Jon Schmieder, President of Phoenix Regional Sports Commission, oversees the day-to-day operations of the organization, including strategic planning, budget management, fundraising, marketing and communications. He is the primary liaison to sport’s national governing bodies and rights holders, national and local event organizers, as well as PRSC partners. Schmieder also serves as the lead staff member for the annual Arizona Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. He has been a featured panelist for the Oklahoma Governor’s Conference on Tourism (1999), National Association of Sports Commissions (2000, 2003, 2004, and 2009), NCAA YES Clinic (1999), and was a columnist for TulsaSportsWeb.com (1999-2000). From 1997-1999 Schmieder served as the National Vice Chairman for the AAU Golf Program and currently serves as the Chairman of the National Board of Trustees for the National Association of Sports Commissions.

 

Flavil Hampsten, Director of Luxury Suites Phoenix Coyotes Hockey Club, joined the Phoenix Coyotes and Jobing.com Arena in 2005 and was promoted to Vice President of Ticket Sales in August, 2007. He is responsible for maximizing all ticket revenue including suites, loges, season tickets, partial plans, group and individual tickets for all events at Jobing.com Arena. During his tenure with the Phoenix Coyotes, he has increased group sales by 224%. During this same time span, Flavil has overseen departments that have increased the total season ticket base by 99% and set franchise records in the number of new full season tickets sold, renewal percentage, and total number of tickets sold in a season. Prior to joining the Phoenix Coyotes Hockey Club, Flavil served as Group Sales Manager for the New Orleans Hornets where he lead a group sales staff that was ranked 2nd in the NBA at time of his departure. Flavil has also served as a Premium Seating Executive for Comcast-Spectacor (Philadelphia Flyers & 76ers), as a Sales Consultant for the Philadelphia Flyers, and as a Corporate Marketing Manager for Mandalay Sports and Entertainment for both the Las Vegas 51s and Frisco Rough Riders.

 

Dan Costello, Marketing Partnerships for Phoenix Suns/Phoenix Mercury, has spent his career in business development and advertising sales. His experience in television advertising includes successful years as a Local Cable Account Executive focusing on local business, National Sales Account Executive focusing on bringing national ad sales dollars to the state of Arizona, and National Hispanic Sales Manager for Cox Media Arizona. Dan now is on staff with the Phoenix Suns/Phoenix Mercury, focusing on creating awareness for all of the Suns/Mercury Marketing Partners. Dan utilizes Television Advertising, In-Arena Interactive Promotions, Traffic Driving Promotions, In-Arena Signage, Product Placement, Internet-Database Marketing, Branding/Trade Mark Entitlement and, Radio Advertising to help drive strategic messaging to the consumer.

 

Cullen Maxey, Senior Vice President - Business Operations for the Arizona Diamondbacks handles all corporate partnership strategies and has seen unprecedented growth with a 33 percent increase to the team's sponsorship revenues over the last two seasons (2007-08). In addition, Maxey oversees the club's ticket sales, communications, marketing, creative services, broadcasting, game operations, fan services, community affairs and spring training efforts. Under his direction in 2008, the marketing team launched new strategies for increasing weekend attendance with Fireworks Friday's, premium item giveaways each Saturday, and Kid's Sunday's. Maxey joined the D-backs in November 2006 after spending two years as the General Manager of Sun Devil Sports Marketing for CBS Collegiate Sports Properties, the multi-media rights holder of Arizona State University Athletics. Prior to joining ASU Athletics, Maxey served as Vice President, Corporate Sales with the Phoenix Coyotes from 2001-05. Maxey began his sports career in 1997 with the Phoenix Suns, where he handled advertising sales for team publications prior to moving on to corporate sales and suite sales.

 

Steve Ryan, Vice President, Business Development for the Arizona Cardinals, is entering his eleventh year in the NFL and his fifth season with the Arizona Cardinals. Ryan is responsible for the organization’s corporate partnership sales and premium sales initiatives. Steve developed and executed a corporate sales plan for the Arizona Cardinals new stadium (University of Phoenix Stadium), resulting in the procurement of a diverse group of fully integrated, multi-year corporate marketing partnerships for the organization. Prior to joining the Cardinals, Steve spent six years with the Philadelphia Eagles as the director of corporate sales, where he was responsible for generating corporate sponsorship revenue for the organization during the transition into its new stadium, Lincoln Financial Field. Steve also spent five years as director of marketing and public relations for the PGA Tour’s Bell Atlantic Classic, and two years as the marketing and outreach coordinator for Special Olympics in Philadelphia.