The Sports Info Business

It has been a while since a Question and Answer Session has been posted in this space and I thought it was about time to get back to basics.  People have enjoyed these since I started posting them so I am happy to return with a Q&A session with NHL executive Michael Williams.

Michael has enjoyed success working in executive positions with the Anaheim Ducks, the San Francisco 49ers and now with the New Jersey Devils.  Below, he provides insight into his sports management career.

Questions

 1. Tell us about your company, your position and your responsibilities:

I currently serve as Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Vice President of Ticket Sales and Marketing for the New Jersey Devils and Prudential Center. The Devils are considered one of the most iconic brands throughout the National Hockey League. Recognized for its winning tradition and 3 Stanley Cup Championships, the Devils are also known for our aggressive and strategic approach to our off ice business initiatives. The Prudential Center is a new state of the art 18,000 person seat arena located in New Jersey. I am responsible for the overall brand of the team and the arena, overseeing all marketing and advertising platforms as well all general market and premium sales and servicing efforts. Additionally, I am responsible for game day entertainment, events, research, digital and social media programs.

2. Tell us what your average week is like, both in season and the off-season:

First off….there is no such thing as an average week. Work load and priorities depend on timing. Out of season demands a lot of planning and big picture strategic discussions with the review of results and revenue projections. In season requires the execution against our business plan and objectives along with the need to evaluate and evolve plan elements accordingly. The opportunity to advance our business is always a driving force, looking for new ways to improve revenue streams and enhance the overall experience for our fans, business and community partners.

 3. Can you talk about your career path, starting from your first job in sports until you arrived to your current position today:

At my core, I’m a marketer. I truly believe that you can accomplish more by using traditional marketing and brand practices in conjunction with a sound approach to business. My early training was in the agency world, where I was taught the value of understanding strategy against goals. I was fortunate enough to work my way up to become a partner with the Global advertising agency J. Walter Thompson where I managed Ford Motor Co. regional $50mm account. I have also worked for The Walt Disney Co. as a Director of Sales and Marketing when they owned the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and served as Vice President of Marketing for the San Francisco 49ers with the National Football League.

 4. What is the best advice you have ever received?

The best advice I ever got was a quote from my Grandfather…“Common sense is not that common”. It reminds me to think fully through a situation before responding. Although people tend to try and over complicate things, sometimes you need to approach life with a sense of common sense to garner the results you are looking for.

 5. What Are the your top sports memories you are most fond of telling others:

1-1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, NY - I was fortunate enough to be at the historic “Miracle” game against Russia as a child with my family. The game and the setting was something that I will never forget. There was a sense of patriotism that I had never experienced before…the whole game was surreal.

2- Super Bowl XXXVI in New Orleans after the September 11^th attacks. I will never forget being in the crowd and witnessing the whole stadium standing, crying and singing the National Anthem. I was living in Boston at the time and being there and taking part in the game with the Patriots winning the whole thing as the underdog was beyond powerful.

3-MLB 1999 All Star game in Boston at Fenway – I admit that I’m not a huge baseball fan but I remember the feeling as they brought out Ted Williams. The history, the stadium and the child like reaction of the players as they introduced themselves to Ted was amazing. It was refreshing to see that even the most stoic of professionals could still be fans of the game.

4- 2002-03 and 2011-12 Stanley Cup Finals – Working for two different organizations where I was fortunate enough to part in one of the most revered, exciting and emotionally draining experiences in all of sports. While with the Mighty Ducks, I was encouraged by Al Coates our team President to take a few minutes to sit out in the arena and soak it all in…I’m glad that he had me do that because it was a memory that I will always have. You are so wrapped up in everything you have to do that you don’t think to stop and enjoy it.

6. What do you tell people you meet who want a career working in the sports management business?  Practical tips?

My first question is “Why do you want to work in sports”? Being a fan is not the answer. You work in a field where you are required to market and sell a product that you don’t have any say in the finished outcome. On the team side you don’t have the luxury of depending on wins and losses…you have a job to do regardless.

