Menu
People and Pop Culture

Hangin' With ... Rise Managing Partner Seth Holmes

Seth Holmes
SETH HOLMES is a managing partner who recently teamed up with fellow managing partner TOM BERRINGTON to create Dubai-based sports marketing and rights representation agency rise. The agency operates primarily in the Middle East and North Africa, with an office based at the Dubai Sports City. Both Holmes and Berrington previously worked for IMG as VPs. Holmes spent eight-and-a-half years with IMG Consulting, initially in London before establishing the practice in Dubai. Brands Holmes has previously worked for include Carlsberg and IBM. He spoke to SBD Global about the inspiration for creating rise, the appealing aspects of the Middle East and his goals for the agency.

On leaving IMG to start a new agency ...
Seth Holmes: First and foremost the challenge. Myself and business partner Tom Berrington were with IMG for 8-plus years, and felt like there was no better place to learn about the business of sport. It was a privilege to work on a number of innovative projects and high profile global clients and the experiences were often unique. Challenging though that was at times, the opportunity to build your own shop and create a team and culture doesn’t always come around and we were ready for a new challenge starting rise. Without doubt we saw potential in the marketplace, and a means to differentiate ourselves from our competitive set in this region. We hope to achieve this through a unique client service approach, but also focusing on some business lines, properties and rights holders that others haven’t considered or implemented.

On the appeal of the Middle East ...
Holmes: The Middle East, and in particular the GCC (UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, etc.) is very much a growth market. It's not been without its challenges, but first and foremost they are reinvesting their natural resources in an attempt to diversify the local economy. Sport and entertainment are often at the heart of this, both from an investment and tourism perspective and it's a very exciting time to be in the region. Middle Eastern companies such as Emirates Airlines are grabbing the sports headlines, but there is a thriving local sports industry that has become an established stop for many global sports tours. Sponsorship is still in its infancy, but businesses are beginning to take it more seriously as a marketing discipline, and there is a desire to understand and implement best practice.

On the challenges he faces ...
Holmes: I think it's no different to many businesses going through the startup phase, and revolves around balancing the books. Twenty-five percent of businesses across the board fail in year one, and I would have thought agencies were at this level, if not beyond. We have been surprised by the genuinely warm market reception to our new venture but this doesn't always translate into revenue. The timeframes for converting a lead into a paid project or retained work are significant, and can become difficult to manage. Like any agency we have resourcing challenges, staffing up or down dependent on the work flow. Given our market connectivity we have a good number of opportunities to work on, but deciding which are the most profitable, and even more importantly those that are the most tangible, is a real skill.

On rise's goals ...
Holmes: We have two clear lines of businesses -- sport marketing (encompassing sponsorship planning and activation) and rights representation. Our short term goals are to have established and retained client relationships in both. We recognize they have different timelines, resourcing requirements and margins. There is a tendency in this part of the world to try and be all things to a client and present a one-stop shop. We're working hard to establish a clear definition, in the client's mind, of what we can do and importantly what we can't. Initially and in the short term, picking up project work that pays the bills and then setting the agency off on the right footing are paramount, and keep me awake through the night!

On IMG and other agencies to emulate ...
Holmes: I will always have an immense admiration for IMG -- what it is and stands for, and its ability to continue to innovate. Agencies are built on people and personalities and IMG has some of the very best. I think an agency's culture is key to sustained growth and excellence in client work, and among my first experiences in the business was with Team Velocity, now Team Epic. There was a strong culture built by the founders that made it a challenging and fun environment to work, and one the staff were, and I'm sure still are, passionate about. Culture is such a key part of an agency's identity and can't be over-emphasized, in my opinion.

On his favorite sports to watch and play ...
Holmes: I'm a sports fan through and through. In that sense I’ll happily watch any number of sports programming, both domestic and global, from the ATP Tennis Tour and PGA Tour Golf to Barclays Premier League and F1. It drives my wife and daughter up the wall. I seem to go to less and less events as a fan, but there's nothing quite like seeing your country play, be it rugby, cricket or soccer. I’m a keen golfer and tennis player, but have recently come to the conclusion that at 37, the window for going pro is closing in on me. The senior tour may be a realistic target!

Hangin' With runs each Friday in SBD Global.

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 18, 2024

Sports Business Awards nominees unveiled; NWSL's historic opening weekend and takeaways from CFP deal

ESPN’s Jay Bilas, BTN’s Meghan McKeown, and a deep dive into AppleTV+’s The Dynasty

On this week’s Sports Media Podcast from the New York Post and Sports Business Journal, ESPN’s Jay Bilas talks all things NCAA. Big Ten Network’s Meghan McKeown shares her insight into the Caitlin Clark craze. The Boston Globe’s Chad Finn chats all things Bean Town. And SBJ’s Xavier Hunter drops in to share his findings on how the NWSL is making a social media push.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Global/Issues/2014/12/19/People-and-Pop-Culture/Hangin-With.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Global/Issues/2014/12/19/People-and-Pop-Culture/Hangin-With.aspx

CLOSE