Mino Solomon has been in the sports sales game a long time, starting with at the tail-end of the Seattle Supersonics and becoming part of the group that headed up the Oklahoma City Thunder sales team. Solomon discusses his time in Seattle and his recent return with the Seattle Sounders FC, along with various ways to tackle both sales strategies and leadership. Solomon shares that he gets irked by leadership statements online, which seem to forget that leading is more by example than anything else. Solomon ends up talking about his 1st anniversary with an accident that he won't soon forget, and why running in the Chicago Marathon would be considered a significant future achievement for him in life. Twitter: @MinoSolomon
Fresh off of being named one of the Forbes 30 under 30 in the sports category, SportTechie senior writer Mark Burns discusses the state of sports journalism today. Burns talks about some of the ways to gather sources on stories, as well as ensure that quotes aren't taken out of context, and highlights issues with aggregation which may lose context amid overall content. Burns shares his thoughts on reporting in general, and whether he is a journalism as much as a content creator, and what that means for the future of reporting overall. Twitter: @MarkJBurns88
Almost a year to the day that he first appeared on the podcast (Ep. 549), Dave Wakeman returns to discuss some of the factors of sports revenue generation and branding when coupled with technology. Wakeman shares his experience consulting with various companies and teams, including his appearance at the 2016 Sports Sales Boot Camp at the ALSD Conference in Pittsburgh. Wakeman also tackles some of the issues surrounding metrics, and whether executives are looking at the wrong benchmarks when attempting to gain revenue. Twitter: @DavidWakeman
Ken Troupe returns to the podcast (he was on Ep. 4 in 2012) and talks about what he's learned since that time, crossing over from the team side with the Arizona Coyotes to SportsDesk Media. Troupe discusses the importance of data in ticket sales, along with corporate sales metrics, and how to develop a shorthand in the conversation between teams and brands. Troupe talks about his educational aspirations, gaining a masters degree from Ohio University and broadening his overall acumen in the sports industry. Twitter: @KTSportsMarket
Kate Dobie is the first female general manager to head an Australia Baseball League team, doing so with the Brisbane Bandits, her third ABL franchise. Dobie speaks about the methods used to gain momentum with the Australian population to attend games. Despite having roots in Australia since the 1800s, Dobie points out that some of the modern promotional tools are still trying to be reckoned with by Australians. Dobie talks about the need for inclusion for female executives in sports overall. Twitter: @KateDobiest
Understanding where a campus identity is, and where it should be, is the hallmark of Grand Valley State. The university and the athletic department are firmly entrenched in the attitude of being the best NCAA Division II school nationally. GVSU Deputy Director Doug Lipinski explains the mindset and attitude of the Lakers program, and why it matters to stay at a place that isn't in the Power 5 or FBS world. Twitter: @lipinskd
If you try to discount around Joe Rixon, he'll be the first line of opposition that you find. Rixon discusses his disdain for the practice, as well as the lack of marketing around it even to make discounting even somewhat effective. Rixon talks about the misperception about the secondary market tends to cost organizations revenue. Now a board member on the National Association of Athletic Ticket Sales & Operations (NAATSO) Rixon shares a funny story about faux-neurosurgeons and Uber drivers in Pittsburgh, as well as his bond with the staff at Liberty University. Twitter: @joeyrix
The University of Northern Colorado's Sports Administration program has turned over its legacy professors which brought the UNC program to the forefront of producing several of the top level sports management instructors in the country. Dr. Alan Morse has now taken the torch, carrying it upon the retirements of three of its major professors, and serves as director of the program. Morse discusses the transition, keeping the principles of the program, set on doing tangible real-world sports research covering revenue, attendance and marketing, and how that can help both professional teams, college athletics and aspiring graduates as they enter the industry's workforce. Morse talks about program expectations, as well as the job prospects for those who graduate. Twitter: @alan_morse
As the role of the secondary market changes in the public perception, so do the legal issues surrounding brokers involvement. Gary Adler has served as general counsel for the National Association of Ticket Brokers (NATB) since its inception 22 years, and discusses the various topics within the industry. Adler talks about rules, regulations and processes, which may be pushed as a consumer protection while actual yielding an opposite affect. Adler shares his thoughts on the recent move of broker consolidation, delayed delivery e-tickets, and whether Vegas will always have two broker trade shows, at the same time, in two different casino locations in July.
The third party model has held ground and expanded in the college athletic landscape, with a further understanding between both in-house leaders and those representing the outside organization. Aspire's Tony Garrett discusses how empathy has allowed the company to thrive when dealing with long-term college athletics workers, as well as the ability to pitch in to get the job done. Garrett talks about group sales, how it fosters creativity and free assets that can compliment any group's interest in buying more tickets to the event. Garrett shares Aspire's culture toward its employees, using Mino Solomon as an example of organizational strength during a time of adversity for Solomon personally. Twitter: @thebosstg