The University of Toledo’s Athletics Department organized a first summit on Toledo team partners on Tuesday in Savage Arena, bringing together a transversal cup of executives and visionaries of all sport, business and community landscapes for a relevant day of insight, inspiration and innovation.
The summit included speakers and high -level panelists who shape the future of sports and business. More than 100 community leaders and innovators have attended the event focused on sports power to start communities and generate resources, including subjects such as investment / capital, real estate partnerships, sports for young people and innovative income generation initiatives.
Nic Barge, CEO of Rock Entertainment Group, which includes the Cleveland Cavaliers and Rocket Arena, was the honor speaker of the Toledo team’s summit in Savage Arena on Tuesday. Barring has shared its vision on how sport can be a platform for transformative growth and community engagement.
Nic Barge, CEO of Rock Entertainment Group, which includes the Cleveland Cavaliers and Rocket Arena, was the honor speaker of the event. Barring has shared its vision on how sport can be a platform for transformative growth and community engagement.
“The sports industry has an annual growth rate that will continue to stimulate the value of communities,” said Barring. “This is something that we should all kiss and wrap our arms. Therefore, partners see the value of sports in all different ways.
“Athletics is a bridge to show how great we are. Activation generates life, it generates momentum, it generates dynamic, it generates a community and establishes relations. For a community like this, it is important that everyone supports everyone and that everyone locks up weapons together and continues to work to bring people together. ”
Former students of Rocket Football Andrew Hawkins and Ryan Huzjak were presented on the “manufactured in the Glass City” panel. Hawkins, who played six seasons in the NFL with Cleveland and Cincinnati, is the co-founder and president of Statuspro and an ESPN personality. Huzjak is vice-president of sales and marketing of Pittsburgh Steelers.
Hawkins has provided its point of view on the potential of Toledo’s athletics.
“In the creative process, you create your creativity when your resources are down,” said Hawkins. “If I can see what you can do with fewer resources than the next person, it tells me that if the playing field is equal, that’s what it can be. I think Toledo Athletics is in this position.”
Huzjak added that the construction of solid links with sports in the youth region is a potential growth field for Toledo athletics.
“In this community, there is no better brand to authenticate sports for young people than the Toledo Rockets,” said Huzjak, who was a quarter-Arrière All-Mac in the Mac Undefeated Mac Championship team. “In youth sports, you have the opportunity to bring people on this campus and expose it to coaches and young people and connect with the community.”
The Summit also included a “Team Toledo Partner” panel which showed how corporate and community partners create significant collaborations through sports. The featured panelists included Albert Atkins of Servpro, Jennifer Strauss of the Children’s Hospital and Mike Keedy, in chief engagement and business for Metroparks Toledo. Their conversation focused on maximizing the community impact and the connection with the rocket brand through northwestern Ohio.
The vice-president and director of athletics of the University of Toledo, Bryan B. Blair, opened the event by highlighting the enormous recent success of the Rockets, such as three consecutive Cartwright Awards as the first global program of the Mid-American conference, 13 Mac titles in the last three seasons and two best choices of the last two riots in the last two riots NFL. But, he added that the Toledo athletics bar will be even higher in the future.
“This is only the starting point,” said Blair. “It is the bottom of the mountain. Then we have to climb this mountain to reach the real peak. ”