By: Tim Gusweiler ('13)

The 2012 Ohio Sports Business Forum and Career Fair took place on October 19. The goal of the event is to offer students a better understanding of the different segments of the sports industry. This year marked the first year the Sports Business Forum included a career fair for students interested in the sports industry.

The career fair kicked off in Baker Center in the early morning. Students from all majors were given the opportunity to discuss job opportunities with representatives from the Cleveland Sports Commission, Detroit Red Wings, Columbus Crew, Columbus Blue Jackets, Cincinnati Reds, Legends Sales and Marketing, and the Southern Ohio Copperheads. The event was well attended by undergraduate and graduate students and will continue to grow in future years.

After the Career Fair, a variety of speakers with a diverse mix of sports business experience gave presentations to attendees. Students were able to choose which speaker sessions to attend based on their career aspirations. Each session also involved a question and answer portion that allowed students to interact with each speaker. The keynote speaker, Kelley Walton, highlighted the day’s presentations. Walton, a practicing lawyer and former Director of Human Resources at the Columbus Blue Jackets, spoke at length about preparation for obtaining jobs within the sports industry.

On Saturday the female students in the MSA/MBA program were able to participate in a round table discussion with successful women in the world of sports.  Kelley Walton and Christina Wright (’10) were in attendance and were able to answer many of the questions the students had.  Later in the morning Basil DeVito (’78) spoke to both classes of MSA students about his experience as the president of the XFL.

The 2012 Sports Business Forum and Career Fair proved to be a valuable experience for undergraduate and graduate students at Ohio. The Center for Sports Administration thanks all of the career fair participants, speakers and attendees and is excited to grow the event in the future.