Practical tips would be to make sure that you are truly passionate about what you want to do…if you are, then you won’t mind the sacrifices that you will make along the way…and yes, you will make sacrifices. Second, be willing to do the jobs and projects that other people don’t want to. This will help you determine what path you really want to take through actual experience not from passing comments or gut instinct. Nothing replaces real life working knowledge.

7. Name a few mentors in your life and why they’ve had an impact.

Al Coates for teaching me the importance of “Patience”

Andy Dolich for teaching me the value of “Vision”

Bob McClowry for teaching the power of “Observation”

Most importantly my Father (Dr. J.E. Williams) for teaching me how to have a “Bed Side Manner”…always take the time to really speak AND listen to people.

8. How is Social Media changing the landscape of sports ?

Social media is changing everything…the sports world is just a byproduct of the movement. Never before has the voice and power of the consumer and in the case of sports, “the fan” had more influence than it does today. The issue is that there is an ongoing battle between traditional thinking of how to best use this new platform and the individuals who are charged with managing it. The reason why is that the old way of thinking was to talk “TO’ people, where social media is more about talking “WITH” people. The idea of trying to push and communicate your personal agenda with a sales message can be completely tuned out or in some cases detrimental to you and your brand if not done in the right manner. Just because you have a critical mass with your different social outlets doesn’t mean that you have to bombard them with messages all the time. The first step in understanding social media is to recognize the need to listen.

 9. If you were not working in sports today, what would you be doing?

If money was not a problem (ha!)…I would be a dive instructor in Belize. Since I haven’t won the lottery yet, I would probably be working in an senior account director role for a global advertising agency or as a CMO for a large corporate brand.

 10.  Executives talk about being passionate in your job.  What are you passionate about and why?

I am fortunate enough to be one of only 30 people in the world to do what I do. We make memories; we work to create moments that bring people together from all walks of life. Sports are magical in that they truly are the great equalizer crossing religion, genders, socio-economic, ethnicity and age. They can unite a country with a single play.

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For more about Michael Williams, you can follow Michael Williams on Twitter at @MWilliamsDevils

So, the Stanley Cup Finals are set with the New Jersey Devils taking on the Los Angeles Kings.  Congrats to both teams and their respective front offices.

East Coast vs West Coast will go at it starting on Wednesday.  It is an eight seed vs a six seed.  It is also the first time these two teams are meeting in the finals, yet something seems awfully familiar.

The Kings, who last went to the finals in 1993, are looking to hoist their first cup while the Devils are looking for a return to the top for the first time since 2003.

That year, 2003, was a bittersweet year for me.  Then working for the Mighty Ducks, now renamed the Anaheim Ducks, we made an amazing playoff run to get to the Stanley Cup Finals.  While most predicted we would not get past the first round against the Detroit Red Wings, the series sweep and run towards the championship continues to hold special memories for me and my colleagues.

It was in the finals that year, that we, the Ducks, came within one game of being named champions.  I have never watched replays of that final game.  Nine years later, it still hurts.

In an ironic twist, one of my colleagues and close friends, Michael Williams, is returning to the finals.  Once the Director of Sales and marketing for the Ducks, he is now, wait for it, the Chief marketing Officer for the NJ Devils.  Williams is still looking for his first championship ring.  After leaving the Ducks ahead of Disney’s sale to the Samueli family, Michael, went on to work as an executive for the San Francisco 49ers, before landing on the East Coast with his current job.

Now, as a Devil, he is hoping the other side of the coin will land with a championship as New Jersey takes on the other Southern California team, the LA Kings.

Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to return to the Pond for a National Hockey League game between the Anaheim Ducks and the Phoenix Coyotes.

My brain has not been able to make the change to say Honda Center, the newer title sponsor name, though I want to call it The Honda Center.  There is no “the” in the new name.

You see, I was part of the management team when The Walt Disney company owned the hockey club but as often happens in sports, when new ownership takes over, it is often out with the old and in with the new when it comes to front office management.

I was a bit early to meet my guests in Anaheim on Sunday so as I often used to do, I walked around the facility with my sports management hat on to see what has changed in the five years since the new ownership group took over operations.

