Winter Break Networking Trip Recap Article


Boston College, the Red Sox, the Celtics, Stub Hub, the Boston Bruins, the New York Mets, Madison Square Garden, the Yankees, Leverage Agency, WFAN Radio, the New Jersey Nets, Nielson Sports, and the NHL.  This list alone could capture the tone of the rest of this article recapping the IUSMA’s signature winter networking trip; however, I will provide a bit more detail into the visits we were privileged to be a part of to each of these high profile teams and businesses in the industry, to allow each reader to fully appreciate what it is we do.  This five day trip, starting in Boston, was a fast-paced and exhilarating experience that will be a part of IUSMA history forever.  

Throughout our trip, we visited with coordinators, managers, directors, vice-presidents, CFO’s, and CEO’s of almost every major contributor to the sports industry from the East Coast.  Because covering each visit individually would take up our entire website, I will simply leave you with some of my favorite words of advice passed along to us from the professionals in the field.  The New England Patriots spoke to our group about a term they coined, “strategic luck.”  This really stuck out to me, because—as they said—while getting into the industry takes a lot of luck, that luck usually comes from the result of one’s persistent efforts to make it; thus, luck by merit, or “strategic luck.”  Keep this in mind as you pursue an opportunity to make it in the industry.  

The New York Mets advised us that, “Working in sports is a privilege.” When any of us land a position working in sports we need to never forget how we got there and who helped us along the way, and return the favor to others who are where we once were.  Another quote from the Mets organization that I found valuable was, “I’ll take anger over apathy any day.”  Sport is an entertainment business, and deriving emotion from consumers is what it is all about.  Sport is more than just winning games; it’s about embracing the guests (fans).  The New York Knikcs/Madison Square Garden told us, “You can’t control what the sports brand does, so you control everything else.”  I think this is a really important point, because the ambiguity of sports is probably its biggest appeal.  You never know what’s going to happen in a game, and that’s what drives the game’s allure.  As a result, this dynamic of the unknown means that all variables that are able to be predicted must be controlled.  

The Yankees echoed what the Mets had to say about the industry, “You can’t sell wins and losses. You sell experiences, you sell value.”  Find what’s valuable to the consumers and sell that to them (in this case, entertainment—not the outcome of a game—is what’s valuable to a fan).  Leverage Agency provided us with a unique perspective on the industry, because unlike the majority of our visits over this trip, Leverage wasn’t actually a sports organization.  Leverage’s CEO Ben Sturner said, “When you have something to sell, you have an opportunity.”  As simple of a statement as this may sound, it is one that is important to understand.  Anytime there is we are presented with a product, whether that product is a widget or a sporting event, there is an opportunity to market that product for a sale.  This means we must be creative in our efforts to market and sell a product.  We need to differentiate our tactics form others and display innovative ways of conducting business transactions.  Ben elaborated on the difficulty that often comes with this task, saying, “It’s simple, it’s not easy.”  Although this is reminiscent of a Yogi Berra remark, I find it to be bluntly true.  A lot of times coming up with new ideas can be simple, but actually implementing those ideas to effectively work can be a lot harder.

Our experience at WFAN radio was probably the highlight of the trip.  Unbeknownst to us, we were invited to speak on Mike Francesa’s radio show.  After randomly selecting Josh Sherman to represent the IUSMA on the national stage, we were shoved into the limelight.  As Josh calmly answered each of Mike’s questions about our organization and what we do, a camera panned the studio room to display the other members, grinning from ear-to-ear as we all watched Josh live on the air of Mike’s show.  That five minute stint on a live sports radio broadcast quickly became the forefront of the IUSMA’s marketing strategy and will forever be etched in our memories.  As Mike told our group regarding his loyal talk-show followers, “I talk, just listen.”  Well, let’s hope everyone just listened to Josh plug the greatness that is the IUSMA during that time slot.

The inspiration, guidance, amusement, impact, and passion that was instilled to us on this trip will be unforgettable, but I think equally important were the bonds we forged as an organization.  We became more than simply acquaintances or colleagues, we became friends.  As I have mentioned in the past regarding other networking trips, to fully capture our experiences in a recap story would do an extreme injustice to the inexplicable feelings that define our emotions towards this trip, but I encourage you all to speak with those members that were a part of it or to check out the website to delve deeper into our visits.  I am personally humbled to be a part of the IUSMA, and I extend an appreciation I could never fully explain to all of our members for providing me with opportunities, advice, guidance, and friendship.  I hope to see you all for the start of our most exciting year yet, and I can’t wait to see what’s next.

-Jon Brown