Editor's note: This story is revised from the print edition.
Veteran marketer and agent Brooks Downing has left Lagardère Unlimited to open his own agency in Lexington, Ky., where he will primarily represent college coaches and manage events.
Downing, who founded BD Global Sports and will serve as president, will be heavily invested in the college space, both with coaches and college basketball tournaments and doubleheaders. That’s mainly what he was doing for Blue Equity’s BEST, and eventually Lagardère when the French company acquired Blue Equity’s sports and entertainment affiliate.
Downing, previously the chief communications director for University of Kentucky basketball, started the agency with three clients.
BD Global’s basketball coaching clients at launch are Western Kentucky’s Ray Harper, UNC Wilmington’s Buzz Peterson and Morehead State’s Sean Woods, all of whom are full-service clients.
Downing said he intends to move into college football as well.
On the events side, BD Global will operate and manage a men’s and women’s doubleheader in December between Texas and UCLA in Houston’s Reliant Stadium. The event is billed as the MD Anderson Proton Therapy Showcase. The Proton Therapy Center is based within the University of Texas’ MD Anderson Cancer Center and will serve as the title sponsor.
BD Global handles sponsorship and group sales. The title sponsorship that was sold to MD Anderson was initiated by the sales team at Lagardère and closed by Downing, he said. They will continue to work together on sales efforts.
In the past, Downing also has overseen tennis and golf tournaments, as well as basketball events, and he envisions a future running college football neutral-site games as well.
Because of Downing’s background at Kentucky, he also will offer public relations and crisis management as a third core competency for the agency.
