Chicago Recap Article


By: Jonathan Brown

The IUSMA added to what is sure to be a monumental year of networking trips with a visit to the Windy City, just a couple of weeks ago.  There, we met with representatives from the Chicago Bears, Intersport Sports Entertainment Media/Marketing, the Big Ten Conference, the Chicago Cubs, and rEvolution Sports Marketing and Media Services Agency.  This dynamic range of organizations a part of the sports industry provided our group with a one of a kind experience in one of the most diverse, world-class cities the world has to offer.  Although I personally was unable to attend the first day of visits with the Bears and Intersport, I have been told that the meetings were two of the best out of any previous networking trips, and I encourage all members to inquire further details from those who were able to be a part of them.  I can attest, however, that our meetings with the Big Ten Conference, the Cubs and rEvolution far exceeded my expectations of what I was sure would be great visits. 

At the Big Ten Conference, we met with a number of employees from all kinds of departments, giving us a truly comprehensive perspective on the many roles the governing body plays.  The speakers explained to our group the standards of compliance, the Conference’s goals and objectives for student-athletes, how some of the tournament operations are handled, and—predominantly—covered the much-talked about controversy of the newly restructured brand image and division names—Legends and Leaders.  For those IUSMA members still baffled by these changes, please ask one of the Chicago Networking Trip group members to address any questions you might have (we are all now self-acclaimed “experts” on the branding strategy the Conference implemented).

After our meeting with the Big Ten Conference, we drove to one of the most historic and inspirational baseball venues in the world—Wrigley Field.  At Wrigley, we were escorted to an executive suite sponsored by PNC, where a breathtaking view of the entire stadium could be taken in.  The Cubs representatives spoke to us about signing sponsors, the obstacle of maintaining revenue while preserving the integrity of the park, what goes into the celebrity appearances at the Seventh Inning Stretch, and engagement with fans and the national Cubs’ following.  Even if you are not a baseball fan, there is something about Wrigley Field that instills a sense of belonging, and no sporting experience will ever be the same as watching the Cubs at Wrigley.  This thought resonated throughout our dialogue with the front office employees, who promised that the extremely limited corporate brand exposure (signage saturation) would remain that way for as long as the Cubs are in existence.

Our final meeting took us to the edgy, modern facilities of rEvolution Sports Marketing, where we were greeted at the large glass doors by an Indy racecar.  rEvolution highlighted some of the events they help generate and explained how digital marketing and social media affect their business.  I think the two accounts that rEvolution manages that appealed to our group the most was ESPNU and the ESPN RV.  rEvolution is the agency that helped create the idea of ESPNU and they maintain a partnership still today, remaining an integral role in administering, operating, marketing, etc. all ESPNU events.  rEvolution, as a result of their successful work with the ESPNU project, has secured an unofficial exclusive account with ESPN.  rEvolution also is the owner of the ESPN RV, made famous in commercials with high profile athletes like Derrick Rose.  To learn more about rEvolution, those interested should go to their website and see first-hand the kinds of projects they are involved with.

The Chicago networking trip was an amazing opportunity to learn from the industry we all hope to be a part of, and the experience of meeting with such a unique set of sport organizations was truly special to be a part of.  With still a couple more networking trips left on the IUSMA agenda, our club is on the verge of sustaining nationally renowned prestige that will leverage into even greater future opportunity.  I look forward to hearing the details from the L.A. networking trip in a few weeks, and I wish all those making the trip out west to have a great time.