VenuesNow Speakers
VenuesNow Conference will bring together thought-leaders and visionaries across our dynamic industry to speak about the myriad of opportunities and challenges that face our business. The following individuals have been confirmed as speakers for VenuesNow 2017
– with more to be announced!
Marcie Allen
President
MAC Presents
BRAD ALLEN
Executive Chairman
NextVR
Irving azoff
Chairman & CEO
Azoff MSG Entertainment
Joe Belliotti
Head of Entertainment Marketing
The Coca-Cola Company
Marcie Allen leverages her more than 20 years of music industry experience to negotiate high- profile partnerships between the world’s leading brands and artists. Allen has brokered and executed multi-faceted programs on behalf of brands including: Sony, Southwest Airlines, YouTube, Microsoft, Verizon, Samsung, Citi, Delta, ATT and artists including Foo Fighters, Rolling Stones, Green Day, Billy Joel, John Legend, Imagine Dragons, and Keith Urban. She is an eleven-time nominee and six-time winner of Billboard’s “Concert Marketing and Promotion Award” and has been named to Billboard’s “Women in Music” list every year since 2010. Allen was included in Billboard’s “Branding Power Players” list in 2016 and the publication’s “40 under 40” list in 2013 and has also received the publication’s “Humanitarian Award”. Variety selected Allen to its 2015 “Power of Women: New York Impact List,” representing the most powerful women in entertainment. Marcie is currently an adjunct professor at NYU’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music, where she teaches a course on branding in the music industry. Prior to starting MAC Presents, Allen owned and operated Nashville/Atlanta-based MAD Booking & Events, which produced more than 100 music festivals across the country including On the Bricks in Atlanta. Allen currently sits on the board of directors for The Country Music Association, serves on the advisory board for Berklee College of Music and recently completed terms with the board of directors for Global Poverty Project and Musicians on Call. Marcie was a member of the 2016 Cannes Lions Entertainment Music jury and served on the 2016 Clio Music jury.
Leading NextVR’s capital growth and partnerships is Brad Allen, Executive Chairman. Brad brings over 30 years of international finance and business development experience to accelerate NextVR from industry pioneer into industry leader. Tasked with capital development, partnerships, and financial outreach, for Brad NextVR is “like putting together a 10,000 piece puzzle.” Yet through all the complexity, Brad was able to connect NextVR with the major players of sports and entertainment, inking multi-year partnerships with the NBA, FOX Sports, the ICC Champions Cup, and Live Nation, commitments unheard of until now. And more to come. Brad has years of experience raising capital and scaling companies while working at major investment firms from New York City to Los Angeles to Hong Kong. Brad has created relationships in Asia, which have fostered deep interest in NextVR throughout the region.
As Chairman of Full Stop Management (FSM), Irving Azoff is an American personal manager representing artists such as Eagles, Jon Bon Jovi, Gwen Stefani, Christina Aguilera, John Mayer, Journey, Van Halen, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Steely Dan, Chelsea Handler and Lindsey Buckingham. He also helms a joint venture with The Madison Square Garden Company, Azoff MSG Entertainment (AMSGE), encompassing performance rights, facilities management and services, comedy and experiential marketing divisions in addition to FSM. Previously, he served as chairman and CEO of Ticketmaster Entertainment and Executive Chairman of Live Nation Entertainment and CEO of Front Line Management. In 2012, he topped Billboard Magazine’s Power 100 being named the most powerful person in the music industry.
Joe Belliotti (@JoeBelliotti) is the Head of Global Music Marketing for The Coca-Cola Company. His passion is to expand and evolve the relationship Coca-Cola and music have had for over a century. His role is to create global music content, platforms, partnerships and strategies for brands across the company’s portfolio. His work includes developing music strategies and content for major Coca-Cola campaigns “Taste the Feeling”, FIFA World Cup, Olympic Games, Share a Coke and a Song and others. Also developing new ways to connect with music and audiences such as “First Taste Fridays” podcast with iHeart Media and the CokeMusicTV live streaming channel. Joe architected the multi-year, global strategic partnership between music service Spotify and The Coca-Cola Company. In 2013, 2014 & 2015 Joe was named as one of Billboard Magazine’s “Power 100” list of the most powerful players in the music business and Billboard’s 2016 Branding Power Players list Previous, Joe was with the NYC based music marketing agency Brand Asset Group developing entertainment initiatives for several Fortune 500 brands, celebrity brands and product launches. Joe began his career in the music industry with the music publishing arm of Maverick where he worked to sign new talent and develop the catalog of artists. He also spent time supervising music for film & TV projects for Warner Bros TV, ABC and Miramax.
Jed Corenthal
CMO
PhenixP2P
Walter FRYE
VP, Global Entertainment and Premiere Events
American Express
ANDY Georgescu
Lincoln Marketing Communications Manager
Ford Motor Company
ERIC Johnson
CEO
LaneOne
Jed Corenthal is an entrepreneur merging content with technology building companies in Real-time video streaming, OTT, mobile and branded emoji’s. Mr. Corenthal spent his first 15 years in senior marketing and business development roles at Macy’s, SONY, the AVP and the NFL. Currently, Mr. Corenthal serves as the Chief Marketing Officer at PhenixP2P. PhenixP2P is revolutionizing content delivery by building the world’s first and only real-time (not “live) video streaming platform with unprecedented low latency video able to reach millions of concurrent viewers. Mr. Corenthal has a passion for technology and innovation and has been able to identify content development, distribution and technology trends well before they hit critical mass (e.g., real-time video streaming, OTT, mobile, emoji). Mr. Corenthal has managed and mentored small and large staffs and has over 10 years of operating experience. Mr. Corenthal has been a lecturer at the New York University School of Sports & Entertainment Marketing as well as The Wharton School Entertainment and Sports Marketing program; is a member of the American Cancer Society Sports & Entertainment Committee, Advertising Club of New York, and is the founder of The Entrepreneur’s Club. Mr. Corenthal received his B.A. from Ithaca College where he majored in Politics and studied music. Mr. Corenthal is an accomplished musician, an avid golfer and a budding chef. He was born and raised in New York City and now lives in Westport, CT with his wife and two children.
Walter Frye is Vice President of Sponsorship and Branded Entertainment where he leads programs that provide American Express Card members unparalleled access and experiences in the entertainment industry. Responsible for strategic development and execution of American Express’ U.S. marketing programs, Walter leads marketing programs with large scale entertainment partners, including Artist Nation, AEG, Coachella Music Festival, Panorama Music Festival, and more. Adding to his resume, Walter was responsible for producing American Express Unstaged, an award winning live-streaming concert series done in partnership with YourTube and VEVO that pairs popular music with iconic filmmakers to bring an in-concert experience to audience’s homes in an industry-defining streaming-engagement platform. In addition, Walter has forged partnerships with some of the industry’s most successful artist including Jay Z, Kendrick Lamar, Pharrell Williams, Tim McGraw, Usher, Coldplay, Arcade Fire, and Taylor Swift of whom he produced an Emmy Award Winning, Amex Unstaged app that enabled users to direct their own 360 degree experience of Taylor’s Blank Space music video. Previously, Walter held a variety of marketing and general management roles at American Express prior to his current position. He obtained an MBA from Harvard Business School received a bachelor’s in Economics from Yale University.
Eric is the CEO of LaneOne. LaneOne is reimagining the premium tier of the live event business. By combining best-in-class service with next generation technologies, LaneOne delivers unforgettable experiences to the discerning fan. Prior to LaneOne, Eric’s career has spanned digital media, e-commerce, and finance with leadership positions at CBS Interactive, Wolfgang’s Vault, and JPMorgan.
Tim Leiweke
CEO
Oak View Group
Michael Metzger
Senior VP
Houlihan Lokey
Christos Karmis
President
Mobilitie
Mike Lorenc
Head of Industry, Ticketing and Live Events
Tim Leiweke founded Oak View Group (OVG) in 2015 and serves as the company’s CEO. With over 30 years of global sports and entertainment experience, Leiweke is a widely respected industry leader and has been deeply involved in the evolution of the NHL, NBA and MLS. Leiweke partnered with music industry titan Irving Azoff (Azoff Madison Square Garden Entertainment) to launch OVG, a development and investment company comprised of an Arena & Stadium Alliance, a sponsorship subsidiary, an advisory group and a venture fund division which recently invested in Miami Beckham United led by global soccer icon, David Beckham. Prior to OVG, Leiweke served as President and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE). In his first year with MLSE, Leiweke led a transformation of the Toronto Raptors, which resulted in a record for wins and back-to-back Division Championships. With Toronto FC, Leiweke orchestrated a dramatic overhaul, which ignited the club’s first ever playoff berth in 2015. It was during this time that Leiweke ranked fifth on the Sports Business Journal’s 50 Most Influential and eighth on Billboard’s 100 Most Powerful in Music – the only President & CEO to rank on both lists. During his 18 years at the helm of AEG, Leiweke led the company’s evolution into a global live entertainment organization capable of developing, producing, marketing and managing sports and entertainment programming in its venues worldwide. It was through Leiweke’s vision that the $2.5 billion L.A. LIVE complex was built in Downtown Los Angeles, adjacent to the STAPLES Center and the Los Angeles Convention Center. In addition, Leiweke architected AEG’s global expansion, including development of O2 Arenas and stadiums in London, China and Germany. Leiweke then built AEG Live into the second largest promoter in the world with artists including; Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift, Rolling Stones, Black Eyed Peas, Kenny Chesney, Celine Dion, The Eagles and Katy Perry. AEG Live also became one of the world’s largest festival organizers through partnerships with the Coachella and Stagecoach Festivals. Deeply committed to the community, Tim and his family dedicate their time to a range of charitable initiatives. Through their work the Leiwekes have been recognized by numerous organizations, including the Anti-Defamation League’s 2007 Humanitarian Award, Father of the Year by the American Diabetes Association and the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s Man of the Year. Tim is also a current member of the Pandora Board of Directors.