• The pre-Sunday game still had the interactive fan zone adjacent to the building.  There was a youth hockey game or two being played outside, an interactive puck shooting contest and kids getting their faces painted.  All of this had been initiated by our group to engage the fans years ago.  Nothing had really changed and I did not notice any new twists  and in fact I did not see one visible management person greeting or trying to engage fans.
• In the general parking lot for fans, I would have hoped to have seen some sort of parking lot marker to help me find my car after the game — you know like section A 6 or Puck 35 but it was bare.
• Inside the team continues to produce a quality in-game experience, perfected by Rod Murray who is now with the Pittsburgh Penguins and carried on by the able Rich Cooley.  Again, nothing really new but overall you could tell the fans were really enjoying their evening.
• I had the honor of bumping into several friends and former colleagues during the game on the suite level, all running around taking care of business.  There was television announcer Kent French, PR man Alex Gilchrist, CR work-horse Jesse Bryson as well as a few team doctors all on the club level for work related matters.
• Of course there were new sponsors that had their name tattooed along the dasherboards, but you would expect turnover of companies affiliated with any team.
• The building looked remarkably clean and in great shape.
• The one small touch, which was a nice one that I did observe was the Honda logo embedded in the side of the building.  As the sponsor who took over for Arrowhead Water when their naming agreement expired, the typical promotional cars were displayed for fans to see on the outside corners of the building to greet fans as they approached the Pond.  The logo on the side of the building however, was a nice touch.
• Much really hadn’t changed.  A framed news article of the Ducks commitment to community that I pitched, sold and helped produce for the suites continued t hang in the room, even though it was seven years old.
• The team, which cut off comp tickets to employees to maximize revenue for last few years, began offering employees a few tickets to each game for the 2010-11 season.  You could tell why as the Western Division game had too many pockets of empty seats waiting to be filled.

My guests were kind and I enjoyed watching one of the best live events in sports.  Lots of action, speed and agility.  For me though, I left with the feeling that it was the same Ducks on the Pond.

Quick, put on your objective sports business hat   Got it?  Okay  I have a question for you.  If you had to rank the top three sports franchises, which ones would rank at the top?  Which ones would rank at the bottom.  ESPN, the Magazine, just released its 2010 rankings and I have it here for you. According to the magazine, when it comes to paying fans back for their investment of time, money and passion, the New Orleans Saints are No. 1 out of all major league sports franchises, according to this year’s ESPN The Magazine Ultimate Standings. The Orlando Magic finished in second place and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim finished third.  At the other end of the spectrum, the Los Angeles Clippers are ranked last for the second year in a row.  Here is the kicker abut the Clippers.  They also ranked last in ownership and players.  Ouch. The Ultimate Standings, driven by research and fan feedback, looks at MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL franchises’ affordability, bang for the buck, coaching, fan relations, ownership, players, stadium experience and title track to establish a ranking of all 122. Based on a  commitment to community and championship play last year, the New Orleans Saints, know how to reward fans. The Saints “Who Dat Nation” made it known they feel a strong connection to their team and appreciate everything it offered the New Orleans community in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The Indianapolis Colts and the Pittsburgh Penguins round out the Top five.  According to the magazine, here is the top 10.

The 2010 ULTIMATE STANDINGS: THE TOP AND BOTTOM Top 10 Overall Franchises

1. New Orleans Saints

2. Orlando Magic

3. Los Angeles Angels

4. Indianapolis Colts

5. Pittsburgh Penguins

6. Tampa Bay Rays

7. San Antonio Spurs

8. Detroit Red Wings

9. Green Bay Packers

10. Cleveland Cavaliers

and then there is the bottom 10…….

