Nikki Romolo is the vice president of events for the New York Mets, overseeing the contract, sales, and execution of all non-Mets games events at Citi Field including concerts, festivals, NYCFC matches, and all private events. She's based in New York.
How I got here: "Like so many people in the industry, I started as a ticket sales intern. I worked for the Houston Aeros (now known as the Iowa Wild). Selling minor league hockey tickets to the people of Houston definitely provided some challenges, but it was truly the ‘gateway job’ for me that made me realize that I wanted to end up in sports."
Greatest career accomplishment: "While there are a lot of memorable moments, I’d say I’m most proud of my team’s recent accomplishments with the Mets. This past year, our event revenue is projected to grow by 50%, showing our impact on the Mets organization and the greater community. We just successfully held the largest-attended Dominican Winter League Baseball Series in history at Citi Field. Being part of this culturally significant event was more than just success in ‘numbers’–we felt connected to something bigger and were so proud of it. We also hosted the first Nigerian artist to headline and sell out a U.S. stadium in Burna Boy, Romeo Santos, two Dead & Co. shows, and P!NK, with the aim of diversifying the programming slate to be more representative of the surrounding Queens community. Being able to contribute to our larger community and those goals has been invaluable to me."
Something I wish I'd known at the start of my career: "Always ask questions. People often feel intimidated to ask questions because they think they should already know the answer or they don’t want to look ill-prepared. Getting over this fear has opened the door for me to learn way more than I ever thought I would."
How I've seen fan experiences evolve: "In the last few years, I’ve seen that fans are craving innovation and interaction. It’s no longer enough to attend an event; guests want to feel a part of the experience and be completely engaged, which makes my job fun as our team gets to be creative and use new tactics, technology, and tools to make it happen!"
Favorite sports activity to do in my free time: "While it may sound cliche, I spend a lot of my free time going to other sporting events. Seeing what others are doing in the industry is inspiring and cultivates growth. Not to mention, I am just an overall sports fan!"
Favorite moment in sports history: "I was at the Battle at Bristol between Tennessee and Virginia Tech. It’s the largest-ever crowd for an NCAA football game with 156,000 fans in attendance. From an event operations standpoint, it was absolutely spectacular seeing how Bristol Motor Speedway transformed into an electric CFB atmosphere. While the outcome didn’t fair well in favor of my Hokies, being a part of the epic experience is something I won’t ever forget."
