Potential Discussion Topics/Speakers

Recruiting

Moderator: Thomas Hurst

Panelists: Joshua Golka, Marc Isenberg, Hal Fischer, Michael Garnes

• The future of athletes leaving to play overseas (the Brandon Jennings experiment).
• Recruiting baseball players from Japan, South Korea, Dominican Republic, etc. New countries in the future?
• Illegal contact with collegiate athletes. How to recruit legally according to the UAAA and SPARTA.
• Registering with state boards. Is it necessary and/or worth it?
• Highschool baseball players on the top of their game. Go to college or straight to the pros?
• AAU basketball. The prevalence of runners.
• The difference between being an agent and an advisor.
• How tools like YouTube and Facebook have changed the game of recruiting.

Negotiation

Moderator: Gary Wimsett Jr.

Panelists: David Peart, Glenn Toby, Jeff Reel

• Will the struggling economy affect free-agent signings in the future?
• How to properly value your clients in a negotiation.
• Tactics in a negotiation setting.
• Will the NFL ever turn to a slotting system a la the NBA?
• The value of holding out.
• Marketing deals, promotion, sponsorship and licensing agreements.
• Should a player ever negotiate his own contract (i.e. Daunte Culpepper)?

Labor Issues

Moderator: Nick Ohanesian

Panelists: Marc Edelman, Michael McCann, Matthew Watkins

• Arbitration strategies for team/player.
• Collusion issues (i.e. - Barry Bonds).
• The tough job for the next NFLPA Executive Director.
• Will we ever see a salary cap in baseball?
• Positives and negatives of the NFL Franchise Tag.

Future of Sports Business

Moderator: Jeffrey Harrison

Panelists: Roger Mussa, Adam Zimmerman, David Higdon, Kelly Perdew, David Snyder

• Convergence of sports and entertainment.
• Agencies offering a multitude of services including legal related services, thus binding them to the Model Rules of Professional Conduct.
• New kinds of endorsements and marketing opportunities in a digital world.
• Will more women enter this male-dominated field?
• How will the internet affect the sports business landscape?
• Is wealth management becoming a necessary service for sports agents to provide?
• Blogs, social networking, YouTube. How can somebody in the sports business world use these tools to get ahead of the pack?
• More conglomeration? What will become of CAA, IMG, Blue Equity, Octagon?