Bottom 10 Overall Franchises

113. Toronto Raptors

114. St. Louis Rams

115. Oakland Raiders

116. Minnesota Timberwolves

117. Philadelphia 76ers

118. New Jersey Nets

119. New York Knicks

120. Washington Wizards

121. Toronto Maple Leafs

122. Los Angeles Clippers

ULTIMATE CATEGORY WINNERS AND LOSERS

Affordability – Price of tickets, parking and concessions

#1: Los Angeles Angels

#122: Toronto Maple Leafs

Bang for the buck – Wins over the past two seasons per dollar contributed directed by fan

s #1: Orlando Magic

#122: Toronto Maple Leafs

Coaching – Strength of on-field leadership

#1: Los Angeles Angles

#122: Philadelphia 76ers

Fan Relations – Players, coaches and management openness and consideration toward fans

#1: Pittsburgh Penguins

#122: Washington Wizards

Ownership – Honesty; loyalty to core players and local community

#1: Detroit Red Wings

#122: Los Angeles Clippers

Players – Effort on the field; likability off it

#1: Philadelphia Phillies

#122: Los Angeles Clippers

Stadium Experience – Quality of arena and game-day promotions; fan-friendliness of environment

#1: Minnesota Twins

#122: New York Islanders

Title Track – Championships already won or expected within lifetime of current fans

#1: Philadelphia Phillies

#122: Minnesota Timberwolves

Summertime in the sports business means two things:  The dog days of baseball are around the corner and if you are in the job market, you should be looking to teams that are out of season.  That is where most of the job opportunities are these days.  In order to keep the blog fresh, I have found the following jobs that are accepting applications for open positions.

Director of Marketing – San Francisco 49ers (Santa Clara, CA)

The Director of Marketing is responsible for all areas of advertising, brand development, merchandise, web and social media strategy, promotions, game operations, evaluating new marketing initiatives, and special events. Special events entail stadium entertainment, pre-game, post-game and half time ceremonies, sales & marketing events, including events at the 49ers training facility and stadium. Administrative duties include strategic planning, budgeting, media and agency negotiations, staffing and supervision. Key initiatives for position will focus on marketing strategy for 49ers new stadium in Santa Clara. Position could include the evaluation of bringing entertainment and production capabilities in-house.                               Additional Details

Vice President of Corporate Partnerships – Columbus Crew

The Columbus Crew is seeking an energetic, enthusiastic and innovative sales executive to lead the organization’s Corporate Partnerships department. The Columbus Crew Vice President, Corporate Partnerships is an integral part of the management team that contributes significantly to the overall success of the club. This position will be primarily responsible for prospecting and selling corporate sponsorship packages at all levels with the specific goal of maximizing net revenue. Creating compelling new sponsorship assets, developing valuable partner marketing programs, packaging the club’s numerous broadcast, digital media, social media, grassroots, stadium and other assets, negotiating corporate trade agreements to reduce expense, raise awareness and drive ticket sales are all critical functions of this position. Finally, the VP Corporate Partnerships is responsible for insuring the timely,accurate and effective delivery of corporate partner deliverables providing the highest level of service to our corporate clients. Direct reports will include the Senior Director of Corporate Sales, Director of Hispanic Business Development and the Director of Partnership Relations. Click here to Apply:

Vice President, Arena Operations & Entertainment – Memphis Grizzlies & FedExForum (Memphis, TN)

Position Purpose

As a Senior Executive of the Memphis Grizzlies, the Vice President, Arena Operations & Entertainment oversees all aspects of FedExForum management to include: Guest Relations, Event Booking, Event Operations, Conversions, Office Administration, Engineering, Security, Parking and Tenant Contracting & Management. As a key member of the Executive Staff, this position will also be responsible for creating a corporate culture that motives staff to perform to their fullest and achieve corporate goals in a collaborative manner. You can click here for Additional Background

Director of Customer Relationship Management – Olympia Entertainment/Detroit Red Wings (Detroit, MI)

The Director of Customer Relationship Management is responsible for developing powerful, sales generating marketing strategies utilizing all available media to accomplish the goals of the overall marketing strategy. Effectively communicate the strategic direction to both internal and external support teams to ensure effective execution. Negotiate all contracts and marketing agreements with outside vendors. Continually monitor and analyze program effectiveness and modify strategic direction as necessary to obtain high impact results.                     Apply Here

Manager/Sr. Manager Business Development – NBA

The successful candidate is responsible for generating revenue for the NBA through the sale of marketing partnerships that leverage the core NBA, WNBA and NBA Development League assets including League Intellectual Property, calendar events (e.g., Tip-off, NBA All-Star, Playoffs, Finals, etc.) and marketing platforms (e.g., NBA Cares, NBA Fit, NBA Green, etc.). Apply Here

This last position was sent to me today after I posted the others.  Here is the full job description.

