A first-of-its-kind sports residency is taking place right here in the great Garden State.

Since Aug. 16, American Dream has been host to The Harlem Globetrotters Experience – a 10-day event running through Aug. 25.

“The Harlem Globetrotters have a long and storied history of ‘firsts’ in almost 100 years of existence and we continue that tradition by partnering with American Dream; making history by creating the first ever sports residency,” Keith Dawkins, president, Harlem Globetrotters & Herschend Entertainment Studios, said in June when the news was first announced, as NJBIZ reported on. “This residency and its many commercial extensions, represents another way to reimagine the experience we bring to our millions of fans. We are excited about its potential to be replicated around the world.”

Details of the residency include:

• 16 live games over 10 days, including the Globetrotters taking on their legendary rivals, the Washington Generals
• The Globetrotter Kids Skill Clinic
• Pre-game Magic Pass: allowing attendees to join the teams on the court for 30 minutes before game time to show off their skills
• 5th Quarter – All Access – Globetrotter Meet & Greet: after the game, every fan is invited down to the court for an autograph from Globetrotter stars
• Exclusive Harlem Globetrotters Merchandise

NJBIZ spoke to Dawkins – a proud Jersey native. He joined the Harlem Globetrotters in 2022 after a long career at ViacomCBS, where he rose to the position of executive vice president at Nickelodeon.

Perfect fit

As a lifelong media entertainment executive, Dawkins said that the fit with the Globetrotters just made sense.

“One – because as a kid, I grew up on the Globetrotters, so kind of have a personal passion/affinity there,” Dawkins told NJBIZ. “They live in the intersection of sports and entertainment – which sports to me is entertainment, no matter what part of it you are in. And then the idea that I could bring all this background experience I have from the entertainment side of my life. And bring it to this brand that is coming up on 100-years-old in 2026; and see if we can bring it back to the days of when it was at its glory in the ‘70s.”

Dawkins said the residency idea quickly came together – describing it as a collaboration with a like-minded partner.

“I’ve known the ownership group of American Dream from my Nickelodeon days – they also own Mall of America. I got reintroduced to them through a colleague and they’ve been hosting some live sporting events,” Dawkins explained, recounting the story. “So, literally a colleague reached out to me on a Wednesday while they were hosting this high school national championship game called – ‘The Throne.’

“Two days later, I’m down there meeting with the ownership group – and we started walking the facilities, sort of outlining right there in real-time the possibilities of what a multiday – turned out to be a 10-day – residency could look like,” he continued.

A destination

Immediately, the two sides worked through a deal to make the residency a reality. Dawkins credited American Dream’s owners for their vision and out-of-the-box thinking, which he first experienced during his time with Nickelodeon. The brand has a theme park and activations at the Meadowlands megamall.

“That’s how I was fully aware of what American Dream was and is – and what they are trying to accomplish,” said Dawkins. “When I was back at Nickelodeon, we were negotiating that deal. So, I kind of knew how they saw themselves. They don’t see themselves as a mall. They see themselves as this destination that brings families together for live events, for retail, for food and beverage.”

“So, it just made sense as like-minded partners in collaboration – and it’s really been fantastic,” said Dawkins.

Dawkins spoke further about some of the key highlights of the residency – spearheaded by the 16 live games over 10 days.

“That’s a lot of games in a short period of time. We have a pop-up shop that’s still running now that started the week before the residency started – exclusive merchandise, exclusive products in there that you can’t get anywhere else. We have some signed Curly Neal jerseys that aren’t for sale anywhere else. There’s also exclusive retail in terms of our tour merchandise.”

All around win

In partnership with Gray Media, the Globetrotters shot a live game Aug. 18. Dawkins noted the actual tour product had not been live in decades.

He said the residency has been a win in a number of ways.

“For merchandise, for live content, for social media extensions, for working with our current strategic partners like Spalding in news,” he explained. “Bringing in new potential partners and sponsors. It’s just been a really unique way to engage with the fans in an intimate setting.”

It also offered the chance to connect with a whole new generation of fans. Many people who grew up as fans of the Globetrotters now bring their own children.

The Harlem Globetrotters Experience at @americandream.

10 days. 16 games. Skills Clinics. Player Meet & Greets. VIP Experiences. Exclusive Merch. Endless Entertainment.

Get your tickets today! 🎟️
Link: https://t.co/aVENzT6nFB pic.twitter.com/8jFkcyoYkQ

— Harlem Globetrotters (@Globies) July 11, 2024

“The fans who grew up on the Globetrotters – for them, it’s fantastic personally. But then they also get to bring their kids, their grandkids,” he explained. “So, to see, these 5-, 6-, 7-, 8-year-olds and it’s their first introduction intimately with the brand and just see them light up and knowing that we are creating fans for life with them – that response has been awesome. The intimate setting that allows our players to really touch and feel like everyone in the arena – that’s awesome.”

‘Truly a pleasure’

Dawkins said the residency has offered the opportunity to retell the story of Globetrotters – a tale he said exists at the intersection of sports entertainment – as well as promote the uniqueness of the brand and its longevity and ability to bring families together.

“We are fully bought into what the Globetrotters represent as a brand for America and the globe; for its players; for its fanbase,” said Dawkins. “And it’s an honor to kind of reintroduce it to a new audience – but also reignite it for the existing ones – who are like ‘hey, where have they been?’ So, it’s truly a pleasure.”

“The Globetrotters and American Dream make a perfect pair, as both are dedicated to delivering top-notch entertainment and fun for guests. At American Dream, we are constantly exploring new and exciting ways to captivate our visitors, and the Globetrotters’ residency exemplifies this commitment,” an American Dream spokesperson told NJBIZ. “With this residency, the USA Curling National Championships, The Throne, and Arena Bowl 33, it’s evident that American Dream is not only a premier destination for entertainment, retail, and dining but also for sports.”

More information on the residency and tickets are available here.

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