for a Pelicans game since he’s a huge fan, so he chose this event when I gave him the option.
This event delivered big. I think I’m off the hook for coming up with an awesome Christmas present… thanks Morgan!
We met up at the team store, which I have never visited. It’s full of lots of interesting Pelicans gear, including an adorable jersey-​styled onesie that I need to buy my nephew.
After that, a short discussion with one of the Pelicans website writers, and then off to the floor seats to watch warmup. I will never get the chance to sit that close again, so even though I’m not that much of a basketball fan myself, it was pretty freaking cool. Hubby? Loved it!
The Capital One Club, which I didn’t even know existed, was fantastic. My expectations for our free food was hot dogs & burgers or some other arena-​quality grub.
We had neither.
Instead, lobster mac & cheese, steak, étouffée, roasted veg lasagna, a huge dessert station, and more. We certainly did not go hungry.
I do wish all of the Unilocalers had been able to sit together, but from a marketing standpoint I understand why they split us up… it was Social Media Night, so knowing we would all be taking/​posting photos, it’s best to get a few different angles. At least, that’s my theory. Who knows. Regardless, it was fun tweeting photos and trying to get onto the Jumbotron (FINALLY made it at the end of the game). Also, halftime hijinks… both Hubby & I got chosen, thanks to a 1^st quarter tweet, to participate in Simon Sez. He was the first one out. Hah. I lasted a bit longer, but still didn’t win. We were given consolation prize t-​shirts, though, so I can now say I own a Pelicans shirt.
Al in all, a great evening, and I can certainly appreciate the effort it took to put this all together. Now, if we can do something similar with the Saints… ;)

This was a great way to kick off an incredible weekend of Unilocaling. I loved getting the behind the scenes view into the Pelicans arena. As another Unilocaler said, I cannot believe how much work goes into those games!
I don’t think I’ve ever felt short before, but sitting in court-​side seats at an NBA game sure can make you feel tiny. It was pretty cool to watch everyone warm up!
The Capitol One Lounge was great too! I’d love to come back and make that a part of my game night. They had quite the spread– I’m not one for sweets but I definitely hit that desert table a few times!
I’ve actually been to a few Pelicans (well, they were the Hornets…) games in my day, but always in a friend’s season ticket seats in the nosebleeds. Totally different experience from club level!
I’m typically not an NBA fan, but you cannot deny that for the price and the quality of talent on our team there is just not a better value and way to spend a night than at the SK Center. I’m so glad this event reminded me how much fun I have there. Guess I’ll have to replace my Hornets gear now!
Hey Pelicans– now that you know what awesome luck we Unilocalers are, feel free to host us anytime! ;)

Great time had by all at this «behind the scenes» Pelicans event!
I’ve been in the SK Center once before to see the Pelicans, but it was awesome to meet with and hear from Jim Eichenhofer, Publications Manager for the Pelicans. He had a lot of cool insights into social media and the team itself!
Court-​side seats for the warm-​ups = Awesome! We got up close and personal (? lol) with both the players and the dancers before the game.
I was really impressed with both the atmosphere and the fare in the Capitol One Lounge. Everything from fresh fruit, to loaded mashed potatoes, to bread pudding! My personal fave was the shrimp étouffée with rice, YUM! And thanks for the drink, Unilocal :)
We then headed to our seats. As others have said, it was a slight bummer that we weren’t all seated together, but the seats were definitely not nosebleed, and were free, so who can complain!?!
The pelicans played well, and slam dunked over the Timberwolves! I think my sign made the difference! Did anyone get the free fries the next day?
Thanks for a great time and sweet swag Morgan! Looking forward to the next event!

When I saw that the event was a Pelicans game, I knew I had to go. I hadn’t made a Pelicans game yet this season. Morgan wanted us dressed in red, and the only red shirt I had was a U of Nebraska Dad t-​shirt, so I was glad we were meeting at the team store. I am now the proud owner of a red Pelicans shirt.
The evening started off with a talk and questions on how social media is used by the Pelicans and to a degree how it has changed sports writing. Interesting. After that, I enjoyed sitting on the first row of courtside to watch the Pelicans warm up. Much more organized than I had given any thoughts to. I knew what to expect from the Capital One lounge. I’ve eaten there before and the food was up to their usual standards. I sampled a little of everything and was full.
And then the game! I don’t know how Morgan got the Pelicans to play their best game in franchise history for us. It was awesome watching them make it look so easy! We stayed until the end, not quite realizing that history was being made.
The Pelicans and Morgan gave us a great night!

