Rick is joined this week on “Tech of Sports” by former Golf Channel and FOX Sports broadcaster, Holly Sonders. Her story is an incredible one, rising to fame through golf broadcasting and becoming one of the first “womenpreneurs” in the Sports and modeling world through social media.
Holly is candid and insightful as the former college golfer talks about NIL deals, how she is using social media as a female entrepreneur creating a multi-million dollar business online. Her new love interest with Celebrity Boxer Oscar de la Hoya and how she helped him when he had COVID and was hospitalized a few months ago.
She’s in the tech space as her new NFT just dropped is already priced at over $10k, which includes exclusive access to the NFT community and never before released photos.
That and some great Golf Channel stories. It’s great to catch up with Holly.
Sports collecting has reached a fever pitch, and Chris Ivy of Heritage Auctions is here to talk with Rick.
Lots to talk about.
$20 million worth of sports history will be up for grabs when Dallas-based Heritage Auctions conducts its star-studded Summer Platinum Auction which is underway and continues through August 21-22. The event features a treasure-trove of sports memorabilia including a vintage Babe Ruth rookie trading card worth more than $1 million, the finest known baseball signed by Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe, Magic Johnson’s title-clinching jersey from his rookie season with the Lakers, another $1 million artifact, and the collection of San Francisco Giants beloved icon Willie McCovey.
BJ Pilling is CEO of Atlanta-based GoFan, one of the top digital ticketing companies for high school sports events. He joins Rick to talk about the busy year they’ve already had in 2021 and what the rest of the year has in store.
GoFan is a tech company and a sports company, providing digital ticketing for high school sports and other events nationwide. Digital ticketing has grown quickly over the last five years, but the pandemic really accelerated the pace.
BJ talks about how the technology works, the value for schools, how much money schools will save and generate, and of course the safety aspect.
A few successes in 2021:
May – California – The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) renewed a multi-year agreement with GoFan as the official digital ticketing partner to provide touchless, digital ticketing solutions to high schools and state-wide post season play across California.
June – Florida – The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) renewed a three-year agreement with GoFan as its official digital ticketing partner to provide touchless, digital ticketing solutions to high schools and state-wide post season play across Florida in all ticketed sports. https://tinyurl.com/ydp4mmeo
June – Georgia – GHSA State Baseball Championships – High school baseball fans brought their excitement to the 2021 Georgia High School Association (GHSA) State Baseball Championship games — setting record attendance with 20,788 tickets sold for this year’s games at Truist Park, Coolray Field, and Historic Grayson Stadium. As professional sports and high school sports programs lift capacity limitations, organizers are seeing increased attendance and tremendous fan excitement. Every fan attending the 2021 Baseball Championships used Alpharetta-based GoFan’s platform for purchase. Statewide, more than 60 percent of schools use GoFan.
BJ was great. Listen to this engaging conversation!
A great Tech of Sports guest this week, as Rick is joined by Adam Goodyer of Realife Tech.
With live events strategically being held, we are starting to see organizations preparing their venues for fans. The safety of fans who attend these games/events is now taking priority, and new innovations in live event technology are reassuring fans’ comfortability in attending. I wanted to gauge your interest in having Adam Goodyer, CEO of Realife Tech, on the Tech of Sports Podcast around the steps organizations are taking to provide safety before, during and after live events. Adam can speak on:
What new features event venues are deploying to reduce key touchpoints, such as paperless ticketing, mobile ordering, and contactless collection from concessions?
Rick and Adam discuss all this and more.
Realife Tech works with some of the biggest sporting and entertainment clients across Europe and North America. Using advanced data analytics and innovative UI, the Realife platform creates technology that increases mobile spend and revenues at live events. Realife Tech works with the world’s biggest venues and events, including The O2, London; Tottenham Hotspur Stadium; LA Galaxy & Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and Outside Lands Festival.
The Rock Hill Sports & Event Center is the sports hub of the Knowledge Park corridor of Rock Hill and more. The 170,000 sq. ft. facility is part of a mixed-use site connecting Winthrop University to Old Town Rock Hill, restaurants, outdoor venues, office space, apartments and more. The Center hosts city athletic programs, sports tournaments, conferences/conventions, concerts and other special events. By offering healthy living activities as well as cultural and tourism opportunities, the Sports and Event Center adds to the quality of life in Rock Hill and surrounding areas.
Sports tourism has become such a vital revenue stream to cities all over the country and Rock Hill has stepped up to the plate and is taking advantage of the situation during COVID-19 and post pandemic. Thanks to Brian for the great interview!
Rick is in Bowling Green, Kentucky this week checking out all the sports travel possibilities in this great town and is joined by Beth Noffsinger, Communications Director, Bowling Green Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.
So much to do and see when it comes to sports and attractions.
GEARED FOR FUN… WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT!
Planes and trains… Cars and guitars… Caves and waves… Rails and trails… Thrills and chills… Charm and farms… We could keep going for days, and that’s just what it would take to see and do everything in the Bowling Green area. As the Home of the Corvette, we sure love our fast cars, but the city offers so much more that we think you will be surprised by how much is happening here.
The icing on the Duncan Hines cake is that we’re geared for couples, families, and groups with this many options. So come on, rev up the whole crew or recharge just two in Kentucky’s third-largest city… It’s a Classic American Destination!
WKU athletics, minor league baseball, the National Corvette Museum and family friendly drag racing.
Also for participants:
Over 40 diamonds to knock ‘em out of, like the 8-field, lighted Buchanon Park, host of several ASA National Championships
More than 20 sets of hoops to dunk ‘em into, like WKU’s E.A. Diddle Arena and the new gyms at Buchanon Park and Ephram Park
Six 18-hole courses to drive ‘em home on, like Bowling Green Country Club, annual host of the KHSAA Boys’ & Girls’ State Tourney, and the award-winning course at Olde Stone
Enough targets to aim ‘em at for the International Daisy BB Gun Championship, the NRA National Championships and the USA Shooting Championships
More disc golf baskets to flip ‘em into than any other city our size with PDGA design influence on six 18-hole courses
Awarded numerous James Farrell ASA Awards of Excellence for hosting several of the highest-rated ASA youth softball tournaments
Site of a state-of-the-art 20,000 sq. ft. skate park
Center field position off Interstate 65 just past the Tennessee state line
Over 3,000 beds for dreaming of tomorrow’s victory
Small city makes it easier to navigate through safer communities
Thriving hometown business community with large sponsorship pool
Enthusiastic local sports fans ready to assist your team with the small stuff