Fan Development Representative – Los Angeles Galaxy

Department: Ticket Sales (Los Angeles Galaxy)

Reports to:  Manager of Service and Business Systems, Senior Director of Ticket Sales

POSITION PURPOSE:

The team is seeking a passionate, hard-working and dedicated individual to spearhead a new position that will focus on fan development.  Specifically, this position will involve managing current relationships with fan clubs; growing the fan club membership; organizing away game viewing parties and away game trips; establishing and managing a kids club; and working with college students.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Grow fan club membership – specifically through the selling of new full season seats
• Maintain and enhance relationship between front office and Galaxy fan clubs
• Manage fan club relationships at the organization level – security, banners at the stadium, singing, atmosphere at the game etc.
• Serve as primary point of contact for visiting fan clubs
• Develop a Galaxy “kids club” – establishing from the ground up including; creation of a business plan; fulfillment of all membership benefits; growing membership; ensuring the long-term success and viability of the program; integration of other departments as appropriate; maximizing sales leads generated through the program
• Seek out ways to enhance game day atmosphere
• Organize and manage away game viewing parties
• Organize away game trips/tickets for fans
• Create programs to directly connect with the student/college population within Southern California
• Manage relationships with existing fan club full season seat holders in conjunction with current LA Galaxy service specialist directives
• Work closely with ticket sales, service, marketing, PR, and operations etc.
• Other duties as assigned by supervisor(s)

Specific Job Knowledge, Skill and Ability:

The individual must possess the following knowledge, skills and abilities and be able to explain and demonstrate that he or she can perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation, using some other combination of skills and abilities.

• Soccer knowledgeable – MLS and global leagues, understands and identifies with the soccer supporter
• A proactive self-starter
• Proven leadership experience
• Ability to produce accurate and timely reports
• Ability to think on feet and make decisions quickly that uphold the integrity of the company
• Highly motivated, naturally aggressive, with a positive attitude
• Exemplary self-discipline, professionalism, pride and work ethic
• Outstanding listening, written, and verbal communication skills
• Committed to personal integrity and team oriented
• Detail oriented with ability to multi-task effectively and with a sense of urgency, sometimes under a high level of stress
• Excellent organizational and time management skills
• Creativity and ability to see ideas through to successful execution
• Enthusiasm for and/or experience in professional sports sales and/or service
• Thoroughness and attention to detail
• Compliance with organizational directives
• Flexible hours required: working evenings/nights, weekends and holidays

Qualifications, Education, Formal Training and Experience:

• At least 1-3 years of sales experience (professional sports preferred)
• Experience and training in Ticketmaster, Archtics, Goldmine or other Customer Relationship Management system
• High proficiency in Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Internet use, and other basic computer usage
• Knowledge of sales and customer service (sports industry specific a plus)
• Grooming – employee must maintain a neat, clean and well-groomed appearance. Good hygiene & professional appearance required.  Business casual attire in office and during events.  Employees may be required to wear Galaxy attire (to be provided) when representing the Galaxy in public.
• Work Environment – at times the noise level may be loud (especially during games)
• Bilingual (English & Spanish) a significant plus.

COMPENSATION

• Base Salary plus commissions and bonuses
• Full Benefits

OTHER

• This is a new position at the LA Galaxy. Major League Soccer has stressed the importance of growing the league’s fan clubs.  The Galaxy are committed to this philosophy and hence are dedicating an entire position and investing significant resources to this initiative. This position is a critical one for the Galaxy.  The ideal candidate brings enthusiasm, solid experience, and a natural desire to make a footprint at the Galaxy and within MLS

To Apply:

You don’t see these happen at sports events every day.