Michael is a Senior Vice President at Houlihan Lokey and provides M&A and financing advisory services to Internet, media and technology companies. Previously, Michael was a Principal at MESA Global, a Co-Founder and Principal at Covert & Co, and held senior management and engineering positions at AT&T, IBM and Mindspeed. He holds 5 patents in the field of Communications and also serves as a Vice-Chair and Board Director of the German American Business Association (GABA). Michael received an MSEE from the University of Ulm, Germany and an MBA from the Anderson School of Management at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Christos serves as President of Mobilitie and oversees all aspects of the company’s business. He is responsible for leading the company’s growth across its tower, small cell, DAS, fiber, and Wi-Fi solutions. Christos has led the Mobilitie team for the development of thousands of cell towers, DAS, and small cell nodes across the US and international markets. In addition, he has led the company’s public venue strategy which has resulted in the deployment of some of the largest in-building DAS and Wi-Fi networks in the country, and installations at stadiums and arenas across all major professional sporting leagues. Mobilitie has been a leader in deploying and operating wireless infrastructure. It has led the industry for the largest volume of new towers deployed, as well as the largest oDAS networks. It was the first infrastructure firm to deploy both outdoor and indoor small cell networks. Christos and the Mobilitie team recently set the record for carrying the most mobile data traffic on a DAS network during any event in history at the 2016 Kentucky Derby on Mobilitie’s Churchill Downs DAS network. Christos also oversaw the design and deployment of the world’s largest Wi-Fi network in Las Vegas. Christos also oversees the company’s professional services work for the wireless carriers, which is focused on helping carriers improve financial performance and lowering network costs, including capex, roaming, and backhaul. Before joining Mobilitie, Christos specialized in real estate advisory services and the wireless communications industry with Deloitte Consulting. While at Deloitte, he provided operational and network optimization strategies to the world’s largest wireless carriers. Christos holds an MBA from the Warrington School of Business at the University of Florida, a Management Certificate from Harvard University, and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Clemson University.
Mike is a 14-year veteran of Google and has held multiple leadership roles on the revenue generating side of the business. He’s currently heading up Google’s Sports & Live Events Group where he oversees Sales and Account Services Team responsible for fostering strategic relationships with key partners in Sports, Family Entertainment, Music and Ticketing Industries; and works closely with key stakeholders across Google’s Family of Brands to develop new ad formats and products for the Live Events category. Prior to moving to Ann Arbor 11 years ago to help open Google’s local offices, Mike was involved in establishing Google’s Operations in his native Poland. He also ran Mid-Market Sales team for Google Canada. Co-Owner of AFC Ann Arbor – Minor League Soccer Team in Ann Arbor, MI and a Head Coach of U-10 Boys Rec&Ed Soccer (his son’s team) He also teaches Video and Digital Marketing courses at Michigan State University and acts as Executive In Residence at Eastern Michigan University’s Center for Digital Engagement. Marketing & International Business graduate of Loyola University of Chicago, Mike currently resides in Ann Arbor, MI and considers himself extremely lucky to work in the cross-section of Sports/Entertainment and Online Marketing worlds.
Nate Parienti
Live Alliance
Deepen Parikh
Partner
Courtside Ventures
John Paul
CEO & Founder
VenueNext
Aaron Simon
Global Vice President of Talent Relations & Entertainment
Harman International Industries
Nate Parienti’s first foray into the early stages of digital streaming became known for its focus on the U.S. music festival scene, streaming footage from Lollapalooza, Hang-Out Festival, Voodoo Festival, and Austin City Limits Music Festival, among many others. Nate went on in 2011 to found Live Alliance utilizing a global approach to distribution through a mix of OTT and streaming, cinema, live Pay Per View, broadcast television and physical and downloadable product. Nate set the mark for the largest music Pay Per View event in history with the Grateful Dead’s Fare Thee Well reunion shows in 2015.
Deepen is a Partner at Courtside Ventures, which is an early-stage VC fund, backed by Dan Gilbert (Cleveland Cavaliers) and WPP. They focus on investing in technology companies across the sports, media and gaming verticals. Prior, he was a Partner at Interplay Ventures, a NY based incubator and early-stage investor. He co-founded NYVC Sports with the mission of bridging the gap between sports leagues, teams, investors, entrepreneurs, and media companies. Prior to joining Interplay, Deepen spent time working with a family office on the potential acquisition of a professional sports franchise. Deepen started his career as an Associate at UBS and earned his BA in Economics from the University of Maryland, College Park.
As CEO and Founder of VenueNext, John Paul is responsible for the company’s growth and operations, while leading the VenueNext team on its mission to transform venue experiences for guests and venue owners, using its innovative platform and the guest’s smartphone. Prior to VenueNext, Paul spent over 35 years as a founder, CEO or executive leader of product and engineering teams at startups and major American technology companies. Most recently, Paul was Senior Vice President at Dish Digital where he created “Sling TV,” a continuation of his award winning work at Sling Media, with the Slingbox product line, which was acquired by Dish in 2007. In 2002, Paul founded and created one of the first photo sharing services named Our Pictures Inc., which was acquired by Simple Star Inc. in 2005. From 1996 through 1999, Paul was Senior VP and General Manager of the Server Division of Netscape, which was sold to Sun Microsystems for $1 billion. After AOL’s acquisition of Netscape, Paul remained at the company as Executive Vice President, leading acquisitions of smaller companies in the calendar, email, music, application server, and wallet categories, and successfully maintaining a high rate of talent retention post acquisition through his innovative organizational leadership style. Before Netscape, Paul held leadership positions in companies including Banyan Systems, Compaq Computer, Siemens and Digital Equipment Corp. In 2016, Paul was named one of the 60 Most Powerful People in Sports by Worth Magazine for his innovative contributions to the industry. Paul graduated magna cum laude from the University of Illinois with a B.S.E.E in 1976.
Aaron Simon launched his career at MTV Networks. Following he then served in the marketing department at Jive Records, where he worked with such ground-breaking artists as Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC and R. Kelly. He later held senior marketing positions at both Atlantic/Lava Records and Virgin Records, working with artists like Janet Jackson, Lenny Kravitz, Kid Rock, Blue Man Group, Daft Punk and others. Simon then went on to run U.S. Entertainment partnerships for Roptus, Inc., a Touring/Management company specializing in top-grossing Latin recording artists. Aaron Simon then got picked up by Disney Music Group/Hollywood Records as the head of Strategic Marketing & Promotions, handling such recording artists as Jonas Brothers, Selena Gomez, Miley Cyrus & Demi Lovato. As of 2010, Aaron Simon was brought in to start a new division for HARMAN (a leader in audio/consumer electronics & home to legendary brands including JBL & Harman/Kardon) – as of 2017 HARMAN is a subsidiary of SAMSUNG) – as the Global Vice President of Talent Relations & Entertainment. He has created partnerships with the likes of Maroon 5, Elton John,Sting, Tim McGraw, Jennifer Lopez, Paul McCartney, Pitbull, Snoop Dogg, Slash, Quincy Jones, Demi Lovato, Tiesto, Mariano Rivera (Yankees), Jerome Boateng (MLS, World Cup winner), Coachella, GRAMMYS, Rock ‘N Roll Hall of Fame, SXSW…to name just a few. In 2014, Simon was chosen for for Billboards ’40 under 40’ power players. In 2015, Simon was included for Billboards ‘Top Branding Power Players’ In 2017, Simon was chosen as a member for the prestigious CLIO Awards music Jury He also serves on the West Coast board for TJ Martell Foundation.
Justin Toman
Senior Director, Sports Marketing
PepsiCo
Chris Wagner
EVP Marketplace Strategy
NeuLion
Mark Weinstein
Senior Vice President & Global Head of Customer Engagement
Hilton
Justin oversees all of Pepsi’s sports partnerships including all league, team, sports media and athlete assets. He is responsible for delivering PepsiCo’s long term sports investment strategy as well as breakthrough sports marketing programs and platforms across all beverage brands. Justin joined PepsiCo in 2007 and held Marketing roles on brands including Mountain Dew, Propel and Pepsi. He joined the Sports Marketing team in 2013; first overseeing baseball, soccer and hockey, then transitioning to lead Pepsi’s NFL partnerships and currently oversees all sports. Justin has led Pepsi’s successful Super Bowl activations since 2014 and was recently named a Sports Business Journal ‘Forty Under 40,’ a group recognized as the best young talent in sports business. Prior to PepsiCo, Justin worked at the University of Michigan Athletic Department. He holds three degrees from Michigan (M.B.A., Masters of Sports Management and B.S.) and won three NCAA Gymnastics Championships. He was named the 1999 University of Michigan Male Athlete of the Year (over Tom Brady).