Quick note:
Stellar event… Best time ever, like Disney World best ever. Coulda ONLY been greater if Joi could’ve breezed though sharing her Unilocaliness!!! Oh well… Next time!!!
The review:
I can appreciate the time & attention that was given to this event. I mean the just imagine tracking down the powers that be to get the permissions to pull it off… Hats off to Mo-​Fo who is effective at doing all things well.
Floor access during practice, the Pelican dancers were doing there thing, then the kiddies came out to practice… sheesh the effort & timing to pull this thing off is intense. Can you say «synchronize your watches…»
After the pre-​game floor show, we gained access to the newly renovated Capital One Lounge, where FREE FOOD & DRINKS live. Fun, modern, tres chic décor, friendly servers, all added in more hype to an already amped up day… but unfortunately that part of the fun ended & we were whisked away to our seats to enjoy the game.
Loved the radiating excitement in the stands. The crowd was so alive as we cheered on the Pelicans to a triple digit WIN!!! The half time show, Simon Sez, was truly enjoyable & took me back to my Simon Says days.
And did I forget to mention, the seats were in the 100 level & allowed for a GREAT bird eye’s view of all things «Go Pels»; no pun intended.
I’ve been to Pelicans Games before, but this one allowed me to enjoy from a different vantage point… and I must admit, I like this experience better… Can I get a DO OVER???

When I first checked the Elite calendar and saw that the next Elite event was a sports event, I was bummed. I’m not a huge sports fan (shocking!) and while I enjoy watching the Saints, I hadn’t really kept up with the Pelicans or ever been to a basketball game. I decided to step out of my comfort zone and RSVP’d.
After meeting in the gift shop, we were hustled to a conference room where we heard a cool presentation about the Pelicans’ social media. Jim Eichenhofer is the man in charge of those things, and I found the talk really interesting and it’s cool how one tweet can end up on ESPN. Social Media really has made the world a lot smaller.
After that, we headed court side where we got to watch the players warm up. It was so fantastic being right on the court and that close to the players. It was neat to be able to take it all in and get the full experience.
Then came the fancy lounge. Ohhh… the fancy lounge. I want to start by saying that the lounge ruined me for any future basketball games. The drinks were comped by the extremely generous people at Unilocal HQ and the food was out of this world. There was a red pepper bisque that was amazing. I could have had 5 bowls of it. I SHOULD have had 5 bowls of it. Pro tip: everything is better when it’s cream based. We got 45 minutes to sit around and chat and enjoy the whole fancy pants lounge experience. I have to figure out a way to be a big shot and get back in there when I go to games in the future.
Up next: GAME TIME! The only bummer about the game was that all of the Unilocalers were spread out. My +1 and I sat with Morgan, and we were wishing that our seats were all together. Thanks to Morgan’s sign making skills and Allison’s tenacity, our little group got on the jumbo tron! The game was a lot of fun and non stop action, and not only did the Pelicans beat the Timberwolves 139 – 91, BUT the Pelicans set a franchise record with points scored, breaking their last record of 135! I think that means that the Unilocalers are good luck.
Chase McVay was the man who welcomed the Unilocalers and helped Morgan put this fun event together. I can’t wait to check out another game! I think I’m a basketball fan now.
Thank you Morgan for a super fun event! It was great hanging out with the Unilocal gang as usual and congrats to Melissa J. for her awesome sign that won her a prize!

What a beautiful arena! Great energy — definitely the best time I’ve ever had at a basketball game the bread pudding in the Capital One Club was BANGIN’!!! Jrue Holiday is my new favorite playa. Unilocal reppin’ on the jumbotron WHAAAAAT!!! So much fun — thanks for a great night everyone!

Sports.
Pelicans.
Unilocal.
Smoothie King.
Beer.
NOLA.
Skipping work.
Friday.
Morgan.