Leading Sports Panel
Speakers:

• Connor Caloia: Chief Operating Officer, Big Top Sports & Entertainment (BA '04, MBA '13)
• Rick Schlesinger: President of Business Operations, Milwaukee Brewers (BA '83)
• Jamie Spencer: Executive VP of Business Development, Minnesota Wild (BA '95)

Key takeaways:

• Must be willing to change with the times 
• Have to have the mindset of being able to let the past go 
• Key to find the balance of school and pushing yourself outside of school. Nobody at work asks you what your GPA is
• Diversity is what drives innovation and makes an organization successful
• Continue to participate in whatever you can: SBC meetings, informational interviews, job shadows, etc.
• There are so many small businesses within a sports team, plenty of variety in careers 
• "When you say you go to Madison, you instantly stand out and gain some credibility"
• UW has a very strong alumni network that should be taken advantage of 
• "I left campus a much more well-rounded of a person"
• Attempt to get any sort of leadership experience you can
• If you want to stand out, pick up the phone! It's amazing the impression a simple phone call can make 
• Don't be so focused on getting your first job in sports if a different job can build and teach you skills to get you into sports later on

​Keynote Speaker 

• Brian Gainor: Vice President of Innovation at 4FRONT
• 4FRONT - "We solve business challenges, create value and drive performance through creativity and forward thinking" 

Key takeaways:

• Analytics is a trendy field right now. More and more analytics jobs are being posted every day
• You never know what is around the corner. We are officially living in a world of uncertainty 
• Perspective and attitude is everything 
• Being positive and staying positive stands out to people
• The people who thrive in the sports industry are the people who are always looking to get better
• Innovation = There is a better way...
• The pandemic has created a perfect time to do something that has never been done before. Ex. NFL Draft, The Last Dance, Virtual Courtside Seats 
• Moving forward, teams will give fans all over the world the ability to feel the live game experience 
• New signage and partnership opportunities everywhere 
• This year has been the year of the community. Brands and organizations are going to be heavily focusing on their respective communities moving forward
• Gaming, live streaming and media channels are blowing up

Selling Sports Panel:
Panelists:

• Damon Olstead: Manager of Ticket Experience, Arizona Diamondbacks (BBA '09)
• Ryan Schulman: Associate Director of Development - Major Gifts, Florida Athletics (BBA '12)

​Key takeaways:

• Attempting to sell naturally comes with more rejection than success, it is key to stay positive
• Graduate school may not be necessarily the right decision for anyone, but it is always an option with some great benefits
• Being a quality person goes a long way. Be genuinely interested in who you are working with
• At times, people are set with how they want to spend their money and there is simply nothing you can do about that to change their way of thinking
• The pandemic caused an interruption that made people reevaluate the way we do things and the way organizations are structured potentially for the better
• Truly in no matter what you are doing, you are selling yourself and your ideas
• While grades are important, the connections and relationships that you develop in college are crucial for your career. Have fun, and take advantage of being a student
• People are much more willing to help when you are a student. Use it to your advantage
• Always be working on yourself. Read, listen, ask questions and be curious 

Marketing Sports Panel:
Panelists: 

• Jessica Burda: Director of Brand Communications, Wisconsin Athletics (MA 02')
• Leah Emmons: Vice President of Partnership Engagement, Detroit Pistons (BS 06')

Key takeaways:

• Be prepared to have a lot of different roles. "Wearing a lot of hats"
• Volunteering is a great way to make connections and keep connections
• "Wear a lot of hats even when you don't have to wear those hats" 
• Core values of a brand should be seen in everything that they do
• Knowing your partners objectives is crucial. Other peoples definition of success may be different than yours
• Athletes have very distinct styles and beliefs that is best portrayed when the athletes share content themselves
• Being able to adapt and learn is essential with how rapidly things are changing  
• Representation matters. Diversity of thought creates innovation
• There are plenty of great small organizations that give opportunities to lead that large teams may not
• Simply paying attention to key trends and current events is essential to being able to adapt
• Being accountable within an organized fashion makes you stand out 
• Doing a good job in the now is what ultimately leads to future opportunities 
• If what you do is making you miserable, it is time to move on
• The ability to articulate your thoughts in words in a professional manner is crucial 