Chris has been a driving force in the technology industry for over 20 years and has worked closely with executives from many major corporations and entrepreneurs who have relied on technology to support the growth of their businesses. His current position as Executive Vice President and Co-Founder of NeuLion targets the revolution currently underway as the television and internet video industries converge. Chris has held numerous executive positions in the technology sector. Over the last seven years the growth of internet television on computers, tablets, mobile, and internet connected devices, has given Chris an opportunity to work closely with the largest brands in the sports and entertainment industry; the NFL, UFC, NBA, Univision Deportes and many others. He has also worked with several private equity and venture capital firms as their Chief Executive Officer, which includes Metiom, MetaMatrix, Exchange Applications and Digital Harbor. Chris has been on the Board of Directors of all of these companies.
Mark Weinstein serves as Senior Vice President & Global Head of Customer Engagement, Loyalty and Partnerships at Hilton, the world’s most hospitable company, comprising more than 5,000 hotels across 14 world-class brands in 104 countries and territories. In this role, Mark inspires customers to explore, experience and fall in love with Hilton by creating innovative programs, products and partnerships that drive engagement and accelerate commercial performance. He leads customer experience, strategic partnerships, CRM and personalization, and Hilton Honors, Hilton’s 63+ million member strong, award-winning guest-loyalty program. Mark oversees Hilton’s global partnership strategy, curating a network of over 140 travel, financial services, music, entertainment, sports and food and wine strategic partners and managing the Hilton Honors credit card programs. Under Mark’s leadership, Hilton launched “Music Happens Here” – featuring once-in-a-lifetime exclusive experiences for Hilton Honors members and content created with partners Live Nation, The Recording Academy (the GRAMMYs), and Spotify.
Kevin Anderson
Co-Founder
Appetize
Shelli Azoff
Owner
The Forum
Gerry Barad
COO
Live Nation Global Touring
Dan Berkowitz
Founder/CEO
CID Entertainment
Kevin is the Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Appetize, the leading enterprise Point of Sale platform for sports and entertainment, education, and professional industries. He leads overall strategy, partnerships, and revenue for the company. Anderson was named to the Next Gen 10 Sports and Entertainment list in 2014 and has been featured on the likes of CNBC and Business Rockstars. Appetize has raised over $25MM in funding to date and has grown over 125% every year since inception.
Shelli Azoff, the managing partner of Southern California’s “Fabulous” Forum, has been involved in the entertainment industry for most of her adult life. A California native, born and raised in North Hollywood, Ms. Azoff is very familiar with the iconic Forum’s notable history and importance. Ms. Azoff was the driving force in the $150 million remodel of the Forum in 2013. Through her ability and unwavering determination to create a unique experience for both artists and fans, she surpassed her mission when creating the revamped Forum. With five star-caliber dressing rooms and state-of-the-art acoustics, she pays attention to every detail, such as the special red wall in the tunnel, the canvases every artist who plays the Forum has signed, as well as custom-made cakes which feature each artist. Her imagination and style in designing and developing the Forum to be the ultimate artist-friendly arena has set the standard that all other venues strive to emulate. Shelli never accepts industry standards and makes sure that every show or event at the Forum provides a unique and new experience for both the fan and the artist. Ms. Azoff oversees marketing, design, sponsorships, ticketing, amenities for both the front and back of house, and all food elements at the Forum. The all-entertainment venue was named the top grossing 2016 West Coast venue and books twice as many events as its nearest Southern California competitor. She continues to set the trend to make the Forum the leading building in the world. Ms. Azoff will also be involved in all future MSG venues. Early in her career, Ms. Azoff became an agent to several players on the US National Soccer Team. When the team qualified for the 1990 World Cup, she was a major proponent on the players’ behalf. While nobody else would, Ms. Azoff, without prior experience, became a very successful agent to many of them for more than ten years. She was instrumental in helping soccer become what it is in America today. In 2011, Shelli and her husband, Irving, were the first couple honored with the Spirit of Life Award, saluting those that exemplify the ideals and values that guide City of Hope, a leading research, treatment and education center for cancer diabetes and other life-threatening diseases. As with everything else Shelli does, she curated a memorable and creative evening raising a record amount of money that people still talk about. Shelli has a very busy and full life, both personally and professionally. She has a beautiful family, with whom she spends a lot of her downtime, and she always talks about how lucky and grateful she is for all that she has.
Gerry Barad, Chief Operating Officer of Live Nation Global Touring, a division of Live Nation, the world’s most successful leader in the live entertainment industry, has a been a music industry trailblazer for over 35 years. Gerry and his world-class team have promoted and produced most of the top grossing tours of the last four decades with past and present clients including U2, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, Barbra Streisand, Rush, Sting, Peter Gabriel, Paul Simon, The Police, Neil Young, CSNY, Nine Inch Nails, the late David Bowie, Pink Floyd, David Gilmour, The Eagles, Joni Mitchell, Bette Midler, Roxy Music and The Rolling Stones. His passion for live entertainment also extends beyond the world of Rock and Roll and Pop and into the world of theatre. An avid theatre patron himself, his appreciation of the fine arts came at an early age with his love for the theatre, musicals and classic films. For the past four years, Gerry has sat on the Board of Directors for the prestigious Lookingglass Theatre Company in Chicago including co-chairing their last three annual fundraising galas. Originally hailing from the beautiful and rugged coast of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Gerry has resided in the city of Chicago since 2010. Gerry shares his passion for the music industry often and has had a major association with The Berklee College of Music in Boston for the past 18 years. In 2010, Gerry delivered the James G. Zafris lecture and is a frequent guest professor and lecturer at the school. In addition, Gerry is the Chairman of the Board of the recently formed Berklee Popular Music Institute where he plays an active role. Six years ago, Gerry personally funded an annual scholarship for Berklee students in need of financial assistance.
Dan Berkowitz is a firm believer in the transformative power of music and is dedicated to creating experiences that are equally immersive, unforgettable and seamless for his fellow diehard music lovers. Dan started in the music business like many before him, handing out flyers for his favorite bands and venues. He worked his way up, becoming the tour manager for The Disco Biscuits in 2004, overseeing their day-to-day operations. After leaving the road in 2006, Dan worked for Electric Factory Concerts, while laying the groundwork for what would later become CID Entertainment, creating unique travel packages and VIP experiences for marquee events in Philadelphia. In 2007, Dan left Electric Factory Concerts to focus full-time on CID Entertainment. Under his leadership, the company has experienced tremendous growth while maintaining excellence in program offerings and guest service. The company has expanded from a one-man operation to a team of 70 + hardworking, passionate, caring individuals that make CID Entertainment what it is today. Headquartered in Philadelphia with offices in Denver and Nashville, CID Entertainment offers enhanced live music and travel experiences at a wide array of events, festivals and tours worldwide. CID partners include Coachella, Bonnaroo, Kenny Chesney, MUSE, Blake Shelton, Bassnectar, My Morning Jacket and Kendrick Lamar, among others. In 2015, the company launched CID Presents, a boutique end-to-end event production branch of the company that offers superfans once-in-a-lifetime music destination events, including Luke Bryan’s Crash My Playa, Phish: Riviera Maya, Los Muertos con Queso and Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds Riviera Maya.
Carlos Bernal
President
Delaware North Sportservice
Brian Bowe
Senior Director, Premium Services
Ticketmaster
Bill Bratton
Executive Chairman
Prevent Advisors
Richard Browne
Partner
Sterling Properties
As president of Delaware North Sportservice, Bernal is responsible for developing and implementing strategic plans for growth and profitability, developing operations staff into dynamic leaders and managing client relationships. Bernal rejoined Delaware North in 2015 – nearly three decades after starting his career with Sportservice as the company’s general manager at the former Chicago Stadium in 1986. From 1989-1991, he served as general manager at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, before moving on to leadership roles outside of Delaware North. During his career of 30-plus years in the hospitality industry, Bernal has been responsible for operations, business development and franchising within multiple business lines encompassing a broad range of concepts. As a vice president at Host Marriott Services, he was responsible for the strategic planning and growth of the company’s non-traditional business. As the senior vice president at The Mills Corporation, Bernal created and executed the strategic planning and genesis of the company’s new food and beverage division. Bernal also served as president of FoodBrand LLC, where he had operational responsibility for 79 restaurants across the country. Most recently, he served as CEO of Wagamama North America – a Japanese-inspired restaurant chain that combines fresh and nutritious food with friendly service; he oversaw the strategic growth and vision for this chain.
Brian Bowe has worked at Ticketmaster for 10 years and currently oversees the Premium Services division within the OnTour group. In this role, Brian is responsible for the Platinum ticket business, for liaising with VIP partners, and for driving the overall growth of the Premium ticket category by focusing on consumer and Artist needs, partner expansion, and technology improvements. Brian has previously worked as a consultant at A.T. Kearney and has an MBA from UCLA Anderson and an undergraduate degree from Bowdoin College.
William J. Bratton is one of the world’s most respected and trusted experts on risk and security issues. During a 46-year career in law enforcement, he instituted progressive change and dramatic drops in crime while leading six police departments, including seven years as Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department and two nonconsecutive terms as the Police Commissioner of the City of New York. He is the only person ever to lead the police agencies of America’s two largest cities. The recipient of many honors throughout his career, Mr. Bratton was named by Security magazine as one of 2010’s most influential people in the security industry based on his leadership qualities and the positive impact that his work has made on organizations, colleagues, and the general public. This was the second time in two years that he has appeared on the magazine’s list of most influential security executives. In 2007 he received Governing Magazine’s “Public Official of the Year Award.” In January 1996 he appeared on the cover of Time Magazine and was featured in the article “Finally, We’re Winning the War Against Crime.” And in 2009, for his collaborative efforts in working with U.S. and British police forces, he was recognized by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II with the honorary title Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE).
