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Wed, 6/26 Session: The Sponsorship Engagement Model: Creating Affinity for Brand Partners in an Attention-Starved Era

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Carola Jain is the Chief Marketing Officer at Spartan, the global sporting events company that challenges over a million people annually to push their mental and physical limits by joining the Spartan Lifestyle (training, nutrition, mind, merchandise and 250 events across 40 countries annually). Carola is also leading the global launch of Spartan Women, a female focused platform connecting women all over the world by promoting camaraderie and empowerment through the community's shared inspirations and experiences of overcoming the challenges of everyday life.

Thurs, 6/27 Session: Keynote Interview

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Dana White is the current President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), which is the largest mixed martial arts (MMA) organization in the world. Under White's leadership, the UFC has grown into a globally popular multibillion-dollar enterprise.

Thurs, 6/27 Session: ESPN: Reaching New Audiences

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Award-winning journalist Mina Kimes is a senior writer, radio host and television commentator for ESPN. Since joining ESPN The Magazine in 2014, her profile has grown steadily across the company’s multimedia platforms. In addition to writing, Kimes co-hosts a weekly ESPN Radio show and regularly appears on multiple television programs.

Kimes has written many memorable features and ESPN The Magazine cover stories, including profiles of NFL players like Von Miller, Antonio Brown, and Aaron Rodgers. She has also travelled extensively for high-profile stories on esports, NBA Draft prospect Luka Doncic, and Korean bat flips.

A regular panelist on Around the Horn, Kimes appears on a variety of other ESPN programs including Highly Questionable, First Take, and The Dan LeBatard Show with Stugotz. On ESPN Radio, she co-hosts The Morning Roast national weekend show with Domonique Foxworth and Clinton Yates, which the trio launched together in January 2017.

Kimes has also contributed to special ESPN live Twitter shows, including On the Clock during the 2018 NFL Draft.

Prior to ESPN, Kimes was an investigative reporter for Bloomberg News (2013) and a business writer for Fortune Magazine (2007-13), where she penned pieces on topics from arms exports to tainted drugs.

A two-time finalist for the Dan Jenkins Medal for Excellence in Sportswriting, Kimes also earned numerous awards for business and investigative journalism. She was the inaugural recipient of the SABEW’s (Society of American Business Editors and Writers) Larry Birger Young Business Journalist prize, honoring journalists under age 30. Other organizations that have recognized her work include the New York Press Club, the National Press Club, and the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA).

Kimes graduated summa cum laude from Yale University with a bachelor of arts in English. She resides in Los Angeles.

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Howard Mittman is the CEO of Bleacher Report. He joined the fast growing publisher in 2017 to serve as chief marketing officer and chief revenue officer.

Prior to Bleacher Report, Mittman was the chief business officer of GQ, GQ Style, Golf Digest, Golf World, Pitchfork, and the Wired Media Group, which includes Ars Technica, Backchannel, and WIRED. Mittman served as chief revenue officer and publisher of GQ and GQ Style. Under his leadership, GQ was named to the Adweek Hot List for three consecutive years, and in 2014, Mittman was recognized as Advertising Age’s Publisher of the Year.

Over his three years of stewardship at GQ, Mittman successfully launched the luxury quarterly print publication GQ Style, created the coveted GQ Grammy Awards party in Los Angeles and established the invitation-only private club The Gent in New York City. Mittman also led the team that doubled traffic and more than tripled GQ’s web and video revenue.

Before taking over at GQ, Mittman was vice president and publisher of WIRED, which under his leadership became the first Condé Nast brand to derive half of its revenue from digital offerings. While there, he oversaw the launch of many successful brand extensions, including WIRED Business Conference, WIRED Café at Comic-Con, and WIRED Data | Life Conference. Mittman also initiated and led the development of WIRED’s groundbreaking iPad app.

Prior to joining Condé Nast, Mittman served as acting publisher for Time Inc.’s Popular Science. He also held positions at New York magazine, Mutual Funds, Financial Planning magazine and Sanford C. Bernstein and Co.

