NFL team CMOs will gather Wednesday in Glendale, Ariz., for their first conference organized by the league. While the league has had business summits before, the NFL is now hosting more focused, smaller conferences under VP/Club Business Development Brian Lafemina. A ticketing conference is scheduled for Dec. 6 at MetLife Stadium, and a gathering of team presidents in March. This week’s conference is set to include a keynote address from Arbinger Institute Global CEO Jim Ferrell, whose company offers corporate coaching services. There will also be a presentation from Barry Kahn of Qcue about ticketing. Broncos Exec VP/Football Operations John Elway will talk about leveraging football operations for marketing, giving perspective as a former player and now a member of the Broncos' front office. NFL VP/Player Development Troy Vincent, who formerly was NFLPA President, will also talk with him on the subject. Other presentations include database marketing, in-game experience, and one from Barclays Cards, a league sponsor. The league last month launched an intranet portal, Club Central, intended to allow clubs to share best practices. Nearly 200 NFL execs are now using the site, said Lafemina, a former MSG exec who joined the league last year. The NBA offers a similar site for its teams, he said. The site allows teams to post best practices, and arrange regular conferences calls, the audio of which is posted on the site.