Jeanie Buss
Owner
Los Angeles Lakers
Coran Capshaw
Founder
Red Light Management
Scott Cutler
President
StubHub
Michael Downing
EVP Security
Prevent Advisors
Entering her fourth season as CEO and co-owner, Jeanie Buss is responsible for running all aspects of the Los Angeles Lakers organization. These include overseeing all business and basketball operations including marketing, broadcast and administration as well as working closely with new Lakers basketball President, Earvin “Magic” Johnson.
Capshaw founded Red Light Management in 1991 at the beginning of his now 25-year role as the personal manager of Dave Matthews Band. Red Light has since grown to become the largest independent artist management firm in the world with approximately 250 clients. RLM’s roster includes Dave Matthews Band, Phish, Luke Bryan, Sam Hunt, Chris Stapleton, Lady Antebellum, Tiësto, Enrique Iglesias, Lionel Richie, Alabama Shakes and many more. Red Light Management has offices in New York, Los Angeles, Charlottesville, Nashville, Atlanta, Seattle, London and Bristol. Capshaw is a three-time winner of Pollstar’s Personal Manager of the Year award. In 2011 the Billboard Touring Awards honored Capshaw with their Humanitarian Award, the first of its kind to be presented to a manager. Complementing the entrepreneurial management approach that Red Light is known for, Capshaw created GreenLight and New Era to forge innovative partnerships for events, bands and brands. In 1998 Capshaw launched Musictoday, an entertainment web-commerce company and pioneer in the direct-to-fan model, including integrated ticketing, fan clubs and merchandise. Red Light’s sister company Starr Hill Presents promotes live music on a regional and national level. Together with its partners, Starr Hill Presents has an equity position in large-scale music festivals and venues including the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, Outside Lands, Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, Free Press Summer Festival in Houston, Lost Lake Festival, Wanderlust Yoga and Music Festival and the Ascend Amphitheater in Nashville.
Scott Cutler leads StubHub, one of the world’s largest destinations for connecting fans with the artists, athletes, musicians and performers they love. Scott joined StubHub in May 2015 with a belief in the transforming power of technology to create innovative and exciting experiences. He and the entire StubHub team advocate for fan choice and open access to events and experiences. At StubHub, Scott is responsible for the overall operations and growth of the company, as well as its international expansion. He leads a team of more than 1,300 people around the world. Scott has leveraged his tremendous experience operating a technology-enabled marketplace at scale to drive significant change within the events industry by moving StubHub into new ticketing spaces and new markets, and by advancing innovative technologies to improve the customer experience. Under Scott’s leadership, StubHub has become the Official Ticketing Partner of the Philadelphia 76ers and has launched a first-of-its-kind marketplace that combines all ticket inventory together on StubHub in one seat map; become the Official Fan-to-Fan Ticket Resale Marketplace of the New York Yankees; expanded its presence into nearly 50 countries with the acquisition of Ticketbis; added virtual reality seat views into the StubHub mobile app; launched the first ticketing app for Apple TV; and more. Scott joined StubHub after nine years as an Executive Vice President at the New York Stock Exchange, one of the world’s largest financial marketplaces. During his tenure, he helped transform the NYSE to become the number one global exchange, was responsible for more than $1 trillion in capital raised, and helped take public some of the world’s most iconic brands. Prior to his career at the NYSE, Scott spent several years in investment banking focused on the software and Internet industries. He started his career as a corporate securities lawyer. Scott has a BS degree in Economics from Brigham Young University and a Juris Doctor from the University of California, Hastings College of Law. He believes in giving back to the community and serves on the boards of several non-profit organizations, including Madison Square Boys and Girls Club and the Mental Health Association of New York City, and is a trustee on the National Advisory Committee for his alma mater, BYU. His professional and personal lives collide in a love of sports and the outdoors – he runs, skis, climbs, cycles, and surfs. He has completed more than a dozen marathons, crossed the Alps on skis, and ridden several stages of the Tour de France. He is an avid SF Giants fan. He has been married to his wife Melissa for 20 years and they have four kids.
Michael P. Downing brings 35 years of experience to Prevent Advisors. Most recently he served as the Deputy Chief, Los Angeles Police Department and Commanding Officer of the Counter-Terrorism & Criminal Intelligence Bureau where he lead two operational divisions: Major Crimes and Emergency Services Divisions. These divisions include the Anti-Terrorism Intelligence Section, Criminal Investigative Section, Organized Crime, Surveillance Section, Hazardous Devices Section, Operation Archangel, and the LAX Bomb K-9 Section. Deputy Chief Downing is also a member of the Executive Board of the Los Angeles Joint Regional Intelligence Center (JRIC). Mike previously commanded the Hollywood Community Police Station, leading 300 sworn and 40 civilian personnel providing service to a diverse residential population that exceeded 300,000 citizens. Deputy Chief Downing later served as Assistant Commanding Officer, Operations-South Bureau, a command serving nearly 700,000 people, and leading 1,200 police officers in South Los Angeles. In this capacity he oversaw patrol operations, detectives, vice, and the administration of Bureau operations. Throughout his career, Mike worked with numerous international partners and departments. He supported the New Scotland Yard’s Metropolitan Police Counter-Terrorism Command SO 15 and testified before Congressional sub-committees relative to intelligence, homeland security, and information sharing. As a member of the Department of Homeland Security Advisory Council, Mike advised on the development of a national strategy for countering violent extremism. Downing is recognized as a leading advocate for the inclusion of State and Local law enforcement agencies into a fully integrated National Intelligence Enterprise. In October 2009, Deputy Chief Downing served as the Interim Police Chief for the Los Angeles Police Department. In 2010, He was elected the President of the Leadership in Counter-Terrorism (LinCT) Alumni Association. This association works with alumni from the FBI’s LinCT Program to develop a global enterprise of networked counter-terrorism practitioners throughout the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Throughout his career, Mike frequently worked with the Department of Justice, traveling to South America, Africa, Turkey, and Poland transitioning large national police organizations into democratic civilian policing models. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern California. Mike completed POST Command College in 1997, the FBI’s Leadership in Counter-Terrorism (LinCT) in 2008, and the Post Naval Graduate Executive Program in 2009. He was also a senior fellow at the George Washington University Homeland Security Institute.
Justin Dragoo
Partner
Latitude 38 Entertainment
Andrew Dreskin
Co-Founder & CEO
Ticketfly
Neil Everett
ESPN
Michael Ferris
Founder & CEO
Abacode
Justin is a founding partner of BottleRock Presents and Latitude 38 Entertainment, producer of the BottleRock Napa Valley music festival. Within this music enterprise, he runs a wide array of functions including music production, VIP programs, festival design, finance and operations. Prior to BottleRock, Justin moved back to the Napa Valley from New York City to become President of Gargiulo Vineyards, a luxury wine estate. At Gargiulo Vineyards, he was instrumental in the growth and transformation of this entrepreneurial endeavor to create the finest wines in the world from their estate vineyards in Napa Valley. Justin is a Level II Certified wine sommelier within the Master Sommelier program. Prior to the wine business Justin spent 13 years in the technology industry, last serving as Vice President of Global Technology Services at IBM in New York. Justin’s staff of consulting, technical, and sales resources produced $500 million in annual revenues, delivering solutions to Fortune 500 clients across the Americas. Justin has an MBA from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State, and currently lives in the Napa Valley.
Andrew was the co-founder, president and CEO of TicketWeb, the first company to sell event tickets on the web. Andrew has had his hands in the music business for many years, as co-founder and producer of the Virgin Mobile Festival, General Manager of Beserkley Records, Director of Marketing at California Concerts, and as the largest shareholder in the Big Easy chain of concert venues, before it was acquired by Knitting Factory Entertainment. He holds a B.A. from Tulane University, where he is a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council. He serves on numerous Boards of Directors including Headcount, a non-profit voter registration organization. He throws a damn good party and can be bothered for amazing music stories anytime.
Mr. Ferris has been a Founder, Chairman and CEO of several companies throughout his 20-year career. Michael began his entrepreneurial aspirations in 1992 after playing football at Missouri Southern State University. Soon thereafter, Mr. Ferris moved to Florida and started TBR Asset Management. After selling TBR, Michael founded Valet Living www.valetliving.com and spent 15 years creating a market-innovative company that changed the way property services and technology combined to provide best in class services to the multifamily real estate sector. In 2012 Mr. Ferris founded Cerca Trova Holdings. www.cercatrovaholdings.com Cerca Trova .has two related firms. Occam Technology Group – www.occamtechgroup.com Occam Technology Group is an award winning technology engineering firm that designs and develops secure, intelligent products and devices for companies throughout the world. OTG has special expertise in systems level design, embedded security, communications and the integration of IoT (Internet of Things). Abacode Cybersecurity – www.abacode.com Abacode is a cybersecurity firm committed to addressing every aspect of the cyber-threat landscape. As a Managed Security Services Provider (MSSP) Abacode employs global thought leaders and industry experts in ethical hacking, cryptography and corporate governance which provides organizations with strategic solutions and guidance before attacks become disruptions and financial hardships. Mr. Ferris currently sits on the Deparment of Homeland Security (DHS) – Cybersecurity Task Force Committee in Washington D.C. and travels frequently throughout the US, LATAM, E.U. and U.K. Michael is involved in numerous business organizations and was named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2011. Michael has been a Judge for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Awards program from 2012 – 2017. Mr. Ferris is a proud contributor to the Occam STEM Foundation, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the Marine Corps. Heritage Foundation in Quantico Virginia. Michael and his wife, Merbaliz, reside in the Tampa Bay area with their three small boys.