Mittman was named to the Crain’s New York Business 40 Under 40 list in 2011, appointed to the American Advertising Federation Hall of Achievement in 2012, and elected to the Media Industry News Hall of Fame in 2016. Mittman was also named as the Conde Nast Publisher of the Year in 2012.

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Nick Kelly is the Head of US Marketing for Anheuser-Busch InBev. He oversees the continued evolution of AB's sports marketing strategy.

In his previous role of Director of Experiential Marketing - Sports, Nick was responsible for every sports property at Anheuser-Busch, equating to more than a-quarter billion dollars in sponsorships -inclusive of league, team and venue deals within the NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, NASCAR, PGA, UFC, soccer and college sports. Nick continues to lead a refreshing perspective to A-B’s sports entities to rework, revitalize and position the brewer’s brand sports properties for growth.

Nick was the lead communications strategist and spokesperson for the world’s most popular beer, Bud Light, including its Bud Light Lime, Bud Light Lime Ritas, and Bud Light MixxTails beverage line; Mexican liquid innovation Montejo and the entire A-B Value Brand segment inclusive of Busch, Natural Light and Rolling Rock families of products. Nick was responsible for developing, launching and sustaining a positive narrative around national Bud Light programs including its NFL relationship as the official beer of the league, Super Bowl activations and the acclaimed Whatever USA campaign.

Nick is a graduate of Marshall University.

Thurs, 6/27 Session: What’s Fair Game? - The Future of Athlete Media Rights

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Benny Snell, Jr. is an NFL running back drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2019 NFL Draft. He is one of only four running backs in SEC history to have three consecutive 1,000 rushing yard seasons. Snell is the University of Kentucky's all-time career rushing yards leader.

Wed, 6/26 Session: Technology's Role in Maximizing Engagement and Driving More Personalized Sports Consumption

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David Stern completed his 30-year tenure as NBA commissioner on February 1, 2014.

As commissioner, Mr. Stern built the model for professional sports in league operations, public service, global marketing, television distribution and digital technology. He oversaw the NBA’s extraordinary growth with seven new franchises, a more than 30-fold increase in revenues, a dramatic expansion of national television exposure and the launch of two leagues, the Women’s National Basketball Association and the NBA Development League. He negotiated the first anti-drug agreement in professional sports and introduced the salary cap system and revenue sharing to the NBA.

The NBA experienced tremendous global growth during Mr. Stern’s tenure, and that growth continues today: The NBA has 12 offices outside the United States; its games and programming are televised and streamed in 215 countries and territories in 49 languages; and it offers fans 19 international online destinations. The NBA was the first U.S. professional sports league to stage regular-season games outside North America, and the league has played more than 165 international preseason and regular-season games to date.

Mr. Stern also oversaw the launch of the leagues’ digital assets, including NBA.com, WNBA.com, and NBADLeague.com; social media platforms; NBA LEAGUE PASS; NBA TV; and mobile applications, all of which reach hundreds of millions of fans every day.

An intense commitment to social responsibility both in the United States and around the world marked Mr. Stern’s tenure as commissioner. Under his leadership, the league launched NBA Cares, a global social responsibility program that builds on the NBA’s mission of addressing important social issues in the United States and around the world. NBA Cares supports a host of community outreach initiatives, including a myriad of internationally recognized youth-serving programs that focus on education, youth and family development, and health and wellness.

Mr. Stern was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2014 and the International Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016. He is a 2013 recipient of the W.E.B. Du Bois Medal, awarded by Harvard University in recognition of contributions to African and African-American culture, and a recipient of the Yale Executive Leadership Institute’s Legend in Leadership Award which celebrates contemporary business leaders who have made transformational contributions across sectors. He is the chair emeritus of the Trustees of Columbia University and serves or has served on the boards of the Rutgers University Foundation, the NAACP, the Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Holiday Commission, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, the Paley Center for Media and Jazz at Lincoln Center. He is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. A native of New York City, Mr. Stern is a graduate of Rutgers University and Columbia Law School.

