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The Grand Finale: A Beach Volleyball Pro-Am
For the first time ever, the IMG World Congress of Sports will not conclude with a keynote, one-on-one interview or topical roundtable.  In keeping with the South Florida Environs, the program's last act will be a beach volleyball tournament hosted by AVP.  The Pro-Am will take place on the beach at the Mandarin Oriental immediately following lunch on April 2nd, and will feature AVP pros and special guests.  Attendees are invited to not only enjoy the festivities while networking with their peers, but they'll also have a chance to test their volleyball skills.  We recommend heading to the beach at 1:00.  The tournament will begin at 1:30.

To register for World Congress, go to Register Online.

 

Joe Gibbs to Deliver Keynote Address at 8th Annual Congress

Few individuals have made their mark in two professional sports the way Joe Gibbs has. After winning his third Super Bowl as head coach of the Washington Redskins in 1991, Gibbs went on to launch Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) which made its debut in 1992. One year later JGR would claim its first victory, when Dale Jarett captured the checkered flag at the 1993 Daytona 500.

On the opening morning of the IMG World Congress of Sports, Gibbs will deliver a keynote address that reflects on his career in sports, examines his keys to success and provides his views on the future of sports business.

To view the entire program please click on AGENDA and click on REGISTER ONLINE  to sign up today!

Be sure to book your hotel room at the Mandarin Oriental, Miami by March 13th to take advantage of our discounted room rates.  The hotel is expected to be sold out so do not delay.

Thought Leaders Set to Meet in Miami to Examine
the  Industry's Direction

With the sports business in the midst of its most challenging period, the 8th annual IMG World Congress of Sports takes on even greater meaning.

In addition to thought leaders forecasting the industry's future and unparalleled networking opportunities, the 2009 Congress will provide a forum for top executives to share how they are grappling with current economic conditions and adapting their business plans to a market in constant flux.  Here are just some of the executives you will be hearing from:

  • Jim Bankoff, Chairman & CEO, SB Nation
  • David Berson, Executive VP, Program Planning & Strategy, ESPN
  • Gary Bettman, Commissioner, NHL
  • Steve Buerger, President & Chief Strategy Officer, Starcom Worldwide
  • Michael Fanuele, Managing Director, Strategy, Euro RSCG
  • Peter Foss, President, Olympic Sponsorship & Corporate Sales, GE
  • Brian France, Chairman & CEO, NASCAR
  • Don Garber, Commissioner, MLS
  • Joe Gibbs, Owner, Joe Gibbs Racing
  • Scott Goodson, Founder & CEO,  StrawberryFrog
  • Ross Greenburg, President, HBO Sports
  • Wyc Grousbeck, Managing Partner, Governor & CEO, Boston Celtics
  • Jeremy Jacobs, Owner, Boston Bruins; Chairman & CEO, Delaware North Cos.; Chairman, NHL Board of Governors
  • David Katz, Founder, SportsFanLive.com
  • Tim Leiweke, President & CEO, AEG
  • Ted Leonsis, Chairman & Majority Owner, Washington Capitals, Washington Mystics and Lincoln Holdings
  • David Levy, President, Turner Sports
  • Mike Levy, Chairman & CEO, OPEN Sports
  • Aldo Liguori, Corporate VP & Head of Global Communications & PR, Sony Ericsson
  • Jon Litner, President, Comcast Sports Group
  • Rich Luker, Chief Strategy Officer, TBA Global
  • Michael Lynch, Head of Global Sponsorship Management, Visa
  • Jeff Ma, Co-Founder & VP, Research, Citizen Sports
  • Jamie McCourt, Vice Chairman & President, Los Angeles Dodgers
  • Patrick McEnroe
  • Peter Moore, President, EA Sports
  • Alonzo Mourning, Founder, AM Charities
  • Dave Panos, CEO & Co-Founder, Pluck
  • Beatriz Perez, Senior Vice President, Integrated Marketing, N.A., Coca-Cola
  • Kevin Plank, CEO & Founder, Under Armour
  • Chuck Porter, Co-Chairman, Crispin Porter + Bogusky
  • George Pyne, President, IMG Sports and Entertainment
  • Tim Schoen, VP, Global Sports & Entertainment Marketing, Anheuser-Busch
  • Larry Scott, Chairman & CEO. Sony Ericsson WTA Tour
  • Fernando Soler, Senior Vice President, Managing Director, IMG Tennis Worldwide
  • Ken Solomon, Chairman & CEO, Tennis Channel
  • Joe Steranka, CEO, The PGA of America
  • Heidi Ueberroth, President, Global Marketing Partnerships & International Bus. Operations, NBA
  • Andrew Wildblood, Senior Vice President, IMG; Senior Corporate Director, IMG India
  • Mark Young, CEO, Americas, ATP

