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Become a Partner With The Heartlanders

Become a Partner With The Heartlanders

Four is a big birthday for a whitetail buck.

The young buck has reached maturity by age four. Their adult antlers are coming in.

In the whitetail world, larger antlers are an indication of a healthier individual. Rivals and potential mates notice when a buck starts growing his antlers.

At the Iowa Heartlanders, our mascot is the whitetail buck and we are heading into our fourth season. The energy and excitement brought about by a new team owner, front office leadership, and growing fan base are all key indicators of a pro-hockey franchise maturing from fawns into bucks – ready to lead the herd.

Partners and rivals will take notice of the Heartlanders.

Team President, Matt Getz, brings more than a decade of success with the University of Iowa Athletics Department. The 2012 and 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials-Wrestling? Matt was at the helm. The 2015 NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving National Championships. Matt ran that show. Over 235 events for 24 Division I Varsity sports every year. Matt dominated those.

Head Coach, Derek Damon, brings 15+ years of high-level playing experience and a strong relationship with the NHL’s Minnesota Wild. His “Iowa Way” philosophy of outworking the competition by assembling a roster of mentally tough, determined players will be a fresh look for the Iowa Heartlanders in the 2024-25 season.

To continue the dedication to building an Eastern Iowa asset, the Heartlanders brought on Erin Pottebaum (Ops Director and Community Engagement) and Phill Seebeck (Corporate Partnerships) in October 2023.

Erin, Phill, and Matt have called the Heartland “home” for a collective 100+ years. We’ve laid down roots, raised families, volunteered at schools and local non-profits. We understand what it means to be good neighbors and we care about making our community a better place for all of us to live.

Our goal for the Heartlanders is to become a beloved and valuable community asset for fun, family entertainment. Our players want to be your favorite professional athletes. We will be part of your favorite sports experiences. As we reach maturity, our Front Office has shed its velvet and is growing a set of horns.

Opened in Summer 2020, the Xtream Arena boasts one of the most beautiful hockey barns in the league and is the shining star of the Iowa River Landing. Cool bars and restaurants, upscale shopping, and all the excitement of 36 home hockey games spanning from October through April are within easy walking distance of a variety of parking.

Amenities of the arena include:

5,000 seat capacity including 13 luxury box suites and an impressive Club section

A two-level Heartlanders Team Store featuring jerseys, pucks, and hoodies that allow fans to show off their team pride.

An Ice-level Party Deck that can accommodate up to 100 people with a private bartender and food options.

A variety of concessions featuring local businesses, grab-n-go stands, and a VIP lounge.

Kids-focused Fun Zone to keep the little ones engaged when they need to step away from the action on the ice.

Group Hospitality opportunities from Box Suites to the Ice Level Party Deck, where you get the goalie’s view during the game.

he new leadership team’s #1 priority for the Iowa Heartlanders is selling tickets. We are pouring more resources into selling tickets than the franchise has ever seen.

We want Xtream Arena to be THE place to be during the fall, winter, and spring months in Johnson County. (Yes, we’re aware of a certain Big Ten University that is nearby. Trust us, they’re falling in love with hockey, too.)

Here is a sample of what is different as our team moves into maturity:

Selling out our Biggest Games. Big crowds bring big energy that our team feeds on. We want the Arena packed with fans to continue the home ice advantage.

Dramatically Increased Group Sales. We’ve launched new group sales initiatives and are hiring more staff to reach out to schools, churches, non-profits, social groups, and employers to talk group outings. Previously, the team didn’t have the resources to effectively drive group sales. The new initiatives will continue to grow our fan attendance by leaps and bounds. We’re seeing it already this season, and eagerly anticipate having a full season of playing the game by our rules.

Increasing staff and marketing. New ticket products don’t matter if nobody knows about them. That’s why in recent months we’ve doubled the sales staff. We’ve added a full-time marketing coordinator. We’ve added sales intern positions to drive ticket sales to University of Iowa student groups. We’re calling everyone and we won’t shut up about the awesome and unique experience of professional hockey.

A prairie-rejuvenation style revisioning of our digital, social, and email marketing campaigns to offer new ticket packages and single game promotions.

Hockey is fun, even if you don’t fully know the game. The crashing of the boards. Goal songs and celebrations. The Zambonis. We challenge anyone to find a more exciting sport where the fans are so intimately close to the action. Forgive the pun, but hockey sticks with you.

BUT…

We recognize there is more to the Heartlanders experience than just the game.

Here’s what will be new next season:

More and better entertainment. We’re adding live music, new intermission games, targeted theme games, and a promise to focus on the experiences that make people want to come back.

Continued growth and development of new team merchandise. We have a cool logo. It deserves to be worn and displayed proudly.

Whitetails in the Wild. Prepare to see our Heartlanders participating at community events, your kids’ schools, on the news, and in your social media feeds. The community will care about our team when they see that the team cares about our community.

The Arena management, Concessions vendors, the City of Coralville, and the Heartlanders working as one team to deliver a Heartland experience that Eastern Iowa hasn’t seen before.