IMG World Congress Of Sports Kicks Off In California

Over the next two days, SportsBusiness Daily/SportsBusiness Journal will be filing news updates from the IMG World Congress of Sports at the St. Regis Resort in Dana Point, California, complete with insider perspectives from the event, notes from inside and outside the sessions and a full slate of brief but informative video interviews with some of the 500 sports executives expected to attend. For the latest news on what is taking place at the conference, please visit www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/wcos.

MORNING SESSIONS: Today's sessions began with a morning panel discussion entitled "Rapid-Fire Roundtable: Industry Leaders Discuss and Debate the Headlines of the Day," featuring MLS Commissioner Don Garber; Gillett Evernham Motorsports and Canadiens Owner George Gillett Jr.; Coca-Cola Senior VP/Integrated Marketing Beatriz Perez; Anheuser-Busch VP/Global Media & Sports Marketing Tony Ponturo; and IMG Golf Senior Corporate VP & Global Managing Dir Mark Steinberg. Also, DirecTV President & CEO Chase Carey is scheduled for a One-on-One interview.

AFTERNOON SESSIONS: The afternoon session will begin with a Keynote Address by USOC Chair Peter Ueberroth. Later, Reebok Head of Global Marketing Uli Becker and AT&T Senior VP/Advertising Wendy Clark will be among those participating in a discussion about the evolving role of sports in the marketing portfolio. The day will conclude with a panel discussion including Bank of America Senior VP & Sports Sponsorship Exec Ray Bednar; NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly; Ari Fleischer Sports Communications President Ari Fleischer; and IMG Sports & Entertainment President George Pyne talking about crisis planning.