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?