IronPigs' Knupp wins 2015 Rawlings Award

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Minor League Baseball® and Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc. announced today that Lehigh Valley IronPigs Vice President, Marketing & Entertainment Lindsey Knupp is the recipient of the 39th Rawlings Woman Executive of the Year Award. Since 1976, the Rawlings Woman Executive of the Year Award has been presented annually to a woman who has made outstanding contributions to her club or league, or to baseball. Knupp will receive her award at the Baseball Winter Meetings Awards Luncheon on Monday, Dec. 7, at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee.

"I'm overwhelmingly honored to be receiving this award among so many outstanding women," said Knupp. "I've had tremendous support over the years from both the IronPigs organization and the International League which has allowed me to continue to grow and hopefully become a role model for young women in this industry."

Knupp was recently promoted to vice president, marketing & entertainment after completing her 11th season in Minor League Baseball and eighth season with Lehigh Valley as the club's director of promotions & entertainment. In her new role, she oversees the community relations and multimedia design efforts of the club, in addition to her current responsibilities of handling promotions and entertainment. Under her direction, the IronPigs have captured Ballpark Digest's "Promo of the Year" award, as well as GameOps.com's "Best Game Operations and Presentation" award. The IronPigs' forward-thinking promotions have been highlighted in numerous national publications, including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and Sports Illustrated.

In her day-to-day role, Lindsey coordinates all game day promotions and entertainment, performs corporate sales and handles the club's outgoing marketing budget. Her outgoing media strategy includes a variety of emerging trends such as branded content, retargeting, infographics and video content in addition to traditional marketing techniques like TV, print, radio and billboard campaigns.

"Lindsey has a unique combination of positive ambition and fierce competitiveness that has allowed her to achieve her many accomplishments," said Lehigh Valley IronPigs President and General Manager Kurt Landes. "Our innovative and creative promotions and marketing campaigns are a direct product of her talent and leadership."

In 2014, Lindsey was on a leadership committee that oversaw a rebranding strategy that resulted in the highly successful launch of new team logos centered on all things bacon at SmellTheChange.com. The campaign also went viral, with thousands of online mentions, as well as coverage in a number of high profile media outlets, including ESPN, CBS, GQ and Mashable. Lindsey also serves as a board member for IronPigs Charities, where she volunteers her time and plays a significant role in the organization's key fundraising event, the Phillies Winter Banquet.

A graduate of Shippensburg (Pa.) University, Lindsey began her professional baseball career as an associate with the Reading Phillies in 2005 before joining the IronPigs' front office in 2007.

"Lindsey has made significant contributions to the IronPigs operation in her time with the club, resulting in overwhelming success for the organization's brand and image," said Pat O'Conner, Minor League Baseball president & chief executive officer. "Her creativity and innovation has helped make the ballpark experience each night at Coca-Cola Park a truly unforgettable experience. On behalf of Minor League Baseball, I congratulate Lindsey on being named the 2015 Rawlings Woman Executive of the Year."