NATIONAL SPORTS MARKETING NETWORK OPENS 11TH CHAPTER IN CHARLOTTE, N.C.

Charlotte’s Top Sports Business Leaders Join Charlotte Board

(New York, NY) – National Sports Marketing Network (NSMN) President Jennifer Karpf is pleased to announce the opening of the Charlotte Chapter, the 11th local market to be chosen by the leading sports business trade organization. The Charlotte Chapter Steering Committee includes a "who's who" of leading local sports business industry professionals in the country today.

NSMN is the trade organization of the sports business industry with more than 7,000 members from the world of sports marketing, broadcasting, professional sports leagues, production companies and sponsors. Charlotte will become the organization's 11th local chapter.

Charlotte's Steering Committee is a who's who list of industry movers all of whom have aligned with NSMN to provide vision, direction and support in the development of the Charlotte Chapter. Those named to the Steering Committee include: .

  • Mike Bartelli, Millsport  
  • Ray Bednar, Bank of America
  • Mike Boykin, GMR Live
  • Kyle Caddell, Carolina Panthers
  • Mark Coughlin, Octagon
  • Mark Dyer, NASCAR
  • Greg Economou, Charlotte Bobcats Sports & Entertainment
  • Lee Folger, Baseball America
  • Cindy Sisson Hensley, Agency Won
  • Brett Jewkes, Alan Taylor Communications
  • Dean Kessel, Sprint Nextel
  • Tom Lamb, Lowe's
  • Jim McPhilliamy, The Integis Group
  • John Miller, ESM Marketing
  • Marcus Smith, Speedway Motorsports, Inc.
  • Trip Wheeler, Velocity Sports & Entertainment

"Charlotte is an epicenter of sports business and motor sports in this country and we are pleased to include the market's top sports decision makers on our NSMN planning team," said Karpf. "Our Charlotte Chapter members will benefit from networking and education on the local and the national level. We are the only organization of its kind and we are looking forward to welcoming hundreds of new sports professionals to our new chapter in North Carolina."

It was also announced today that Dan Passe, Principal of Autopasse Inc., has been appointed by NSMN as Charlotte Chapter Manager. Passe will continue running Autopasse Inc. and he will also work directly with NSMN's national office to oversee the Charlotte Chapter Steering Committee and coordinate membership development, marketing, promotions and event production. To date, the chapter already boasts more than 200 members.

Within the next few weeks, the Charlotte Chapter will announce an inaugural Charlotte event. For membership information and to join the Charlotte Chapter, please visit http://www.sportsmarketingnetwork.com/.

About NSMN
Founded in 1998 by Karpf, the NSMN includes more than 7,000 members with chapters in 11 major markets including Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Washington D.C. The membership includes the most influential sports business professionals representing a variety of areas including all of the professional sports leagues, sports marketing agencies, television networks, event companies and agents.

NSMN is dedicated to the advancement of the sports business industry through professional development counseling, networking, and the production of thought-provoking, issue-oriented seminars created to raise the level of discourse on critical sports industry issues. In addition to producing must-attend panel discussions in each market, NSMN will host the second annual Sports Licensing Summit in New York City on June 18, 2007.  For more membership information visit http://www.sportsmarketingnetwork.com   or call 212-227-1300.