Bravehearts

The Worcester Bravehearts in conjunction with Nichols College and TD Bank have announced the 19 guest speakers who will appear at the 2nd Annual Worcester Sports Management Summit. The event will take place on Friday, January 17 at Worcester State University’s Wellness Center and will feature a keynote address by Amy Latimer, President of TD Garden.

As President, Ms. Latimer is responsible for the operation of one of the most successful sports and entertainment venues in North America. Latimer was part of the inaugural executive team at TD Garden and started as the Director of Marketing in 1995. She went on to launch the arena’s e-Business department and then served as Vice President of Ticketing before spending 6 seasons as the Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. She became President of the arena in 2012. A recognized leader in the sports & arena industry, Amy Latimer was named one of Sports Business Journal’s ‘Game Changers’ in 2011 and became 2015’s WISE Woman of the Year. Her keynote address will kick off the day at 9:00 AM, and it will be moderated in a fireside chat format by John Ratoff, TD Bank’s Head of U.S. Field Marketing.

Panel discussions will begin at 10:00 AM and will cover a variety of topics ranging from becoming a ticket sales superstar to a conversation about “glimpses from behind the curtain” of a career in sports. The panelists represent both major-league and minor-league sports teams, arenas & sports complexes, collegiate athletic conferences, and notable sports brands such as Dick’s Sporting Goods and Mass Golf. Sandy Dunn, General Manager of Worcester’s DCU Center, will speak on a panel about utilizing sports venues for events and entertainment while Michael McCann, one of the nation’s leading experts in sports law and a staff writer for Sports Illustrated, will speak on a panel about the challenges & opportunities in the future of college athletics. A full schedule of panels and speakers can be seen at WooSportsSummit.com.

The Summit’s purpose is to help connect college students and those interested in a career in the sports industry with professionals from consulting firms, event marketing companies, and sports teams. In addition to participating in the panel discussions, attendees will have the opportunity to network with hiring managers at the job & internship fair.  Upwards of two dozen employers will connect with job seekers at the fair including the Bay State Games, New Hampshire Fisher Cats, New England PGA, and all five of Worcester’s sports teams: the Bravehearts, Railers, Pirates, WooSox and Worcester Smiles women’s soccer team.

The entire event is sponsored by Nichols College and TD Bank. The Nichols Sports Management Program prepares students for leadership positions across the growing sports industry. Students are taught by industry professionals with decades of experience in sports and are exposed to many facets of the industry. Students are also given real-life experience in the field and have previously had internships with organizations including the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, and Madison Square Garden. Multiple Nichols College alumni will be speaking at the Worcester Sports Management Summit including Anna Dyakiv, Sr. VIP Member Experience Executive with the Boston Celtics. Brittany Jacobs, Assistant Professor of Sport Management at Nichols College, will give opening remarks. TD Bank is a well-known brand in the sports industry because of its naming rights agreement with TD Garden and the TD Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race. The bank plans to offer incentives to attendees who visit their table as well as a chance to win Boston Bruins tickets.

Tickets for students and recent graduates are $35 and can be purchased online at www.WooSportsSummit.com while tickets for non-students are $45. All tickets include lunch and free parking at Worcester State University.