Category: Sports

Social Media and Sports

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Sports Business Conference – UCLA

We were invited to sit on a sports marketing panel at the Sports and Entertainment Business Network Conference at UCLA on the weekend.  The conference was run by UCLA undergrads interested in the sports industry and was targeted to create opportunities for the students by bringing in some marketing gurus from the Los Angeles sports business community.  At this time in the economy, its hard to break into teh business side of sports, and a few interesting points came up worth mentioning.

The whole panel worked their way into the industry through internships. Their perspective was that this was the key method for getting in and almost the only way in short of family connections. While I would add the entrepreneurship route (build vs buy), the commonality is the need to “pay your dues”. If you want the glamour of a high profile internship, or to be your own boss in the sports industry, you will have a lot of competition, and you will also face some pretty simple and mundane tasks to prove your value and impress customers, clients and managers.

The panelists were all stars in the industry (Josh Rawitch-LA Dodgers, Mike Altieri – LA Kings, Steve Webster-Crimson Marketing and PR) and each also agreed that there was a serious long-term personal cost involved in getting where they were, despite their internship “breaks”. You better love sports if you want to be involved in the business side. It does not pay at the same level as many other jobs your peers may be doing, and for 99% of those in the industry it never will. To overcome that and ultimately win in the business you need to have a deeper level of commitment, and enjoyment of sports to carry through the struggles.

These guys clearly love their jobs. Combine that passion with their easygoing personal styles, and willingness to help the undergrads looking for a way in was very impressive.

Sports Marketing & Management- UCLA Anderson Summer Institute

 Epic States has been working with the  Entertainment and Media Management Institute to provide academic materials and marketing for the  UCLA Anderson Summer Institute in Sports Marketing & Management.

 

 

This summer the Sports Marketing & Management Institute is holding a course from June 22 – July 31 that will give students a one-of-a-kind opportunity to study the changing global landscape of sports entertainment, marketing and management, while also undertaking a high-profile experience project with a major sports enterprise.

 The Summer Institute offers:

• Experiential, for-credit curriculum utilizing the famed Harvard Business School case study method of learning, customized to action-oriented decision making in sports marketing and management
• Experience internship projects that add real-world context to case learning and that provide student with high-impact and high-profile professional experience to serve as a foundation for a career in the industry
• Personalized career management to help students define their career objectives, identify resources, strategize opportunities and make critical networking connections.
• Expert and inside knowledge from industry thought leaders and top business professors with expertise in sports marketing and management
• Day and evening industry networking activities  that allow for exclusive access to industry leaders and academic thought leaders in media and entertainment

Students will learn to think and act like seasoned leaders in the sports business, understanding the complexities of on the field and off the field, contemporary sports issues and maintaining the aptitude to navigate industry challenge.

Go HERE for more information!!!

30 Foot Wave

We have recently partnered to start on a new non-profit organization, 30 Foot Wave.  This organization provides business education, career advice and business development support to people working within the sports industry. Membership is targeted to comprise of individuals and companies ranging from athletes to senior executives, from single member start-ups to well-established multiple employee companies.

These are the things 30 Foot Wave offers our members

• Educational series
• Professional mentoring
• Funding roundtables
• Re-employment training / Career services

Education

30 Foot Wave offers 3 distinctly different educational components:

Monthly informational seminars that have been developed, and covers timely and relevant topics which are common to all sports-related businesses. These seminars are presented by leading experts in their fields and sponsored by professional organizations and businesses with long term experience in, and commitment to the sports industry. 

A “business basics 101” program that will introduce entrepreneurs to the skills, knowledge and experience they need to successfully start and manage their own business. The core curriculum includes topics such as organizational structure and employment law.

Advanced management topics that are intended to act as a “mini-MBA” program, and will include subjects such as International business law, partnerships and alliances. This course will not provide an accredited degree but will provide Professional Development and Continuing Education Units (PDUs and CEUs) that can be used at other academic institutions toward degree credit.

Professional and Dedicated Mentoring

The mentoring program is under development to match our successful and experienced industry professionals with earlier stage entrepreneurs. Under this mentorship program, successful sports entrepreneurs and senior management of large scale organizations are matched with early stage management and owners of ventures to provide them with advice and support in core areas such as

• Business plan development and validation
• Fundraising
• Brand development and management
• Legal requirements (IP protection, company structures etc.)
• Accounting
• Business development strategy
• Strategic Partnerships
• Competitive analysis

Funding Roundtables

Each quarter investors will be invited to review the business plans and presentations of entrepreneurs that have been carefully vetted by the investment advisory team through an online application process.

Re-Employment Training/Career Services

Partnerships are being formed with leading employment agencies, recruitment firms and direct contact with Human Resource departments has already been established to assist in the placement of our membership in suitable roles within the industry. Training will be provided to members in the areas of:

• Job Hunting
• Networking
• Using Job Banks
• Changing Careers/Industries
• Upgrading Skills
• Resume Writing/Editing

30 Foot Wave is focused on developing partnerships with employment agencies, recruitment firms and HR departments within well known and established corporations in an effort to assist our members in training for and rapidly securing re-employment.

Take a look and add any comments here or on the 30 Foot Wave Website

Sports Twittering

With the rapid advancement of Twitter into mainstream marketing toolboxes, many professional sports teams and leagues have now added one or more Twitter accounts.  These accounts can be vastly powerful in their reach, and Epic States has engaged in several projects recently to leverage this messaging service to deliver results aligned with corporate strategies.  For more information contact us at info@epicstates.com