Speaker - Alex Becker: Senior, former Wisconsin Woodchucks Intern

• Plenty of different opportunities to work in lower-level baseball: Northwood's League, Cape Cod League, Minor League Baseball
• Plenty of other opportunities in lower-level professional sports: G-League, USL League One, various leagues of lower-level hockey.
• You'll wear many hats working in lower-division sports 
• Minor league sports is a space for fun and creativity 
• Minor league schedules, particular baseball, are packed. You'll work plenty of nights and weekends
• Minor league internships are often unpaid or underpaid 
• Can be a ton of fun when you get to know the other interns around you

Speaker - Jackie Damrow & Alex Shaw, Senior & Junior, UW Athletics Community Relations Interns

• Various community partners: AFCH, Randall Elementary, Goodman Community Center, etc.
• Before COVID, normal weeks consisted of office hours and community events 
• During COVID, the job consists of virtual programming and social media content planning
• Builds your skills in relationship building, communication and event planning

Speaker - Drew Kocken, Junior, Athletics Communications Intern 

• Consists of athletic communication, sports information and media relations 
• Most students have 2 main sports, some have 1 if it is a major sport
• Often an aid to a full-time staffer
• Pay is $10/hour
• Often scattered/late work hours

Speaker - Nik Parker, Senior, Denver Nuggets Marketing Intern

• Many classic intern activities and planning events
• NBA internships are likely better in-season in you are able 
• A lot of fun working with other interns, but can be lonely being in a new city by yourself

GMR Markting:
Speakers:

• Daniel Silber, Account Supervisor (UW Alum)
• Ben Tauer, Account Executive (UW Alum)
• Kent Flynn, Account Supervisor

Takeaways:

• 81% of consumers do not believe what marketers tell them
• Experiences build memories, memories build our life stories 
• People remember 20% of what they read, 40% of what they observe, and 90% of what they experience
• Diverse experience and depth of resources drive innovation and results for clients 
• Evaluate who should partner with who based on multiple brand objectives 
• Brands have found new ways to interact

Fleishmann Hillard:
Speaker:

• Matt Fox, Managing Supervisor (UW Alum)

Takeaways:

• Focused more on the public relations side of things
• A consumer focused agency that represents some of the largest brands inside and outside of sports
• Important to get a sense of the brands you admire when looking at where you want to work
• Culture and relationships within an agency are key
• Many new exciting outlets are changing the way things are normally done
• Sportico is a great resource
• Be active on LinkedIn!

Lammi Sports Management
Speakers:

• Bryan Ersoy, Account Coordinator (UW Alum)

Takeaways:

• Places over 250 appearances, partnerships and endorsements annually with top athletes in every major sport
• Specializing in activation and roll-out over several media platforms 
• Helps athletes with things such as appearances, branding and social media management 
• LSM has produced television, radio, online an social media content surrounding top teams and athletes across the US

This meeting provided some great information regarding what Sports Business Club will look like this semester and all the ways you can involved!

We also heard from the seniors on the executive board who shared their experiences in the sports industry and provided some great advice to our younger members!

The Panel:
Alex Becker - President, UW Athletics Marketing Intern, Wisconsin Woodchucks Intern 
Nik Parker - Vice President, Denver Nuggets Marketing Intern, GMR Marketing Brand Ambassador 
Michael Neiman - Alumni Director, Madison Capitols Digital Media Manager, UW Ticket Office Rep
Jackie Damrow - Events Director, UW Community Relations Intern, UW Football Recruiting 
Eric Novotny - Committee Chairman, UW Athletics Marketing Intern, College Gameday Volunteer