Florida Panthers In-Arena Host Andrea Ocampo does it all with risk and poise
by Nathalie Sczublewski
Published in Panthers Press Employee Newsletter on April 1, 2016
Every Panthers gameday has a countdown. A countdown to doors opening, a countdown to puck drop and a countdown for cameras to start rolling as Andrea Ocampo begins her role as In-Arena Host at BB&T Center.
Ocampo’s passion for the arts stemmed at a young age when she began dance lessons and her dream of becoming a broadcaster.
“I was always obsessed with news anchors,” said the Colombian native. “I always watched news growing up, even as a kid. It’s just something I always gravitated to.”
Ocampo first stepped into the sports world at 19-years-old when she became a cheerleader for the Miami Dolphins. At the same time, she managed school and freelance work. Her time with the Dolphins gave her the opportunity to network with broadcast reporters in South Florida and learn more about the journalism field. Ocampo graduated from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale while freelancing at different media outlets and as the National Spokesperson for Kellogg’s and Zumba campaign for two years.
Ocampo grew up in Weston, Fla. and attended Florida Panthers games with her parents. She quickly took notice of the In-Area Host and knew what path she wanted to take in her career.
“At an early age, I saw the In-Arena Host and I remember looking at my dad and saying “this is what I’m going to do one day,”” she said. “It just looked so much fun. I’ve always done entertainment and funny stuff.”
She began submitting her information to the organization and kept persistent. In 2012, she accepted a position as the In-Arena Host and Reporter for the Panthers. She has since interviewed players, coaches, covering NHL All-Star Games and assisted with the 2015 NHL Draft. This season, Ocampo added Marketing Manager for the Latin Market to her resume. With a bit of guts and grace, Ocampo found a way to juggle her three roles within the organization.
“Overall, the fact that I am all these things, there’s different aspects and just balancing the roles in a graceful way,” she said. “Not neglect any position has been an art in itself. It has been a once in a lifetime opportunity to represent this team.”
On March 18, Ocampo received the Hispanic Leadership Award by the South Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for her role in Communications and Broadcasting with the Florida Panthers.
“It means a lot to me. I’ve been pitching the Panthers to the Hispanic Market, even more so than how they were before,” she said. “To be recognized, it was a huge honor. It’s not just about me, it’s definitely about the organization. Our hard efforts have been recognized with ESPN Deportes and even behind the scenes, so it was like a little victory for us in the Panthers community and in the Hispanic community.”
Ocampo reaches out to the Panthers and Latino communities by speaking at initiatives and conferences as she teaches locals about hockey and getting new and old fans to watch Panthers games. While fulfilling her hosting duties, Ocampo notices the wild energy in the arena.
“I think there’s an amazing opportunity for us to be in the community and to get people excited,” she said. “To really feel that excitement from our fans, and even people who aren’t fans yet, just to get them excited for something that they haven’t been a part of is one of the reasons why I love my job.”
She strongly feels that it takes one fan at a time to bring them on board to watch the Panthers in action and get them excited about the game.
“My motto is: One fan at a time.” She said. “I’ve been to Hispanic initiatives and spoke to people who have never been to a game before. It’s getting to know fans one at a time.”
Nathalie Sczublewski 