It's no secret that a key component to success in the sport business industry is networking - with peers and potential employers alike. It's this passion for building relationships that brought over 200 attendees together in Coral Gables for the inaugural University of Miami Sport Industry Conference in mid-April.
Among these attendees were campus students, alumni, and 19 members of UOnline master's in Sport Administration. Traveling from as far as Los Angeles, Baton Rouge, and even Toronto, UOnline students had valuable face time with top industry experts, including Jeremy Darlow, Director of Brand Marketing at Adidas, Michael McCullough, Executive VP of the Miami Heat, and Keri Potts, Director of PR for ESPN.
Hear from the students themselves as they share their personal highlights, and check out our roundup of favorite photos and tweets from the jam-packed, two-day conference:
Face-to-Face Opportunities
The conference kicked off Friday, April 15, with a welcome breakfast, providing great opportunities for students to put faces to names and meet their classmates in person for the first time. Photos were taken, hugs were exchanged, and several students noted the value of these face-to-face interactions with those they've been studying alongside.
Great moment this morning when an online student finally met his support advisor in person at @UMiamiSIC! pic.twitter.com/Vv1TzP8Oiu
— UOnline (@UMiamiUOnline) April 15, 2016
Learning from Top Industry Experts
The conference centered around six insightful panel discussions, featuring a diverse group of industry experts and covering a range of topics essential to the sport industry today - from engaging millennials and owning a brand voice on social media to protecting a client in crisis and leveraging smartphone apps to boost ticket sales. In addition, attendees and panelists alike were treated to a keynote address by Matt Birk, NFL Super Bowl Champion, and current NFL Director of Football Development.
Some of the key takeaways for the panels:
You can't get better without knowing both your strengths and weaknesses.
Interested in becoming an agent? Max Eisenbud from IMG says "You have to know your strengths and weaknesses, with no ego." #UMSIC2016
— UM Sports Business (@UMSportsBiz) April 15, 2016
Network to find mentors.
"It's easy to network, but it's difficult to network effectively" @BirkMatt #HowURule #UMSIC2016
— Leslie Tiger Fitzpatrick (@sensitiger10) April 15, 2016
When things go downhill, relationships matter even more.
@BirkMatt The highs in #sportsbiz are not guaranteed. The lows are. That's why relationship building is so important. #UMSIC2016 @birkmattt
— Dr. Social Distance (@getDeestweets) April 15, 2016
To add value to your target audience, have the right content, at the right time, at the right place.
"Crash the party. Doing something disruptive where millennials already are." @JeremyDarlow, @adidas Director of Brand Marketing #UMSIC2016
— UM Sport Industry Conference (SIC) (@UMiamiSIC) April 15, 2016
"We control the content we can control. We don't control the wins and losses, but we do control how good our content can be." #UMSIC2016
— Front Office Sports (@frntofficesport) April 15, 2016
Kevin Gregory enforces that "Right time, right place and right message" is vital to success in social media. #UMSIC2016 #TheUOnline
— UM Sports Business (@UMSportsBiz) April 15, 2016
Access to Top-Notch Career Opportunities
Day two of the conference featured an interactive career fair - the ideal opportunity for students to network with hiring companies including ESPN, the Orange Bowl Committee, the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, and more.
Excited to talk to several amazing sports related companies at #UMSIC2016 including @ESPNStatsInfo Brian Burke and David Bearman
— Kade Loring (@KadeLoring_) April 16, 2016
Career tip: Have a firm handshake and look people in the eyes. Thanks for attending the #UMSIC2016, @FTLStrikers! pic.twitter.com/VBG4TFLUQ2
— UM Sport Industry Conference (SIC) (@UMiamiSIC) April 16, 2016
All of our wonderful and talented professor's along with the keynote speaker Matt Birk. #UMSIC2016 #TheUOnline pic.twitter.com/2omzY0o5y2
— UM Sports Business (@UMSportsBiz) April 15, 2016
See you next year!
Overall, it was a great experience for everyone involved. A huge thanks to Professor Alicia Jessop for leading this initiative. All of our UOnline students will have access to this event going forward.
Thinking that you should attend next year's conference? You're right, you should! Stay tuned for updated info by following @UMSportsBiz & @UMiamiSIC!
We hope to see you there. Some closing words:
It was a great honor to be a part of a phenomenal event. Now I can say I've been to "The U". Thank you! https://t.co/lpY6NfcNad
— Matt Birk (@BirkMatt) April 16, 2016
When you realize you shook hands with a Superbowl Champion... #UMSIC2016
— Kade Loring (@KadeLoring_) April 15, 2016
Step outside of your element and attend events such as #umsic2016! @UMiamiSIC was 1 of the most valued! #goCanes! pic.twitter.com/6i4YxaPdsU
— Nick Beranek (@nick_beranek88) April 20, 2016
@UMiamiUOnline @UMSportsBiz students with @univmiami #SportAdmin faculty at #UMSIC2016 @UMiamiSIC #GoCanes pic.twitter.com/RIwKsMNMSq
— Paul Resnick (@psresnick) April 15, 2016
