Discover the New Frontier of Fan Engagement with NASCAR & Twin Spires
How to convert fan passion into long term customer loyalty using new loyalty models that go beyond the transaction
March 10, 2026
1:00 PM EST
Register below for this event.
About The Event
Fan Engagement is a hot topic. And while many major league sports organizations are only just now catching up to the digital economy, NASCAR and Twin Spires (the home of the world-famous Kentucky Derby) have been leading the way and exhibiting success in their respective markets for years.
This webinar features Donald Baal, owner of Fan Rewards at NASCAR, Darin Zoccali, Director of Loyalty & Retention at TwinSpires | Churchill Downs Incorporated, and Dena Escobedo, SVP Customer Success at Capillary in a conversation that will open your eyes to the future of fan engagement.
The conversation will also provide insights into key topics and answer questions that puzzle loyalty marketers today:
- How to convert passion into loyalty participation
- How to maintain high levels of engagement through seasonal ups and downs
- How to transcend traditional retail loyalty models and be successful with event-based loyalty
- How to create true emotional brand attachment through experiences and “moments that matter”
- How to leverage events for customer activation and acquisition
- Learn the future of influencer marketing and how to leverage user-generated content
Wise Marketer Managing Editor Bill hosts this conversation that will give you an insider’s view of TSC Rewards and Nascar Fan Rewards, share knowledge that will help you recraft your own loyalty strategies for 2026 and beyond.
Featuring
Donald Baal
Owner
Fan Rewards at NASCAR
Donald Baal brings over 20 years of motorsports experience to his current role at NASCAR, where he oversees product marketing initiatives, including the NASCAR Fan Rewards loyalty program, NASCAR Fantasy games, and NASCAR’s mobile apps. Since joining NASCAR, Donald has held multiple leadership roles, including building and leading the NASCAR Data Strategy team, established in 2020 to advance the organization’s consumer data strategy. He has also directed digital marketing efforts and managed the front-end of NASCAR’s digital platforms, including NASCAR.com and the NASCAR Mobile app. Prior to NASCAR, Donald worked at International Speedway Corporation in ticket sales, travel, and email marketing, giving him a deep foundation across fan engagement and digital innovation in motorsports. Based near Daytona Beach, Florida, Donald enjoys spending time with his three children, often found on the sports fields, at the beach, or out boating.
Darin Zoccali
Director of Loyalty & Retention
TwinSpires | Churchill Downs Incorporated
Darin Zoccali grew up around horse racing, visiting The Meadowlands and other nearby racetracks on a weekly basis with his father throughout his childhood. He would go on to become the morning line oddsmaker and track handicapper for The Meadowlands before becoming the Director of Racing Operations at the age of 29. Darin was also a fixture on The Meadowlands television broadcasts and spent many years calling races at over a dozen racetracks. From there, Darin moved onto TVG where he worked in VIP Operations before finding a home with Churchill Downs Incorporated as the Director of Loyalty and Retention for TwinSpires. In addition, Darin is one of the partners in ThoroughCrowd which has a stable of Thoroughbred racehorses. In his free time, Darin enjoys golf, traveling with his family and coaching youth basketball.
Dena Escobedo
SVP Customer Success
Capillary
Dena Escobedo is Head of Customer Success, North America at Capillary Technologies, where she leads enterprise customer partnerships and value delivery. With nearly 25 years of leadership experience in Customer Success and Account Management, Dena has built a career guiding global teams and enterprise clients through complex transformations across SaaS and technology. Her expertise spans travel, hospitality, retail, fintech, and automation, with a relationship-focused approach centered on continuity, measurable outcomes, and long-term success. Known for turning strategy into results, Dena is committed to building deep partnerships that help customers unlock consistent, compounding value from their technology investments.
HOST
Bill Hanifin is CEO of Wise Marketer Group (WMG), home to The Wise Marketer — the Global Voice of Customer Loyalty — and The Loyalty Academy™, the world's only professional certification body for loyalty marketers. More than 1,200 professionals across 57 countries have earned the Certified Loyalty Marketing Professional™ (CLMP™) designation through the Academy's programs.
Active in the customer loyalty and payments industry for over two decades, Hanifin has designed, implemented and managed customer growth strategies and loyalty programs for globally recognized brands — including American Express, Visa, Mastercard, Shell, PepsiCo, Panera Bread, 7-Eleven, Circle K, and Scotiabank — across more than 20 countries and virtually every customer-facing vertical market.
A specialist in consumer purchase behavior, Hanifin has developed proprietary models for loyalty ROI modeling and customer lifetime value, turning complex loyalty economics into frameworks audiences can act on immediately. In addition, Bill has pioneered linkages between behavioral science and data driven marketing / customer loyalty.
A seasoned keynote speaker and workshop facilitator at industry events worldwide, he finds inspiration through participation in endurance sports over the past twenty years.