We are just over a month away from the 2020 BSM Summit in New York. It feels like yesterday when I was walking into the Ailey Citigroup Theater to see if it’d be a good venue for the event. If you’ve followed me on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn, you’ve likely heard about this Summit for months, and at one point or another it’s peaked your curiosity, especially if you work in the media business.
To make an event like this work, a lot has to go right. There’s the venue, the hotel partner, the sponsors, the marketing of the event, and of course, the city itself. Most important though are the speakers. If you don’t have interesting, successful people from various areas of the industry sharing insights on how to make your brand or business better, the rest won’t matter. Also of critical importance is making sure the topics cover a wide range of issues related to sales, social, programming, podcasting, new business categories, audio/video, etc..
Last year in Los Angeles, we had some outstanding people grace the stage, and we’ve built on that momentum by assembling a strong cast of speakers for our 2020 BSM Summit in NYC. It’s my pleasure to share today that we’ve added 6 more to our conference schedule. Joining us on stage in the big apple will be Premier Radio Networks/FOX Sports Radio’s SVP of Sports Programming Don Martin, newly appointed co-manager of ESPN Radio Amanda Gifford, FOX Sports Radio’s RJ Bell, 98.7 ESPN NY afternoon host Peter Rosenberg and evening host Chris Carlin. We’ve also received confirmation that ESPN/ESPN Radio host Jason Fitz will join us on site for the Wednesday night private cocktail party at the All Stars Bar and Grill. The party is open solely to conference attendees.
When I look at how the Summit has come together, I’m extremely grateful for the support I’ve received from program directors, voice/imaging folks, affiliate reps, agents, and notable on-air personalities speaking at the show. We also have more GM’s in the room this year than last, which is nice to see. That said, I’d still like to see more PD’s, market managers, and salespeople join us because a lot of the information shared at this event is helpful to future business. I also think more talent and producers should be in the building. Where else do you get access to 40-50 sports media decision makers over the span of 2 days? If you have talent and want to advance your career, you’ve got to build relationships, especially in person.
I’m also very appreciative of everyone who’s signed on as a sponsor to this year’s show. Without the help of Premier Radio Networks/FOX Sports Radio, ESPN Radio, Benztown Branding, Compass Media Networks, Harker Bos Group, Stone Voiceovers, Core Image Studio, and Skyview Networks, this conference wouldn’t be possible. Be sure to support them back as they’re doing their part to help and support our industry. I only have a few sponsor opportunities remaining so if you’re operating a company and interested in being included in this year’s event, email me here.
Having done this now for the past few years, I get grouchy when January rolls around. Creating the Summit is a long exhausting process made harder by having to take care of my normal responsibilities and launching a BSM Top 20 during the week of the Super Bowl (results next week). I’m at the point now where I just want to execute. That said, I have a few additional things to resolve including announcing a few other heavyweights who will be added to our schedule. Look for another announcement later this week.
I started this conference to try and advance the sports media industry and bring people together. I don’t do it to get rich or show off my hosting skills in front of an audience. Too often in our business we live in our buildings and fail to make time to support and connect with each other in person, but these are challenging times for media brands. The way forward requires new ideas and strategies, advanced learning, increased relationships, and celebrating our wins. That’s the purpose behind this event.
I’ll be emailing attendees in February with a detailed layout of all we have planned. The information will also be updated on the conference website BSMSummit.com. It’s going to be a fun and informative few days in the big apple, and if you haven’t made plans to join us yet, I hope you’ll do so. Tickets can be purchased by clicking here.
Jason Barrett is the President and Founder of Barrett Media since the company was created in September 2015. Prior to its arrival, JB served as a sports radio programmer, launching brands such as 95.7 The Game in San Francisco, and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He also spent time programming SportsTalk 950 in Philadelphia, 590 The Fan KFNS in St. Louis, and ESPN 1340/1390 in Poughkeepsie, NY. Jason also worked on-air and behind the scenes in local radio at 101.5 WPDH, WTBQ 1110AM, and WPYX 106.5. He also spent two years on the national stage, producing radio shows for ESPN Radio in Bristol, CT. Among them included the Dan Patrick Show, and GameNight.
You can find JB on Twitter @SportsRadioPD. He’s also reachable by email at Jason@BarrettMedia.com.
