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.

So you may ask, what can this association do for me? The question should be what can’t they do for me. NSMN offers several services to its members. There are networking events, several times a year, around the country, and as a member you will have free access to all of these events. NSMN offers admission into their private social media groups (2 Facebook, 2 LinkedIn and 3 Twitter). This gives you the opportunity to discuss industry related topics and make connections with sports professionals across the United States. They will also help you set up a one-on-one meeting with other members. As if that is not enough, NSMN also offers members only industry discounts and a resume bank. This organization will keep your resume on file and contact you when someone presents a job that matches your qualifications; not to mention the industry workshops and the one-on-one sessions with career advisors.

So I see what they can do for me, but what are they doing for the industry and the community? NSMN is dedicated to promoting industry awareness. They offer professional development counseling and present issue-based seminars raising awareness of critical sports concerns. NSMN has also organized the charitable group Sports Tackles Cancer. The goal of this charity is to unite sports industry professionals and sports fans by fundraising for the fight against cancer. One hundred percent of the proceeds from their events go to a cancer research organization.

So how do I join? Unfortunately, NSMN accepts members by application only and sports industry experience is required, but this is how they keep their organization professional. Who wants to be part of a club that everyone can join anyway? The allure is that it is only offered to the best and by getting in you are now one of the best. So now is the time to acquire some sports industry experience. As a student, I plan to volunteer at sporting events for a season and do a stand out job. As long as you can show your involvement in the industry and get a raving review from someone in charge, you could be eligible for membership into this amazing group. Moreover, if you find that this is not the group for you, don’t fret, there are thousands of trade associations. You can search here for the association that best suits your needs.

Briana Scales