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National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman will present the keynote address at the Second Annual Sports Licensing Summit to be held at the Grand Hyatt in New York City on June 18.

In addition to Mr. Bettman, it was also announced that Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA) President and CEO Tom Cove will present a global analysis of the sports licensing industry today. His state-of-the-industry address will open the Summit which is the sports licensing industry’s only full day event devoted to analysis, forecasts and best practices.

Launched by the National Sports Marketing Network (NSMN), the Summit will enjoy a convergence of leading professionals from the major industry pillars: leagues, licensees, manufacturers and retailers. Unlike other industry events, this event is exclusive to sports licensing professionals only. Applications for attendance are reviewed prior to admittance to ensure the audience is comprised exclusively of sports licensing executives.

Featured topics for the 2007 Summit include: global licensing, digital trends and a spotlight on retail among current issues. To guide programming and event structure NSMN has assembled an advisory board of industry decision makers including:

Rick Alessandri: Senior VP, ESPN Consumer Products / Managing Director, X Games Franchise
Rick Becker: Vice President, Sales & Marketing, VF Activewear
Stuart Crystal: Vice President, Marketing & Consumer Products, Major League Soccer
Shawn Lawson-Cummings: Vice President, International Licensing & Sponsorship, Major League Baseball International
Blake Davidson: Managing Director Licensed Products, NASCAR
Mary Pat Gillin: Vice President, Marketing Services, National Basketball Association
Gene Goldberg: Vice President, Consumer Products, National Football League
Donna Goldsmith: Executive Vice President, Consumer Products, World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc.
Rick Isaacson: Senior Vice President, IMG Licensing
Brian Jennings: Executive Vice President, Consumer Products Marketing, National Hockey League
Terry Lefton: Editor-at-Large, Sports Business Daily/Sports Business Journal
Mike Loparo: Vice President, Consumer Products and Marketing, Arena Football League
Leo McCullagh: Vice President, Retail Licensing, PGA Tour
Jeffrey Pollack: Commissioner, World Series of Poker
Brandon Steiner: Chairman/CEO, Steiner Sports Marketing
Greg Via: President, The Via Group
Clay Walker: Executive Vice President & GM, Fantasy Sports Ventures
Kit Walsh: Senior Vice President, CLC

Sports Licensing Summit to Feature NHL's Bettman as Keynote Speaker