In Person

Speaking Topics

The Entrepreneur in You

The jobs we had on January 1, 2020 are gone forever. The disruption from the Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for innovation and change, and at a faster rate than ever. We must all re-think ‘business as usual’ and learn how to adapt to this new normal while still achieving our business goals. From interns to executives, everyone needs to pivot, innovate and re-create. And to get started, it’s important to remember that there’s an entrepreneur in all of us. By understanding the DNA of entrepreneurship and the types of environments that are conducive to entrepreneurs, employees can thrive in any work environment and be entrepreneurial in every project they tackle.

In this talk, Mark taps into his 25 years of experience, to inspire the entrepreneurial gene in your audience, and to educate and excite them about entrepreneurship in all its forms. He will share his unique point of view on the skills he believes every entrepreneur needs to have to successfully foster the entrepreneurial spirit in any workplace.

What Sponsors Want

The world of sponsorship marketing is far too focused on impressions, logos, and ‘money can’t buy’ experiences – experiences which are miraculously secured with money. Does any corporate sponsor really believe that, seeing more logos, is what their consumers want? Do organizations selling sponsorship believe they have nothing more valuable to sell than digital and physical signage? The traditional bronze, silver and gold packages of sponsorship is a model of the past. And in this presentation Mark will dive into his five principles of what sponsors want for you to apply to your next sponsorship challenge.

Experiences Driven

We hear it every day, Millennials find more value in experiences over things. But what does that really mean to sponsors and how they approach sports marketing and fan engagement? More importantly, is it a phenomenon that is unique only to Millennials? What exactly constitutes an experience? By analyzing and examining the way different consumers live, we can actually see that there is a much broader application of the expression “experiences”. In fact, everyday life is a brand experience.

What’s Trending Next

What does the future hold? Where will our industry be in a year, a decade, or even just one month? What trends will drive how we plan, develop, activate and evaluate sponsorships. Is what’s new, really what’s next, or is just the idea of the future a trend in itself?

Discover Your Pain, Discover Your Story

Typically advertising campaigns, brand messaging, marketing and sponsorship platforms all come from a place of happiness and joy. Yet more often than not the most powerful stories are written from a place of tension, challenge and personal pain. Your audience wants to be part of a real story. They want to relate. They want to hear the best, most interesting stories ever told, and even if those stories aren’t happy ones, pain presents brands and people with the opportunity to make storytelling real again.

Every Brand Has a Heart

The line between profit and purpose is starting to blur. Both consumers and employees want brands to be brave. To stand for something. To be something. To do something. Donating to a charity is not enough. Walking for a cause falls short. And simply asking for handouts at the checkout doesn’t fit the bill. This isn’t business as usual, it’s business as it should be. Brands have the opportunity to be heroes. All they need to do is realize they have a heart.

Upcoming:

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Testimonials

“Thanks and congratulations for your inspiring speech at SPOBIS about brand positioning & storytelling. One of my highlights at the conference.” 

“Thanks again for your presentation…for giving different perspectives, thoughts and examples to challenge the status quo. That was enriching.”