The Fan Marketing Summit

Dave Hopkinson leads all commercial operations including ticketing, sponsorship, marketing, communication and Corporate Social Responsibility across MLSE’s teams (Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors, Toronto FC) so he’s responsible for marketing and selling tickets across 3 different sports and to a huge number of events. At MLSE they’ve been investing lots into their CRM systems to ‘put the right offer in front of the right person, at the right time’ and they’ve been running a really successful campaign called We The North around the Raptors for the last few years, as well as growing a fan base for the relatively new MLS expansion team Toronto FC.

Gabrielle Dow, possessor of 21 years of diverse experience across professional sports, entertainment, and venues, is in her second year as the Packers’ vice president of marketing and fan engagement. Gabrielle, who was named to the position in May 2014, oversees the Packers’ retail operations, digital, marketing, brand engagement and game day entertainment. In her first year with the Packers, Dow and her team have enhanced the game day experience with a variety of new elements in Lambeau Field, including the use of pyrotechnics and a revamped music selection, along with “Get Loud Lambeau,” a fan engagement campaign that encourages game attendees to support and energise the players and coaches.

Todd Taylor is the current Senior Vice President, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at Pacers Sports & Entertainment; holding the title for over five years. His role involves overseeing ticket sales and services, corporate partnerships, marketing and game operations for the Indiana Pacers. Todd has contributed to the development and implementation of numerous strategic initiatives that have helped to achieve record sales numbers and success in each respective market. His previous role was Executive Vice President, Ticket Sales and Marketing at Texas Rangers Baseball Club. He has also served over four years as Vice President at Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Club, Portland Trail Blazers and Columbus Blue Jackets.

Charles Allen is the Head of Marketing at Arsenal Football Club. Charles has spent the majority of his career working for multi-national FMCG companies before moving to Arsenal in 2010. His experience ranges from commercial roles to international commercial and senior marketing roles. He focuses on strategic thinking and approaching consumer and brand issues in an innovative and provocative way. His primary focus for Arsenal FC is around building the membership base and engaging fans in a timely, relevant and personalised way. Charles tries to combine strong analysis with an ability to bring plans to life in simple and motivational ways.

Mathias Blühdorn began his career with Sony Music Entertainment in 1999 as a Marketing Assistant. A year later he was appointed Junior Product Manager for Columbia International. In subsequent years he rose to Product Manager and Senior Product Manager. Most recently he was responsible in the Rock/ Alternative International Marketing at Song BMG Germany. In 2005 Mathias was promoted to Marketing Director International for Sony and in this role he has been responsible for the international marketing of all Sony’s music catalogue and artists.

At FanThreeSixty, Robb Heineman leads the company’s vision and growth for innovation in sports and entertainment. The company designs technology solutions that transform how sports organizations understand and engage with their fans. As owner and CEO of MLS club Sporting Kansas City, Robb represents the ultimate convergence of leadership in sports and technology. He was instrumental in the successful rebrand from the Wizards to Sporting KC, as well as the development of the award-winning Children’s Mercy Park. The team and venue have both been recognized worldwide for innovating a new standard for fan engagement with a specific focus on technology.

As UFC Executive Vice President and Chief Content Officer, Marshall Zelaznik oversees media deals in more than 150 countries whilst managing their direct-to-consumer business of pay-per-view and the implementation of UFC Fight Pass. Marshall has positioned the over-the-top digital network as the premier destination for UFC fight fans. With an ever-expanding fight library, exclusive UFC events and original programming, UFC Fight Pass quickly surpassed initial expectations and has flourished under Marshall’s leadership. With close to a decade of experience with UFC, he has played a fundamental role in developing UFC’s emerging business and, under his direction, has positioned the organisation as the global leader in mixed martial arts. He has also played a key role in the continued international expansion of UFC and, as Managing Director of International Development, was responsible for the organisation’s growth outside the United States.

Carsten Cramer, previously VP Marketing & Sales with the international sports rights marketing company Lagadére Sports, has led Borussia Dortmund’s Sales, Marketing and Business Development departments since October 2010 in order to open new avenues of business. In addition he is the MD of BVB-Merchandising GmbH, the BVB subsidiary, Sports and Bytes, and he is also on the board of the leuchte auf foundation. Borussia Dortmund CEO, Hans-Joachim Watzke, calls the 47 year old Cramer “one of the most prominent personalities in the field of sports marketing”.

Peter Sorckoff has been at the Hawks since 1999 holding senior marketing titles in his whole time there. Peter oversees brand management, advertising, promotions, the fan experience/game presentation, digital and social channels, direct/ e-mail marketing and team retail operations. He was also a Venue Producer for the Salt Lake Olympic Committee during the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. The Hawks have been boosting their attendances over the last few years with innovative marketing campaigns using such things as Tinder and Ashley themed nights. The franchise has more than tripled their season tickets sold since 2014.

Ignacio Martinez Trujillo is Managing Director of innovation and global development at La Liga. He started working for La Liga in July 2013 and has been in his current role for just over ten months. Ignacio has plans to launch La Liga Lab; a major collaboration and co-creation platform. Prior to his time at La Liga Ignacio was the Founder and Managing Partner of Hache2i; a company that aids organisations in its digital transformation by providing technology, consulting services, integration and deployment. Ignacio was also an External Consultant for Ferrovial for 7 years before his recent roles.