The Cubs and team Chair Tom Ricketts are "extending the scope of their fast-growing business, creating Marquee Sports & Entertainment to serve as a centralized sales and marketing agency for the various Ricketts sports and entertainment assets," according to Eric Fisher of SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL. MSE, a separate entity from the Cubs or Wrigley Field, will "pool the various sales, sponsorship, event and marketing components of the Cubs, Wrigley Rooftops, the new Park at Wrigley, the American Airlines Conference Center in the new Cubs headquarters adjacent to the ballpark, and the forthcoming boutique Hotel Zachary slated to open next year." The new Chicago-based agency will be "housed within the Cubs' headquarters building." Ultimately, MSE "intends to provide sales consulting to other sports and entertainment clients, with an eye toward representing properties and events in a way similar to Fenway Sports Management, a sister entity" to the Red Sox. Industry sources said that there "already have been discussions with potential partners toward such an offering." Day-to-day operations of MSE "will be led by" Cubs Senior Dir of Corporate Partnerships Allen Hermeling and Senior Dir of Ticket Sales Andy Blackburn. The two were "named co-managing directors of the new agency, with Hermeling leading partnership sales, activation and consulting, and Blackburn overseeing premium seat and group sales and events." They will report to Cubs Senior VP/Sales & Marketing Colin Faulkner, who will "carry a dual title and role," also serving as MSE Senior VP while still "carrying oversight of some Cubs-specific functions such as marketing." Cubs President of Business Operations Crane Kenney will "also be an MSE officer." The creation of MSE is in part "fueled by an expansion in non-baseball events at Wrigley Field" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 5/29 issue).
