| SPORTS EVENT MARKETING EXPERIENCE
On January 13th and 14th, 2006, the students participating in SDSU's Sports MBA II cohort attended the Sports Event Marketing Experience (SEME) West on the campus of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles as part of their orientation experience. With all expenses paid for by the Sports MBA program, the students were treated to two days of indoctrination into the "Business of Sports." Spearheaded by David M. Carter, Executive Director of the Sports Business Institute and assistant professor of sports business at USC's Marshall School of Business, and Matt Winkler, Executive Director of SEME East & West, SEME is designed for motivated, active, young professionals and aspiring students who seek the education, access and answers to learn, launch or further their career in the sports and events industry. The event represented a great opportunity to welcome the class of 2007, and to immediately put the students in a position to start making valuable contacts.
David Baker
An impressive and powerful Advisory Board and Speakers Bureau was selected to cover the breadth of sports and events marketing components, and provide current experience and industry know-how across a wide spectrum of the industry. Shawn Hunter, President and Chief Marketing Officer for AEG Sports, kicked off the event as the first keynote speaker, with a discussion about the current state of the sports industry. Tim Harris, Senior Vice President, Business Operations for the Los Angeles Lakers, delivered an engaging afternoon presentation about how to build and manage a top sports brand. Day two participants were then rewarded with a fascinating presentation by David Baker, Commissioner of the Arena Football League, on how to build a career in sports. These special guests were accompanied by several other prominent executives and sports business professionals from a broad selection of sports categories, including:
| • | National Football League (NFL) |
| • | National Basketball Association (NBA) |
| • | Major League Baseball (MLB) |
| • | National Hockey League (NHL) |
| • | Major League Soccer (MLS) |
| • | Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) |
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| • | National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) |
| • | National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) |
| • | PGA Golf and USTA Tennis |
| • | Olympics |
| • | Extreme Sports |
| • | Electronic Media and Broadcasting |
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Shawn Hunter
The educational components on the agenda included presentations from industry leaders and keynote speakers, panel discussions, case studies, career analysis and job market feedback, as well as networking events and an exclusive tour of The Staples Center. Also, the Sports MBA students were provided the opportunity to garner career information, attend a resume workshop and learn about internships, scholarships and beyond.
The two-day session topics included:
| • | Event Management and Marketing |
| • | Sports Business and Branding |
| • | Mass Media, Journalism and Broadcasting |
| • | Sponsorship Sales/ Customer Relations/ Promotions |
| • | Athlete Representation and Services/ Agents |
| • | Public, Media and Community Relations |
| • | Sports Law |
| • | Apparel/Retail and Distribution |
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| • | Facility Management and Operations |
| • | Teams, Leagues, College Athletics |
| • | Professional, Intercollegiate, Youth and Amateur Sports |
| • | Corporate Marketing |
| • | Licensing |
| • | Olympic Sports Organizations |
| • | Regional and National Sports Commissions |
| • | Sports Travel and Tourism |
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SDSU's Sports MBA students were also able to participate in a Career Workshop during the conference. Various sports organizations provided valuable one-on-one contact and feedback, resume development, and even employment and internship opportunities.
Tim Harris
The students and staff of SDSU's Sports MBA program would like to thank Mr. David Carter, Mr. Matt Winkler, and their SEME West staff for the opportunity to attend this amazing event. The 2007 Conference is already greatly anticipated!
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