Program Agenda
DAY ONE: WEDNESDAY | December 9, 2009
8:00 Registration, Exhibits and Continental Breakfast hosted by
9:00 Welcome and Opening Remarks
Richard Weiss, Publisher, Street & Smith’s SportsBusiness Journal/Daily
Pat Battle, Senior Corporate VP, IMG College
Chancellors and Presidents: Examining the Pressing Issues Facing College Sports
Chancellors and Presidents have never been more visible in college sports than they are today. Their institutional leadership role is essential in providing campuswide solutions to the pressing issues facing their intercollegiate athletics programs. At the forefront of these issues are the financial challenges facing college sports in today’s economic climate. Public funding at the state level has been frozen. Donor portfolios have taken a hit. And while football is still king on many campuses, some schools have seen a decline in the revenue sharing provided by athletic departments which have been hard-hit in today’s economy. In this session you will hear from Jim Isch, Interim President, NCAA; Brit Kirwan, Co-Chairman, Knight Commission and Chancellor, University System of Maryland; Bernie Machen, President, University of Florida, Dick McCormick, President, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey; Lee Todd, President, University of Kentucky, and others who will share their vision and strategic direction for their intercollegiate athletics programs.
10:00
One-On-One with Archie Manning, Chairman, National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame
The Mannings’ passion for football is as renowned as their family name. In a One-On-One interview with former All-American and NFL Pro Bowl Quarterback, Manning will discuss issues ranging from the Bowl Championship Series and a college football playoff game, to his role as chairman of the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame and his commitment to ensuring the future of amateur football at the local, state and national levels. And of course, we’ll ask him about following his sons’ games.
10:30
Networking and Refreshment Break hosted by
11:00
Athletic Directors: Assessing the Impact of Today’s Economic Conditions on Intercollegiate Athletics
Today’s economy has been challenging for each and every college athletics program in the country. Athletics administrators have been faced with decreasing revenues from donor fundraising to season ticket-sales to sponsorship and marketing dollars, all while being asked to implement drastic cost-cutting measures associated with everything from team travel to non-revenue sports and more. So how have they done it? In this session you will hear from Bill Byrne, Athletic Director, Texas A&M University; Joan Cronan, Women’s Athletic Director, University of Tennessee; Jeremy Foley, Athletic Director, University of Florida; Bill Martin, Athletic Director, University of Michigan; Steve Pederson, Athletic Director, University of Pittsburgh; and Deborah Yow, Athletic Director, University of Maryland, all who will openly discuss their efforts to uncover revenue opportunities while decreasing operational expenses and balancing their budget.
12:00 Luncheon
1:30
Case Study
Hershey secured marketing and promotional rights to NCAA trademarks, including Final Four and March Madness, as part of a multiyear NCAA Corporate Partner agreement signed in 2008. At the heart of its sponsorship is a rich opportunity to tap into college sports fans’ loyalty and passion through integrated marketing programs and retail activation.
In this multimedia case study you will hear from Drew Iddings, Senior Manager, Consumer Promotions, The Hershey Company, who will share “freshman year” lessons learned through its inaugural “Unwrap March Madness” basketball and “I'm A Big Fan” football promotions. Drew will also discuss how the company is applying these insights to evolve multi-brand activation strategy.
2:00
Maximizing Facility Revenues: Uncovering the Opportunities to Earn More Income
The facilities arms race is robust as ever and the focus on monetizing facility programs has never been greater. Every program is facing key questions as they look to find ways to maximize facility revenue. What is the right mix of premium seating - luxury suites and club seating? Are there efficiencies to our ticket sales programs that have been overlooked? Has every naming rights opportunity been uncovered? What incremental revenue can be generated from new technologies such as video screens and LED ribbon boards? And what about the fan experience? What in-game value is being provided to patrons, such as “text to win” promotions and bounce-back coupons, so they keep coming back? In this session you will hear from Charlie Cobb, Athletic Director, Appalachian State University; Chad Estis, VP, Sales and Marketing, Dallas Cowboys/Cowboys Stadium; Jim Livengood, Athletic Director, University of Arizona; Joel Maturi, Athletic Director, University of Minnesota; Bernie Mullin, Principal, The Aspire Group; Todd Stansbury, Executive Associate Athletic Director, Oregon State University; and Ben Sutton, Chairman and CEO, ISP Sports, as they discuss the opportunities to earn more income from your facility. 3:15
Networking and Refreshment Break hosted by
3:45
One-On-One with Dan Beebe, Commissioner, Big 12 Conference
In 2007, Dan Beebe was given oversight of one of the top conferences in the country, which was a clear recognition of his skills as a leader and consensus-builder. In this free-flowing One-On-One interview, Beebe will share his thoughts on a range of critical issues facing college athletics, from the BCS system, to the next round of TV rights negotiations, in addition to the revenue generation and cost-containment challenges facing his schools.
