3:00-5:30pm - Think-Tank
5:30-7:00pm - Cocktail Reception

Event Sponsor:

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Discussion Topics:

• Discuss the many changes in the Charlotte marketplace and how they have impacted your sports spending decisions
• What are motorsports teams, tracks, and sanctioning bodies doing to attract and retain sponsors in a declining economy? Speakers will discuss the consolidation of teams and the impact for brands.
• With the number of properties selling sponsorships in Charlotte, including the Charlotte Bobcats, Charlotte Panthers, Charlotte Knights, Charlotte Checkers, NASCAR Hall of Fame, US National Whitewater Center, Wells Fargo Championship, Charlotte Motor Speedway, NASCAR teams, etc, how does a property stand out from the rest and sell successfully to a limited number of local brands?
• Discuss the best local sponsorship activation programs you have seen in the past year. Discuss your best local activation and why it was so successful for your brand.
• How does your company measure ROI and how has the economy impacted how you invest?
• Why doesn't our industry have a standard for measurement? How do media buyers, advertising agencies, properties and brands all differ on metrics?
• How much more active should brands be in supporting local causes in Charlotte? When sponsoring a community property, what is the ethical balance between pure philanthropy and expecting ROI?
• Does your brand use social media? How and why? Which social media platform has been most successful? How do you measure ROI in social media?
• How are new media, such as blogs, podcasts and the digital space affecting your marketing strategies and how will you continue to adapt?
• Are your consumers changing and what type of research are you using to learn more and adapt your sponsorship spending?
• How do current new events, domestic and international affect your marketability of products with consumers? How does sponsorship help with messaging?
• Discuss how sponsorships contracts have evolved in the past few years to protect companies who partner with athletes and properties.
• Discuss the public’s image of sports sponsorship and hospitality. What does your company do to help with the negative image some companies are getting from sponsorship.
• What do you like about the sponsorship sales and activation process? Dislike?
• What corporate brand do you admire the most for their national sponsorship portfolio & activation?
• What trends do you see in the sports sponsorship business? What are you doing to stay current?
  

Facilitators:
Ray Bednar	Greg Economou Managing Director & CEO BRANDTHINK
Think-Tank Participants:
Kim Henderson Senior Director, Corporate Relations & Sponsorships Novant Health	Karen Johnson Vice President, Sponsorship Marketing SunTrust Banks, Inc.	Brian Kelly Chief Marketing Officer - East Region Time Warner Cable
Tom Lamb Senior Vice President, Marketing Lowe’s	James Lee Former Director of Marketing, Sponsorship & Activation Coca-Cola Bottling Group	Lou Ann Russell Deputy Executive Director, Marketing/Advertising North Carolina Education Lottery

More About Our Event Sponsor:

Sports Systems delivers online IT solutions to agencies, event sponsors and event operators to streamline guest hospitality (GuestPass), internal ticket management (TicketTracker) and event accreditation (PressPass). Agencies like IMG, Octagon, Genesco, Just Marketing, Radiate and GMR, Velocity and others rely on Sports Systems to help them deliver their core service better. GuestPass provides internal and agency hospitality teams greater control over complex invitation/registration processes with less work, reduced chances of error and improved guest communications. TicketTracker simplifies and enforces control and tracking of corporate ticket inventory with a single online process for ticket requests and allocations for effective usage reporting and audit requirements. PressPass is the leader in online event accreditation management, serving 850 worldwide events in 2009. To learn more, contact jim.daigle@sportssystems.com

More About Hilton Charlotte Center City:

www.charlottecentercity.hilton.com The Hilton Charlotte Center City is the OFFICIAL PARTNER HOTEL of the NSMN Charlotte Chapter The AAA Four Diamond Hilton Charlotte Center City is located directly across from the Charlotte Convention Center. In the heart of uptown Charlotte within walking distance of the best dining and nightlife. With 400 deluxe guest rooms, including 14 suites and 30,000 sq. ft. of function space, the Hilton Charlotte Center City offers the ideal business and leisure destination. In 2007, a $30 million total hotel renovation was completed offering a sleek cosmopolitan design with revolutionary technology. The hotel is connected to the uptown YMCA, the largest health club in Center City. Offering a indoor Olympic pool, indoor running track, basketball courts and a extensive section of exercise machines and free weights. To book your next corporate function at the Hilton Charlotte Center City, please contact NSMN member Greg Greenawalt: Greg_Greenawalt@hilton.com and mention NSMN.

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