Having worked in sports for years, I have experienced many good, bad and ugly promotions around event management.  A few examples you say?  Let’s see, we have dot races, kiss cam, trivia questions, bloopers and traditional highlight reels.  All pretty standard stuff.  Now, let’s mix in a little looooove. When you toss in romance with the actual sporting event, it can get more interesting…..

I am talking about the ever popular marriage proposal.  This is usually done in front of tens of thousands of spectators.

Sometimes it can be a bit of a tight-rope walk at a circus without a net.  You never know what is going to happen when the guy or gal pops the question during pre-game, half-time or an intermission.  Plus, there is often detailed planning from the sports management side.  This includes changing halftime entertainment, coordinating music, making sure there is flowers for the woman, yada yada yada.

This poor guy took to the Jumbotron during the New York Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Lighting hockey game earlier this year and the results were, um, apparently not what he had hoped for.

Think that was a coincidence?  In a related video, I also saw this basketball proposal gone wrong at the Houston Rockets vs. Sacramento Kings game.

Getting married is a lot like sporting events.  You are never sure of the outcome.

When I worked for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, now known as the Anaheim Ducks, part of my responsibilities included overseeing the community relations team for the hockey club.

The CR department had several goals but part of the responsibilities was overseeing special events and raising money for the foundation.

Recently, I spoke with a friend of mine who was planning a special event for her non profit group (non sports related) — you can see the background story at thesportscalendar blog . It made me think, how are these events valued, internally by a team and what can be done to help improve the results.

Here are a few brief thoughts that crossed my mind.

* Don’t just measure how much money was made.  Also figure out if you are generating more interest in terms of attendance, exposure from media an other variables

* Are you meeting your overall business goals?

* Are you following up with participants post-event — this is easily done via a survey to find out what was good and what can be improved.

* Test new components or twists when doing the same event year over year

* Certainly check for conflicts with other events and which days of the week have events performed the best.

* Don’t settle that you must continue to do things the same way as they have been done in the past

December is here and the holiday rush to buy presents is on.  In a related move, I recently posted a one question poll and asked, would you consider purchasing a comprehensive 2010 event schedule with a focus on sports?  The overwhelming majority, 66% said, yes, there is an interest in this solution.

Since then, I have been hard at work creating something that would fit everyone’s need.  You can visit it here at SportsCalendarPro.com

First, I created a master sports calendar.  It has every major sports event in the United States.  What did I include?  In no particular order, here is a listing of just SOME of the events.  The Super Bowl, The 2010 Winter Olympics, the 2010 World Cup, College Bowl Games, The Kentucky Derby, the Indy 500, the men’s and women’s college basketball NCAA tournament and Final Four, sports conferences for sports related events like the IEG Sponsorship Summit and the 2010 World Sports Congress.  There are about 100 sports events in all.

As a sports executive and dedicated sports fan, I want and need to know what is happening and when it is happening.  It would be nice to find everything in one place for the enter year.  I am tired of searching for the Next event.  It is also great for planning events.  Not a sports fan, but you may be involved in major life events like getting married or you are just planning major events like fundraising dinners?  Then this is ideal for you as well.  I cannot remember how many times a major golf event or fundraising dinner collided with a major sports event and either a TV was wheeled in an event or continuous updates were given to keep people informed.

Belowis a snap shot of the calendar for two weeks in April.  If you click on the image you can see it in a full screen view.

If you want additional details of the event itself, you can click on say The NCAA Frozen Four dates and you will see this

At SportsCalendarPro.com, I created the site where you can view it online via a gmail account and from there, you can easily download this or sync it with Outlook and iphone.  I did it and it now runs as event dates on my master calendar.

The second option is to purchase the 2010 Master Calendar.  This includes not only al of the sporting events, but also includes the 2010 Entertainment Calendar, the 2010 Technology Calendar and major U.S. holidays.  For example, want to know when the 2010 Academy Awards take place or the ESPYs?  Maybe you want to visit the Sundance Film Festival, CES in Las Vegas or Macworld?  Then, this option is for you.

