Tag Archives: sports

Ryan Gellis, Founding Partner, RMG Talks the Future of Sports Retail

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Ryan Gellis joins Rick this week. He is founding partner of RMG Media.

Ryan founded RMG to help brands make genuine connections with their customers. He has a background in technology and over 10 years experience in ecommerce strategy and management. The list of companies he has worked with include industry titans like Charming Charlie, Sally Beauty, and Verizon. When not leading RMG, Ryan enjoys playing music, gaming, and starting (but not finishing) construction projects at home.

With e-commerce sales up 30 percent in the Covid marketplace, business prognosticators have been adamant about the death of brick and mortar, with online channels predicted to become the dominant business model. However, the situation is more nuanced than presented by market analyst doomsayers. For instance, a recent article by Square noted how, despite a recent survey showing that 51 percent of Americans say they prefer shopping online, only 10 percent of the estimated $3.3 trillion in annual retail sales last year came from online transactions.

Rick and Ryan talk about the current state of sports ecommerce and where it is heading.

Gellis has worked as a veteran craftsman of retail strategies and brand experiences for over a decade. He can tell you that those calling for the death of retail are off the mark in their analysis.

Clothes, watches, jewelry and other luxury goods will remain in physical retail, as that customer base wants to be able to handle and try products on–and this experience cannot be replicated online. The gentrification of urban areas has led to a preference for mixed use spaces that combine commercial spaces with residential. Malls will adopt this model to adapt to modern times.

Customers often browse and research online before going to stores, and thought leaders in the industry will be looking to smartphone apps and other digital solutions to augment and enhance the retail experience.

Sports is wild animal and without fans for the most part in 2020, an evolution is taking place.

 

Bob Venero, Future Tech CEO on eSports

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While traditional sports have come to a screeching halt amid the pandemic, eSports has become a welcome alternative for millions of sports fanatics.

Reports estimate that eSports will grow to a $1.1 billion industry this year. And in light of the pandemic, it may be on track to surpass this figure.

Many schools like colleges and high schools are now taking a harder look at eSports as well.

According to the National Association of Collegiate Esports, more than 170 U.S. colleges have varsity eSports programs and are offering around $16 million per year in scholarships. College eSports tournament organizer Tespa notes that its competitions attract more than 1,350 schools and more than 40,000 players. It has also awarded more than $3 million in tournament winnings. It’s a trend that has been growing for years.

With no guarantee that schools will reopen in September, how can eSports be a viable replacement for traditional sports?

Future Tech Enterprise CEO Bob Venero talks with Rick this week about trends he sees emerging that will change eSports and school sports forever, new safety measures that institutions can implement to keep students safe (e.g. sanitizing practices, etc.), how eSports can be a cheaper option as schools seek to cut sports budgets (e.g. eliminating home/away game travel costs, etc.), as well as security concerns and best practices.

Bob also discusses the social benefits of eSports for students, namely how it encourages diversity, inclusion and education.

Gil Fried, Sport Management Professor at University of New Haven

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There are so many questions to be answered about the world of sports right now. So Rick talks with Gil Fried, this week. He chairs the Sport Management Department in the College of Business at the University of New Haven and is a Sports Management Professor.

Professor Fried is a specialist in sport law, finance, and facility management. He received his masters in sport management and his law degree from The Ohio State University. He has written over 12 books on sport risk management, sport facility management, esports, and sport finance. One of the books he wrote is the Academy for Venue Safety and Security (AVSS) textbook used by the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM). His other textbooks are used in over 140 universities in the United States and have been translated into Chinese, Russian, and Korean.

Rick and Professor Fried talk about the sports landscape, what sports venues are doing and how long this may go on.

Professor Fried has published over 300 articles focused on facility and law related concerns. Besides writing for others, he is also the Editor of Sports Facilities & the Law newsletter. He is regularly quoted in industry publications and periodicals. In 2011 he was awarded the prestigious Betty van der Smissen Leadership Award from the Sport Recreation and Law Association (SRLA) for outstanding contribution to the field of sport law education. In 2012 he was awarded the Sport Management Outstanding Achievement Award by the National Association of Sports and Physical Education (NASPE). This award recognizes professionals who have made outstanding contributions and provided leadership in the field of sport management.