Rick Fox
Owner
Echo Fox
Amy Friedlander
Head of Business Development
& Experiential Marketing
Uber
Al Guido
President
San Francisco 49ers
Adam Kornfeld
Agent
Artist Group International
Rick Fox is a Founding Partner at Vision Venture Partners, spearheading the firm’s move into professional esports and providing strategic guidance, creative direction and business development support to each of VVP’s portfolio companies. Apart from VVP, Rick is renowned as a three time NBA Champion and former team captain for the LA Lakers. He is also a seasoned TV and film actor, as well as producer and analyst for NBA TV. Rick’s success also extends into the business world, with a winning record as an investor in the retail wireless business in Southern California, interactive video streaming innovator Smiletime, production studio HDFilms, esports powerhouse Echo Fox, among others. Rick holds a degree in Radio, Television and Motion Pictures from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Amy Friedlander Hoffman is currently the Head of Business Development & Experiential Marketing for Uber and oversees experiential marketing, entertainment and strategic partnerships. Prior to Uber, she has had 15+ years of experience in bringing new platforms to life, including ATT U-Verse. Amy holds a JD from the University of Chicago and a BA with honors from the University of Michigan. Amy sits on the board of Los Angeles Waterkeeper and is a rabid live music fan.
Al Guido was named President of the San Francisco 49ers on February 15, 2016. Guido oversees all key business initiatives for the team. Prior to being named President, Guido served as the team’s chief operating officer from 2014 to 2016. Under his direction, the construction and year-one operations of Levi’s Stadium exceeded all projections – finishing under budget on construction, with lower public debt than expected, delivering $2.8 million to the City of Santa Clara general fund from non-event revenue in just the first eight months of operations, and fully funding reserve cash balances for the Santa Clara Stadium Authority. Levi’s Stadium has proven itself as a 360 degree entertainment venue in its first two years under Guido’s leadership. The venue has hosted Super Bowl 50, Wrestlemania 31, Major League Soccer, multiple Pac-12 Championship Football games, International Soccer giants Manchester United and Barcelona, Taylor Swift, Kenny Chesney, Grateful Dead, and NHL Outdoor Classic. This summer the stadium will play host to the largest soccer tournament on U.S. soil since the World Cup with the Copa America Centenario and will host the prestigious College Football National Championship Game, in 2019. Guido led the sales team that made the stadium a reality, highlighted by the record-setting Stadium Builders License sales campaign for the stadium’s seats and suites that generated nearly half of the $1.2 billion construction cost of the stadium. The team has signed more than a dozen partners investing seven-figures annually for 10 years, including Levi’s Stadium naming rights at $220 million, with more than $650 million in corporate partnership investment. Creating a technologically enhanced game day experience that is influencing sports venues across North America and around the world, the strategy for Levi’s Stadium developed by Guido and the 49ers executive management team has already garnered international recognition, most notably the Sports Business Journal 2015 Sports Facility of the Year and Venue of the Year at the 2015 Stadium Business Awards in Barcelona, Spain. Prior to being elevated to his former role as chief operating officer in 2014, Guido worked on behalf of the 49ers and the Santa Clara Stadium Authority as the senior vice president of global sales for Legends beginning in 2010. In that capacity, he led a suite and SBL sales initiative for Levi’s Stadium that achieved record-setting results by totaling more than $530 million. Before joining Legends, Guido served as sales manager for the Dallas Cowboys. In that role, he managed the premium seat department for Cowboys Stadium (now AT&T Stadium) that broke industry records for PSL sales totaling over $600 million. Guido joined the Cowboys after having served as the senior director of ticket sales for the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League. During his term, the Coyotes achieved the first revenue increases in the 10-year history of the franchise and finished in the top five in the NHL for new business sales. A native of Washington Township, NJ, Guido began his career in the sports and entertainment industry with Comcast-Spectacor, owner and operator of the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers, AHL’s Philadelphia Phantoms, Comcast SportsNet and the Wachovia Complex. Guido later served as director of business development for the Lakewood Blueclaws (a minor-league affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies). A Board Member of City Year San Jose/Silicon Valley, a contributor to the Navy Seal Foundation, Board Member of the Coach K/Fuqua School of Business, and serving on the Advisory Board at the San Jose State Institute for Study of Sport, Society & Social Change, and the Advisory Council at the Positive Coaching Alliance, Guido received his bachelor of business administration from the College of New Jersey, where he played wide receiver for the school’s football program. In 2016, Guido was named to the Forty Under 40 list by both the Sports Business Journal and the San Francisco Business Times, for demonstrating industry excellence and innovation early in his career. He and his wife, Thea, have three daughters, Estella, Sloane and Tatum.
Paul Korzilius
SVP of Arena Alliance
Oak View Group
Peter Luukko
Co-Chairman
Oak View Group Arena Alliance
David McCain
Director, Security Services
National Football League
Doc McGhee
Founder
McGhee Entertainment
Paul Korzilius, a widely respected and successful senior entertainment executive with 40 years’ experience in the business, serves as the Senior Vice President of the Arena Alliance. Paul has been responsible for four consecutive Bon Jovi #1 worldwide tours. Korzilius was the recipient of Billboard Magazine’s 2013 “Manager of the Year” and has served as Producer or Executive Producer on a dozen long-form music TV productions.
Luukko, 57, currently serves as the Executive Chairman of the Florida Panthers and its parent company, Sunrise Sports & Entertainment, LLC. He is a nationally-recognized sports management leader and member of the National Hockey League Board of Governors with over 25 years of experience running a professional NHL franchise. Luukko’s main responsibility in his current position is to build the Panthers and Sunrise Sports Entertainment, LLC into a world-class sports and entertainment company by generating a significant and broad base of corporate, community and fan support across South Florida for both the Panthers as well events at the BB&T Center. Prior to joining the Panthers in April of 2015, Luukko was the President and Chief Operating Officer of Comcast-Spectacor, L.P. where he oversaw the Philadelphia Flyers. During his 25-year tenure, Luukko led Comcast-Spectacor’s facility-management business, running more than 125 sports arenas, stadiums and convention centers. He was also responsible for the expansion of Comcast-Spectacor’s broad range of businesses. Under Luukko’s leadership, Comcast-Spectacor helped Philadelphia garner national attention by attracting several high-profile events to the city of Philadelphia, including the 2000 Republican National Convention, the 2000 NCAA Women’s Final Four, the 2001 NCAA Men’s East Regionals, the 2001 and 2002 X-Games, the 2002 NBA All-Star Weekend, the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Gymnastics, the 2011 NCAA Wrestling Championships, the 2014 NCAA Frozen Four and numerous other sports and entertainment events. As President of the Flyers, he played an instrumental role in his club participating in two Winter Classics (2010 and 2012), while also hosting the 2014 National Hockey League Draft. A recognized leader in the facility management industry, Luukko was the 2000 recipient of the City of Hope’s Tri-State Labor Award. He also received the 2002 prestigious Harold J. VanderZwaag Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Sports Management Program of the University of Massachusetts, his alma mater, for his accomplishments in the field of sports management. He received the 2013 Police Athletic League PAL Award for his contributions to the Philadelphia community. In March 2017, he was honored with the SEVT 2017 Lifetime Achievement in Sport and Entertainment Award. In 2013, Luukko and Comcast-Spectacor Chairman Ed Snider ranked 43rd on Street & Smith’s Sports Business Journal’s prestigious list of the Top 50 Most Influential Leaders in Sports Business. The two are also two-time winners of Venues Today’s Hall of Headlines. He also was named one of Billboard Magazine’s Power 100 (2012 and 2013). Luukko and his wife, Casey, recently relocated to South Florida and are the proud parents of three children, Nick, Dana and Max. Luukko is a hockey player, hockey coach and hockey parent. His son, Nick, was recently signed to the Reading Royals, an AHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers.
David McCain retired as a detective from the Huntington Beach Police Department after 23-years of service. The last 12-years was as an investigator of high tech crimes and digital forensics. He was also deputized as a Special Deputy U.S. Marshall as a task force officer for both the FBI SAFE Team and U.S. Secret Service ECTF – Electronic Crimes Task Force. McCain worked for the U.S. State Department Anti-Terrorism Assistance program teaching foreign government personnel digital forensics and high tech investigations. He has taught law enforcement/government officials in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and South America. He was also a part-time instructor for the California Department of Justice teaching computer forensics to state law enforcement officers. McCain holds numerous certificates for computer and mobile device forensics. He is a member of two different high tech associations and served as the President of the Southern California High Technology Crimes Investigators Assocation in 2008. He is a court certified expert as it relates to digital forensics in federal, state, and military courts. David is now the Director of Digital Forensic Investigations for the NFL.
