Bringing Sports Social and Creative Pros Together

Arrival & Breakfast

Welcome to Gondola Summit

Speakers:

• Jared Kleinstein, Founder and CEO - Gondola

Content Sprint or Marathon? Winning Strategies for Media Days and Other Event-Based Bulk Production

Dive deep into efficient content creation during high-pressure events. Learn how to manage the fast-paced demands of media days, tournaments and more while optimizing and generating long-term value from your content.

Speakers:

• Jaelyn Arndt, Associate Director of Communications - NCAA
• Reshina Warren, Director of Social Media Content Strategy & Analytics - USTA
• Coyote Marino - United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee

Moderated by:

Alana Moritz, Creative Director - Fresh Tape Media

Getting Off the Keys - Futureproofing Your Career Path as a Creative Professional

Explore how to grow your career in the evolving landscape of creative and marketing professions. No matter if you're behind the keys or lens, this session will provide you with the tools and advice to go from entry level to executive.

Speakers:

• Jamie Han, Director of Social Media Strategy - Excel Sports Management
• Shahbaz Khan, Head of Social Strategy and Emerging Platforms - NFL
• Audrey Martin, Supervising Producer - Bleacher Report

Moderated by:

Kyle Sheldon, Founder - Name & Number

Streamlining Chaos: Mastering Creative Asset Workflow in Dynamic Environments

Unravel the complexities of managing and collaborating on creative assets. Discover workflow optimization techniques, video editing and management tools that can bring order to chaos, ensuring smooth operations and consistent output while retaining creative freedom.

Speakers:

• Matt Boyer, Director, Digital and Social Media - Colorado Rapids
• Emily Johnston Hendrix, Digital Asset Manager - Atlanta Falcons

Moderated by:

Andrew Fingerman, CEO - Photoshelter

Break

Can't We Just All Get Along? Building Alliances Across Social, Creative, and Legal Teams

In a world of meme lords, GIF armies, and trending audio, risk is everywhere when you're a sports organization in the world of social media. This session is your chance to learn how to bridge the gap between creative risk and legal practicality and how successful teams align their efforts for a seamless brand story.

Speakers:

• Robert A Hacker, Attorney at Law + Sports Media Consulting
• Lorraine Ma, CEO - Whitebalance
• Jared Kleinstein, Founder and CEO - Gondola
• Jesse Clark, Social Media Manager, Milwaukee Bucks

Moderated by:

Matthew Gutknecht, Vice President, Sports Entertainment - APM Music

The Brands Have Entered the Chat: A New Era of Sports Sponsorship and Social Integration

"Sponsored Content" is not a dirty word. Learn why content teams should embrace sponsored content and how to implement strategies that encourage collaboration between content and partnerships teams—boosting revenue, fan engagement while driving creativity and preventing burnout.

Speakers:

• Justin Einhorn, Director, U.S. Data Insights - StatsPerform
• Ryan Gonzalez, Executive Producer for Broadcast Services - Kroenke Sports & Entertainment

Moderated by:

Alex Kopilow, Founder - Sponcon Sports

Networking Lunch

Collaborative Influence: Expanding Audience Reach with Creator/Influencer Marketing

Expand to new audiences and maximize your reach by bringing together the power of influencers with the unique access of sporting events. Learn from the best on how to build relationships with influencers and create experiences from low-touch to highly involved activations that resonate with your fans and amplify your message no matter the size of your organization.

Speakers:

• Brendan Kaminsky, Founder - bknown
• Chantal Rotondo, VP Business Development & Operations - Long Haul Management
• Neil Tennant, Senior Manager, Creator Marketing & Community Engagement - NHL

Moderated by:

Nick Cicero - Entrepreneur and Gondola Advisor

Lessons from Building an Effective Live Content Correspondent Program

Get firsthand insights into what it takes to build a live content correspondent team. Learn more about the value of creator programs along with best practices on setting strategy, finding and managing content creators, measuring the success of programs and other lessons learned from industry-leading correspondent programs.

