Essay on Sport Business Conference

Submitted By bessrig
Words: 2152
Pages: 9

Sport Business Conference When I first heard about the Sport Business Conference I thought it would be cool and a good way to network. However when I heard that we required to go and it would be over 7 hours long I wasn’t nearly as interested. When I heard that we would be writing a four page paper about the event I was even less excited than I already was. Furthermore I thought it would be very difficult for me to write a four page paper about this event because I have a hard time staying focused for a long time if something doesn’t capture my interest. However I was pleasantly surprised after attending this conference. First of all it was very well put together. Everything was very organized from the signing in period all the way to the signing out period at nearly 4:00 pm. The speakers, their representatives and the faculty were all very well prepared. Everything was explained very clearly and there was very little confusion. Not that I thought this would be terrible but I was pleasantly surprised with the way that the event turned out. After getting though registration and all of the opening remarks the first speaker was Dan Ballou. He is the Director of Sports Marketing for the Albuquerque Convention and Visitors Bureau and has been since 1998. He was explaining what exactly he does and how he markets his area as a sports event destination. He started by explaining how the job of someone in his position is to market the country/state/county/venue as the place to have certain events. Next he talked about the communication process which starts with doing your homework. He said that a lot of his job is research. He said that you have to realize what your destination has to offer and why you stand out. These could be things such as affordability, accessibility, or a handful of other things. After that he discussed the initial contact. One important fact that he stated is the fact that you only get one chance to make a positive first impression. Of course I have heard this many times before in my life but it is so true. He also said to listen carefully to the needs of the organization. See what you can do for them and what might be more difficult. When he brought up effective communication his first tip was to lay it all out from the start and not hide anything. There is no point saying that you can do something that you will not be able to do and it will only hurt you in the end. Be upfront and this will also build that trust in the long run. Again he brought up research because of how important it is. He said that we must research who will possibly be using our venue and exactly what they will be looking for. Also he said a lot of this is done during the info gathering process which typically involves facility tours, hotel tours, and overall city tours. His big point of the day were the 6 F’s. The first of these was fit. This was the process of determining whether or not an event fits your locale. For example consider your climate, your area and anything else that can affect whether or not a particular business will choose your location. The second f was forthright. He said that this often times deals with ethical communication. Basically this is a bit of planning ahead and making sure you are set for an event. This includes making sure that your facilities are up to the necessary standards and making sure that your financial banking is there. The third f was foreseeability. This is also planning ahead but this is more about determining what can go wrong. For example the legal requirements that have to be in place, potential safety risks, and your risk management strategies. The fourth f was forecaster. He said that this step is very important in his line of business and it can be critical to the success of both indoor and outdoor events. This includes deciding whether or not the weather is conductive for hosting a certain event and planning what to do in the case of inclement weather. The fifth f was flexibility.