When asked what I enjoy most about my career, I often say the family nature of our industry. So many of us are connected with a group of colleagues we started out with in our earlier days, perhaps a college classmate or others we met along the way. The beauty of the sports business is truly in the relationships and the family nature of what we do.
I pride myself on being a sports marketing executive that sees a world of colors in a world too often dominated by spreadsheets. When asked where this creativity comes from and explaining some of the creative concepts I've been honored to be apart of; I'm almost always asked the question of, "How do I do that?" "What's the process of being creative?" "Is there a book you'd recommend?"
In Los Angeles for the ALSD Conference and just shared an entertaining and informative panel with AEG Global Partnerships President Todd Goldstein on the subject of utilizing premium seating as part of a larger sponsorship package. While the concepts shared included wonderful examples from Todd from AEG's global properties as well as the US Bank Dream Suite that we created in San Diego, I was struck that the conversation in the audience turned to internal issues of budget, commissions and ownership of the client relationship.
"We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.” - Edith Lovejoy Pierce
This is a quote that my grandmother would share with me every New Year’s day as a child and I’ve carried this quote with me since her passing in 2004.
If the goal of a sports sponsorship is to generate dialogue with the team's fans, then Arby's got its money's worth with an ever-evolving broadcast promotion tied to the Detroit Red Wings on-ice performance. The only catch was that the quick-serve restaurant chain altered its prize this year from free curly fries to free roast beef.
Today is a special day not just for me but for the industry. Today marks a re-birth of ideas. A re-birth of community. A re-birth of innovation. Today The Migala Report is announcing a partnership with Baylor University and it’s prominent Sports Sales & Sponsorship Program at the Hankamer School of Business that will further strengthen the community nature of this wonderful industry and provide a home for the publication that was launched with this vision in mind.
