Event Spotlight Blog

UNCUT Madison

10/17/2021

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UNCUT Madison Slides: Here

Speakers:

Olivia Hancock: Co-founder and Head of Operations of UNCUT Madison
Drew Kocken: Co-founder and Head of Content of UNCUT Madison

Key Takeaways:

Student-led, athlete-driven: athlete to athlete content is extremely authentic and extremely compelling
In the world of sports media, content is key
There are so many great stories that go untold in sports, there's more than just a stats sheet
Fill your room with people who are always smarter than you
Never be afraid to reach out to anyone, no matter how big their name is
Exposure is a result of how much work you put in and how much genuine interest and excitement there is
It's not just going to work for UNCUT, it's more of becoming part of a movement and making an impact
Delegating responsibility and building trust in your team requires you to become a different type of leader
It's different starting something from the ground up, and it's important to have that experience

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Creating a Winning culture with coach moseley

10/9/2021

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Marisa Moseley

2021 Wisconsin Women's Basketball Head Coach
2018-2021 Boston University Women's Basketball Head Coach
Previous Assistant Coach at UConn, Minnesota, and Denver

Takeaways

How Wisconsin is creating a winning culture: 5 Pillars - WISC Legacy
- Winning mindset, integrity, selflessness, and communication leads to the team's legacy
- Legacy = leaving the place better than you found it
You'll never know how the people in your network will help elevate your career
The minute that you establish trust, belief, and ownership, people will want to run through a wall for you
There's something more that you can expect from yourself, but you have to put yourself in the mindset
It's the way that you approach things, it's the expectations that you have to be great, and then you take things to another level
You want to win in the right way, you don't just want to get by
It doesn't always have to be a straight line to where you get to, but if you put in enough energy, effort, and focus, you can accomplish anything that you want
Be a light in everything you do, make an impact
In order to be successful, you have to constantly be willing to learn
If there's not a seat at the table, bring your own chair
Always make sure that you're excellent in the job that you're doing
Time management is key
Be willing to take on both the smallest and biggest jobs
If you're being sought out it's one thing, but make sure that you're not always looking for the next big thing
You've got to believe in yourself before you can step out and actually do it

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Leading sports panel & Keynote Speaker

4/16/2021

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Leading sports panel: Watch it HEre

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

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Selling sports panel & Marketing sports panel

4/13/2021

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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

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Student internship showcase

3/11/2021

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Missed it? Watch it here!

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

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The Business of Summerfest

3/4/2021

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Missed it? Watch it here!

Speakers:

Sarah Smith Pancheri: Chief Operating Officer & VP of Sales and Marketing (UW Alum)
Bob Babisch: Vice President of Entertainment

Takeaways:

Establish in 1968 with an average annual attendance of 900,000 people
A 75-acre world-class permanent festival site
Recognized as "The World's Largest Music Festival" by the Guinness Book of World Records
Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. is a private, not-for-profit corporation. It truly is a festival for the people
2,162 seasonal employees and 2,000+ additional seasonal staff hired various Summerfest vendors
Delivered almost $1 billion in economic impact is the last 5 years
93% of authorities and 85% of non-attendees agree of strongly agree that Summerfest is part of the fabric of Milwaukee's culture/community
Summerfest is marketed to absolutely everyone
199K+ email database and millions of website visitors
Regional advertising in excess of $2.2 million
A 12 month, around-the-clock job
Different artists are marketed differently. Ex. A pop concert you market through social, but a country concert you market through radio

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Sports/Marketing Agency Fair

2/25/2021

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Missed it? Watch it here!

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

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Sports Comm. info session & B-School/J-school tips

2/24/2021

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Sports Communication Certificate

Matt Herman: Sports Communication Certificate Advisor. Email: mrhermann@wisc.edu
A concrete credential that can help you in any area of sports
Currently roughly 150 students in the program
12-credit program open to any majors
Offers many classes in the academic year, as well as summer
Everybody starts with J150
Everybody selects from 1 of 3 classes in the skills category
Everybody selects from one of the many social impact courses
Courses are constantly being added on to the certificate such as ComArts 608: Sports Gambling
An internship is recommended, but not necessarily required

Tips and Tricks for Applying to the School of Business

March 3rd, 2021: When undergraduate admission applications open
Two biggest parts are the resume and essay
In 2018, the average GPA that got into the School of Business was a 3.6
Leadership involvement is key
Follow the School of Business Resume Resource Guide
Master the art of resume bullet points
Get your resume reviewed multiple times

Tips and Tricks for Applying to the School of Journalism

Much smaller overall than the School of Business
Only accepts half its applicants
Consists of a professional resume, unique personal statement and two pieces of supporting material
Your writing ability is more important than your GPA
J201 is required to apply

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Sports cards & Entrepreneurship with aaron nowak

2/17/2021

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Missed it? Watch it here!

Aaron Nowak

CEO and Founder of SlabStox - Graduated from UW in 2020. SBC Alumni!!!
SlabStox: Releases sports card information and data to the world
SlabStox mission: To provide valuable information, data and knowledge to the sports card community, so they can continue to enjoy the hobby
Currently over 40,000 followers on Instagram and 9,000 subscribers on Youtube

Takeaways

The start may not be very rewarding, so passion is a must
If it doesn't work instantly, be patient and keep trying
Money always has to come second
Money can be replaced, doing what you love can't
Stop waiting, start doing
Sacrifices are inevitable with any start up
Trying and failing is better than never trying at all
Give with no expectation of anything in return
Focus on visual qualities later to focus on information
Essential to show people what value you are able to give to them
If the first opportunity falls through, keep pushing
Never sell yourself short
COVID has fueled the rapid boom of the sports card industry
Become proficient in multi-tasking
Always be ok with pivoting and trying something else

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Nfl Partnerships with Mitchell Pinta

2/17/2021

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Missed it? Watch it here!

Mitchell Pinta

Group Managing Director, Business Development & Partnership Management at the NFL
Graduated from UW-Madison in 2008 and work in the Athletic Department
Started with the NFL out of college in 2008 and has spent time working in many different areas

Takeaways

Main business objectives:

Drive league initiatives
Partner with strong brands to market the NFL
Grow NFL revenue

Ultimate goal: doing whatever they can to bring revenue to all 32 NFL teams
The NFL has the largest fan base across the US (181M+ total fans - all-time high)
#1 sport across lifestyles and fans
Deeper relationships lead to longer, stronger partnerships
Protection of sponsors is extremely important
Selectively add new partners to create a pipeline
Spends much of his time looking for different industry trends and develops ideas of what initiatives should be pushed

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