Louis Messina
CEO
Messina Touring Group
Bruce Miller
Senior Principal
Populous
Carl Mittleman
President
Aramark Sports & Entertainment
Philip Mudd
CNN Correspondent/
Former CIA
Louis Messina is the CEO of Messina Touring Group. He promotes the tours of heavy-hitters such as The Lumineers, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Jake Owen, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill (Soul2Soul), Shawn Mendes, Ed Sheeran, Blake Shelton, George Strait, and Taylor Swift. Over his forty year career he has promoted a variety of acts like the Dixie Chicks, Nickelback, Led Zeppelin and Metallica. Messina began booking small shows as a high school student. Building a solid reputation, he moved onto club and theatre acts in and around New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. In 1975 Messina moved to Houston and (with longtime friend and mentor, Allen Becker) co-founded PACE Concerts. Under his direction, PACE Concerts gained regional and national acclaim among artists, agents, artist management and competing promoters. As the company evolved from PACE Concerts to SFX on to Clear Channel Entertainment, Messina established himself as one of the country’s preeminent promoters. In addition to promoting club, arena and stadium acts, Messina conceived and created the George Strait Country Music Festival, Ozzfest (along with Sharon Osborne), Texxas Jam, Van Halen’s Monsters of Rock and the Fleetwood Mac Reunion Tours. Since establishing The Messina Group, Louis has been the exclusive concert promoter for Kenny Chesney, George Strait and Taylor Swift. He is known for special events and record-setting stadium concerts such as the Jimmy Buffett – George Strait – Alan Jackson triple headliner at Texas Stadium and the opening event at Cowboys Stadium featuring George Strait. Strait’s final sellout show at ATT Stadium, The Cowboy Rides Away, set record numbers with over 104,000 tickets sold in 2014. Swift’s recent 1989 World Tour saw five sold out shows at Staples Center, setting a record for the artist with the most sold out shows at the venue (16) and all of them sold out instantly. Chesney has played 135 stadiums during his career and is ranked in the Top Ticket Sellers of the past 25 years, while only headlining the last fourteen.
Bruce Miller is a seasoned architect with experience in a variety of sporting venues. He has led project teams for minor league baseball, professional baseball and professional soccer since he started at Populous in 1989. He participates in a wide range of efforts, such as site selection studies, feasibility studies and full-service architectural design. Bruce managed the Populous design team for the award-winning Target Field, modern day Major League Baseball’s most compact site in downtown Minneapolis, and he is currently leading design teams for the Orlando City SC and the new Minnesota United FC MLS Stadia. Bruce is often cited as an expert source on stadium design for media including Sports Business Journal, Urban Land Magazine, National Public Radio, Design Intelligence, The Business of Sports and Athletic Business. He has been guest lecturer at NYU and has spoken to industry leaders at the Freitas Seminar during the Winter Baseball Meetings. He was named a Sports Business Journal 40 Under 40 winner in 2003.
Carl Mittleman is president of Aramark’s Sports and Entertainment division. In this role he provides leadership for more than 150 premier stadiums, arenas, convention centers and cultural attraction venues across North America where Aramark provides award-winning food and beverage, retail service and facility service programs. He was promoted to president in February 2014. Mittleman has over 20 years of service with Aramark and most recently served as a Regional Vice President in Sports and Entertainment. Since joining Aramark as a management trainee, he has established himself as a versatile professional in numerous sales and operational roles across the enterprise, including the parks and destinations and international business units. Throughout the course of his career, Mittleman has been honored for his work. In 2012, he was recognized with the company’s prestigious Most Valued Partner award for his efforts to expand client partnerships, enhance customer satisfaction and create loyal customers. He was named to Sports Business Journal’s 2013 list of “Forty Under 40,” awarded the 2011 Venues Today Generation Next Award; and twice named Aramark Manager of the Year, in 2004 and 2005. He serves on the board of directors for Techniques for Effective Alcohol Management (TEAM) Coalition, is a member of the Cornell Hotel Society and sits on the Executive Advisory Board for University of Denver, Knoebel School. Mittleman is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and earned his Executive MBA from the Daniels College of Business at University of Denver.
Philip Mudd joined the Central Intelligence Agency in 1985 as an analyst specializing in South Asia and then the Middle East. He began work in the CIA’s Counterterrorist Center in 1992 and then served on the National Intelligence Council as the Deputy National Intelligence Officer for the Near East and South Asia (1995-98). After a tour as an executive assistant in the front office of the Agency’s analytic arm, Mr. Mudd went on to manage Iraq analysis at the CIA (1999-2001). Mr. Mudd began a policy assignment at the White House in early 2001, detailed from CIA to serve as the Director for Gulf Affairs on the White House National Security Council. He left after the September 11 attacks for a short assignment as the CIA member of the small diplomatic team that helped piece together a new government for Afghanistan, and he returned to CIA in early 2002 to become second-in-charge of counterterrorism analysis in the Counterterrorist Center. He was promoted to the position of Deputy Director of the Center in 2003 and served there until 2005. At the establishment of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Security Branch in 2005, FBI Director Mueller appointed Mr. Mudd to serve as the Branch’s first-ever deputy director. He later became the FBI’s Senior Intelligence Adviser. Mr. Mudd resigned from government service in March 2010. Mr. Mudd is the recipient of numerous CIA awards and commendations, including the Director’s Award; the George H.W. Bush Award for excellence in counterterrorism; the CIA’s Distinguished Intelligence Medal; the first-ever William Langer Award for excellence in analysis; and numerous Exceptional Performance Awards. During his assignments at CIA and the FBI, Mr. Mudd has commented about terrorism in open and closed Congressional testimony, and he has been featured by ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, Fox, BBC, MSNBC, al-Jazeera, NPR, the New York Times, and the Washington Post; he is now CNN’s counterterrorism analyst. Mr. Mudd has written in Newsweek, the Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, Foreign Policy, the Washington Post, and Sentinel, the journal of the US Military Academy’s Combatting Terrorism Center. He has written two books: Takedown: Inside the Hunt for al-Qa’ida; and The HEAD Game: High-Efficiency Analytic Decisionmaking. His next book, Black Site, will be published in January 2018. Mr. Mudd is the President of Mudd Management, a company specializing in security consulting; analytic training; and public speaking about security issues. He sits on the advisory board for the National Counterterrorism Center and is a member of the Aspen Institute’s Homeland Security Group. Mr. Mudd graduated cum laude from Villanova University with a B.A. in English Literature (1983), and he earned an M.A. in English Literature from the University of Virginia (1984). He speaks French.
Jared Paul
Faculty Productions
Tim Romani
CEO
ICON Venue Group
Bob Roux
President North American Concerts
Live Nation
Ety Rybak
Co-Founder, COO
CAA Premium Experience
Jared Paul launched Faculty Management and Productions with Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino in 2013 in partnership with Artist Nation, the largest artist management company in the world. Faculty Management is a full service artist management company representing many of today’s biggest artists and Faculty Productions focuses on developing and producing live branded entertainment and concerts. Jared began his career as director of entertainment for the Verizon Center in Washington, DC, where he was recruited as a senior manager by Irving Azoff to help relaunch Azoff’s mega-firm, Frontline Management. There, Paul spearheaded the reunion of New Kids on the Block, who have since sold over two million concert tickets worldwide to generate over $100,000,000 in revenue. Jared continued his partnership with Azoff to create AGPS Management & Productions, expanding Frontline’s roster to include clients as powerful and diverse as Jennifer Hudson and the Smashing Pumpkins. At AGPS, Paul fostered his team’s capabilities to include oversight, creative development, and management of global touring for some of the biggest shows on television, including Dancing with the Stars, Nickelodeon’s Big Time Rush, and Glee Live!, the all-time highest grossing TV touring property to date. Jared currently manages headline acts, New Kids on the Block, Il Divo, Sabrina Carpenter and Lea Michele. Most recently, the production company has toured all of these acts including 2017’s stand out concert experience, The Total Package Tour, featuring NKOTB, Boyz II Men and Paula Abdul. Additionally, Faculty Productions has most recently produced Dancing with the Stars: Live!, MOVE: Beyond – Julianne & Derek Hough Live on Tour, America’s Got Talent Live!, and pop concerts My2K Tour featuring 98 Degrees, Mixtape Festival and Show of the Summer and benefit concert Boston Strong.
Tim Romani is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of ICON Venue Group, a Denver-based Project Management / Owner’s Representative firm in the sports, entertainment and public assembly industry. ICON has demonstrated expertise in designing, constructing, commissioning, and operating projects for NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, and MLS franchises totaling more than $6 billion in the North America and Europe. Having served as Executive Director of two stadium authorities in Chicago and Denver, he is a proven public sector executive skilled in guiding large, high-profile projects through complex political landscapes. Tim has managed the development of some of the most well-recognized sports and entertainment venues in numerous national and international markets. With offices in Denver and Charlotte, Tim is responsible for guiding strategic direction and new initiatives for the company and leading its domestic and international business development efforts. ICON has overseen the development, design, and construction of major stadiums and arenas throughout North America and Europe, and is currently underway on new construction or renovation projects for sports teams including the Chicago Cubs, Golden State Warriors, Milwaukee Bucks, Utah Jazz, Colorado State University Rams, Orlando City Soccer, and AS Roma. In 2016, ICON completed new venues for the Sacramento Kings, Edmonton Oilers, Vegas Golden Knights, Toronto Raptors, and Toronto FC. ICON’s world-class portfolio is the most extensive in the sports and entertainment industry, and includes The O2 arena in London, PPG Paints Arena, Prudential Center, Sprint Center, Rogers Place, Sports Authority Field, 10 of the 14 MLS stadiums constructed or renovated, and the Wrigley Field Restoration project, among many others. Tim’s innovative and sophisticated approach to project management, particularly in the focus areas of Preconstruction and Project Controls has revolutionized the way sports projects are delivered. Establishing, communicating and managing cost and schedule mandates is the hallmark of how ICON Venue Group operates on behalf of its clients and sets ICON apart from all other firms. ICON is a division of leading entertainment and sports agency, Creative Artists Agency (CAA).
