SBJ Behind the Scenes: World Congress takes over Nashville

The opening video at the CAA World Congress of Sports played off music themes common to the host city of Nashville. Sports is “striking a chord,” “remixing the experience,” and “hit songs continue to be written.” It’s true. And if the saying is “Nashville Made Me Do It,” the belief is that attendees will be leaving this great American city energized by the energy and optimism throughout the sports industry despite the daily drumbeat of tariffs, trade wars, market volatility and the dreaded “R-word.”

A record crowd of more than 1,300 filled the Grand Hyatt in Music City, and here is what was seen and heard.

It was standing-room only when Disney CEO Bob Iger was interviewed by ESPN Chair Jimmy Pitaro on Day 1. The duo had an understandably comfortable back and forth, as Iger dished on the upcoming launch of ESPN’s direct-to-consumer product and how sports remains important for Disney. But he also went deep on his own career, mentorship and how his son, Max, now working for CAA Sports, was almost named for a cartoon character that would have hit too close to home.

Iger, on the mentorship of Roone Arledge: “Almost any successful person has benefited from mentorship, and I urge everybody who works for me to do the same. To be a mentor. I was really fortunate. I worked for Roone Arledge for 10 years. He taught me an awful lot about being bold, the importance of storytelling, risk-taking and also the relentless pursuit of perfection. Not easy to work for someone like that, but having that work ethic to not only work hard but to pursue perfection at all times -- tremendous.”

On why the name that could have been for his son Max: “I still have a signed Mickey Mantle bat in my office at home in L.A. I always thought if I ever have a son, I’m going to name my son Mickey. So, I had two daughters by my prior wife. Mickey didn’t really fit. Suddenly, [my wife] Willow gets pregnant with a boy.” Iger paused, before saying, “Now, I’m working for Disney [and the crowd laughed as he turned toward his son]. … Max, if I had named you Mickey, you would be scarred for life. So, you should thank me.”

His favorite sports moments: “Working for ABC Sports during Miracle on Ice. Also seeing Reggie [Jackson] hit three homers in 1977 World Series.”

At the top of his sports event bucket list: “Wimbledon and Augusta.”

Joking after Pitaro mentioned that ESPN’s rights portfolio has never been better: “Don’t say that to Stephen A. Smith, by the way.”

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver talked about a number issues surrounding his league, such as local media rights, potential expansion and the prospects for an NBA Europe league in major metropolitan areas. But Silver wants to be bold, telling the crowd, “I’m concerned sometimes that people will look back on this era and say, ‘Why didn’t you do more?’ You’re one of the biggest brands in the world. You have this opportunity. ... I want to make sure that for this period in which I’m overseeing the league, [people will say] he did really plant flags all over the world and pursued these enormous opportunities.”

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred broke news about plans to make an investment in pro softball soon, while also talking about a potential salary cap. “The one thing I am absolutely comfortable saying is if you’re ever going to make a salary cap proposal, it’s going to have a cap and a floor.”

On the college side, a conversation with Greg Sankey saw the SEC commissioner reflect on the stark changes coming to the collegiate landscape with the proposed House settlement approval likely just days away. “It’s not the end of the story,” Sankey said. “It is a chapter. It’s a necessary chapter.”

Moments prior to accepting their trophies, members of this year’s SBJ Champions: Pioneers & Innovators class paused to reflect on their lives and careers.

“Of course, you start thinking about all of those years and, right away, how they went by so fast,” said Dave Checketts, with a smile.

“It makes you consider 50 years in the business, and the important people along the way, like Frank Gifford, who was the first person to get me into a [production] truck,” said Ross Greenburg. “I remember watching the Olympics when I was 13, and even then, I was just captivated by all the stories, even outside the actual competitions.”

Having won a remarkable 56 Emmys, Greenburg revealed that he’s been masterfully democratic concerning their distribution: 28 live in his office, and 28 are in his Greenwich, Conn., home.

“Realizing your own legacy is a tough thing to reason with,” said Frank Vuono. “The thing I’m happiest about is that I mentored and worked with some people who went on to achieve a lot in this business. Even some people I didn’t realize I had an impact on contacted me after this was announced to wish me well. [MLS Commissioner] Don Garber was the first one to contact me at 9am -- that was really meaningful.”

Added fellow Champion Carol Stiff, “I was always pushing for acceptance of women’s sports in the mainstream. Now, I’m celebrating their growth. But I am, and still will be, pushing for diversity and inclusion. Different points of view just mean a better outcome -- whatever you are doing.”

