Wasserman Media Group has acquired Greg Norman’s golf event management firm and has signed the golfer as a client, Norman and WMG Chair & CEO Casey Wasserman announced today. The Greg Norman Production Company operates several major golf events, including the PGA Tour's Valero Texas Open and OHL Classic at Mayakoba, the Franklin Templeton Shootout, a tournament on the LPGA Symetra Tour and numerous other philanthropic and corporate events. The GNPC management team of 18 employees, led by VP & Tournament Dir Taylor Ives, will join Wasserman as part of the deal. Financial terms were not disclosed. Additionally, Norman himself will become a client of Wasserman, and the agency will assist him with finding new commercial endorsements and corporate partnerships. At Wasserman, he will be represented by a team of agents who will work with Bart Collins, Norman's longtime manager and President of Great White Shark Enterprises. GNPC was a part of Great White Shark Enterprises, which will continue to be under Norman's control. “This is the start of a tremendous partnership and I look forward to working with the Wasserman team in all capacities in the years to come,” Norman said in a statement. “Over the past 15 years we have proudly built Greg Norman Production Company into the elite event management firm in golf. I am confident that GNPC will benefit from Wasserman’s expertise and world-class reputation for success, and I look forward to watching the company achieve new heights." Casey Wasserman said, “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Greg Norman and add one of the all-time legends of the game to our client roster of prestigious and talented golfers.”
EVENT PRACTICE JOINS PLAYER REPRESENTATION: The acquisition gives Wasserman a golf event management practice. Wasserman already has a golf sponsorship-activation practice and represents an elite roster of clients, including Zach Johnson, Jason Day and Rickie Fowler. Ives will lead the event practice out of Naples, Fla., and will report to Wasserman Exec VP & Managing Dir of Golf John Mascatello. “Bringing GNPC’s successful event management platform and team to Wasserman is a perfect complement to our thriving golf and premier event activation practices,” Mascatello said. "GNPC is the best in class and we are excited to have them on our team."
SHARK ATTACK: SBJ Exec Editor Abe Madkour earlier this year spent some time with Norman at his Florida home, where the World Golf HOFer discussed his career both on the course and off of it.
