MVP Interactive Podcast

Podcast: The Art of Fan Engagement with Seattle Sounders FC's Joe Legaz This episode of the MVP Interactive podcast, hosted by James Giglio, CEO of MVP Interactive, features a comprehensive interview with Joe Legaz, the Director of Game Presentation and Live Experience at Seattle Sounders FC. Joe discusses his extensive career spanning over 15 years in the sports industry, starting from his teenage years with the Seattle Mariners and leading to significant roles with major sports brands, including the LA Clippers, Adidas, the San Francisco Giants, and the 49ers. Legaz shares his insights on fan engagement, experiential marketing, and the integration of technology in sports. He emphasizes the importance of creating memorable experiences for fans and discusses the challenges and opportunities of marketing across different sports. The episode also explores Joe's strategic moves throughout his career to diversify his skills, his approach to brand partnerships, and the impactful role of communities around sports teams. Additionally, Joe offers his perspective on adapting to industry changes, leveraging technology to enhance fan experiences, and the evolving landscape of sports marketing. 01:35 Joe's Journey in the Sports Industry 02:29 Breaking into the Sports Industry: Challenges and Opportunities 05:49 Joe's Career Highlights and Achievements 07:18 Transitioning to Different Roles and Industries 08:25 Returning to Sports: Joining Seattle Sounders FC 09:05 Reflections on Early Career and Internship Opportunities 23:05 The Role of Strategic Brand Partnerships in Marketing 26:07 Creating Memorable Experiences for Sports Fans 29:42 The Power of Connection and Information Exchange 30:00 The Nuances of Different Sports Properties 33:02 The Impact of Sports Culture on Business Operations 36:54 The Evolution of Game Day Presentation and Marketing 44:02 The Role of Community in Sports Teams 49:09 The Future of Sports Marketing and Entertainment 51:02 Closing Remarks and Contact Information

In this episode of the MVP Interactive Podcast, host James Giglio engages in a compelling conversation with Jay Vickers, the Chief Operating Officer of the Sports and Innovation Institute at UNLV. The episode delves into Jay's remarkable journey, tracing his steps from a student athlete at Notre Dame to his current role as a professional in athletic administration. Throughout the discussion, the pivotal role of education and hands-on experience in shaping Jay's career becomes evident. A significant portion of the podcast is dedicated to exploring the inception and mission of UNLV's Sports Innovation Institute, which was established in 2018 with crucial support from the Governor's Office of Economic Development. The institute's vision is to seamlessly integrate sports research, education, innovation, and economic development. Jay emphasizes the institute's commitment to showcasing the intrinsic connection between sports, society, and personal health. Listeners gain insights into the institute's noteworthy contributions to workforce development and its role in enhancing the impact of sports teams on the Las Vegas community. Jay sheds light on the unique opportunities that arise from being situated in a city that hosts large-scale sports and entertainment events. Additionally, he provides a glimpse into the institute's future projects, including the omni-channel sports, entertainment, and innovation conference (CECON). The podcast concludes with Jay reflecting on Las Vegas's evolution into a global sports city. The episode not only offers a captivating account of Jay Vickers' personal and professional journey but also provides a comprehensive overview of the Sports Innovation Institute's mission, initiatives, and future endeavors. 00:00 Introduction and Welcome 01:04 Special Guest Introduction: Jay Vickers 02:13 Jay Vickers' Journey from Notre Dame to UNLV 04:09 Career Transition into College Athletics 05:42 The Impact of Sports on Personal and Professional Development 06:37 Choosing Notre Dame over Florida State 08:48 The Birth of the Sports Innovation Institute at UNLV 10:10 The Role and Impact of the Sports Innovation Institute 13:13 The Future of the Sports Innovation Institute 22:47 The Impact of Sports Teams on Las Vegas 29:25 The Success of the Super Bowl in Las Vegas 34:52 The Potential of Major League Baseball in Las Vegas 37:48 Conclusion and Contact Information