Of course, one of the hallmarks of the Congress has been "innovation", and we are excited to announce featured presentations from two of the most respected change agents in their fields:

To view the Congress session lineup please click on AGENDA and click on REGISTER ONLINE  to sign up today!


 IMG World Congress of Sports Moves to Miami in 2009


After a truly memorable program in March at the St. Regis Resort in Dana Point, California, the IMG World Congress of Sports will be moving back to the East Coast in 2009. The world-class Mandarin-Oriental, Miami will be the site of the 2009 World Congress and plans for the program are well underway.

"In addition to the excellent feedback we received on the content, the overarching message from attendees this past March was that they loved the resort setting, the warm climate locale and all of the quality networking time that the '08 World Congress offered," explains Richard Weiss, publisher of SportsBusiness Journal. "The location we've chosen for the 2009 Congress enables us to have all of those elements."

Initial plans for 2009 are to expand, even further, the networking time built into the agenda, and to continue to incorporate new session formats and entertainment components into the program.

The 2009 agenda is under development, and in the weeks and months ahead, the Congress website will feature numerous announcements related to speakers, sessions and program activities.


Over 500 Industry Executives Converge on West Coast Resort
for 7th Annual World Congress

 

With over 500 sports executives on hand, a speaker faculty featuring dozens of the industry's thought leaders, unparalleled networking and the beautiful St. Regis Resort as a host hotel, the 7th annual IMG World Congress of Sports had a discernible buzz from start to finish.

During the program's opening session on March 12, a half dozen top industry executives discussed and debated issues ranging from the economy's impact on the sports business to the "spygate" incident. Other highlights of the day included a one-on-one interview with DirecTV head Chase Carey and a keynote address from U.S. Olympic Committee chairman, former MLB commissioner and 1984 Time magazine "Man of the Year" Peter Ueberroth. The final session of the day was a thought-provoking crisis response roundtable in which a cross-section of industry personalities -- as well as former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer -- were quizzed on their action plan for a mock crisis situation taking place in Mexico City on the eve of a major international sporting event. In keeping with the goal of maximizing networking time for all attendees, the day concluded with a two-hour outdoor reception sponsored by Bank of America.

Day two hightlights included a no-holds-barred sports media discussion featuring top decision makers at ESPN, Fox Sports, HBO Sports, Turner Sports and the NBA, as well as interviews with two Hollywood titans with major sports interests: New York Giants owner Steve Tisch and Major League Soccer Seattle franchise owner Joe Roth.

In addition to the rich content, the entire St. Regis property was alive with World Congress activity during what has become known as the two biggest days in sports business. Sporting News Radio broadcast live from the Congress exhibit area, the Sports Emmys once again held their nominations press conference, and SportsBusiness Journal and SportsBusiness Daily streamed interviews with speakers and other VIPs over a specially-developed Web site.

 

"This year's Congress had it all," said SportsBusiness Journal publisher Richard Weiss. "We had great content, great
production, great networking and a packed house from start to finish."

 

To view complete World Congress coverage, as reported by SportsBusiness Daily, please click here.


Scenes From the 2008 IMG World Congress of Sports

 

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