Ep. 4: Mastering Game Night Energy and Pacing with Chris Dubiel

After a decade across the Chicago sports scene, you learn a lot about crowd psychology and how much split-second timing dictates a live event. On this episode of "The Fan Experience Blueprint," host Connor Smith sits down with veteran public address announcer and sports broadcaster Chris Dubiel. Heading into his 10th season as the PA voice of the AHL's Chicago Wolves, Chris has spent a decade behind the microphone across the local hockey landscape — including fill-in work for Blackhawks games at the United Center and the USHL's Chicago Steel. Chris pulls back the curtain on how he built his foundation in broadcasting and PA announcing, including early reps at high school football and minor league baseball games. He shares what it was like finding his footing with the Joliet Slammers and explains how running a smooth game night-script is exactly like executing a football offense where everyone has to hit their marks. We talk about how to properly modulate your vocal energy so you enhance the arena experience instead of overpowering it, the importance of precise name pronunciations and working milestone events like the Calder Cup Finals and his first regular-season Blackhawks game in April 2022. Chris also breaks down the absolute chaos of handling 16,000 screaming kids on a school-day field trip game.