Professor Fried coordinates the Patron Management Institute (http://www.patronmanagement.org/) and developed their Certificate in Patron Management Program (CPM). The CPM program is the only multi-disciplinary training program developed through and with industry leaders and designed to ensure participants learn and internalize risk management best practices. He has handled a large number of sport/music industry liability cases and has worked as an expert witness in various cases from stadium stampedes to foul ball cases. Some of his cases have involved significant national attention such as the Camp Randall stampede (University of Wisconsin), the Aramark Meadowland drunk driving case, the Wal-Mart Black Friday crowd case, Stow assault case, and the basketball crowd rush case (Kaye) in Phoenix. He also serves on several board of directors of sport related businesses and organizations. He has an active consulting practice called Gil Fried & Associates, LLC and has several major clients from corporations to insurance companies. Lastly, He serves as an Advisory Board member for Incord Inc., the nation’s largest specialty safety netting company.

 

Rich Mueller, Founder of Sports Collectors Daily on How COVID-19 is Affecting Sports Collecting

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Rick is joined by Rich Mueller, founder and editor of Sports Collectors Daily.- SportsCollectorsDaily.com— a daily news website/blog for the sports memorabilia industry/hobby.

About Sports Collectors Daily:

We search the internet for stories of interest, produce our own original content and keep tabs on news made by leading companies. We then bring it all together in one place. It’s a unique concept which has grown substantially in readership, internet presence and advertiser interest in the last dozen years.

Rich serves as head writer, editor, social media manager, marketing director and sales manager.

In this episode, Rick an Rich discuss the many ways COVID-19 is impacting the sports collecting industry.

Rick and Rich are both collectors, so it’s interesting to see how collectors are reacting. Also how retailers, card companies and show promoters are adjusting. An interesting talk with Rich, as it might be a good time to be a “buyer” in the sports collecting universe.

Kami Day, COO of Muscle MX

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CBD that is simple, natural, and powerful with results you can trust.

That would be Muscle MX.

Rick talks with Kami Day, the COO of Muscle MX on this episode of “Tech of Sports.”

CBD (cannabidiol) comes from hemp plants and works with your body’s natural biochemical balancer – the Endocannabinoid System (ECS). Endocannabinoids are found many of your body’s key functions; the central nervous system, immune system, brain, organs and joints.

Muscle MX uses purposefully formulated CBD extracts in our topicals to unlock your body’s natural ability to work with the ECS to reduce inflammation, increase needed blood flow and reduce pain. Those who use our premium CBD oil tinctures feel more focused, experience a sense of calm, and have healthier sleep cycles.

CBD and hemp are fast becoming household names, but there are still a few misconceptions. Hemp is not marijuana. Hemp contains less than .3% THC which is the psychoactive compound most commonly associated with marijuana. The elevated levels of CBD in hemp are non-psychoactive and work synergistically with your body to improve performance and overall health and quality of life.

We believe that everyone should be able to live full and active lives. There are adventures to take, races to run and mountains to climb. Muscle MX products are created to liberate you to do the things you want to do!

Muscle MX is a trusted source for innovative, safe and effective products that enhance your body and active lifestyle.

We are proud to provide our customers with products that are simple, natural, and powerful with results you can trust.

Kami is the COO of Muscle MX and a delight to meet and talk with about their great line of CBD.

Roi Mozer, COO of Pico

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Rick is joined for a jam packed episode this week, with Roi Mozer of Pico.

Pico is an Israeli SportsTech startup working with Sports Organizations and brands looking for innovative sponsorship activations that convert better than industry averages. They turn engaged, anonymous fans into identifiable customers without the need to download or log-in, but using the fans’ preferred channels and give the teams a better idea of what their fans need and like.

Here are a few examples of what they do:

In-game live activation – St. Louis Blues
Case study – St. Louis Blues (video) & Forbes article
LA Clippers Jumbotron in-game activation
Live activation on Israeli Sports Channel
CHL – live FB activation

Pico brings brands to life and creates experiences through total brand activation – from strategy to execution. A great “Tech of Sports” to start March 2020.