Jam-Packed Agenda
Get inside the minds of decision-makers from a broad spectrum of industries. Discover how to drive growth through content, channels and customer data. Get inspired by leaders who are creating better partnerships and better futures.
Download the agenda
Monday, April 9
Morning Exercise6:15 am
Join us for either a two- to five-mile run led by ESP Properties staff, or Cardio Kickboxing hosted by Life Time Partnership Marketing.
Registration7 am
Receive your conference badge, workbook and other materials. The registration desk will remain open throughout the day.
Networking Breakfast7:30 am to 8:30 am
Get a great start on your minimum daily requirement of schmoozing along with fueling up and planning your day.
Special-Interest Groups and Round Tables8:30 am to 9:45 am
You have your choice of attending a gathering of peers from your sector or attending two small-group round-table discussions on a wide variety of topics.
The small scale of these discussion groups is designed for give-and-take on highly targeted subjects, as opposed to the session leader delivering a presentation. To allow participation in a variety of sessions, attendees may attend two round tables each morning.
Bundling Content into Partnership Offers
Katie Kosko, Studio 1847
Tim Giles, Studio 1847
Emerging Sponsor Categories and How to Sell Them
William Chipps, ESP Properties
Maximizing Local Partnerships
Jim Austin, Riley Children’s Foundation
Securing Partners for Non-Traditional Properties
Tina Williams, Toronto Pearson International Airport (GTAA)
What a Prospective Sponsor Wants to Know
Chris Riedel-King, Principal
Increasing the Value of Sports & Entertainment Partnerships with Social Good Overlays
Lesa Ukman, ProSocial Valuation Service
Recap Reports: What Sponsors Should Expect & Rightsholders Should Deliver
Kevin Cleary, Nestlé Waters North America
Successfully Buying & Selling Multiplatform Programs: What You Need to Know
Archie Dixon, BET Networks
Sweet Spot Activation: Teaming with Partners to Build Mutually Beneficial Solutions
Lauren Rothman, Miami Heat
Special Interest Group Meetings
Join a SIG and share ideas with your peers. Choose from the following groups: Associations, Arts & Cultural Institutions, Cause, Entertainment, Participatory Sports, Professional Sports and Sponsors. SIG meetings take the place of the round tables.
Opening Address10 am to 10:45 am
In football, going deep is just one option in a large playbook—sometimes the right selection, others not. But for brands and properties seeking to create meaningful partnerships, going deep is not a choice, it is imperative for success. To move your sponsorship programs forward requires looking, digging and thinking deep. Looking far beyond the traditional boundaries that have defined organizations and leveraging technology to act like the content powerhouses that every rightsholder and brand has the ability to become. Digging deep into the data that provides laser-like precision into who your audiences are and personalizing your relationship with each individual. And thinking deep about what you must offer to your partners and your stakeholders, recognizing that maintaining the status quo will leave you far behind.
Jim Andrews, Senior Vice President, IEG and ESP Properties
Presentations11 am to Noon
With multi-year, multimillion-dollar deals still a rarity in the uber-hot but still evolving esports sector, Adrienne and Mark will outline how the partnership came about, activations and benefits beyond the branding on team jerseys, and what success will look like for both parties.
Adrienne Ingoldt, Vice President, Jack in the Box
Mark Coughlin, Head of Marketing & Revenue, Envy Gaming
In just its first year, the success story of La Vida Baseball, a TeamWorks Media property produced in partnership with the Baseball Hall of Fame, offers multiple lessons for rightsholders exploring digital publishing. Jeff and Jay will share practical takeaways from the development of the digital media-first content approach that reaches 10 million U.S. Latino baseball fans per month, including recognizing that all video is not created equal and how to balance the goals of reach versus monetization.
Jeff Idelson, President, National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum
Jay Sharman, Founder & CEO, TeamWorks Media
The session will explore how T-Mobile makes decisions to sponsor properties such as MLB, T-Mobile
Arena, music festivals, concert tours and esports, as well as how it activates to support its brand story of
market disruption and translates it all into results for the brand and the business.
Meredith Starkey, Vice President, Sponsorship & Events, T-Mobile
One of the most intriguing sponsorship stories of the last year is the emergence of Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten as a major player. Hear the business strategy behind the company’s decision to become the largest sponsor of two iconic sports properties and how these partnerships will not only build awareness but define the company for consumers.