To kick-off our 2024 Live Podcast Series, Brandy Thigpen, Vice President, Events Marketing for City National Bank will join James Giglio, CEO and Founder of MVP Interactive. Brandy brings more than 20 years of experience in hospitality focusing on sports and entertainment. In her previous role as Director, Client Services for the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board, Brandy specialized in managing logistics for conventions and mega sporting events like the 2017 NHL All-Star Game, 2022 Super Bowl, 2022 MLB All-Star Game, and much more. Brandy was also instrumental in the bid process for Los Angeles to secure the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Djorn Buchholz, Executive Director of the National Soccer Hall of Fame joined our podcast to discuss the latest in marketing, promotions, operations, communications, sponsorship, partnerships, and a whole lot more in US soccer. Djorn Buchholz has spent the last 20+ years in upper management of professional soccer in all areas from marketing, operations, administration, communications, customer experience, promotions, sponsorship and partnerships, media relations, public relations, sales, general management, as well as CEO for the 2011 championship winning and 2012 runner-up North American Soccer League team, the Minnesota Stars FC/Minnesota United, Director of Fan Experience for the 2013 Major League Soccer Champions Sporting KC, President of Louisville City FC of the United Soccer Leagues, Chief Commercial Officer for the Austin Aztex of the USL, Venue Operations Manager for the 2016 Copa America Centenario at NRG Stadium in Houston, Venue Manager for 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Venue Manager for 2019 Gold Cup at NRG Stadium in Houston, Venue Manager for 2021 Gold Cup at AT&T Stadium and the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, as Owner/President of Djorn, S.O.S., a company which has provided emergency and traditional soccer operational needs to high-level matches and professional soccer clubs, and as Executive Director of the new National Soccer Hall of Fame.

Tune in, as Ryan Chenault, VP of Marketing for the Columbus Blue Jackets discusses all things fan experience, technology, and the launch of the Fan Zone with James Giglio, CEO, MVP Interactive.

Tyler Stewart, VP, Brand + Experience for Warner Bros. Discovery, Sports is a creative executive with a long history in the sports, entertainment & media industries. At WBD Sports, he oversees brand and experience for the WBD Sports portfolio of brands including the likes of Bleacher Report and House of Highlights. Some areas of focus include: brand marketing, experiential, merchandising & e-commerce, and Web3 Innovation among others.

Tune in as Christina Heller, CEO of Metastage share her insights on her the evolution of volumetric capture and where we are today. Metastage specializes in volumetric capture studio that creates high-fidelity 3D captures which can be integrated into holograms for AR, VR, and other interactive multimedia applications. Since its founding in 2018, Metastage has completed over 150 productions with major brands and award winning projects, including two Emmy nominations. Metastage is the first North American partner for the Microsoft Mixed Reality Capture technology. Prior to leading Metastage, Christina was the CEO of VR Playhouse, an immersive content company with immersive projects featured at SXSW, Sundance, and Festival de Cannes. She is a recipient of the Advanced Imaging Society's Distinguished Leadership in Technology Award and was named in the Huffington Post as one of 5 women changing the virtual reality scene. She is currently on the board of advisors for the Real Time Conference, University of Rochester, and the Television Academy's interactive Peer Group. Her writing and research on volumetric video has been published in the textbook, Handbook of Research on the Global Impacts and Roles of Immersive Media (2019), and What is Augmented Reality? Everything You Wanted to Know Featuring Exclusive Interviews with Leaders of the AR Industry (2019).

Our MVP Interactive Podcast is back! Join CEO James Giglio on this month's podcast as he sits down with Tinus le Roux, founder and CEO of Fancam and CrowdIQ. A generalist, with an academic background in engineering and theology, Tinus has spent the past 10 years exploring ways in which technology can be used to better understand the composition and behavior of crowds. When he's not grappling with pixels, product development or parenting he likes to disappear into wilderness areas in search of birds to add to his list of a 1000 species seen and photographed.

