Leading sports panel & Keynote Speaker

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