Rahul Kadavakolu, Director of Global Marketing and Branding, Rakuten
Mike Kitts, V.P. of Sponsorships, Golden State Warriors
Xavier Asensi, Commercial Director, FC Barcelona
Networking Lunch and Keynote Address12:15 pm to 2:15 pm
During his meteoric rise from ticket and sponsorship sales rep to leading an NFL franchise, Al has been involved in the opening of AT&T Stadium and Levi’s Stadium, and the architect of innovative partnerships across not only the tech sector, but a wide range of categories. He joins us to share his unique perspective on what it takes to build successful organizations that have securing, retaining and ensuring return for sponsors at their core.
Al Guido, President, San Francisco 49ers
Presentations2:30 pm to 3:30 pm
What began as a sponsorship between Bayer’s Crop Science division and Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan’s Farm Tour three years ago has grown into a partnership serving multiple Bayer enterprises and encompassing charitable and social media components through ties to Feeding America and #HeresToTheFarmer campaign. The panel will discuss the origins of the partnership, the objectives of both the Bayer brand and Luke’s organization, and how and why this partnership continues to deliver for Bayer, Luke and country music fans.
Emily Evans (Moderator), Senior Director Strategic Partnerships, Country Music Association
Joe Hathaway, Executive Communications Manager, Bayer Corp.
Chris Lieber, Vice President, Entertainment Marketing, Business Affairs, starpower llc.
Shari Lewin, Brand Partnerships Agent and Partner, WME
A-B InBev has completed a massive re-engineering of its sponsorship ROI process, introducing improved marketing analytics and measurement tools to quantify ROI, determine the right price to pay, establish the ideal activation strategy, and, ultimately, optimize its investments. Nick will share the reasons behind the overhaul, steps the company has taken and key elements of the model.
Nick Kelly, Senior Director, Experiential Marketing–Sports, Anheuser-Busch InBev
Much has been made of the value of NBA teams’ first-ever jersey patch deals. For sponsorship pros, the question to ask is not just what the exposure is worth, but how this unique asset can open the door to a truly integrated partnership. Dan and Mike will provide the answer with a look at the mutually beneficial alliance between New York City’s largest startup and youngest NBA franchise.
Dan Barnhardt, V.P., Corporate Marketing & Communications, Infor
Mike Zavodsky, Chief Revenue Officer, Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment
Under Zach’s leadership, MSE, the parent company of the Washington Capitals, Wizards and other properties—along with MSN, its OTT platform—is disrupting and transforming the business model for delivering the live sports and original programming that fans want in the way they want it. Zach will share his unique insights and lessons learned from MSE’s groundbreaking approach to content distribution.
Zach Leonsis, Senior Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, Monumental Sports & Entertainment
Workshops and Round Tables3:45 pm to 5 pm
You have your choice of attending one workshop or two small-group round-table discussions on a wide variety of topics.
The small scale of these discussion groups is designed for give-and-take on highly targeted subjects, as opposed to the session leader delivering a presentation. To allow participation in a variety of sessions, attendees may attend two round tables each afternoon.
Creating a Compelling Sales Proposition through Storytelling
Jackie Liney, Winmo
Brian McCue, Winmo
The Perfect 10 – Ten Proven Ideas to Keep Your Sponsors Coming Back!
Gail Alofsin, Newport Harbor Corporation
Powerful Reporting for Sponsorship Sales: Leveraging Data to Drive Revenue
Chase Williams, KORE Software
Adam Grow, KORE Software
What Sponsors Expect from Their Property Partners
Jonathan Kander, Gatorade
Activations that Build Fan Engagement and Sponsor ROI
Meghan Magid, Herbalife
The Cambridge Analytica Effect: How Should Personal Data & Consumer Insights Go Together?
Tamara Barber, Simmons Research
Going Global: Using Data to Maximise Commercial Value
Conrad Wiacek, Sportcal
How to Create the Ultimate Fan Engagement Experiences
Adrian Benjamin, Omnigon
Industry Advancement through Authentic Connections
Chris Hartweg, Painless Networking
The Nuts and Bolts of Audience Research
Bill Doyle, Performance Research
Sweet Spot Activation: Teaming with Partners to Build Mutually Beneficial Solutions
Thomas Pietras, American Family Insurance
Corporate marketers, in a session exclusively for them, will address their most pressing concerns surrounding sponsorship management, selection, activation and measurement through facilitated small-group discussion and feedback.
Rick Penn (Moderator), Director of Global Sales & Sports Partnerships, The Dow Chemical Co.
Laura, who works directly with brands and content rightsholders in sports and entertainment, will share opportunities for content distribution through the unique platform as well as dynamic strategies for content monetization.
Laura King, Head of Content Sales, Twitter
Evening Reception7 pm to 9 pm
We will take a short trip to a Chicago destination, where you can mix and mingle with newfound colleagues and friends while enjoying great food and drink.
Download the agenda. Schedule subject to change.