In this month's podcast, we host special guest Tracey Tague! Tracey is the Director of Business Development for Learfield IMG College, UCLA and Rose Bowl Sports Properties. She has extensive experience in the professional sports and entertainment industries, and has worked with companies such as Fox Sports, Mark Cuban Companies, Linkin Park, AT&T, and multiple sporting and entertainment organizations. Listen in to hear Tracey discuss her career in the business and sports industry, including how she ended up as the Director of Business Development for The Rose Bowl. She also discusses the impact of digital marketing and social media in the sports industry, and how it has changed over the years. Tune in now!

We hosted an all-star webinar this month featuring experts from CAA, Intel Sports, Satisfi Labs, SponsorUnited, and Zoomph. Check it out to learn best practices in AR and AI to increase consumer engagement.

MVP Interactive CEO James Giglio hosted Bobby Basham, Director of Player Development for the Chicago Cubs. Bobby has been a member of the Cubs front office since 2012. As Director of Player Development, he manages the Cubs Minor League System with a focus on internal innovation, business development, and technology exploration efforts for the baseball operations department. Prior to the Cubs, Bobby had both a seven-year minor league baseball career and worked in the healthcare industry as a product manager. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Richmond and an MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management. Bobby is a mentor for Stadia Ventures and has served on the Sports Innovation Lab’s Athlete Data Leadership Board, Northwestern University’s Center for Bio‐Integrated Electronics Sports Advisory Board, and USA Cricket’s High Performance and Pathways Committee, among others. He has been a speaker at various sports conferences, including SXSW.

MVP Interactive CEO James Giglio hosted SVP of International Projects, Dan Rutstein on this week's MVP Podcast. Dan Rutstein is SVP of International Projects at Orange County Soccer Club of the USL, the fastest second tier soccer league in the world. He is a former diplomat for the British Government, serving in Berlin and Los Angeles, and previously served as president of immersive technology company Laduma. In his first career, Dan was a journalist, working as a news and sports reporter for newspapers in England and Bermuda. He currently hosts three podcasts – United States of Dramerica, Screaming into the Hollywood Abyss and America the Beautiful Game.

MVP Interactive CEO James Giglio hosted VP of Product, Tom Emrich on this week's MVP Podcast. Tom is recognized as one of the world’s leading thought leaders in augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) & wearable technology. A pioneer in this space, Tom has over a decade-long track record of running tech teams and providing strategic direction in emerging technologies for powerhouse brands and organizations. As VP of Product at 8th Wall, Tom is leading the strategy and development of powerful tools used by developers to create reality content including augmented reality for the browser. Previous to 8th Wall, Tom was a founding partner at Super Ventures, the first VC fund dedicated to augmented reality. He also played a critical role in building the AR/VR ecosystem as founder of We Are Wearables and co-producer of AWE, the world’s #1 AR+VR event series.

MVP Interactive CEO James Giglio hosted Senior Director, Marketing & Digital Strategy at Tennessee Titans Jennifer Hinkle on this week's MVP Podcast. Jennifer begins her 18th NFL season, including her first with the Tennessee Titans, after spending the previous 12 years in similar roles with the Washington Football Team. Responsible for the digital, social, mobile media and marketing strategy for the Titans, with primary focus on fan engagement and revenue growth. Additionally, she is responsible for the development of integrated content and data-driven, omni-channel marketing campaigns, brand and email marketing, digital analytics, and emerging technologies. James and Jennifer will discuss our recent project where we launched the first-ever augmented reality mural in the NFL.

CEO James Giglio sat down with Front Office Sports Adam White to discuss today's sports landscape and the latest technology being used by leading brands and sports teams.

CEO James Giglio sat down with SponsorUnited's President & Founder Bob Lynch to talk about their emerging platform in sports and adjustments they've made during COVID-19. Tune in to hear Bob's outlook for a path forward and explore new features in technology being used by brands, agencies and teams to stay engaged with fans.

MVP presents Sony Pictures featuring Milissa Douponce by MVP Interactive

Marketing during a slow-down featuring Natascha French - Digital Marketer by MVP Interactive

Although widely known as a New Orleans Saints star, Marques Colston has created a fascinating life after football. Give a listen to his story on our latest episode.

In this podcast, we talk about the team's rich history and the various marketing efforts they make both inside and outside of the stadium.