SBJ kicked off Monday night with a Speakers Reception at Lou/na on the 25th floor of the Grand Hyatt, a stunning rooftop bar looking over the city’s downtown. Spotted were SBJ and CAA executives, the NFL’s Ingrid Petri and Mike Minnella, Joe Browne and his son, Tim, who lives in Nashville; and Champions Frank Vuono, Carol Stiff, Ross Greenburg and Dave Checketts, with his son, Andrew Checketts.

Others in attendance were Greenberg Traurig’s Denis Braham and Franklin Jones, SoFi’s Lauren Stafford Webb, Cary Mack of Southwest Value Partners (the owner and developer of Nashville Yards), Ticketmaster’s Clay Luter, Advent’s John Roberson, Advance’s Sam Powers and Marc Katz, Delaware North’s Jeremy Jacobs Jr., Amy Latimer and Jamie Obletz, Arctos Partners’ Doc O’Connor, the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp.’s Deana Ivey and R.J. McMahon, the Magic’s Alex Martins and Charlie Freeman, Proskauer’s Joe Leccese and Brad Ruskin, SeatGeek’s Jeff Ianello and the Predators’ Sean Henry.

There was a main reception that followed at the Grand Hyatt that filled the corridor and had people out on the deck overlooking Broadway in Nashville.

Dinners, cocktails and parties dominated the evening hours all week, up and down Broadway.

CAA Sports co-head Howie Nuchow and former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam (now owner of the NHL’s Predators) hosted a VIP reception on Tuesday at The Sevens Club, a private venue at Friends in Low Places. Nuchow was joined by his wife, Gina, and his two daughters, who play lacrosse at nearby Vanderbilt, while Haslam was joined by his wife, Crissy. Meanwhile, Nuchow’s influence on the greater Nashville community since he moved to the city more than four years ago was cited a number of times throughout the conference, specifically from Gov. Bill Lee and Haslam.

Celebrities spotted at the event included the venue’s owner, country musician Tim McGraw, and actor Reese Witherspoon. Also spotted: the NBA’s Adam Silver and his wife, Maggie; MLB’s Rob Manfred, Noah Garden and Uzma Rawn; Nashville SC Owner John Ingram and Vice Chair Ian Ayre; CAA Evolution’s Michael Klein; Fenway Sports Group’s Sam Kennedy; CAA Sports’ Paul Danforth, Mike Levine, Jimmy Sexton and Matt Kramer; former IndyCar chief Randy Bernard (now Garth Brooks’ manager); WWE’s Nick Khan; the Titans’ Ken Adams and Burke Nihill; ESPN’s Roz Durant; TMRW Sports’ Mike McCarley; AEG’s Todd Goldstein; Vanderbilt’s Candice Storey Lee and Daniel Diermeier; Arctos Partners’ Doc O’Connor; the Dolphins’ Tom Garfinkel; the Mavericks’ Rick Welts; SMAC Entertainment’s Constance Schwartz-Morini; and Words + Pictures’ Connor Schell.

Meanwhile, Proskauer hosted a dinner on Tuesday night at The Finch, with Joe Leccese, Brad Ruskin, Rob Freeman and Jason Krochak greeting arrivals, including Sports Media Advisors’ Doug Perlman, the USTA’s Kirsten Corio, Bevilacqua Helfant Ventures’ Chris Bevilacqua, Next League’s Dave Nugent and Joanna Solowey, Wells Fargo’s Peter Dorfman, Brand Velocity Partners Drew Sheinman, Accelerate Sports’ David Aufhauser, Inner Circle Sports’ Steve Horowitz, BDT & MSD Partners’ Travis Wrigley and FloSports’ Phil Wendler.

Sodexo and the Titans held a private reception at the team’s Titans House venue preview center on Tuesday. Among those spotted: the Mariners’ Chris Voight; the Commanders’ Mali Freidman; Brian Basloe from Concierge Live; Al Guido from Elevate (fresh off finishing Monday’s Boston Marathon), the Buccaneers’ Atul Khosla; and the Broncos’ Dennis Moore.

A gaggle of industry friends gathered for cocktails and dinner on the patio at the Husk Restaurant on Tuesday evening to fete longtime sports marketer Frank Vuono on his selection as an SBJ Champion. Former co-workers from ISI and 16W Marketing in attendance included Eric Bechtel, Jeff Sofka and EJ Narcise. Also at the festivities: longtime Coca-Cola marketer John Cordova, fellow SBJ Champion Ross Greenburg and Fifth Generation Sports’ Chris Russo.

