GMercyU Hosts 2nd Annual Sport Management Symposium

On Thursday, April 4, Instructor and Program Coordinator for Sport Management Maddie Herman, MsEd hosted the 2nd annual Sport Management Symposium: The Business of Sport. Members of GMercyU’s Sport Business Association (SBA) helped coordinate the event, including sourcing panelists. Conference attendees heard from professionals in the sport industry, who shared their knowledge of the field, and had the opportunity to network with the speakers and fellow students.

“I am so grateful to have been a part of the planning and organizing of our 2nd Annual Sport Management Symposium: The Business of Sport. It is a great opportunity for students to learn and network with professionals on our campus and helps promote GMercyU to the community and sports industry,” shared Camryn Kinney, sophomore Sport Management major and SBA Event Coordinator.

“The symposium was truly an amazing experience. Being able to hear stories from sports professionals pushes me to work hard to end up as a panelist one day,” shared Reece Salas, senior Sport Management major and SBA Social Media Coordinator.

Panelists included Marquise Watson, Brand Partnerships and Client Solutions Manager at Springhill Company; Danielle Whaley, Director of Media Relations at Villanova University; Ian Porter, Assistant Manager of Ticket Operations for the Philadelphia 76ers; and Aaron Weisberg, Manager of Community Relations for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

Marquise Watson

Marquise Watson is a graduate of East Stroudsburg University, where he leveraged on- and off-campus opportunities to gain experience with Nike, NASCAR, Under Armour, and BMW. He launched his career with the Philadelphia 76ers, working a variety of roles for eight seasons until he landed his current position, Brand Partnerships and Client Solutions Manager, at SpringHill Company, where he creates partnerships with athletes, creators, and entertainers.

Danielle Whaley

Danielle Whaley hails from Sevierville, Tenn., where she graduated from the University of Tennessee. She has worked at a variety of companies, including the Tennessee Journalist, the Tennessee Smokies, and Carson-Newman University. She joined Villanova University in November 2021 as the Athletic Communications & Digital Media Coordinator before transitioning into her current role, Director of Media Relations, in early 2023. In her current role, Danielle is the primary contact for a number of sports and UNITAS, and was responsible for the complete overhaul and redesign efforts of the UNITAS section of Villanova’s website. Alongside 15 other Creative and Digital Design awards since 2018, she earned Designer of the Year from the College Sports Communicators.

Ian Porter

Ian Porter earned his undergraduate degree in Sport Management from Wilmington University and later earned the role of Ticket Sales Assistant in minor league baseball, allowing him to find his footing in the sports industry. He later accepted the role of Box Office Manager for the Wilmington Blue Rocks, which helped prepare him for his current role, Assistant Manager of Ticket Operations, for the Philadelphia 76ers.

Aaron Weisberg

Aaron Weisberg, a Springfield College alum, completed six internships in Ticket Sales, Game Operations, Social media, Event Management, and Community Relations. He discovered his love for Community Relations during an internship with the Pawtucket Red Sox, AAA team for the Boston Red Sox. The internship eventually led him to a full-time position. When the pandemic hit, Aaron transitioned to a corporate role working in global philanthropy. After two years, an opportunity presented itself to Aaron to work for the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, where he now works as Manager of Community Relations.