The Perils of Procrastination and other stories

As seen from the last post, there are many liabilities to look for in the event planning/management industry. Upon review of some Entertainment Law Update podcasts, I was able to identify a few additional hidden liabilities that may not be as prevalent but are every bit as important.

In episode 35, Gordon Firemark, the host of the podcasts, and a guest discuss an issue brought to us by the Golden Nugget Casino in Atlantic City. On April 30, 2012, several casino patrons were playing mini-baccarat when they, after a few hands, began to notice a pattern in the cards and upped their bets. The gamblers were racking up the chips but the casino let the game continue, assuming that there was a large cheating scam going on and that they could catch the person red-handed.

Fight For Your Right to Party!

Bowl season is about to begin and with it comes bowl parties. Whether throwing a small house party or planning an event on a larger scale, there are things to consider. While event planning may appear to be all fun and games to many people, professional event planners realize the dangers of the games. There are many potential liabilities to consider when planning an event. One possible liability was demonstrated by an Atlanta event planner last year. In December of 2010,  Terry Singleton received a letter from the Academy, but it wasn’t for her nomination. This letter was to inform her of her infringement of copyright. An event she had hosted around Oscar time utilized 7-foot gold statues, similar to those given out at the Academy Awards but not identical. She did not see a problem because the statue had no facial features and looked “more like a gold alien” but the Academy had a different idea and was looking to sue. Due to the Academy’s prestige and wealth, the planner decided to comply and came to an undisclosed settlement. While this may seem like a freak occurrence, incidents like this are an expensive liability that could easily be avoided. Be careful not to include any copyrighted material into decorations and if a client is dead set on having something copyrighted, tell the client he/she will have to pay to have the rights to use that copyrighted material. The client may change his/her mind.

Boys Among Men: How To Compete

When thinking about basketball there are certain teams that automatically come into mind. Besides the home team, one cannot help but to think about the Lakers, Heat, Bulls, Celtics and a few of the other large franchise teams. Unless a smaller team is a playoff contender, it is not usually getting much press. So how do these teams gain momentum and amp up their fan base? How when you are the Kings or Warriors, playing in the same state as the LA teams (Clippers and Lakers), do you compete?

Spotlight: SMA Conference

Last week, the annual conference for the Sports Marketing Association (SMA) was held here, in Orlando, FL, at the Wyndham Hotel. This year they teamed up with Teamwork Online to add a day for students to network with some of the many sports professionals present and each other. This past Saturday, October 27, 2012, I had the opportunity to attend this event. It began with introductions and then the professionals shared their stories. The people we heard from were Tom Veit, Alex Vergara, Bob Crowley, Ed Willett, Rick Burton, Jeff Angolini, Donna Rowe, Jeffrey Gray and Marcellus Cooper. Here are a few of their stories:

Trend Alert: Augmented Reality

Sports fans are always looking for new ways to interact with their favorite teams and their favorite players. For the past few years sports teams and associated products have been using augmented reality to give fans this new experience that they crave. Augmented reality is, in short, incorporating aspects of a virtual world into the real world.

EA Sports and ESPN have teamed up to create EA Sports GameView. This technology allows analysts to interact with virtual players to show players’ techniques and provide insight into the game.

Project XX

In the past year there has been an insurgence of marketing to women. Politicians can’t seem to get enough of us as they have realized how great an influence we have on their campaigns. There has also been a push to women for goods and services that aren’t typically considered feminine, including sports. For many years sports marketers have done their best to appeal to men but have ignored women. It was believed that men were their target market and that advertising to women was a waste of time and money. As a woman sports fan I never understood why they would leave us out. Although some of us may be watching for different reasons, like seeing attractive sweaty men, we are still watching and enjoying sports just as much as the guys. Moreover, lets take a look at the stereotypical male-female relationship. The man works and the woman spends the money. Women make a large percentage of the spending decisions in a household, so doesn’t it make sense to market to the one’s who are going to be spending the money?

Spotlight: National Sports Marketing Network

Trade associations are an important part of any industry. They give you the chance to meet people with like interests and career paths. Many also offer conferences, charitable events and career services. You could think of them as the fraternities of “the real world”.  One industry trade association that I hope to become a member of and would recommend is the National Sports Marketing Network (NSMN). They have deemed themselves “the exclusive industry trade organization for sports business professionals in the United States” and rightfully so.  NSMN’s members include league commissioners, network and corporate executives, agency presidents and a host of other sports industry professionals.  This group is encouraging interaction between sports professionals and creating a more united front in the industry.

Cooling Out The Fans

This summer has been one for the record books. The heat has been overwhelming and outdoor arenas have not been the ideal place to venture, but in the sports world the show must go on! Baseball teams literally had their diehard fans sweating in the stands this season as temperatures were near 100+ in almost every state. Moreover, if you have been watching the games on TV you may have noticed that these outdoor arenas are far from full. Many of these venues are not prepared to accommodate these types of weather conditions and many fans have been forced to sit this season out.

Jumpstarting A Ruined Reputation

In November 2011, the indiscretions of Jerry Sandusky, a case that began in 2009, were brought to the attention of the public. I will not go in to detail, as the media has overwhelmed us with information for months; consequently, we all know the drama that ensued, culminating in him being found guilty to 45 of 48 counts in June 2012. Sandusky not only managed to ruin his reputation, but he also took with him the reputations of the legendary Joe Paterno and Penn State University.  Now with the conviction of Sandusky and the untimely passing of coach Paterno, Penn State is left to bear the brunt of the controversy. Receiving a seemingly exorbitant amount of punishment, Penn State has to rebuild and regain trust, but how?

Summer Olympics… Wait That’s This Year?

Around the world the Olympic games have retained their status as one of the most popular sporting events, but in the United States things are a bit different. In the past it seemed that most everyone in the U.S. knew the dates of the Olympics, the location, the stars to look for; but it seems, in this age, traditional events like the Olympics have lost their luster. I have talked to children who don’t even know about the Olympics. The Olympics used to be an event that united the nation, all of us coming together to support our athletes and show that we are the best. However, in a country of everyone for his/her self, is there still a place for these Olympic events? The athletes are not even as willing to win for their country. Will tradition weigh out technology?

Tiger Woods vs. The Sponsors

It is no secret that, since his indiscretions became public in late 2009, Tiger Woods has lost numerous tournaments and with them numerous endorsements. But were these losses somewhat correlated? Lets look at the numbers. When Tiger Woods was winning he was endorsed by a multitude of companies. Nike, General Motors, Titleist, TAG Heuer, and numerous others all wanted a piece of Mr. Woods and were willing to pay dearly to get that piece.