Other Tuesday night events included a CAA/Nashville CVA event at Oasis Rooftop and a reception held by Underdog & Co., Altius Sports Partners and B. Partners at Jelly Roll’s Goodnight Nashville.

Excel Sports Management hosted a dinner on Monday night at Halls Chophouse. Among those in attendance were Excel’s Jason Miller and Emilio Collins, Nashville SC’s Mike Jacobs, D.C. United’s Danita Johnson, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment’s Kevin Demoff, Inter Miami’s Raúl Sanllehí, the Devils’ Jake Reynolds, the Rapids’ Padraig Smith, the Dynamo’s Pat Onstad, the Lightning’s Steve Griggs, 23XI Racing’s Steve Lauletta, the San Diego Wave’s Emily Neenan, the Washington Mystics’ Alycen McAuley, the Washington Spirit’s Kim Stone, TMRW Sports’ Mike McCarley, Angel City’s Julie Uhrman, Deutser’s Brad Deutser, BCG’s Sajdeh Rohan, Jean Paul Petranca, Thomas Hosking and Conor McCleary, Shamrock Capital’s Andy Howard, Megan Wallach, Nathan Janick and Peter Picado-Curtis and AXS’s Tom Andrus.

Fifteen years ago, a handful of women sports marketers found themselves without an industry fete during World Congress, so they created their own gathering that became known over the years as the “Wasserwomen” party, and later, the “Women of Sport” cocktails.

As women’s presence in the industry multiplied, along with a surfeit of new pro women’s sports properties, so has that gathering. Monday evening in Nashville at The Thompson Hotel, the group commemorated with a 15th anniversary dinner for 20, followed by a cocktail party for over 200.

“Founding” members in attendance included Wasserman’s Elizabeth Lindsey, Tiffany’s Suzanne Taddei and Vanguard Maven Group’s Nicole Jeter West. “This started as a lark, grew into an advocacy and lobbying group for women in sports and later a support group,” said Lindsey. “Now, we’ve expanded into thought leadership and professional networking.”

Longtime sports exec Dan Migala was in town for World Congress, and being a lifelong musician, he was going to take full advantage of being in Nashville. He ended up at Third Man Records, a Jack White-owned guitar studio lounge where musicians can come and play acoustic or electric. Migala has long incorporated guitar into his sports marketing career, often playing in meetings to help motivate his teams (often done with humorous lyrics to keep things light). Migala’s next musical effort? He’s been practicing a Jimmy Hendrix-style version of the national anthem, and he plans to open an MLB game sometime this summer.

Meanwhile, with World Congress being in Music City, SBJ brought in a number of local musicians for some background sounds during receptions. Among those playing were Sarah Harralson, the Joe West Band, David Andersen and Damien Horne. They were ALL fantastic, trust us!

Disney CEO Bob Iger arrived late in the morning and caught up with a number of sports execs in the green room, including SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey, SBJ Champions of Sports Business Dave Checketts and Ross Greenburg and CAA Evolution’s Alan Gold, among others. Iger also found time to chat with son, CAA Sports’ Max Iger.

Speaking of Checketts, he introduced his daughter, Lily, by showing a photo of him holding her up as 2-year-old before a performance of “The Wizard of Oz” in New York City many years ago.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred chatted for a while outside the green room at WCOS. Manfred also caught with other baseball execs in attendance, including the Red Sox’s Sam Kennedy, the Braves’ Derek Schiller and MiLB team owner Ken Babby (Akron RubberDucks, Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp). Silver was seen catching up with CAA’s Howie Nuchow.

Prior to joining his brother, Bill, onstage, Jimmy Haslam (owner of the Browns, Crew and Bucks) was holding court in the green room, chatting up CAA’s Paul Danforth for a while. Tennessee AD Danny White was in attendance for the session. Afterward, the Haslams had a host of people outside the ballroom waiting to grab some time with the team owners (especially after Bill, owner of the Predators, unveiled renderings of upgrades to the NHL team’s Bridgestone Arena while onstage).

After having a panel of their own earlier on Day 1, Silver and ESPN NBA analyst Bob Myers (who moderated Silver’s session) stayed on the ballroom for the Haslam brothers panel, quietly trading notes. After, Myers was catching up with WWE’s Nick Khan.

David Blitzer of HBSE was a popular person in the green room, spending time with the folks from TGL (he’s an investor), NYCFC’s Jennifer O’Sullivan, MLB’s Noah Garden and CAA’s Danforth.

