Spotlight: Terry McIntyre, director of business development at sports venues, Shawmut Design and Construction

Shawmut Design and Construction recently named Terry McIntyre its director of business development for sports venues. McIntyre comes to Shawmut after spending 18 years in the newspaper industry. As USA Today’s sports marketing director, McIntyre’s list of strategic partnerships included Anheuser-Busch, Nike, FedEx, Chrysler and ESPN. He spoke recently with SportsBusiness Journal staff writer Anna Hrushka.

■ Age: 57.
■ New title: Director of business development for sports venues at Shawmut Design and Construction.
■ Previous title: Sports marketing director at USA Today.
■ First job: Automotive sales representative for the Palos Verdes News.
■ Education: Bachelor’s in English, Pepperdine University, 1978; MBA in marketing, Regis University, 2004.
■ Resides: Sante Fe, N.M.
■ Grew up: Palos Verdes, Calif.
■ Executive most admired: Tom Curley. “Tom was one of the geniuses who helped create USA Today. His vision in the late ’80s and through the ’90s helped create the Nation’s Newspaper.”
■ Brand most admired: The NFL. “In the world of professional sports, the NFL has no peers. The model that Pete Rozelle created way back when still exists today, and it’s what differentiates the NFL from all other professional sports organizations. All other sports organizations try to model themselves after the NFL.”
■ Favorite vacation spot: Carmel, Calif.
■ Last book read: “The Kings of Cool,” by Don Winslow.
■ Last movie seen: “Lincoln.”
■ Favorite movie: “The Searchers.”
■ Favorite musician/band: Miles Davis.

■ What will be the biggest challenge in your new position?
Helping sports facilities compete with the home theater experience, which is siphoning off attendance. What we do at Shawmut is build fan experience. So the challenge is to help sports venues transform their facilities from a place where people come to watch a sports event, to a destination where they have an incredible experience beyond the game.

■ What is the biggest risk you've taken in your career?
The one I’m doing right now. I spent over 30 years in the media business. Leaving the sports media business for a construction management company was a little scary, but there is such tremendous growth in this category. Shawmut is doing such incredible work, not only in sports facilities but high-end retail, restaurants, hotels and academic.

■ What is your biggest professional accomplishment?
My 18 years at USA Today, where I helped shape the strategy for USA Today’s sports section. We created revenue-generating relationships with virtually every league and major sports association.

■ What is your biggest professional disappointment?
Probably watching the demise of the newspaper industry. I spent a long time in that business. The New York Times is the last great newspaper in this country and it’s sad to see what’s happening in newsrooms across the country. The journalistic quality is going fast and newspaper companies are cutting budgets to try and survive. Readers have migrated to the Internet. The newspaper industry was very slow to respond to the Internet challenge, and there’s so much competition.

■ What career advice do you have for people wanting into the sports industry?
In my spare time I have taught at the college level. I’m teaching now part time at the University of New Mexico, and I tell my students, “Make sure you have a well-rounded education.” Sports organizations aren’t looking for fans. They’re looking for professionals who understand business, who understand sales and marketing, who understand how to drive a sports organization forward from a business perspective.

■ What is one story you are continuing to watch in the sports world today?
The increasing demand at sports venues to offer the latest technologies and best fan experience. Venues are trying to one-up each other. Jerry Jones kind of raised the bar at Cowboys Stadium. Now every newer, renovated venue wants to outdo Jerry.