Tao of Sports Podcast

  Selling hockey in NASCAR country means learning how to sell everything but hockey to the local audiences according to Shawn Lynch. Examined in this podcast is how Lynch has been able to develop fan development opportunities to grow the Checkers’ base as well as promote a cold winter sport in a Southern racing community. Lynch talks about different sales strategies as well as getting legendary sa...

  Mekale Jackson won the 2013 Gold Award at NACMA for St. John’s Basketball “Takeover” in NYC Times Square in 2012. Jackson talks about the impact of publications, digital and social responsibilities of his department in order to create genuine responses for the general public. Jackson shares his passion for working with coaches and student-athletes on projecting each program in the right way and...

  Ed Chamberlain’s specialty is bringing new business into a market, and he’s currently helping oversee the new AHL initiative in Iowa, where the Iowa Wild (formerly the Houston Aeros) are taking root in Des Moines. Chamberlain talks about selling tickets in a market that has previously had minor league hockey and some of the challenges of re-establishing relationships with the local business comm...

  Traditional sports don’t have some of the issues that a spring training home might, especially in the Peoria Diamond Club circumstance. The PDC has various non-profit components, two MLB clubs which help operate functionaries during Cactus League Spring Training, and sales expectations throughout the year. Scott Moudry talks about the circumstances which the Peoria Diamond Club thrives, setting...

  Breaking into sports should never be the end result for anyone serious about sports business, it should be seeking out the questions on how to stay in the industry as well as thrive. Glenn Horine has over 23 years of experience in the sports industry, has worked with NFL properties, Time Warner Sports Merchandising, the NHL, Velocity Sports and Entertainment, the Arena Football League as Preside...

  Understanding the marketplace means more than setting up corporate sponsors with sports teams, it also means examining what fans that each sponsor should go after. Tom Cordova talks about some of the variables of working with sponsors and facilitating the needs of his clients with team inventory. Cordova talks about his time working for Disney Sports Marketing as well as the Houston Rockets & Oa...

  Premium seating is the top of the podcast, as Kyle Shields discusses exactly why people want to pay more for better locations, status and distances to the field of play at an athletic facility. Georgia Tech just brought its new basketball facility online in 2012-13, so Shields talks about the school’s approach to selling out the courtside seating options, as well as factoring in what to do the i...

  Franchises have moved before, but moving from within market but replacing the majority of the season tickets holders one year to the next has not been a common occurrence. Fred Magione talks about the franchise relocation from New Jersey to Brooklyn, where the team only retained 10-15 percent of its season ticket base, but managed to thrive as an “expansion” team in its new Barclay’s Center home...

  Mike Humes has helped developed sell-out strategies as part of the senior staff of five major league franchises, the American Hockey League, K2 Sports and the National Hockey League. Humes discusses the importance of the brand promise, especially being conveyed to a franchise’s sales staff, in order to build new revenue streams. And don’t even dare use the “D” word (discount) in his presence, as...

  Career developing in college athletics is the cornerstop of NextLevel Sports. Senior Vice President Will Reece talks about some of the ways that young college administrators are gaining a foothold into learning more about the industry, including what mentorships are out there in order to build their resume. Reece expands on the various issues surrounding the idea of moving too quick or not quick...

  Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg draws over 130,000 into the St. Petersburg downtown core to witness one of the most exciting U.S. races annually. Giles Dowden talks about presenting good B2B opportunities at that event, and his role in providing VIP, suite, loft engagement for some of the largest sponsors in the Tampa/St. Petersburg area for the Honda Grand Prix. Dowden discusses his career,...

  The world of franchise value is explored in this episode with Michael Rapkoch, who has clients in all four major leagues, consulting on the sports value of seven MLB, four NFL, eight NHL, eight NBA teams during his company’s ten years in business. Rapkoch has performed over 90 valuation engagements within professional sports, working directly with teams, leagues and potential investors.   Rapkoc...

  Greg Coleman runs one of Mandalay Sports Entertainment’s baseball properties, the Erie Seawolves, and discusses the mindset of MSE in terms of its points of light mission statement. Coleman discusses the role of a president to push not only the brand, but continue selling, as well as mentoring young sports executives, and the importance of moving to further a sports career. Coleman talks about s...