Prior to their afternoon panel, there were a lot of laughs coming from a table with the Dolphins’ Tom Garfinkel, WWE’s Khan, FSG’s Kennedy, the Mavericks’ Rick Welts and CAA’s Nuchow and Danforth.

Proskauer’s Brad Ruskin and Jason Krochak were chatting with a pair of 2025 SBJ Champions, Frank Vuono and Greenburg.

Delaware North’s Amy Latimer and Elevate’s Brendan Donohue were spotted catching up in the conference lobby. The lobby on Day 1 was also packed at lunchtime with some of the industry’s preeminent dealmakers -- Raine Group’s Colin Neville, Dan Zweben from Moelis, Inner Circle Sports’ Steve Horowitz and Michael Kuh of Hogan Lovells, among others.

Florida Panthers CRO Shawn Thornton was seen catching up with former Coyotes President and CEO Xavier Gutierrez.

In the halls, Nuchow held court with his CAA colleague Fabian Stechel, WWE’s Khan (a former CAA colleague), MLB’s Garden and Fox Sports’ Jordan Bazant.

Proskauer’s Rob Freeman took time to say hi to Seven Seven Six founder Alexis Ohanian in the Grand Hyatt lobby (Ohanian helped close Day 1 on a panel focused on TGL).

The USOPC’s Sarah Hirshland was chatting with Proskauer’s Joe Leccese (who go way back from Proskauer’s time working on the USGA media rights when Hirshland was the golf property’s chief commercial officer).

LOVB’s Stephanie Alger stopped to greet Sports.ish founder Lily Shimbashi at the event’s final reception. Shimbashi and her father, Dave Checketts, came back for Day 2 of the event after speaking on Day 1.

NFL Players Inc.’s Ben Ruiz was back at an SBJ conference for the first time since 2010, when he was an SBJ intern handling the registration desk at a few events.

After the conference Wednesday, a number of friends joined Nuchow and his wife, Gina, at the Vanderbilt lacrosse match, a win over Xavier. The Nuchows’ twin daughters, Sammie and Jackie, both play on the team and are graduating seniors. Afterward, the crew was spotted at The Twelve Thirty Club on Broadway.

Executives from all corners of the map made their way to Nashville for the event, and many ran into one another on flights to Music City.

• MKTG’s Doug Hall, the NFL’s Mike Minnella, TMRW Sports’ Adam Freifeld and SBJ’s Ben Fischer all traveled together on a Delta flight from LaGuardia on Monday morning, bonding over the poor in-flight Wi-Fi.
• A large contingent of WCOS attendees was on the 7am flight out of LAX, with passengers including Shamrock Capital’s Andy Howard, CAA’s Beth McClinton, Angel City investor Heather Karatz, HNTB’s Keith Collins and Jenna Trabulus from NextLeague, among numerous others. Upon check-in, Trabulus ran into Inner Circle Sports’ Steve Horowitz in the coffee shop in the lobby, where they debated the age-old conference question: coffee or nap? Horowitz decided on coffee; Trabulus was headed to her room.
• Mount Union sports business professor Jim Kadlecek approached SBJ’s Joe Lemire at the Nashville gate of a connecting flight through Atlanta-Hartsfield and said, “I think I know where you’re headed.” Deloitte’s Chad Deweese also on the flight.

• Iger calls ESPN’s upcoming DTC launch ‘biggest move’ since getting full NFL season
• Manfred: MLB plans investment in pro softball
• Silver: Local NBA games ‘trapped’ by cable
• SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey sounds off on changing college sports landscape
• Jimmy Haslam says good partners ‘valuable’ in continuing to thrive
• Economics, landscape changes top WCOS agenda
• The founder of Sports.ish wants brands to listen up to female fandom
• Sports business operators share insight on leading a team to success
• TGL readies for expansion, possible women’s league
• Blitzer: RSL, Utah Royals needed local owners
• Finding right consumer fit key for marketers
• MLB expansion? MLS schedule shift? Key execs look at 2025 and beyond
• CMOs talk about importance of sports in marketing efforts
• Nashville SC’s Ian Ayre supports MLS schedule shift
• Braves’ Derek Schiller talks MLB expansion to Nashville
• Klein: PIF, LIV Golf in it for the long haul
• WCOS: Keys to connecting fans through platforms

A big thank you to all of the sponsors for CAA World Congress of Sports. And thank you to all of those who attended the event. Led by General Manager Mark Sternagel, the Grand Hyatt team put on a masterful hosting performance.

Look out for SBJ’s next event, 4se Sports + Entertainment, May 20-21 in New York City.