Sports Facilities & Franchises and Ticketing Symposium

7:30
Registration hosted by

Exhibits Open and Continental

Breakfast hosted by

8:30
Welcome & Opening Remarks
Richard Weiss, Publisher, SportsBusiness Journal/Daily

8:45
Thought Leadership: Providing Perspectives on the Current and Future State of Ticketing

Moderated by: Abraham Madkour, Executive Editor, SportsBusiness Journal/Daily

As the pressure to drive revenue intensifies, ticketing has becomes more and more a critical part of the business model for franchises and facilities. And the dynamics of this vital business operation are seemingly in a constant state of flux as new technologies, pricing models and market conditions evolve. What’s in store for the industry this year, next year and beyond? Dave Butler, CEO, Paciolan; Adam Kanner, Chairman, Co-founder & CEO, ScoreBig; Brian Lafemina, Vice President, Club Business Development, NFL; Jacqueline Parkes, CMO, MLB; and Jared Smith, COO, Ticketmaster North America; will provide their perspectives. You’ll hear first-hand what trends they’re keeping an eye on and how they’ll continue to adapt their businesses.

DRILLING DOWN SESSIONS

These specialized sessions will feature industry thought leaders who will drill down into specific topics and share real-world examples that you can apply to your day-to-day business.

9:30
Track I
Dynamic Pricing: What Are The Best Practices You Need to Know?

Moderated by: Don Muret, Staff Writer, SportsBusiness Journal

More and more teams are embracing dynamic pricing in an effort to grow revenue. Nat Harden, Vice President, Tickets Sales, Nashville Predators; Matt Marolda, Founder & CEO, StratBridge; and Brandon Schneider, Vice President, Ticket Sales and Services, Golden State Warriors; will take you inside their organizations' philosophies and goals as they run through how they’ve implemented dynamic pricing, how it has impacted the bottom line and how they plan to develop it in the future.

Track II
Mobile Ticketing: Setting Up A Seamless System For The Future

Moderated by: Eric Fisher, Staff Writer, SportsBusiness Journal

Mobile ticketing is clearly the wave of the future, but there are still many hurdles to overcome in the U.S. to make it a seamless process. During this session, Steve Fanelli, Executive Director, Ticket Sales and Operations, Oakland Athletics; Mehdi Ghazizadeh, Director, Technology, StubHub; and Doug Lyons, Vice President, Marketing & Communications, Tickets.com will discuss how to sell tickets using mobile devices; overcome bandwidth limitations; create awareness; educate fans; and build a foundation for future mobile applications.

10:05
Networking Break

10:35
Track I
Going Paperless: Offering Benefits, Lowering Costs And Educating Fans

Moderated by: Eric Fisher, Staff Writer, SportsBusiness Journal

Looking for innovative benefits for your season ticket holders? Adopt paperless technology. Just think of the time and money that could be saved. Hear from Kyle Brunson, Vice President, Ticket Sales and Service, Atlanta Hawks; Flavil Hampsten, Senior Vice President, Ticket Sales and Database Marketing, Bobcats Sports & Entertainment; and Mike Quarino, Vice President, Ticket Sales and Fan Services, Philadelphia Union; as they walk you through establishing paperless operations, educating fans, eliminating costs and offering stored value.

Track II
Luxury and Premium Seating: Selling the High-End Products

Moderated by: Don Muret, Staff Writer, SportsBusiness Journal

Suite and premium seating represents one of the largest revenue streams for teams and venues. And sales teams continue to grapple with customizing these assets to meet market demand. You will hear from Mike Ondrejko, COO, Legends Premium Sales; and Jim Van Stone, Senior Vice President, Ticket Sales and Service, Monumental Sports & Entertainment; as they outline how they tailor premium inventory to yield higher ROI and how they manage this vital area of their business.