  Fan Engagement in the NFL is becoming a larger priority for teams than ever before. Hussain Naqi talks about how the Jaquars are rethinking fan engagement, whether that be through community relations, secret shoppers, fan experience models or even WiFi in private lounges. Naqi also discusses his role in bringing the Super Bowl to Met Life Stadium, and as leader of the group, attacking the issues...

  The world of marketing, branding and whether or not we’re telling too many stories instead of actually activating products is discussed with Tom Hansen. Explored in this episode are how the relationships between brands and consumers matter, whether traditional media still holds relevance in consumer’s hearts as it had in the past (i.e. Mad Men era), and if the GEICO Caveman advertisements were h...

  Well, 199 episodes prior, Matt Harper began the journey to record the first episode of the Tao of Sports Podcast on his last day in California before heading up to Eugene, Oregon to begin his role at UO. Now, as the podcast hits its 200th episode, recorded during a blistering hot day in Orlando with the air conditioning shut off in the hotel room, Harper returns to talk about his initial decisio...

  Taking foreign sports brands into new markets is a specialty of Fred Popp, who oversees Teamup’s operations in London. Popp discusses how Teamup helped improve the European branding of Under Armor, build a recognizable Al Jazeria football club brand from a gameday crowd of 2,000 to 30,000 fans in the United Arab Emirates, and helped “localize” Arsenal FC during the club’s Asian tour. Popp examin...

  The Ironman Triathalon isn’t merely a sport, it’s a way of life for most of its athletes. Meg Nolte talks about the relationship between the athletes, Ironman and its corporate sponsors, each who develop a cohesive partnership in order present great events. Nolte also talks about her experience working for ISP, selling college sponsorship as well as her time overseas as a student, which broadene...

  The Canadian Broadcast Company’s Sports Division has delivered some of the best quality live entertainment in the world. Christopher Doyle oversees product development for CBC Sports, covering everything from Hockey Night In Canada to the Olympics to the CFL. Doyle discusses how broadcasting platforms have to achieve new activation for their sponsors to consumers who are now using digital means...

  Understanding the role of a fundraiser while in the ticket office is perfectly fine, but Liz Menne takes it a step further. Originally starting her career in college athletics as a part of the donor management team, Menne now oversees one of the larger college athletic ticket operations in the country. Menne discusses her role in tying donor engagement with ticket operations customer service, he...

  The world of online media platforms extend far beyond the social media buttons asking for a shares on posts. Tariq Ahmad discusses the role of check-ins at stadium, and how the realization of that impact is still in its infancy for most professional sports teams, while others such as the NBA’s Golden State Warriors have used it to their advantage. Ahmad, who also runs a Twitter chat #smsportscha...

  Canadian sports sponsorship is discussed with Craig Purcell, who has had a heavy influence on sport north of the American border. Purcell has represented organizations such as NFL Canada, SiriusXM Radio, Ottawa Sentators, Buffalo Bulls, Skate Canada and the CFL. Purcell talks about working as president of Insight Sports to help develop the inaugural Buffalo Bills Toronto Series for all suite and...

  The sponsorship platforms for sports are changing in a dynamic world of rapid technological innovation. The Marketing Arm’s Bill Glenn talks about some of the ways in which activation may be achieved through these new routes, as well as the digital platforms which exist. This conversation extends into the world of sports business as a whole and how sales experience develops young sports executiv...

  Sacramento Kings VP of Ticket Sales & Service Phil Horn discusses how the last few years of franchise turmoil helped shape the future marketing efforts of the organization, that includes driving ticket sales, revenue and sponsorship at a time when the team's future in Sacramento was uncertain. Horn talks about how the ticket staff dropped from over 50 full time staff members to 15 sales staff at...

  Charles Lucas talks about some of the factors with the Reno Aces baseball team, and how they are able to draw fans in a continuous, fun environment. The Reno Aces are a franchise success story, because professional baseball in Reno has been a sorted one. Reno has had eight professional baseball teams play in the city since 1947. Once a boomtown before native casinos took away the allure of the B...