Currently, as CEO of DJS Global Advisors, Mr. Stern is a Senior Advisor to the NBA, investment bank PJT Partners, venture capital firm Greycroft Partners and PWC’s Entertainment and Media Advisory Practice, as well as an advisor to several sports technology start-ups.

Wed, 6/26 Session: A CMO's Roadmap to the Future of Fan & Consumer Engagement

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In her role as one of the Philadelphia 76ers most senior leaders, Katie O’Reilly is responsible for the branding and business development for one of the sports industries most iconic properties. As Chief Marketing Officer, O’Reilly oversees the direction of the team’s brand, creative and marketing solutions, game presentation, social media, digital and video content, VIP events and hospitality, customer relationship management, business development and merchandise departments. Now entering her fifth season with the 76ers, O’Reilly and her team are the brains behind the widely acclaimed “Welcome to the Moment” advertising and “Spirit of the Champion” tribute campaigns as well as new branding initiatives including the recently unveiled 2017-18 season Nike uniforms.

During this tenure with the Philadelphia 76ers, O’Reilly oversaw corporate business development for the team’s new 150,000-square-foot Training Complex; including the creation, development and launch of the Sixers Innovation Lab Crafted by Kimball, on which she currently holds a position on the Board of Governors. Additionally, O’Reilly spearheaded the creation of the 76ers Legends Walk – commissioned sculptures of past 76ers greats that lives permanently at the 76ers Training Complex.

A 2016 Philadelphia Business Journal “40 Under 40” honoree, O’Reilly joined the 76ers in 2013 to lead the new Business Development department where she played a crucial role in securing some of the largest partnerships in franchise history.

Prior to the Philadelphia 76ers, O’Reilly served as the Director of Partnership Marketing for Insignia Sports & Entertainment. She served as National Program Director for IMG College in New York City, where she oversaw the sales development team responsible for creating national programs and media plans for corporate partnerships across 70 plus Division I University Athletic Departments, Conferences and related properties. She previously held positions with the NBA’s renowned Team Marketing & Business Operations group and at Madison Square Garden.

O’Reilly, a Lower Merion native and Shipley School alumni, received a B.A. in History from the University of Michigan and currently resides in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with her husband, Edward.

Thurs, 6/27 Session: Captivating Sports Fans Through Live Social Content

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Melissa Lawton is responsible for Live Sports Production Strategy at Facebook. She’s charged with helping Facebook’s partners redefine the live sports viewing experience to foster a deeper and more meaningful connection between fans and the broadcasters, teams, leagues and athletes they follow.

Melissa joined Facebook after five years as the Head of Live Content at Red Bull Media House, working specifically on the creation and expansion of Red Bull’s media network, Red Bull TV. In this capacity she oversaw a global production team who produced premium live third party sports, music and culture event and many ‘beyond the ordinary’ Red Bull competitions across the globe.

Her 20-year career has encompassed long-term production roles on prestigious international events such as the Beijing and Sydney Olympics, FIFA World Cup in Korea/Japan, and Commonwealth Games in India, as well as productions in Australia on live motorsports, magazine shows an studio productions.

Melissa started her career as a sports journalist for The Age Newspaper. She holds an MA in International Relations from the University of New South Wales and a BA in Journalism from RMIT. She currently works in Facebook’s New York office and resides in New Jersey with her husband and two daughters.

Thurs, 6/27 Session: ESPN: Reaching New Audiences

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Connor Schell, executive vice president, content, is responsible for overseeing all aspects of ESPN’s content creation across television, digital and print platforms. Schell was promoted to this role in June 2017 and is based in Bristol and New York.