Speakers:

• Nicole Caporaso, Manager, Social Media Programs, NHL
• Tina Jain, Digital & Social Access Content Lead - NBA
• Keena Lynch, Sr. Director of Content - Big 12 Conference
• Randy Sollenberger, Manager - Live Content Correspondents Program - NFL
• Samantha Strejeck - Manager, Live Content - MLB

Cultivating a Unique Cross-Platform Brand and Voice in a Crowded Room

Sports organizations have a louder voice than ever before. Master the challenge of projecting a strong brand voice in the ever-expanding realm of social media and video. In this session, you'll learn how to weave consistency with adaptability across platforms, from viral TikTok content to expertly worded quote tweets to long-form, in-depth YouTube series. Shape a brand voice that stays true to your identity, wherever fans may find you.

Speakers:

• Ashley Atwell, Associate Vice President, Social and Emerging Media - NBA
• Tom Weingarten, Chief Growth Officer - Overtime
• Amie Kiehn - Consultant and Mom

Moderated by:

Lauren Teague, Founder - FANWAGN

Break

Different Departments, Same Goal - A Leadership Roundtable on Building and Developing High-Performing Social Teams in 2024

Join leaders from pro and college sports organizations as they discuss strategies for assembling and nurturing top-tier social media teams. They'll share tips on finding the right team members, developing talent, keeping everyone at the top of their game and the future of social media team dynamics.

Speakers:

• Katie Cavender, Assistant Director of Communications and Branding - CFP
• Caroline Deisley, Director of Social Media - Denver Broncos
• Tyson Hutchins, Associate Athletic Director, Creative Strategy - BYU

Moderated by:

Jared Kleinstein, Founder and CEO - Gondola

Me vs. We: Balancing Personal and Team Branding

How can we find the sweet spot between personal branding and team identity? This discussion provides a framework for aligning individual aspirations with team objectives for mutual growth and visibility. You’ll learn how to shine on your own as a professional while being respectful to (and enhancing) your company's brand.

Speakers:

• Billy Quach, Senior Vice President - Two Circles
• Meg Reyes, Independent Digital Host & Creator
• Jesse Wu, Creative Director - Dimes Studio

Moderated by:

Akshay Ram, Product Manager - Adobe

Peak Performance: Balancing Mental Health and Creativity in Sports Media

Learning how taking care of your mental well-being will actually help you do better creative work. This critical talk focuses on giving you the tools and confidence to stay sharp and manage stress without burning out, so you can keep coming up with great ideas as a high-performer in the always-on world of sports.

Speakers:

• Dr. Haley Perlus, Sport and Performance Psychology
• Olivia Witherite, Social Media & Brand Marketing Strategist - On-Base Collective

Break

Star Power: Building Relationships with Athletes, Coaches, and Talent for Creative Success

Unlock the potential of collaborative storytelling by building strong relationships with athletes, coaches, and other talent. Gain valuable insights into the dos and don'ts of partnering with on-the-field or in-front of the camera personalities, developing creative ideas and embracing their star power for compelling content

Speakers:

• Patrick Surtain II, Cornerback - Denver Broncos
• Neeta Sreekanth, Chief Growth & Development Officer - Winners Alliance
• Darius Sanders, CEO - Reach The People Media
• Devin Dismang, Director of Digital & Content - X Games

Moderated by:

Brantlee Fields, Former Head of Athlete & Music Partnerships @ X

Announcements

Gondola Sports Summit Party at Coors Field

Breakfast

Morning Remarks - The Future of Gondola

Workshops with Representatives from Various Social Media Platforms

Exclusive, attendee-only workshops that promise to be an intimate gathering where you can directly interact with key players at social platforms reshaping the sports landscape.

Meta

Speakers:

• Courtney Frain - Strategic Partner Manager, Sports Leagues & Teams - Meta
• Will Yoder - Leagues and Teams Lead, Sports Partnerships - Meta

Break

Snapchat

Speakers:

• Emma Wakely - Strategic Partnerships, Sports Lead - Snapchat

Break

TikTok

Speakers:

• Kat Marquez - Strategic Partner Manager of Sports - TikTok

Closing Remarks