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.
Marc Silverman is an afternoon drive host at ESPN Chicago and is attending the BSM Summit for the first time. Silverman has been working in sports radio since 1995 and has covered several championship events over the years. He is currently co-hosting the ESPN Chicago show with former Chicago Bears wide receiver Tom Waddle, with whom he has worked for the last 18 years on the airwaves. Prior to hosting in the sports talk radio format, Silverman was a reporter and graduated from Southern Illinois University.
Prior to the BSM Summit in May, Silverman spoke with Barrett Media about his anticipation for the event and topics that he hopes are addressed on stage.
*Editor’s Note: Answers have been edited for clarity and length.*
BSM Staff: You are attending the BSM Summit for the first time this year. What are you looking forward to this year as the event makes its return to Chicago?
Marc Silverman: I’m looking forward to tons of things, like networking, listening, sharing, ideas, meeting people who I’ve looked up to for a long time and that I respect in the business. I read the Barrett Sports Media newsletter, one of the first things I do every morning. I’m a junkie when it comes to how other people have done it successfully, so I think it’s just such a great thing.
BSM Staff: What is the value for industry professionals to leave the office and attend the BSM Summit?
Marc Silverman: Leaving the office for anything that is going to continue to shape your craft and to get you better in the long run – leaving the office for a day, leaving the office for two even – I think the reward outweighs the leaving the office or putting some other busy work or even a show on the side for one day. You can gain so much knowledge out of this to implement in several future shows.
BSM Staff: What does it mean to represent ESPN Chicago and the sports media industry by speaking at the event?
Marc Silverman: It’s huge. I still do numerous gratitude checks where, ‘Oh, look what you’re getting to do today.’ Right now, I’m driving to Soldier Field to be at the Bears’ official Draft party, which (Tom) Waddle and I host, and after that, we’re on with (Jeff) Joniak and (Tom) Thayer for the Bears’ official draft coverage. It’s important to always reflect and to look at some of the things that you get to do. Being in my hometown and having the Summit come here to Chicago and to be asked to speak, that’s huge, but I’ll be listening more than I’m speaking.
BSM Staff: How do you feel the subsets of the sports media industry as a whole can continue fostering additional synergy and work together to ensure growth?
Marc Silverman: Evolve or die. That’s one of my keys, I think, that I’ve always been successful. There are other hosts I know who always think their way works or they know everything, but when you think that, I think it’s the end. If you’re not open to evolving and learning new things and knowing how the business is moving, not just as it moves, but even before it moves is so important.
We used to say ‘a radio station’ or ‘a radio show,’ it’s all content now – there’s so many different ways you can consume us. Whether it’s on YouTube, whether it’s on Twitch, whether it’s on the smart speaker, on our app, 1000, 100.3 HD2. So if we’re not moving with the times, you’re in trouble.
BSM Staff: As you view the return on investment with the BSM Summit, what do you hope to take away from the event and bring back to your station?
Marc Silverman: When you are around other smart people in our business, it just gives you an even greater pop on your energy. The reason why we’re here and [why] we’re going is because we care, and like the key word that you made, it’s an investment. There are going to be some things that I hear that won’t fit me, but there will be several things that I can reflect on and say, ‘Hmm, that’s very interesting,’ so I just think it’s very important to go in with an open mind.
Purchase your tickets to the 2025 BSM Summit here, and for more information, visit BSMSummit.com.
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