Two UCFB students made the most of a unique networking opportunity by volunteering at a leading sports marketing conference at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London.
Darragh Dunbar and Casey Evans were part of the event staff on the day for SportsPro’s TBC – The Brand Conference. The event, which featured a number of talks from guest speakers and workshops with leading brands from the sports industry, concentrated on brand communication, marketing innovation and digital fan engagement.
The day included discussions on the NFL’s global partnerships, how to build an athlete’s brand with a case study on heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua and how to leverage fans’ loyalty.
High profile speakers on the day included Todd Kline, chief commercial officer at the Miami Dolphins; Sabrina Kreienborg, head of global sponsorships at DHL; and Silvio Vigato, head of brand and co-chief revenue officer at Italian giants Juventus.
Both UCFB Wembley students, as well as helping make the day run smoothly for organisers, speakers and attendees, used the event to help build their network of contacts for their own future careers.
Darragh, who studies BA (Hons) Football Business & Finance, said: “To be part of The Brand Conference at Lord’s Cricket Ground was a truly fantastic opportunity. The chance to learn from many reputable brands on how they develop, maintain, or even change their brand identity, especially through the use of digital technology and techniques, was a great experience, as was the chance to network and make new connections.”
Casey, a BA (Hons) International Football Business student, added: “I was able to watch and experience many of the talks, my personal favourites being the talk on Juventus’ new branding and the talk on how they built the brand of Anthony Joshua. I enjoyed being able to have the experience of working in an event environment and also the opportunity to have access to a day of guest speakers.”
UCFB is the official academic partner of SportsPro.