Ety Rybak is an Executive at CAA Premium Experience, a full-service hospitality, event management, and marketing practice, and division of leading entertainment and sports agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA). CAA Premium Experience combines the creativity, innovation, and state-of-the-art client service of the world’s most accomplished corporate hospitality executives and organizations with CAA’s unmatched resources and relationships within entertainment, sports, and pop culture to deliver full-service hospitality, event management, and world-class VIP experiences for customers globally. Prior to joining CAA, Rybak co-founded Inside Sports & Entertainment Group (Inside SEG) in 2004 which became the leading provider of VIP Tickets and Experiential Packages for the most sought after events throughout the world. CAA acquired Inside SEG in 2014. A Tulane grad, Rybak was born in Israel, grew up in the United States, and has helped to reshape the traditional ticket business by creating a unique selling proposition for CAA Premium Experience – building unique VIP experiences for clients. His resume includes several years at the NBA beginning as a member of the prestigious NBA Associates Program. Rybak is heavily involved in his community, and has coached high school wrestling for the past 15 years. Additionally, he has helped raise over $1 million for Sloan Kettering and Breast Cancer Research by producing a series of major fund raising concerts starring world class artists.
Ramona Shelburne
NBA Insider and Senior Writer
ESPN
Stratton SCALVOS
Partner
Vision Ventures
Tobias Sherman
Head of Esports
WME / IMG
Jared Smith
President
Ticketmaster North America
Stratton Sclavos is a Founding Partner at Vision Venture Partners where he leads the Executive Operating Committee, providing management oversight, strategic planning and operational guidance to each of VVP’s portfolio companies. Prior to VVP, Stratton was a General Partner at Silicon Valley-based Radar Partners, where he invested in many successful early stage tech companies. Additionally, Stratton served as Chairman and CEO of internet security company VeriSign, which he led for over a decade as VeriSign grew into a NASDAQ-traded corporation with over 5,000 employees, $1.7 billion in annual revenues and a market value of over $25 billion. Stratton was also part of the ownership group of the San Jose Sharks professional hockey team for more than a decade and served as its CEO and Managing General Partner for many years. Stratton holds a B.S. degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of California at Davis and sits on the University of Southern California (USC) President’s Leadership Council.
Tobias Sherman is the Head of eSports for WME | IMG, the global leader in entertainment, sports and fashion. The SBJ 40 Under 40 winner serves as the foremost advocate for the incredible growth potential of the eSports industry. Throughout his career, Sherman has worked to increase the overall compensation for eSports teams and talent, helping to double salaries across the last five years. Sherman has also propelled the industry forward with groundbreaking initiatives like ELEAGUE, in partnership with Turner, and the eSports training integration at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, which allows eSports competitors to train in the same fashion as athletes from other sports.
Jared Smith was named president, Ticketmaster North America in December 2012. In this role, Jared is responsible for Ticketmaster’s world-leading ticketing software platforms and consumer businesses. Previously, Jared served as chief operating officer at Ticketmaster. Jared has been at Ticketmaster since 2003. Under his leadership, Ticketmaster has continued to revolutionize the company’s approach to technology and fan engagement, particularly around using mobile tools to extend and enhance the live event experience. Always an instrumental part of innovative initiatives, Jared also led the transformation of the company’s client-facing sales and support organization and its focus on data-driven products, services and technology-driven marketing tools. Prior to joining Ticketmaster, Jared held various roles in sports tourism and venue management. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Iowa.
Mike Tomon
President of North American Operations
Legends
Pete Vlastelica
President / CEO
Major League Gaming
Activision Blizzard
Paul Ward
CEO
Esports Arena
Eric Wooden
SVP Hospitality Solutions
Centerplate
Pete Vlastelica is President and CEO of Major League Gaming (MLG), a division of Activision Blizzard devoted to creating the best esports experiences for fans across games, platforms and geographies. Prior to MLG, Vlastelica was the Executive Vice President of Digital at FOX Sports, where he focused on content and product development, social media, technology, and creation of multi-platform content properties, including the Emmy-award winning “Garbage Time with Katie Nolan.” He directed the growth of FOXSports.com and the mobile app FOX Sports Go, where he oversaw the streaming of thousands of live sporting events, including Super Bowl XLVIII, which set a new internet record for streaming viewers for a sporting event. Recognized for his influence in the sports media industry, Vlastelica is a member of Sports Business Journal’s prestigious “Forty Under 40” Class of 2014. Vlastelica earned an MBA from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy from Stanford.
Paul Ward is the founder and CEO of Esports Arena, North America’s premier esports venue network. Esports Arena opened it’s first venue in 2015 in Orange County California and has announced it’s upcoming locations in Oakland CA, and at the Luxor in Las Vegas.
Eric leads Centerplate’s facility design and equipment procurement team. The resident “master builder”, he conceptualizes and brings visions to life. With more than 25 years experience managing hospitality operations, facility design and capital projects on behalf of Centerplate’s clients, Eric oversees all venue enhancements in the company’s portfolio. He has been responsible for the foodservice design and construction management at numerous top 10 convention centers, NFL stadiums, major and minor league ballparks, NHL and NBA arenas including Seattle’s Safeco Field, Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, design services for the new Atlético de Madrid stadium in Madrid, and most recently, design consulting and planning for European Football Club FC Barcelona. He advocates for local sourcing partnerships, the utilization of renewable resources and elevating food to the level that exceeds the expectations of today’s guests.
Bill Abercrombie
EVP and TBEP Business Development
Tampa Bay Sports & Entertainment
Rob Beckham
Partner & Co-Head Nashville
WME
Dan Berkowitz
Founder/CEO
CID Entertainment
Dave Brooks
Senior Correspondent, Touring/Live Entertainment
Billboard
ROB BECKHAM is a Partner at WME, a leading global entertainment agency. In his role as Co-Head of WME’s Nashville office, Beckham steers the team of agents responsible for guiding the daily touring, television, motion picture, literary and sponsorship opportunities for some of the biggest names in country music. His client roster includes Garth Brooks, Brad Paisley, Brooks and Dunn, Chase Bryant, Chris Young, Jake Owen, Rascal Flatts, Reba McEntire, Gary Allan, Easton Corbin, Jerrod Niemann and many others. Beckham has been named to Billboard’s Power 100 and Nashville Power Players Lists, and Variety Magazine named him one of the top Touring Agents in the country. An alumnus of the University of Montana, Beckham sits on the Board of Overseers for the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center and on the Board of Directors for the Country Music Association, the TJ Martell Foundation and Make-A-Wish for Middle Tennessee. He is a member of the Country Music Association, the Academy of Country Music, and the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.
Dan Berkowitz is a firm believer in the transformative power of music and is dedicated to creating experiences that are equally immersive, unforgettable and seamless for his fellow diehard music lovers. Dan started in the music business like many before him, handing out flyers for his favorite bands and venues. He worked his way up, becoming the tour manager for The Disco Biscuits in 2004, overseeing their day-to-day operations. After leaving the road in 2006, Dan worked for Electric Factory Concerts, while laying the groundwork for what would later become CID Entertainment, creating unique travel packages and VIP experiences for marquee events in Philadelphia. In 2007, Dan left Electric Factory Concerts to focus full-time on CID Entertainment. Under his leadership, the company has experienced tremendous growth while maintaining excellence in program offerings and guest service. The company has expanded from a one-man operation to a team of 70 + hardworking, passionate, caring individuals that make CID Entertainment what it is today. Headquartered in Philadelphia with offices in Denver and Nashville, CID Entertainment offers enhanced live music and travel experiences at a wide array of events, festivals and tours worldwide. CID partners include Coachella, Bonnaroo, Kenny Chesney, MUSE, Blake Shelton, Bassnectar, My Morning Jacket and Kendrick Lamar, among others. In 2015, the company launched CID Presents, a boutique end-to-end event production branch of the company that offers superfans once-in-a-lifetime music destination events, including Luke Bryan’s Crash My Playa, Phish: Riviera Maya, Los Muertos con Queso and Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds Riviera Maya.
After a decade as an award-winning reporter and magazine editor for trade publication Venues Today, Dave ventured out on his own in 2014 to start Amplify, a member-driven news service covering the live music and concert industry. In 2017, Dave joined forces with Billboard, the world’s largest music brand, where today he works as a senior correspondent while continuing to oversee the editorial management and day-to-day responsibilities of Amplify Media. Dave grew up in Northern California’s East Bay and attended U.C. Santa Cruz where he studied political science and met his wife Kristen, mother to his son Wesley born in January of 2017. Dave has worked at several newspapers including the Los Angeles Times, serving in the company’s Orange County Headquarters.