Schell oversees management of all of ESPN’s event production domestically and internationally including the production of the NBA Finals, the College Football National Championship, Monday Night Football, Sunday Night Baseball, Wimbledon and the US Open. He also manages all of ESPN’s studio programming including SportsCenter and ESPN’s News & Information division. Schell oversees digital and print content creation covering ESPN.com, the ESPN App, ESPN the Magazine, The Undefeated and all off-platform ESPN branded content (i.e. SC on Snap). Additionally, Schell is responsible for ESPN Films, ESPN Audio, the company’s Talent Office, and serves as one of the executive producers of 30 for 30.

Schell is the executive producer and co-creator of the Emmy-, Oscar- and Peabody Award-winning 30 for 30 documentary series and the Emmy-winning 30 for 30 Shorts digital series. Schell also served as a producer and executive producer of the company’s first Academy Award-winning film “O.J.: Made in America.”

He earned Emmy Awards in 2015 and 2016, two Emmy Awards in 2014, and a Peabody Award in 2010 – all for the 30 for 30 series. Under Schell’s guidance, 30 for 30 has won awards at the Producers Guild Awards, NAACP Image Awards, IDA Awards, Webby Awards and the prestigious Edward R Murrow Awards. “O.J.: Made in America” was honored as 2016’s best documentary by the National Board of Review, the IDA, the Gotham Awards, the Independent Spirit Awards, the NY Film Critic’s Awards, and it won Best Documentary Feature at The 2017 Academy Awards. As a producer of the film, Schell was also a recipient of a DuPont Award for Journalism and his third Peabody Award.

Schell’s purview extends through The Walt Disney Company as an executive producer of the studio film “Million Dollar Arm” and as an executive producer for the first ESPN Films-branded feature film from Disney – “Queen of Katwe.”

He is a Sports Business Journal “Forty Under 40” Hall of Fame inductee having been named to the list in 2012, 2016 and 2017, and he was also named in Multichannel News’ 2012 Class of “40 Under 40.” Schell was inducted into the Cablefax Television Hall of Fame in 2017.

Previously, Schell served as senior vice president, original content; vice president and executive producer of ESPN Films; executive producer of the 30 for 30 series; and senior director, program development, ESPN Original Entertainment. Schell joined ESPN in 2004.

Schell earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History from Harvard University and a Master in Business Administration with a focus in Media and Entertainment from Columbia University. He lives in New York with his wife and three children.

Thurs, 6/27 Session: Captivating Sports Fans Through Live Social Content

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As Executive Vice President, Digital Media for the National Basketball Association, Melissa Rosenthal Brenner leads the development, oversight and implementation of the NBA’s global digital strategy and social media portfolio across multiple media platforms. In that role, she has forged groundbreaking deals with leading social media companies such as Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat, found innovative ways to incorporate social media throughout the league’s wide array of assets, and helped NBA partners maximize social media opportunities with the league.

Additionally, Brenner manages the league’s relationship with Turner Sports relating to NBA Digital, where she is responsible for the development and oversight of NBA TV, NBA League Pass, NBA.com and various NBA mobile content offerings. In recent years, Brenner oversaw the rollout of a variety of new digital offerings including single game availability of NBA League Pass, phone- and tablet-optimized streams through NBA Mobile View, fully produced weekly games in virtual reality, and the league’s first real-time fantasy game, NBA InPlay.

Under her leadership, the NBA has built one of the largest social media communities in the world, with 1.4 billion likes and followers combined across all league, team and player pages on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Sina and Tencent. Brenner has been instrumental in the NBA’s achievement of many milestones in the social media space, including the first professional sports league to partner with YouTube (2005) and Facebook (2007).

A member of the NBA family since 1997, Brenner has worked in the Consumer Products Marketing, Advertising and Marketing departments. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

Thurs, 6/27 Session: Amazon: The Future of Live Sports Streaming

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Andrea is one of the most accomplished and widely respected journalists in the industry today. In 2011, she was named one of the 10 greatest female sportscasters of all time. TV Guide said Andrea is “among TV’s best sports correspondents of either sex.” A two time Emmy award winner, she is currently the NFL Network’s Chief Correspondent for Player Health and Safety.