11:10
All-Inclusive Packages: Adding Value...The Wave of the Future

Moderated by: Don Muret, Staff Writer, SportsBusiness Journal

As consumers continue to be more discriminating with their entertainment dollars, value-added has become more than just a catch phrase — it’s become a sales mantra. The harsh reality is fans need more compelling reasons to buy event tickets than ever before. To sweeten the deal, extras such as food; merchandise; special access to events and VIPs; and meet and greets are bundled into the ticket package. Claude Delorme, Executive Vice President, Operations and Events, Miami Marlins; Stephen Gregosky, Senior Vice President, Regional Operations, Ovations Food Services; and Fred Mangione, Executive Vice President & CMO, Brooklyn Nets & Barclays Center; will show how they’ve created inventory and customized packages to meet their clients’ needs.

Track II
Analytics: Converting Data Into Viable Sales Leads

Moderated by: Terry Lefton, Editor-at-Large, SportsBusiness Journal

Information is essential in today’s competitive market place and, during this breakout session, you will learn how Mark DiMaurizio, Vice President, Technology Solutions, Comcast-Spectacor; Russell Scibetti, Director, Relations and Database Marketing, New York Jets; and Wayne Townsend, CEO, ClickSquared; are analyzing fan data to develop customized sales packages and refine sales strategies. You’ll find out how teams are using next generation data mining and management to tailor packages and assets for their sales teams; create sampling and e-mail campaigns; and how these techniques result in higher conversion rates.

11:45
Secondary Ticketing: Its Impact on Your Business

Moderated by: Eric Fisher, Staff Writer, SportsBusiness Journal

Fan or foe, ticket resale is one of the hottest topics in the industry, and organizations continue to wrestle with the best scenario — a controlled sales environment or the open market option. During this roundtable discussion, you’ll hear from both sides of the debate as Robert Alvarado, Vice President, Marketing and Ticket Sales, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim; Dave Cohen, Vice President, Sales and Service, Atlanta Falcons; Ray Elias, CMO, StubHub;  Ryan Tanke, Senior Vice President, Tickets and Premium Seating, Minnesota Timberwolves; and Todd Taylor, Senior Vice President & Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Indiana Pacers; share their thoughts on the secondary market and how it continues to impact teams, leagues and venues.

12:30
Luncheon hosted by

2:00
Featured Presentation
People Management: Maximizing the Performance of Your Sales Force Management
Sean O’Neil, Author, Principal & CEO, Bare Knuckle People Management

In the sports industry, increasing ticket revenue is a competitive necessity. During this presentation, workplace and team dynamics expert Sean O’Neil will give insights on examining the makeup of your sales team
and providing them with the management style and tools they need to succeed.

2:45
Emerging Platforms: Using Social Media to Sell Tickets

Moderated by: Abraham Madkour, Executive Editor, SportsBusiness Journal/Daily

Twitter, Facebook and Groupon have become essential tools in building relationships and connecting with fans. And they offer a cost-effective method to sell tickets. During this session, Justin Cener, Founder, Crowd Seats; Brandon Gayle, Senior Manager, Strategy and Business Development, Groupon; Rich Krezwick, President, Devils Arena Entertainment; Jim McPhilliamy, President & Managing Partner, Charlotte Hounds; and Jordan Maleh, Director, Digital Marketing, University of Michigan; will offer real-world scenarios and success stories that highlight how they manage online communities and utilize social media platforms to sell tickets.

3:30
Networking Break

4:00
Featured Interview
The Winning Formula: Philosophies on Building Organizations and Developing People
Bernie Mullin, Chairman & CEO, The Aspire Group

Moderated by: Abraham Madkour, Executive Editor, SportsBusiness Journal/Daily

With more than 30 years of sports marketing experience, Bernie Mullin has worked both domestically and internationally. He is credited with building winning organizations and developing people to sustain peak performance. During this one-on-one interview, he will share his philosophies and stories on developing strong sales and service cultures, improving organizational and marketing effectiveness, growing revenue and building a fan base.

4:30
Maximizing Sales: Why It All starts With Developing Your Sales Culture

Developing a sales culture that is a win-win for everyone can be a tricky balancing act. Guest moderator Bill Sutton, Founding Director, Tampa Sport and Entertainment MBA/MS Program, USF & Principal, Bill Sutton & Associates; along with Murray Cohn, Vice President, Team Ticket Sales and Team Marketing and Business Operations, NBA; Drew Cloud, Vice President, Ticket Sales and Services, Madison Square Garden Sports; Steve Griggs, COO, Tampa Bay Lightning; Jeff Ianello, Vice President, Sales, Phoenix Suns & Mercury; and Ben Milsom, Director, Sales, Tampa Bay Buccaneers; will explain how to align sales and marketing strategies, motivate sales teams, provide necessary resources and tools and keep their team working together to reach their maximum sales potential.

