Approaching The Summit is a series of special interviews created in partnership with Point to Point Marketing featuring speakers at the upcoming 2025 BSM Summit in Chicago, IL. Follow along with this series as prominent names surrounding the event coming up on May 8-9 at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) inside the Edlis Neeson Theater and share their insights and expectations for what’s to come in the Windy City.
Mike Thomas is the Senior Vice President and Market Manager for Audacy in Boston, MA. He joined Audacy in October of 2021 following two years as Market Manager with Good Karma Brands in Chicago. Thomas is well known for his launch of 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston in August of 2009, and has been a regular participant and speaker at the BSM Summit over the past decade.
Thomas sat down with Barrett Media from his offices in Boston, MA.
*Editor’s Note: Answers have been edited for clarity and length.*
BSM Staff: You’ve been to nearly every BSM Summit since the beginning. What are you looking forward to most this year?
Mike Thomas: Brainstorming with other leaders in our industry. These are challenging times, and it’s always educational for me to hear how others are meeting the challenges.
BSM Staff: As a frequent participant and speaker at previous Summit events, what’s the value of the BSM Summit in your opinion?
Mike Thomas: I have been to most of these Summits, and I always learn something. We can get stuck in our day-to-day routines and lose sight of the big picture. I find this important professionally and personally.
BSM Staff: What do you hope attendees take away from the session you’ll be participating in?
Mike Thomas: The Boston playing field is an interesting one. The original leader, now the underdog is being led by the people that launched the new leader. That alone should make people’s head spin!
BSM Staff: Over the years there have been a number of changes to the Summit. If you had to pinpoint a thing or two, how have you seen the Summit evolve over the years?
Mike Thomas: I remember going to lunch with Jason Barrett around the time the first BSM Summit was being planned in Chicago. It was going to be a small gathering, in the live performance space of WSCR. I remember Jason being pretty nervous about if it would be a success and if he would be able to grow it. To his credit, he has turned it into a “must” event for our industry and from my point of view, it exceeded any expectations he had or the industry had.
BSM Staff: Entering this year’s Summit, for you as a person that’s been in the industry for a long time, what do you think will be the biggest opportunities and/or challenges that the industry faces that you would like to see discussed at the Summit?
Mike Thomas: Radio has the original influencers. Each show is a podcast, and we don’t care how you consume it. On the radio, on the app, on YouTube, on Twitch, Spotify, etc.. Dayparts don’t matter as much since COVID, the world is a different place and we’re not going back. Great content wins on any platform. We need to lean into that.
BSM Staff: What are your expectations looking ahead to the Summit, and what do you hope is the return on investment?
Mike Thomas: I know I will leave having learned something. I don’t know what that is, but I look forward to it.
Purchase your tickets to the 2025 BSM Summit here, and for more information BSMSummit.com
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