Jeff Knapple Hired As Exec VP By Van Wagner Sports & Entertainment

Knapple joins Van Wagner Sports & Entertainment as Exec VP

Van Wagner Sports & Entertainment has hired veteran sports marketer JEFF KNAPPLE as Exec VP, a new position that will see Knapple "spearhead a company initiative to offer a broad range of marketing services, including naming rights, brand integration and signage," according to Terry Lefton in this week's SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL. Van Wagner Sports President CLIFF KAPLAN said, "The idea is to pull together more of the different parts of our company and to be able to provide a large variety of services to teams and venues." He added that the company "works with about 200 teams and venues in North America." Kaplan: "We think we can offer a range of services that will differentiate us from anyone else in the space." Knapple, who will report to Kaplan, was with Wasserman Media Group "since selling his Envision agency to WMG" in '02 (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 2/20 issue).