Her story on the abuse of the drug Toradol helped earn Real Sports its first Peabody Award in 2012.

Previously, Andrea was a reporter for NBC sports. For five seasons, she was the sideline and feature reporter for the Emmy Award-winning “Sunday Night Football” on NBC.

A versatile reporter, Andrea has covered the NBA Finals, MLB Playoffs, Stanley Cup Playoffs, NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, U.S. Olympic basketball trials, and PGA Championship.

She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. Andrea, who was named one of the “Most Influential” moms by Working Mother magazine, is married with one son.

Wed, 6/26 Session: Engaging Millennial Consumers Through Sports Partnerships: How Hennessy Scored a TKO With Canelo

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Manny is a successful marketing executive and noted expert in cultural diversity marketing, event marketing and sports marketing. Manny currently serves as Senior Director-Multicultural at Moët Hennessy USA. He works with the company’s portfolio of luxury wines and spirits, which includes Hennessy cognac, Moët & Chandon champagne, and Belvedere vodka. In this role Manny works with the company’s brands in the development of the brands’ strategies and programming in the African-American, Hispanic, Asian, women and LGBTQ consumer segments, and manages the company’s cultural diversity community relations programs. Prior to his current position, Manny served as Director-Multicultural for the company’s largest brand, Hennessy. Manny has developed signature programs and partnerships for Hennessy, with several professional athletes and teams, including Yasiel Puig, Allen Iverson, Victor Cruz, Chris Canty and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Manny previously served as VP of the Hispanic division of Hill Holliday, a Boston-based advertising agency. Prior to Hill Holliday, Manny was Managing Consultant with Zyman Group, an Atlanta-based marketing consulting firm. Manny also worked at Diageo North America where he managed both general market and multicultural marketing for Johnnie Walker. Manny has also served as brand manager for Miller Genuine Draft. From 1990 to 1998, Manny worked in newspaper marketing, first in several marketing roles with the San Jose Mercury News, and then as marketing manager for Los Angeles-based La Opinión. Manny received his B.A. from Princeton University and his M.B.A. from UCLA. Manny was born in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico and currently lives in Harlem, New York.

Wed, 6/26 Session: Taking Back the Fan Relationship: Engagement Through Creation, Not Curation

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Victoria Anderson is the Vice President of Brand and Digital Strategy at Endeavor. With skills in social media marketing, account management, and digital media, she capitalizes on opportunities and develops business strategies for Endeavor’s clients. Overseeing and merging content from multiple branches such as consulting, insights, strategy, PR media, paid media & analytics, and many more, Victoria creates digital marketing campaigns and strategies for clients and assesses emerging competitors and innovations. Guiding and leading the Endeavor team, she succeeds in cultivating and upholding client and interagency relations.

Foregoing her VP role at Endeavor, Victoria directed Digital Marketing in Strategy and Activation at WME | IMG, Global Partnerships. At the entertainment company, she organized and designed business solutions to connect brands with consumers.

Victoria has also worked as Archer Malmo’s Digital Account Supervisor in Client Engagement, where she led her team in daily operations and marketing plans, and as Atchley & Associates, LLP’s Account Executive and Marketing Coordinator, where she led team schedules, meetings, and operation allocations. Victoria excels in areas of innovation, communication, strategic planning.

Victoria graduated from the University of Texas at Austin.

Thurs, 6/27 Session: Athletes as Content Creators: Storytelling in Sports with ACE Media

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Evan Engram is a tight end for the New York Giants. He played college football at Ole Miss and was drafted by the Giants with the 23rd pick in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft. During his college career, Engram was a consensus first-team All-SEC selection. In his four-year career at Ole Miss, he made 162 receptions for 2,320 yards, a 14.3 yard average. He had 15 career touchdowns. He netted five catches for 176 yards, including an 83-yard reception, in the 2014 Egg Bowl.