Program Agenda

DAY 1 – Wednesday, September 30

7:30

Registration hosted by  

Exhibits Open

Continental Breakfast

8:30

Welcome and Opening Remarks

Richard Weiss, Publisher, Street & Smith’s

SportsBusiness Journal/Daily;

Tim Mauer, CEO, Relay Worldwide

8:45

The Recalibration of Sports Sponsorships and Event Marketing

The worst economic downturn since the Great Depression and the high-profile scrutiny on marketing investments has sparked a revaluation of sports sponsorship, event marketing and activation expenditures. You will hear first-hand perspectives — from brand-side marketers, agencies and properties — on the fundamental shifts that have taken place, how the business has changed and what looms on the horizon for sports marketers. You will hear from Rich Lehrfeld, vice president, global sponsorship marketing, American Express; Tim McGhee, executive director, corporate sponsorships, AT&T; Dan McHugh, vice president, media, sponsorship and activation, Anheuser-Busch; Scott O’Neil, president, MSG Sports; Matt Pensinger, senior vice president, marketing services and consulting, Relay Worldwide; and Mark Waller, CMO, NFL.

9:45

CASE STUDY

The Rebranding of Gatorade: Inside the G Launch and Defending Against Competition in the Sports Drink Market

As the official sports drink of properties ranging from the NFL and NBA to the U.S. Soccer Federation and USA Basketball, Gatorade has a near ubiquitous presence in sports. In this session, Sarah Robb O’Hagan, CMO, Gatorade, will examine this year’s G Launch and the new attitude of this iconic brand and sports drink. And, she will look at how various campaign components were instrumental in capturing the mindshare of people with active lifestyles.

10:30

Networking and Refreshment Break

11:00

The New Realities of Marketing: The Chief Marketers’ Perspective

So you want to be a CMO in today’s environment? The past year has seen unprecedented demands placed on corporate marketers to deliver greater value and returns to the organization. In this session, chief marketing executives representing a cross-section of categories — all with significant exposure to sports — will weigh in on the new era of results-driven marketing at a time when every decision they make comes under greater and more intense scrutiny. Phil Clement, global CMO and communications officer, Aon; Rory Finlay, senior vice president and global CMO, Beam Global Spirits & Wine; Mark Ingall, managing director, global strategic media and marketing, Citigroup; Stewart Mitchell, senior vice president and chief strategy officer, Sharp Electronics, and Tony Pace, CMO, Subway, are among the top marketers who will be sharing their perspectives.

12:00

Luncheon

2:00

CASE STUDY

Anatomy of the Procter & Gamble/NFL Sponsorship

Few corporations and sports properties have consummated sponsorship deals as sweeping as the one between Procter & Gamble and the NFL. In this session, Jason Dial, former director, global sports marketing, Procter & Gamble, will discuss the five-year sponsorship that aligns a swath of P&G health, beauty and household product brands with NFL marks.

2:45

CASE STUDY

Marketing to Hispanics: Leveraging Their Passion for Soccer and Other Sports
Marco Lopez, senior director of Relay Worldwide’s Hispanic Marketing practice will lead an interactive discussion on the evolving Hispanic demographic in the U.S. In advance of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the presentation will feature insights and strategies on how to best leverage soccer’s immense popularity to engage the Hispanic community and what other sports are relevant to U.S. Hispanics, depending on acculturation level and nationality.  You will hear from: Bruce Binkow, CMO, Golden Boy Promotions; Michael Gandler, vice president, business development, Soccer United Marketing and Saskia Sorrosa, senior director, marketing, National Basketball Association.

3:30

Networking and Refreshment Break

4:00

The Ever-Changing Athlete Endorsement and Talent Procurement Business

Are the days of athlete endorsements over? Where is the marketplace when it comes to aligning brands with today’s talent? Like many elements of sports marketing, athlete endorsements and talent procurement are in a state of flux. This session will gauge the marketplace, look at the deals that make the most sense for brands and athletes and look ahead to where the business will be in five years. You will hear from Steve Battista, senior vice president,brand, Under Armour; Walt Frazier, NBA Hall of Famer; Paul Lindstrom, senior vice president, Nielsen Strategic Media Research; Frank Mahar, general counsel, Genesco Sports Enterprises; Mike Principe, Managing Director, BEST; Ryan Steelberg, CEO, Brand Affinity Technologies (BAT); along with agent and athlete perspectives.

5:00

Reception Hosted by

DAY 2 – Thursday, October 1

8:00

Exhibits Open and Continental Breakfast hosted by

8:30

KEYNOTE

Uli Becker: A Longtime Marketer Talks About Reebok’s Plans to Put the “Fun” Back in Sports

It has been more than three years since adidas acquired Reebok with grand hopes of building an internationally dominant athletic footwear and apparel brand. But a challenging marketplace has caused the company to change course over the years. Now, under President and CEO Uli Becker, Reebok’s aim is to strategically focus on a few key areas, including becoming the category leader in women’s fitness, where it has deep roots. Under Becker’s previous leadership as CMO at adidas, the company became one of the most revered brands in the creative world. And Becker plans for the same creative results at Reebok. “Fun and fit are key words from which all our marketing will start,” Becker has said. In this session, Becker will share Reebok’s strategy to focus on product and a new marketing plan that puts the “fun” back in sports.

9:15

How the Sports Media Business and Media Buying are Changing Before Our Very Eyes

The playbook for media buying and selling is being rewritten. The traditional categories of sports advertising have undergone fundamental changes and many are asking, “will they ever come back?” If not, what will replace them? Now, with the emerging applications for mobile and online distribution, as well as robust social media platforms, the entire dynamics of the media business are changing daily. In this session, you will hear perspectives from top media agencies, properties and clientside marketers as they discuss the challenges they face in this ever-fluid environment. You will hear from Ray Warren, executive vice president and chief revenue officer, Comcast SportsNet; Jeff Flemings, senior vice president and global head, social, VivaKi; Eric Fernandez, senior partner, Medialink; Ed Erhardt, president, ESPN Customer Marketing; Kevin Collins, senior vice president and director, national broadcast, Initiative; and Keith Wachtel, senior vice president, integrated sales, National Hockey League.

10:15

Networking and Refreshment Break

10:45

CASE STUDY

LifeLock Makes its Mark in Sports

From NASCAR to WNBA jersey sponsorship, Todd Davis, CEO, LifeLock has actively used sports to enhance the branding of his company. In this session, we will hear why he feels sports provides the right marketing platform, and the strategy, planning and execution of his sports deals. Why does he target sports? Among other items, what is his overall marketing philosophy on how a brand can emerge through the clutter of sports to really reach consumers. He will discuss what has worked, what hasn’t and what he would like to see from some of his sports partners that he hasn’t seen so far.

11:30

Up Next: A Futurecast on the Challenges in Sports and the Changes in Consumer Behavior

In what will surely be one of the most talked-about sessions of the Symposium, some of the top minds in sports, marketing and consumer behavior will look ahead to the future, while offering insight into how to approach the ever-changing, dynamic issues facing us. What is the sports industry doing right? What does it need to improve upon? And what can YOU do to improve your relationship with YOUR customer? The discussion will be led by Rich Luker, CEO, The Luker Co. He will be joined by Jerome Conlon, president, Brand Frameworks; Ben Kline, chief strategy officer, Leo Burnett; Scott Hess, vice president, insight