5:15
Ticketing Symposium Sessions Conclude

5:15-6:30
Networking/Welcome Reception

Join us at the networking reception at the conclusion of the Ticketing Symposium, for all Symposium and Sports Facilities & Franchises attendees.

7:30
Registration hosted by

Exhibits Open
Continental Breakfast Hosted by

8:30
Welcome & Opening Remarks
Richard Weiss, Publisher, SportsBusiness Journal/Daily

8:45
The Chief Executive Challenge: Keeping the Organization on Track in the Near and Long Term

Moderated by: Abraham Madkour, Executive Editor, SportsBusiness Journal/Daily

To kick off the facility and franchise management program, Adam Aron, CEO & Co-Owner, Philadelphia 76ers; Mark Lamping, President, Jacksonville Jaguars; Dennis Mannion, President & CEO, Palace Sports & Entertainment; Rich McKay, President & CEO, Atlanta Falcons; and Mark Wilf, Owner & President, Minnesota Vikings; will discuss their franchises’ current and future goals and how they manage all facets of the business to meet those objectives. And you’ll learn how they are keeping pace in an industry where rapid change and increasingly sophisticated fans have become the norm.

9:45
Future Revenue Opportunities: What’s on the Horizon?

Moderated by: Eric Fisher, Staff Writer, SportsBusiness Journal

Let’s just say your corporate sponsorships and advertising are on an upswing; ticketing and premium seat sales are holding their own; and non-game day revenue is okay. This scenario begs one vital question — what are the revenue sources we should be exploring for the near and distant future? You will hear from Greg Economou, Executive Vice President, Corporate Sales & Solutions, Madison Square Garden Sports; Andy Feffer, COO, Washington Nationals; Charles Freeman, Executive Vice President, Business Development, Orlando Magic; Shervin Mirhashemi, COO, AEG Global Partnerships; and Derek Schiller, Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Atlanta Braves; as they discuss how they are sustaining and growing current revenue streams and the incremental revenue opportunities they foresee in the next one to five years.

10:30
Networking Break hosted by

11:00
Fan Preferences: How the at-Home and In-Venue Experiences Stack Up
Rich Luker, Founder, ESPN Sports Poll & Luker on Trends

As the at-home viewing experience continues to improve, the onus is on team executives and venue operators to provide an at-game experience fans don’t want to miss. During this presentation, Rich Luker will show how fan preferences have changed over time and provide thought-provoking ideas on how you can create an experience that rivals at-home comforts, keeps the fans coming back and remains competitive in a fragmented entertainment environment.

11:45 Lunch

1:30
An In-Depth Look: How to Execute Dynamic Pricing

Moderated by: Don Muret, Staff Writer, SportsBusiness Journal

During this case study, Russ Stanley, Managing Vice President, Ticket Sales and Services, San Francisco Giants, a dynamic pricing veteran; and Colin Faulkner, Vice President, Tickets Sales and Service, Chicago Cubs, representing a team that just started implementing dynamic pricing; will outline how their organizations approach dynamic pricing in regards to initial system set-up and website integration, fan education and communication, key pricing aspects and ROI.

2:00
The Buy-Sell Side Dynamic: Building Valuable Corporate Partnerships

Moderated by: Terry Lefton, Editor-at-Large, SportsBusiness Journal

Pete Augustine, President, New Era Cap Co.; John Cordova, Director, Sports Transaction Management, Coca-Cola; Laura Day, Senior Vice President, Business Development, Minnesota Twins; Eric Mastalir, Vice President, Corporate Partnerships, Sharks Sports & Entertainment; and Bob Reif, Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing & CMO, St. Louis Rams; are all charged with either buying or selling venue market assets. You will hear how these executives build a win-win partnership, what criteria influences their decisions, how they collaborate to leverage their brand and what platforms are most effectively reaching fans/consumers.