4:15
College Sports Media: Maneuvering the Changing Landscape
The changing environment in college sports media is clearly evident, from the launch of the Big Ten Network to the SEC’s mega-deal with ESPN. Now, the ACC, Pac-10 and Big 12 are all exploring what path will best benefit their member schools, while the NCAA weighs what’s next with its long-term television future with CBS. In this session you will hear from Mike Aresco, Executive VP, Programming, CBS Sports; Barry Frank, Executive VP, Media Sports Programming, IMG; Chuck Gerber, President, Chucklin Inc. and Consultant, Southeastern Conference; Burke Magnus, Senior VP, College Sports Programming, ESPN; Larry Scott, Commissioner, Pac-10 Conference; Greg Shaheen, Senior VP, Basketball and Business Strategies, NCAA; and Bob Thompson, Sports Media Consultant, Fox Networks Group, all key players on both offense and defense in this game.
5:30
Reception hosted by
DAY TWO: THURSDAY | December 10, 2009
7:30 Exhibits
Continental Breakfast hosted by
8:15 Opening Remarks
Keynote Address: Managing the Bad News and Taking Advantage of the Good | Ari Fleischer,President, Ari Fleischer Sports Communications
In this keynote address, Fleischer will share anecdotes about managing a crisis from his days as the White House press secretary during George W. Bush’s first term in office. He will also look at “headlines of the day” and pass along his expertise on gaining control over the way you deliver your message to the media. He will provide thoughts on how to capitalize on good publicity as well as how to manage the bad news and the tough PR situations.
9:00
Customizing Corporate Partner Programs: Creating a Competitive Advantage in the Marketplace for Your Brand
In an effort to create a competitive advantage for themselves and gain a foothold In key markets and demographics, many brands have integrated college sports into their marketing plans, allowing them to tap into the affinity of the fans and create unique opportunities to engage customers. In this session John Althoff, Collegiate Sports Sponsorship Coordinator, State Farm Insurance; Ed Gala, VP, Global Experiential Marketing, Xerox; Aaron Magness, Director, Business Development and Brand Marketing, Zappos; Marty St. George, Senior VP, Marketing & Commercial Strategy, JetBlue Airways; and Tom Worcester, Senior VP, Business Development, IMG will discuss how to create, negotiate and deliver customized sponsorship programs that deliver more than media, hospitality and tickets.
10:00 Networking and Refreshment Break
10:30
Driving Revenue through New Media: Digital, Mobile and Online
Advances in technology have expanded the sports media portfolio well beyond traditional media. Many athletic programs are actively engaging in this opportunity and expanding revenue sources for their schools, while others are still surmounting the learning curve. In this session you will hear from Kirk Berridge, VP, Digital Media, Learfield Sports; Randy Eccker, Executive Chairman, XOS Technologies; Jamie Kerr, Senior Manager, National Sponsorships, AT&T; Jason Kint, Senior VP and GM, CBSSports.com; Chris Wagner, Executive VP and Co-Founder, NeuLion; and Greg Weitekamp, Director, Broadcasting, NCAA. They will discuss the growth of new media, share the strategies and programs they have developed to engage fans, as well as the ways they are monetizing the execution.
11:30
Trademark Licensing Programs: Setting a Course for the Future
In the competitive world of college sports every school is looking for ways to further grow licensing revenues through merchandise and retail initiatives. After more than two decades of growth, this $4 billion plus industry is facing unique challenges, coupled with economic forces not seen since the inception of the industry in the early 1980s. In this session you will hear from Jason Schlafer, Assistant Athletic Director, University of Kentucky; Joe Bozich, CEO of Wal-Mart’s No.1 collegiate apparel supplier, Knights Apparel; Brian Swallow, VP, Sales and Marketing, Football Fanatics/TeamFanShop; Kit Walsh, Senior VP, Marketing, CLC; as well as leading team suppliers Greg Grauel, VP and GM, Sports Licensed Division, adidas Apparel and Dee Scott, Licensing Director, Nike; in an engaging discussion about where the industry is headed, the evolution of exclusive team deals, and strategies that can help to fuel continued growth in this critical revenue stream for many universities and athletic departments.
12:30 Conference Concludes
For PROGRAM information, including ATTENDANCE, please contact Donna Johnson at
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