Jonathan Mellema is a senior studying management in the Broad College of Business, who wants to work in player operations.

Kylee Maurer is a junior studying public relations in the College of Communication Arts and Sciences, who wants to work in community relations and event management. They write about their experience at the first-ever Business of Sports Summit hosted by the Broad College’s minor in sports business management.

On Jan. 19, students interested in the sports industry flowed into the Minskoff Pavilion to grow their network and knowledge of sports at the first-ever Business of Sports Summit. The event was exclusive for students pursuing a minor in sports business management or involved in the FLISE, or Future Leaders in Sports and Entertainment, club. 

The BOSS event was a big deal for us because this was the very first sports summit held here. The morning was a mixed feeling of nervousness and excitement for how the day was going to go.

Kicking things off, keynote speaker Jenny Taft, on-air sports television personality and lead college football reporter for FOX Sports, and Elliott Daniels, faculty lead and program director for the minor, talked about Jenny’s career journey, tips and challenges. Specifically, she shared how to effectively communicate, preparation for on-air hosting and sideline reporting, and how to overcome the unexpected.   

Next on the schedule were panel discussions where we got to choose two events to attend between four topics: hospitality and event activation; the art of sports sales; enhancing fan experience through sports marketing; or the future of sports agencies and impact of NIL. Each panel had a team of amazing speakers, too many to name. They provided intel about upgrading networking skills and enhancing career success. These included getting outside of our comfort zone, having a support system outside of work, looking long term – not short term, researching the company before an interview, figuring out how you define success, showing that you are listening and leveraging your skills instead of your experience.

During our lunch break we also heard from Janice Hillard on career coaching. She told us a lot of information on how to do the best we could in our careers with tips and tricks. We then ended the day with a networking mixer with all the executives  and speakers that attended this event.

One of our favorite pieces of advice was from Rashad I. Campbell — “Don’t stay past your expiration date.” Essentially, he said not to stay at a job where you are no longer needed or are no longer learning valuable information. Other speakers urged us to never stop reaching for our dreams no matter what stands in the way and to find a good mentor that will show you the ropes, not just for a job.

Overall, the conference was an amazing experience. The speakers were personable and were talking to us, not at us. They genuinely wanted to be there and to help us. They gave their own unique perspectives on true challenges that students are faced with in this field, as well as personal and life advice. We don’t quite know how to describe the feeling, but it felt comfortable and not like we were just faces in the crowd, but rather as if they were speaking personally to each one of us.

The best advice was from Mike Price, chief sales and operations officer of Destination Ann Arbor, when he said: “Be vulnerable, be memorable and be yourself.”