thedmonline
Sports industry experts gathered at the University of Mississippi's Overby Center for Southern Journalism and Politics on October 15 and 16 for the Sports ForUM, where they offered advice and perspectives on the sports business landscape. The two-day event comprised six panels with panelists representing major brands such as the NFL, EA Sports, and the SEC.
Norman Seawright III, a university alumnus and anchor/reporter at WLKY in Louisville, Kentucky, kicked off the event by discussing the importance of building connections with fellow students. "The people that you know, the people you take with you off this campus, are the people that matter most to you," Seawright said. "Your own peers are the ones who will unlock something in you, and you will be the ones to unlock something in them."
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One panel, titled Inside Sports' Biggest Brands, featured Renie Anderson, NFL executive vice president and chief revenue officer; Charlie Hussey, SEC associate commissioner for network relations; Josh Gregory, director of business development at EA Sports; and Lindsey Landrum, director of sports management at IMG. All four panelists are University of Mississippi alumni. Hussey, a native of Oxford, credited his upbringing and early work experience at University Sporting Goods—starting at age 12—for helping him reach his current role. "Ole Miss and Oxford were all part of the journey," Hussey said. "I had a chance to work at University Sporting Goods on the Square. There was a real community aspect I learned working there and working with the Ole Miss community."
On Friday, two panels ran concurrently: Building your Audience in the Overby Center auditorium and Breaking into the Game in Overby 249. The Building your Audience panel included Greg Bensel, senior vice president for communications and broadcasting for the New Orleans Saints and Pelicans; Chase Parham, local sports journalist at 247 Sports and owner of MPW Digital; Matthew Sign, chief operating officer at the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame; and Mathieu Schneider, director of men's hockey at 3G Sports and former NHL player.
Parham advised students interested in starting podcasts, noting that 92% of podcasts end before 10 episodes. He stressed the importance of perseverance even when no one is listening. "When you start anything, whether you're learning to write or learning to talk, you're going to suck at it," Parham said. "I'll have students come up to me and say that they started something and nobody is listening, and I'll tell them, 'Good.'" Parham encouraged students to review their own work, learn from mistakes, and keep going to build muscle memory. "If you do 10 episodes or write 10 articles in the newsletter, you are in the top 8% just because you worked enough to get a little positive muscle memory, and that is the first step," he said.
The final panel, The Future of Sports Media, featured Chris Traeger, sports and entertainment executive at Endava; Zach Bingham, CEO at A to Z Sports; Catherine Chalfant, senior manager of content operations at ESPN; and David Dillard, founder of Total Production Services LLC. All four are university alumni. Dillard's company covers approximately 120 university sporting events annually, and about 70% of his staff are students, including college and high school students. Chalfant, who got her start with Total Production Services, recalled learning the ropes of broadcasting. "I learned what a broadcast does, how to be a part of it, how to run a camera. I learned all the different elements of the broadcast—hard work, showing up early and troubleshooting gear," Chalfant said. Dillard noted that students who make sacrifices stand out in today's sports workforce. "Last Thursday night, we had a soccer game in Oxford that we had to produce," Dillard said. "There are some people in this room who gave up their Thursday night to work. They made a little money, but at the same time, they made the sacrifice knowing there is something bigger than just the college experience."
Jack Call, a senior integrated marketing communications major, attended the event for networking. "I have an interest in journalism, and hearing about this great opportunity to meet some of the biggest people in the sports journalism world was amazing," Call said.
Editor's note: Editor-in-Chief Raegan Settle and sports editor Russ Eddins moderated panels at Sports ForUM.
Originally reported by thedmonline.