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(*MSBC is a proud partner of Front Office Sports)
When it comes to the sports industry, there are plenty of options to choose from for professional development.
Whether it’s a three-day conference or an hour-long webinar, the ability to grow both personally and professionally can be found around every corner and in every city.
A stalwart in the event circuit since 2011, the Michigan Sport Business Conference has carved out a unique niche in that it is entirely student-run and the goals of the event point back to the future leaders of the industry.
“The MSBC has always been different because our team’s primary focus is always the students,” said Lindsey LaForest, co-president of the conference. “We are trying to connect the future sport business leaders with the current sport business leaders, and that’s something we think about with every decision we make.”
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Because students are core to the conference’s goals, much of the programming is built around them being able to interact with industry executives and leaders. Something that both LaForest and her other co-president Brandon Koretz wanted to make a priority this year based off of the feedback they got from last year’s event.
“This year’s MSBC will be better than past versions of our conference because we’ve spent so much time perfecting certain elements of our conference that were introduced last year,” said Koretz. “We received overwhelmingly positive feedback on our tech showcase, startup competition, and formal networking session but there were definitely some shortcomings that needed to be worked through.”
To execute the event, LaForest and Koretz rely on the help of 25 other students. All undergraduates, the 27 person team is treated like a professional organization with members holding roles from COO to coordinators and account managers.
See More: Mastering Twitter: Personal Branding Tips for Sports Business Professionals
The idea is to give all those involved the opportunity to experience what an organizational structure looks like and how to manage effectively and report to the right people.
Before they started any of the preparation for this year’s event, Koretz and LaForest made sure that the team was on the same page by spending the first month of their planning cycle focused on building relationships and growing trust.
“This year, we spent the first month as a team focused on onboarding and team building,” said LaForest. “It allowed us to lay out the commitments, communication structure, and all the other expectations for the year, as well as gave the team members time to get to know each other.”
Now a well-oiled machine, the co-presidents are looking forward to the seventh edition of the conference, and one that they hope is going to be bigger and better than ever.
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Included in the plans for this year’s conference are an expanded networking experience, larger tech showcase, and panels that cover everything from sports betting to building an expansion franchise.
“I’m personally very excited about the speaker lineup and panel topics at this year’s MSBC,” said Koretz. “Whether it be the legalization of sports betting, building an expansion franchise or the intersection of sport, business and culture, the content at this year’s MSBC will be as good as it has ever been.”
Interested in attending? Get your tickets here.
(*MSBC is a proud partner of Front Office Sports)
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