Sports management students attend Michigan Sport Business Conference

NEW WILMINGTON, Pa.– Two Westminster School Faculty of Small business college students attended the prestigious 2022 Michigan Activity Small business Convention (MSBC) in Ann Arbor, Mich., providing them a glimpse of the sporting activities small business landscape.

Tom Howell ’23, a senior small business administration and advertising and marketing and expert profits important from Pittsburgh, and Gia Francisco ’25, a sophomore advertising and experienced revenue and sporting activities management major from Canfield, Ohio, read from speakers and market specialists, like keynote presenters ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro, Chicago Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren, and NFL Main Media and Organization Officer Brian Rolapp.

The pair attended networking periods and smaller sized breakout panels on subject areas these kinds of as media advertising and marketing name, impression and likeness (NIL) and storytelling.

During a smaller table session, Francisco reported she relished meeting Estee Portnoy, small business manager and spokesperson for NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan.

“She offered us with so significantly facts on how to get included in the sports earth. Especially as a female in business enterprise, she talked a good deal about self esteem and how to crack by the ‘glass ceiling,’” reported Francisco, incorporating that she also spoke with Jared Wangler, former College of Michigan soccer star and CEO of the NIL administration group Valiant.

Howell attended a session with Bomani Jones, an ESPN commentator and host of the ESPN audio podcast, “The Right Time with Bomani Jones.” Areas of this panel session have been recorded live to be featured in an approaching episode of his podcast.

“I felt pretty enthusiastic right after talking to him,” he reported. “It was fantastic to meet up with someone you’ve admired on Television —and then recognize he’s sitting 10 toes from you.”

Howell also met with Matt Murphy, president and general manager of NBC Sports activities Bay Area, as perfectly as advertising and marketing professionals from different NBA groups.

Established by University of Michigan undergraduates, the yearly MSBC delivers students and industry specialists alongside one another with the reason of inspiring innovators in the world of activity business.

“I feel the coolest aspect of the conference was that it was all university student-run. It was good to see college students my age working with professionals in the sports activities marketplace,” Howell explained. “It was fantastic to be all over persons who really don’t believe of sports activities as just a pastime, but more of a enthusiasm and a vocation path.”

“I located it actually advantageous to get that ‘out-of-the-classroom experience’ by means of participating with all the speakers and college students in attendance,” claimed Francisco. “It was this sort of an astounding working experience and I hope to have far more like this in the future.”

Both Howell and Francisco have experienced quite a few “out-of-the-classroom” educational experiences. The two worked with REVELxp, a fan expertise and hospitality enterprise, at home Pitt soccer online games. They also volunteered at the 2022 NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Championship at Duquesne College. Howell assisted with the 2021 NCAA Division III Men’s Golfing Championship at Oglebay Resort in Wheeling, W.Va.

Howell, a dean’s list pupil who will graduate in May well 2023, is an energetic member of the Westminster community. He assists with the men’s basketball plan, has worked in Westminster’s Workplace of Alumni Affairs, serves as an orientation college student chief and writes for the university newspaper, The Holcad. He also served start the Titans for the Young ones student group to elevate recognition for the combat in opposition to pediatric cancer.

Francisco, who has also been named to Westminster’s dean’s listing, is an all-conference member of the women’s tennis group, writes for the college newspaper and is active with her sorority, Zeta Tau Alpha.

Howell competed in the 2000 Pittsburgh Business Analytics Scenario Study level of competition, when Francisco competed in the 2022 Pennsylvania Sporting activities Enterprise Conference Circumstance Research competition. This spring both of those college students will compete in the 2023 Alliance for Activity Enterprise Case Examine competitiveness in Columbus, Ohio, with very first-year scholar Kim Cora ’26.