The countdown is on for the 2025 BSM Summit presented by Point to Point Marketing. In just 25 days, we return to Chicago at the MCA’s Edlis Neeson Theater for sports media’s premiere conference. Tickets are on sale at BSMSummit.com. Discounted hotel rooms are sold out, however other options including The Westin Michigan Avenue are available at different rates.
I will reveal our final schedule the week of April 28-May 2. I’ll also be connecting speaker groups that week to go over the gameplan for the show.
For planning purposes, the Magellan AI Kickoff party takes place Wednesday May 7th from 6p-7p at The Westin Michigan Avenue bar. Day 1 of the Summit on Thursday May 8th runs 9a-5p at the MCA. The ESPN Radio After Party follows day 1 from 6p-8p at the Chicago Sports Museum. We wrap up Friday May 9th at the MCA from 9a-1p with a few sessions and the Premiere Networks awards ceremony closing the show.
Before I discuss the 5 talented people joining our lineup, I want to address something important. Many of you working in sports media, don’t like to leave your office to advance connections and education. That’s a mistake in my opinion. You grow by being exposed to new information and ideas, and building relationships. As your career evolves, many of those things come into play when you least expect it.
If you were told tomorrow that your job was being eliminated, where would you turn? Are folks going to help you if they only know you through email or social media? Will you be more skilled and educated than others seeking opportunities who are in the places you’re not?
Secondly, companies are not always going to foot the bill for you to grow. I paid my own way many times as a programmer, and know many folks who attend our shows and do the same. Would it be nice for them to do so since you’re using the information to improve their brand(s)? Of course. But if they don’t, are you going to let a few hundred dollars stand in the way of increasing your network, education, and skills? One of my favorite quotes is Benjamin Franklin’s ‘An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.’ Only you can decide if your career is worth investing in.
For those running companies, if you don’t invest in helping your people grow, don’t be surprised when they’re helping someone else down the line. Good Karma Brands has brought a bunch of employees over the years to the show to learn. They’ll do post-event recaps with their teams to see what they learned, and how they can apply it to improve their business. That’s a smart use of time and resources. It tells anyone working for them that they’re invested in improvement. Other companies should be following their example.
I go into each Summit, unsure if or how it’ll continue the next year. The event has to be valuable for our attendees, partners, speakers, and myself. Putting a Summit together is hard, and it requires a ton of time, energy, and resources. If the industry provides sponsorship support, and professionals care enough to attend and learn, then it’s worth doing. But we never really know until the event is over. We reflect on the show, discuss if it still has value, and then make a decision.
Over the years, sports radio has received less attention than other mediums. I created this event to help folks across the format, but as the Summit has grown, so too have the headaches. We’ve also seen an increase in representation from digital, TV, entertainment, advertising, podcasting, and tech professionals. I try to cover a lot of ground to educate talent, programmers, market managers, executives, business people, and others, but the representation in the room determines what warrants the most focus on stage.
5 More Speakers Join the 2025 BSM Summit Lineup
Looking ahead to May 8-9 in Chicago, I’m thrilled to add five more talented individuals to our lineup. Please join me in welcoming Jomboy Media CEO Courtney Hirsch, Radio Advertising Bureau CEO Mike Hulvey, 670 The Score afternoon host Matt Spiegel, ESPN Chicago Bears reporter and ESPN Radio host Courtney Cronin, and SKOR North Director of Content Phil Mackey.
Mike Hulvey will lead a panel discussion that includes John Goforth and Cameron Hendrix. Phil Mackey will moderate the digital executives panel featuring Courtney Hirsch, David Locke, Brandon Spano, and Bron Heussenstamm. Courtney Cronin joins our all-star female panel alongside Annie Agar, Leila Rahimi, and Jen Lada. Last but not least, Matt Spiegel joins his partner Laurence Holmes alongside Mike Ricordati and Marc Silverman on our afternoon show panel.
I have a few final announcements still to come, and a handful of sponsorship opportunities remain available. Companies interested in exploring opportunities can email Stephanie@BarrettMedia.com. Additionally, we’re planning one final contest to give away a few more tickets, so keep an eye on your email. Thanks for the continued support of Barrett Media. I look forward to seeing you soon in Chicago!
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Jason Barrett is the Founder and CEO of Barrett Media. The company launched in September 2015 and has provided consulting services to America’s top audio and video brands, while simultaneously covering the media industry at BarrettMedia.com, becoming a daily destination for media professionals. Prior to Barrett Media, Jason built and programmed 95.7 The Game in San Francisco, and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He was also the first sports programmer for SportsTalk 950 in Philadelphia, which later became 97.5 The Fanatic. Barrett also led 590 The Fan KFNS in St. Louis, and ESPN 1340/1390 in Poughkeepsie, NY, and worked on-air and behind the scenes at 101.5 WPDH, WTBQ 1110AM, and WPYX 106.5. He also spent two years at ESPN Radio in Bristol, CT producing ‘The Dan Patrick Show’ and ‘GameNight’. JB can be reached on Twitter @SportsRadioPD or by email at Jason@BarrettMedia.com.