2:45
Networking Break

3:15
Featured Interview: Insights On Creating a Competitive Franchise On and Off the Ice
Terry Pegula, Owner, Buffalo Sabres

Moderated by: Abraham Madkour, Executive Editor, SportsBusiness Journal/Daily

For more than 30 years, Terry Pegula had aspired to own the Buffalo Sabres, and in Feb. 2011, he did just that, by becoming the franchise’s fourth owner. Prior to NHL ownership, Pegula founded East Resources Inc. an independent oil and gas exploration and development company, which he built into one of the largest privately held companies in the United States. The sale of the company allowed him to make his first foray into the hockey world and begin his quest to win the Stanley Cup. During this one-on-one interview, he will discuss his entry into sports ownership, how he applies day-to-day business practices to endeavors in the sports industry and how he is positioning the Sabres to be a playoff contender.

3:45
Networking Reception
JW Marriott, Miami

All attendees are invited to join us at the Marlins Park when the Miami Marlins host the Atlanta Braves. Pick up your game ticket at the networking reception.

Evening at the Ballpark hosted by

4:30
Buses depart the JW Marriott, Miami

Transportation provided by

5:00
Arrive at the Marlins Park for a site tour, followed by a networking reception

7:05
Atlanta Braves vs. Miami Marlins

Buses begin to depart the game as early as 8:00 p.m.

7:45
Exhibits Open and Continental

Breakfast Hosted by

8:45
Examining the Florida Sports Scene: Building Your Fan Base in a Competitive Environment

Moderated by: Abraham Madkour, Executive Editor, SportsBusiness Journal/Daily

The Florida sports scene is a diverse marketplace and it continues to capture national headlines with its franchises’ on-the-field/court talent, as well as the continuous effort to enhance the fan experience through new and upgraded venues. During this roundtable discussion, Mike Dee, CEO, Miami Dolphins; Alex Martins, CEO, Orlando Magic; David Samson, President, Miami Marlins; Eric Woolworth, President, Business Operations, Miami Heat; and Michael Yormark, President & COO, Sunrise Sports & Entertainment & The Florida Panthers; will discuss their strategies to attract fans in this very competitive market and how they continue to provide value and keep their product relevant in an area with no shortage of entertainment and recreation options.

9:30
Technology Module
In-Depth Look at Livestrong Sporting Park: A Study in Fan Engagement

Moderated by: Eric Fisher, Staff Writer, SportsBusiness Journal

Setting what many feel is the standard for in-stadium state-of-the-art technology, Livestrong Sporting Park opened to rave reviews last year. Designed with the fan in mind, the facility features QR codes on seat backs, a high-density wireless network and customized video content, to name just a few of the amenities! Robb Heineman, CEO, Sporting Club & Managing Partner, Sporting Innovations; and Asim Pasha, CIO & Chief Architect, Sporting Kansas City & Co-CEO, Sporting Innovations will walk you through the facility design and show how they created an environment that has raised the bar in fan enhancements.

10:15
Networking Break

10:45
Technology Enhancements: Keeping Your Venue Relevant

Moderated by: Don Muret, Staff Writer, SportsBusiness Journal

With new technologies and fan enhancements seemingly being introduced every day, it can become a never-ending job keeping your venue relevant. As mobile devices continue to play a factor in the live-game experience, in-arena connectivity becomes a challenge many venues, both new and old, are facing. During this session, Michael Arthur, General Manager, Sports and Live Events, Harris Corp.; Brandon Lloyd, President, Bypass Lane; Tim McDermott, Senior Vice President & CMO, Philadelphia Eagles; Mike Plant, Executive Vice President, Business Operations, Atlanta Braves; Earl Santee, Senior Principal, Populous; and Chad Townes, Vice President, Antenna Solutions Group, AT&T Services; will examine the current state of venue infrastructures and amenities and provide perspectives on how to build or improve a facility so it meets the demands of today’s fans.

11:30
Sports Facilities & Franchises Concludes. 

For PROGRAM information, including ATTENDANCE, please contact Laura Case at 704-973-1446.

For information on SPONSORSHIP opportunities, please contact Julie Tuttle at 212-500-0711.