Paul Engl
General Manager
IMG/WME
Dan Griffis
President
Narrative Partners
Peter Guber
Chairman & CEO
Mandalay Entertainment
Danny Hayes
Danny Wimmer Presents
Engl is the General Manager of IMG Los Angeles, overseeing brands/properties in college sports. The properties and asset mix that he represents include UCLA Athletics, the Rose Bowl Stadium, the UCLA Alumni Association, and UCLA Campus Life/Recreation. In his role, Engl manages some of the most iconic brands in Los Angeles which are visible through many forms of media on a local, regional, national and global level. He received his undergraduate degree from St. John’s University and his Master’s degree from Hollins University. His previous employment includes four seasons with the Oakland Raiders in the NFL and five years within the San Diego Padres organization. Engl is married to his wife Iwona with four children Aleksy, Christopher, Nickolas, and Ella.
Peter Guber is Chairman and CEO of Mandalay Entertainment Group. Prior to Mandalay, Peter was Chairman and CEO of Sony Entertainment, Chairman and CEO of Polygram Entertainment, Co-Founder of Casablanca Record & Films and President of Columbia Pictures. He produced or executive produced (personally or through his companies) films that garnered five Best Picture Academy Award nominations (winning for Rain Man) and box office hits that include The Color Purple, Midnight Express, Batman, Flashdance, The Kids Are All Right and Soul Surfer. Peter Guber is operating Owner of the 2015 and 2017 NBA Champion Golden State Warriors, Owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Owner and Executive Chairman of Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC). He is Chairman of Dick Clark Productions and Chairman of the Strategic Advisory Board and an investor for NextVR. Peter is co-executive Chairman of Team Liquid in esports. Peter Guber is a Regent of the University of California, a full professor at UCLA, and the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller, Tell to Win.
Danny Hayes, CEO of DWP, has been a business advisor and attorney for Danny Wimmer Presents since 2007, joining full-time as CEO in July 2014. A preeminent entertainment attorney and founding partner of consumer rewards website Swagbucks, Hayes oversees day-to-day operations and drives the company’s business development and growth initiatives. As an attorney, Hayes has represented iconic artists including Tool, Linkin Park, Marilyn Manson, Paramore, Staind, Corey Taylor and Yanni.
Tucker Kain
CFO
LA Dodgers
Tim Leiweke
CEO
Oak View Group
Ben Lyons
ESPN
Mary Milne
SVP Guest Experience & Blue Ribbon Service
Tampa Bay Sports & Entertainment
Tucker Kain enters his sixth year as CFO of the LA Dodgers and Managing Director of Guggenheim Baseball Management. Mr. Kain led the diligence effort in acquiring the Los Angeles Dodgers, the largest team sports transaction in history, 2012. Since the purchase, Mr. Kain was also instrumental in navigating the execution of the Dodgers’ 25-year agreement with then Time Warner Cable to monetize the club’s local television rights, which included the creation and operation of a newly formed Regional Sports Network, SportsNetLA. In 2015, under the direction of Mr. Kain, the Dodger ownership group launched a venture capital initiative to utilize the Dodger platform to create and participate in value and growth in the Sports and Entertainment industry. With a focus on technology, the Dodgers ran the first-ever Sports and Entertainment Accelerator, attracting over 575 applicants from 37 countries around the world. The 10 program companies selected participated in a 3-month acceleration program, culminating with a one-of-a-kind Demo Day at Dodger Stadium in early November, 2015. This program continued in 2016 with five companies and plans are underway for a 2017 accelerator. Previously, Mr. Kain was a Vice President at Guggenheim Partners in New York City, working in the corporate credit group overseeing an investment portfolio in excess of $2.0 billion. Mr. Kain grew up in Cleveland Ohio and received his B.A. degree in Economics from Williams College. Kain was selected by Sports Business Journal for its 40 under 40 Award in 2014. He and his wife, Ali, and daughter Palmer, reside in Brentwood.
Tim Leiweke founded Oak View Group (OVG) in 2015 and serves as the company’s CEO. With over 30 years of global sports and entertainment experience, Leiweke is a widely respected industry leader and has been deeply involved in the evolution of the NHL, NBA and MLS. Leiweke partnered with music industry titan Irving Azoff (Azoff Madison Square Garden Entertainment) to launch OVG, a development and investment company comprised of an Arena & Stadium Alliance, a sponsorship subsidiary, an advisory group and a venture fund division which recently invested in Miami Beckham United led by global soccer icon, David Beckham. Prior to OVG, Leiweke served as President and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE). In his first year with MLSE, Leiweke led a transformation of the Toronto Raptors, which resulted in a record for wins and back-to-back Division Championships. With Toronto FC, Leiweke orchestrated a dramatic overhaul, which ignited the club’s first ever playoff berth in 2015. It was during this time that Leiweke ranked fifth on the Sports Business Journal’s 50 Most Influential and eighth on Billboard’s 100 Most Powerful in Music – the only President & CEO to rank on both lists. During his 18 years at the helm of AEG, Leiweke led the company’s evolution into a global live entertainment organization capable of developing, producing, marketing and managing sports and entertainment programming in its venues worldwide. It was through Leiweke’s vision that the $2.5 billion L.A. LIVE complex was built in Downtown Los Angeles, adjacent to the STAPLES Center and the Los Angeles Convention Center. In addition, Leiweke architected AEG’s global expansion, including development of O2 Arenas and stadiums in London, China and Germany. Leiweke then built AEG Live into the second largest promoter in the world with artists including; Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift, Rolling Stones, Black Eyed Peas, Kenny Chesney, Celine Dion, The Eagles and Katy Perry. AEG Live also became one of the world’s largest festival organizers through partnerships with the Coachella and Stagecoach Festivals. Deeply committed to the community, Tim and his family dedicate their time to a range of charitable initiatives. Through their work the Leiwekes have been recognized by numerous organizations, including the Anti-Defamation League’s 2007 Humanitarian Award, Father of the Year by the American Diabetes Association and the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s Man of the Year. Tim is also a current member of the Pandora Board of Directors
Dan Palmer
Director of Integration
L-Acoustics
Chris Robinette
CEO
Prevent Advisors
Ronan Wall
VP Strategy and Operations
Ticketmaster
Tim Zulawski
SVP Chief Commercial Officer
AMB Sports + Entertainment
Dan is Head of Integration for L-Acoustics Applications team and is based in Los Angeles, CA. He is currently in his 13th year at L-Acoustics, a world class loudspeaker manufacturer based in Paris, France with US offices in Los Angeles. He leads L-Acoustics integration and bid spec projects, supporting sound designers, acousticians and venue managers on multi-use sound system integration for concert venues including PACs and Amphitheaters and major sport venues in the NBA, NHL, NFL, and NCAA. Dan explains, “We work closely with sound design consultants, venue managers and L-Acoustics certified network or contractors to help advance L-Acoustics growth in the professional sound market in the US, Canada and internationally. We provide design support, budget optimization and high level client support as a requirement. I enjoy working with some extremely talented people both inside and outside of our company”.
With over a decade of experience in both the conventional Army and Special Forces community, Chris delivers a wealth of security and counterterrorism experience. Throughout his career, he has built partnerships across a wide spectrum of governmental and military leaders to improve stability, security, and capacity in some of the world’s most challenging environments. Chris has led teams in conflict zones ranging from the Middle East to Eastern Europe and methodically worked to build outcome based security solutions. Recognized for his professional excellence, Chris also served as an instructor with the Special Operations Training Detachment at the Joint Readiness Training Center, charged with training and preparing Special Forces units for global engagements. Following his military service, Chris worked at Goldman Sachs in the firm’s San Francisco office. He also holds a BA from the University of Michigan and an MPA from Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government. Chris remains an unwavering fan of University of Michigan athletics and a proud member of the Boston Red Sox Nation.
As SVP, Chief Commercial Officer Tim Zulawski is responsible for leading the strategy, growth and management of sponsorship and broadcast sales and service for the Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta United and Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Additionally, Zulawski will oversee a newly created Mega Events division for Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the existing brokerage agreements between the Atlanta Falcons, Georgia Dome and Georgia World Congress Center. Zulawski has over 13 years of experience with the organization, and previously served as Vice President of Sponsorship Sales & Service for AMBS+E. He’s responsible for developing the go to market sponsorship strategy for the Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta United and Mercedes-Benz Stadium targeting local, regional, national and international corporations. Under his direction, the AMBS+E partnership team has achieved record breaking sponsorship revenue numbers and partnership satisfaction. Zulawski has been instrumental in negotiating many of AMBS+E’s most comprehensive partnership agreements including the Mercedes-Benz Stadium naming rights and Founding Partnerships with IBM, Equifax, Georgia Power, NCR, The Home Depot & American Family Insurance. Tim’s character and work ethic recently gained him acknowledgment by Sports Business Journal as he was named a recipient of their Forty under Forty for the class of 2016. Prior to joining the organization, Zulawski worked for Palace Sports and Entertainment where he negotiated sponsorships for the Tampa Bay Lightning, Tampa Bay Storm and the St. Pete Times Forum. His sports marketing career started in public relations with the Buffalo Bills as a high school senior in 1993. A native of Buffalo, New York, Zulawski holds a Management Information Systems degree from the State University of New York, College at Fredonia and a Master’s degree in Sports Management from Springfield College. Tim and his wife Erika are active in various charitable organizations in the Atlanta community.