RISHONDA’S PORTFOLIOThe following is a compilation of sporting events and

sponsorship programs that I have been fortunate enough to

work on. Please feel free to contact me at

rithomast@gmail.com with questions

Goals

GENERATE revenue for a professional sports entity through ticket and/or sponsorship sales

Prospect and generate potential new leads

Service season ticket accounts or corporate client accounts

Exceed sales and revenue goals

LEARN about the business operations of a professional sports franchise

Participate in a sales program that offers ongoing training and growth with experienced staff

CONTRIBUTE to the overall franchise by assisting game night and events staff

Assist partnership marketing staff with fulfilling sponsorship programs

PERFORM other duties as needed and/ or assigned by Manager

Background

Education

Davidson College BA English

Bonner Scholar

Women’s Basketball Team Manager

Intramural Flag Football Champion

Choate Rosemary Hall

Choate Scholar

Basketball and Lacrosse player

Experience

Octagon

Team Epic (formerly Velocity Sports & Entertainment)

Testimonials

Supervisors

“I know with your work ethic and attitude you'll knock them over…!”

Teachers

“Rishonda is a pleasure to have in class. She is both liked and respected by her peers”

“She continually exhibits great kindness and thoughtfulness to anyone she encounters”

“She has brought good spirit, positive attitude, and fierce determination to all she has done

this fall”

Peers

“You are such a fabulous listener and your leadership style is calm but direct”

“I appreciated your laid-back enthusiasm and the genuine spirit you contributed to the group”

“Your positive attitude is infectious!”

Case Studies

Regression Analysis Charlotte Bobcats

Pilot Pen Tennis Tournament

Arthur Ashe Kid’s Day

US Open

BMW Championship

BMW M Power Tour

2011 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition Launch

Pepsi MAX Grassroots Marketing Tour

Charlotte Bobcats Case Study

Sports Economics Independent Research Course

Examined economic impact of American professional sports and the business models of the

NBA, NHL, MLB, and NFL

Final Project

Project examined variables that led to higher attendance at Bobcats games

Statistically Significant Variables after Regression Analysis

Weekend

Football Season

All- NBA 1st Team Players on Opposing Team

Games Remaining on the Schedule

Number of Championships in Opposing Team’s Franchise History

Pilot Pen Tennis

The Pilot Pen Tennis Tournament (currently known as New Haven Open)

Takes place in New Haven, CT and is one of 10 tournaments (Olympus US Open Series)

leading up to the US Open Tennis Championship in late August

Title Sponsor

Pilot Pen Corporation of America- a leading writing instrument marketer and manufacturer

Objectives

Pilot Pen wanted to increase brand awareness and sales among affluent, middle aged

consumers who often start buying school supplies for their children around August

Results

The tournament attracted over 70,000 people

Event was televised on CBS and ESPN2

Arthur Ashe Kid’s Day

Arthur Ashe Kid’s Day

Children’s event that celebrates the life of former tennis player and activist Arthur Ashe and

kicks off the US Open

Presenting Sponsor

Hess Corporation- Energy Company (Oil and Gas) that conducts oil exploration worldwide

and offers utilities and gas service stations on the East Coast

Objectives

Build brand awareness and establish goodwill among the public at a time when oil companies

are experiencing an increase in negative publicity because of the BP oil spill

Results

Over 25,000 spectators attended the event

Event was televised worldwide on CBS

Arthur Ashe Kid’s Day remains the largest community tennis event in the world

U.S. Open

United States Open Tennis Championships

The US Open is the USTA’s annual major tournament. USTA Serves supports the

organization’s tennis and education initiatives

Objectives

USTA Serves wanted to leverage the popularity of the US Open to increase donations and

awareness

Solution

USTA Serves set up a booth along the Avenue of Aces (stadium entrance)

Volunteers handed out flyers and giveaways and spoke with patrons about USTA Serves

Encouraged patrons to participate in Text 2 Donate- mobile donation campaign partnership

with Usher’s New Look Foundation

Results

Greater exposure and awareness for USTA Serves

Over 700,000 people attended US Open in 2010

Both US Open website and mobile site experienced significant web traffic gains

BMW Championship

2010 BMW Championship

PGA Tour event which is part of the FedEx Cup Playoffs and features the top 70 golfers in the FedEx Cup standings

Proceeds support the Evans Scholars Foundation- a college scholarship program for caddies

Title Sponsor

BMW- a luxury car manufacturer

Objectives

Establish brand loyalty and increase sales

Activations

Provided BMWs (535GT) to players for duration of the tournament

Premium service (parking privileges & hospitality) to BMW owners

Invite BMW owners to play in the pro-am tournament

BMW Fan Challenge, BMW Owner’s Pavilion, BMW Experience, BMW Biergarten

Results

Over 1000 patrons participated in the Fan Challenge activation

Ticket giveaway at Citigroup Transportation Center ran out of tickets within 10 minutes of starting

BMW M Power Tour

BMW M Power Tour

BMW launched the 2011 M3, X5M, and X6M

Solution

Organize a 6- week test driving tour in 6 different markets- Chicago, IL, Westchester, NY,

Long Island, NY, Washington, DC, San Francisco, CA, and Los Angeles, CA

Invited M enthusiasts and others who drive competing vehicles to have a 20 minute

information session with M Brand Manager and take a 25 minute test drive by themselves

Results

Over 300 guests responded to the invite and pre-registered for each city

Over 300 test drives per event

Events generated buzz which led to several walk-ins and consumer generated blog postings

Key Learning’s

Allowing consumers to test drive vehicles and learn about the features enabled them to better

understand the value of the vehicle and differentiate it from a BMW 3 series or a competitor

vehicle

Sports Illustrated

2011 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Launch

Sports Illustrated turned the launch of the annual Swimsuit Issue into a property similar to

events such as the NBA’s All-Star Weekend and MLB’s All-Star Fan Fest

Objectives

Drive awareness, excitement, and sales of the 2011 SI Swimsuit Issue

Solution

Host a week of promotional events in New York and Las Vegas and secure sponsors such as

the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Nissan, and HTC

Invite the models, celebrities, VIP clients, PR, and media to the events

Results

Swimsuit franchise remains strong despite overall dwindling sales in print media industry

Readership among the 18-34 demographic comparable to the NFL’s Super Bowl viewership

Pepsi MAX Tour

Zero to the MAX Tour

7 month long nationwide grassroots experiential marketing tour that activated at several

Pepsi properties and large scale events in key markets 5 days a week

Objectives

Drive trial, build brand awareness, and deliver over 5 million samples in key markets in

regions including Northeast (New York), Midwest (Chicago), South (Atlanta), and West (LA)

Activations

Activation experience included branded Pepsi MAX truck, event specific interactions, and

MAX Facts trivia

Results

West team (based in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, OR, and Seattle markets)

exceeded sampling goal for 4 straight weeks

Hit key events in Los Angeles market such as Angels games and large scale festivals

Thank YOU!

Thank you for viewing my presentation

Questions? Please feel free to contact me at rithomast@gmail.com to set up a time to discuss

Thanks again and please take care