April 10 WISE forum to tackle common issues students face upon entering sports industry

Monday, April 9, 2012, By Michele Barrett

Women in Sports and Events (WISE) at Syracuse University has announced the topics to be addressed in its first annual symposium, “A Word to the WISE: Leveling the Playing Field.” The symposium will tackle common issues students face upon entering the sports industry. 

The event will address issues such as common challenges, keys to success and leadership within the industry. The esteemed panelists will have the opportunity to share their experiences and thoughts on difficulties they have faced, advice to students on how to break into the industry and their views on what makes a good leader. 

The panelists will also have the chance to discuss the future of the industry, and how technology and social media have shaped sports and how they see it impacting the future. 

The event, which will take place on Tuesday, April 10, from 2-4 p.m. in Syracuse University’s Joyce Hergenhan Auditorium, will open with the results of a qualitative research study that examined the working conditions for senior-level executives within the sport industry. Gina Pauline, assistant professor, Department of Sport Management in Falk College, will discuss the gender differences stemming from socio-cultural, organizational and individual factors, and how these pieces impact many areas, including job satisfaction, turnover, family-friendly culture, policies and gender composition. 

The symposium will be moderated by SU alumna Laurie Orlando, senior vice president of talent and development at ESPN. Panelists include:

  • Michelle Berg, executive vice president, Team Epic;
  • Jessica Gelman, vice president, customer marketing & strategy, Kraft Sports Group;
  • Donna Lopiano, president and founder, Sports Management Resources;
  • Julie Nemeroff, SU alumna, NBA hospitality coordinator and global marketing partnerships;
  • Sage Steele, Sports Center co-host, ESPN, and;
  • John Walsh, executive vice president, executive editor, ESPN. 

Joe Glisson, acclaimed cartoonist, will also be on hand at the symposium selling and autographing his newest book, “No Place Like Dome.” A must-have for every SU fan, Glisson’s cartoons illustrate some of SU sport’s most unforgettable moments from 1996 to the end of this year’s whirlwind basketball season. Glisson will be donating a percentage of all book sales to WISE-SU, which will launch a scholarship to support students pursuing their interest in the sports industry. 

For more information regarding the event, contact Kate Veley at 315-443-9816 (koveley@syr.edu) or Taylor DeBolt 315-521-8093 (tmdebolt@syr.edu). Information can also be found via Twitter @WISE_SU, and Facebook. 

WISE is a resource to professional women in the sports and events industries. Through meetings, special events and mentoring programs, WISE offers members the opportunity to gain insight and make connections that can help women receive a competitive advantage in their current and future positions. The organization works to be the definitive source for businesswomen seeking information about issues, challenges and opportunities impacting all points of their career as well as career transitions. WISE now has chapters all over the country and has branched out with its first collegiate chapter at Syracuse University. WISE at Syracuse was founded by the Department of Sport Management in the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics.