University of Miami hosts seventh annual Global Sport Industry Conference

L to R: UOnline Sport Administration students Yasmin Turner-Ward, Alicia Owens, James Parmer, Marion Esguerra, and Vanessa Obeng enjoy a packed day of programming at this year’s Global Sport Industry Conference, hosted by the School of Education and Human Development.
SIC Uonline

On April 14th, the Global Sport Industry Conference returned to the University of Miami campus with great success after a two-year pivot to remote events. This sports networking event was created by Erin McNary, Assistant Professor of Practice with the on-campus and UOnline Sport Administration program. The conference is an annual opportunity for sport practitioners to convene on campus with fellow industry leaders, UM students, student athletes, and ‘Canes alumni.

This year, programming focused on a number of topics that are hot button issues in sport management. Thought leaders from the business side of sports joined University professors to discuss topics like activism and sustainability in sports, the evolution of sports betting, esports, the role of NFTs, and more.

"In planning the conference, a goal of mine was to include some of the most relevant and exciting topics faced by the sport industry and to foster potential sport business relationships. From the feedback I have received, that goal was accomplished as SIC attendees said they learned a lot about these topics and made sport business connections that I hope will last a lifetime," says McNary.

Conference Director Erin McNary addresses the crowd of attendees at the Global Sport Industry Conference in the Donna E. Shalala Student Center on campus.
Conference Director Erin McNary addresses the crowd of attendees at the Global Sport Industry Conference in the Donna E. Shalala Student Center on campus.

Keynote speaker Mike Ridley, Senior Vice President of Brand and Marketing at Inter Miami, CF, said, "I very much enjoyed the opportunity to speak at the U. I now know why this is one of the premier universities in the country."

Students from our UOnline Master of Sport Administration program joined the 250+ crowd to network, learn from industry leaders, and share knowledge about the exciting momentum of the sports world. To see photos from this event, please click here.