Indoor football has had hundreds of defunct teams or franchises switching leagues. The practice is considered almost common place. Yet when the Bloomington Edge decided to depart the Champions Indoor Football League for another, they were sued. Edge general manager Charles Welde talks as much as he can about the lawsuit and where the team sits today, as well as how it trains its staff and interns to sell experiences in such an uncertain environment.
Growing an account representative into a skilled sports sales professional is Eric Platte's goal at the Atlanta Hawks. Platte discusses his mindset in how to foster growth from each new hire to develop a pipeline of success for the Hawks organization. Platte talks about allowing the curtain to be pulled back on what selling in sports is, as well as the time commitment required up front of all employees. Twitter: @EricPlatte
The bridge between the accumulation of consumer data and actionable data in sports revenue generation is narrowing in focus daily. Lenny Goh discusses how the advent of social media data collection is now starting to yield out measurable returns for sports teams and concert ticket buyers, as clients are starting to figure out exactly what makes an online transaction occur. Goh talks about the methodology that transforms a message into a marketing sale. Twitter: @lennygoh
As the esports revolution continues, so does the separation from the original game tournament structure to an actual revenue generation model focused on corporate sponsor activation and player rights. Strategic Project Partners' David MacKay shares his knowledge of the esports space from Australia's arena, discussing how the growth of the vertical within the sports industry has shown some dynamic growth, but also some cautious issues still to be worked out. MacKay presents a vision of where players have to continue to build their brands in order to stave off the inability to capitalize on them effectively.
Mike Forman has entered into the unique experience of helping on-board his new ownership group at the Carolina Hurricanes, which has helped re-invigorate the local fan base as well as create dynamic, outside the box thinking. Forman describes the process of meetings, which has solidified direction toward a fan-focused model of customer service and branding. Forman talks about his new ownership group has also connected older fans from the Hartford Whalers days in a way not thought possible under the old regime. Twitter: @MForman5
Debra Fine's latest book, The Fine Art of Small Talk, is about revolutionizing how we engage with each other in ways that lead toward relationship building, as well as business development. Fine discusses ways to not only break the ice, but avoid a "Stage Five Clinger" who isn't going to buy but merely absorb your time. Fine talks about how to engage with people on a personal level and move it toward getting them to want to buy from you. Twitter: @DebraFine
The Los Angeles Dodgers have found a key way to innovate off of the field, combining forces with R/GA studios to create the Global Sports Venture Studio, a technology accelerator. GSVS Managing Director Tim Katt discusses what all of that means, and why a professional sports franchise is smart to infuse itself into the tech-development space of start-ups. Katt talks about the types of innovation already realized as well as the commitment level needed to succeed long term. Twitter: @tim_katt
Erin Dutcher may have a famous name around San Diego sports, but she refused to trade on it, earning her own way by gaining a position with the San Diego Seals, the new lacrosse team. Dutcher talks about how important it was for her to be hired for her own skills, rather than the coaching lineage of her father or grandfather, and how the Seals became that perfect opportunity. Dutcher shares how she seeks to impact the front office staff in a positive way every time she enters the room.
Andrew Brandt has sat on both sides of the table in a NFL player contract negotiation; both as a player agent and as legal counsel of the NFL's Green Bay Packers. Brandt also has an interesting distinction of being the agent of Ricky Williams, dropped in favor of rapper Master P, who guided Williams to one of the worst contracts in NFL history. Brandt discusses the nuances of NFL player representation, how it varies from other sports in terms of contract terms and length. Brandt talks about how his passion for sports law brought him to Villanova, to direct the Study of Sports Law in the Jeffrey Moorad Center. Twitter: @AndrewBrandt
Tom McMillen oversees 129 Football Bowl Subdivision athletic directors, working on mentoring and advocacy, as president/CEO of LEAD1 Association. The organization has been around since 1986 and has fostered a conduit of growth of athletic directors, as well as giving voice their challenges to legal matters happening in the nation's capitol. McMillen, a former Congressman, shares his insights into the new tax legislation which erases seat donation write-offs and the fall-out that new law can do to Olympic sports programming. Twitter: @LEAD1ACOM