Last, which you won’t find on the home page but you will find on the ordering page, is the 2010 Custom Calendar.  It includes all of the above and allows you to add four (total) sports team schedules to the mix. For example, say you live in New York or the Boston area.  You can add the 2010 schedule for the Yankees, Mets, Nicks and Islanders in one place.  Hate NY teams but love Boston sports?  Then you can choose the Patriots, Red Sox, Bruins and Celtics schedules.

You write a sports related blog?  This allows you to preview the event since you know what is coming up.

Okay, it is the first time I have blatently plugged a product in the year I have been writing this sports business blog, but it is my product and I really believe in it.

Please, visit the site, Re-Tweet and Post this onto facebook or Digg for others to see.

Consider purchasing this unique holiday gift for the sports fan or event planner in your life.

The good folks at Anschutz Entertainment Group, better known as AEG, asked me if I would post information to their career Fair and Workshop, which is slated for mid-November.  This is not the traditional method for entering the sports management business.  By traditional, I mean enrolling in an accredited college or university or a practical internship, but if AEG is hosting the event, there must be something to it.

They do have thousands and thousands of employees around the world so there is opportunity.  No question about it.

Here is the information as promised.  Happy job hunting.

LA Kings & AEG host the Sports & Entertainment Career Fair & Workshops

Wednesday, November 18, 2009 at STAPLES Center

Have you always dreamed of working in the sports and entertainment industry?

You can learn more by attending the Sports and Entertainment Career Fair! This unique event will include Workshops, a Speakers Panel with industry leaders, and the opportunity to speak with representatives from the sports and entertainment industry in a Career Fair. Then watch the LA Kings take on the Philadelphia Flyers

immediately following the event. If you see a career in sports and entertainment in your future, this is an event you won’t want to miss!

Only $30 per Person!

Your Registration Includes:

• Admittance to the Sports & Entertainment Career Fair & Workshops
• Ticket to LA Kings vs. Philadelphia Flyers on Nov. 18^th at 7:30 pm*

Optional upgrades available: 100 Level – $75 or 200 Level – $45

REGISTER BY NOVEMBER 4^th AND SAVE $5!

TIMELINE OF EVENTS:

2:30 – Check-In Begins

3:00 – 3:30 – Workshop Session 1

3:45 –  4:15 – Workshop Session 2

4:30 –  5:30 – Speakers Panel

5:30 –  7:30 – CAREER FAIR

7:30 – LA Kings vs. Philadelphia Flyers

Workshops Include:

• Resume Building & Interviewing Skills
• Getting the Job
• Marketing & Selling a Team
• Getting into the Entertainment Industry

To register and for an up-to-date list of companies attending please visit www.lakings.com/careerfair

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With the Dow passing the 10,000 mark for the first time in a year while unemployment is still hovering near 10 percent, there are many things that do not make sense to me right now.  Here are a few other things in sports that have also made me think

* Is anyone outside of Southern California talking about a possible World Series between the Dodgers and Angels?

* Was A-Rod’s breakout playoff series vs. the Twins (.455 BA with 2 HR and 6 RBI) a blip on the map or a trend for the 2009 playoffs?

* Will Notre Dame football break a recent trend vs. USC this weekend?  While the Irish still lead 42-33 in the 75 times the two teams have played, USC has won seven consecutive meetings and owns this decade.

* I am not living in Canada and make my home on California’s Coast, so I have not heard that much talk from people about the NHL hockey season yet.  Lots of pro football, college football andbaseball talk.  What the puck?

* Phillies and Dodgers Series starts tonight.  Rematch of last year’s MLB NLCS when Philadelphia won it going away in five games.

* Some college basketball teams officially began practicing last night with a tradition of “Midnight Madness.”  Most of the rest get underway this weekend.

* I like the story line in the Phillies and Dodgers series:  The Phillies have two former Dodger pitchers in Pedro Martinez and Chano Ho Park. They are trying to get back to the World series in consecutive yrears while the Dodgers are trying to get there for the first time since winning it all in 1988.

* Speaking of the Dodgers sad news in the media this morning.  Reports that owners Jamie and Frank McCourt have split up.  Isn’t this something that should be kept out of the media?

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A look ahead: Tomorrow we preview a new school that offers a sports management degree