“Here we go Steelers! Here we go!”
If you’re like many in Pittsburgh – you know all there is to know about the hometown Steelers…or do you?
We all watch the “talking heads” on Sunday, keep an eye on the injury list for our fantasy teams, may be even have an opinion on who the third receiver should be alongside Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant going into this season – but what do you know about the “business of football”?
In this PYP Talk, come to Heinz Field and listen to the Vice President of Sales & Marketing of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Ryan Huzjak, discuss what role sponsorships, marketing, and media channels play in a winning organization. Learn about how: a sponsorship deal comes to life, what ‘marketing’ actually means in sports, and how to perfectly balance TV/radio/digital functions for a professional sports franchise. Ryan will also share his experience in working in sports and thoughts on how someone can get that dream job of working in the front office of a professional sports team.
The event will also include a tour of Heinz Field (including press boxes, locker rooms, and sneak peek of the field itself) with a tour guide that can answer questions you may have about the iconic home of the Steelers!
Directions to Event:
The event will be held at the Media Compound at Heinz Field.
Enter thru Press Gate – across from Carnegie Science Center. Parking is available at Carnegie Science Center (parking rates will be increased this evening due to the Pirates game)
Speaker Bio:
Ryan received a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with a marketing concentration from the University of Toledo in 1996. While at the University of Toledo, he was a four-year starting quarterback and led the nationally ranked, undefeated Rockets to a victory in the Las Vegas bowl in 1995. He was inducted in the UT Athletics Hall of Fame in 2005.
Ryan earned his MBA from DePaul University, Kellstadt Graduate School of Business with a Marketing Concentration in 2004.
He started his career in sports marketing with the Chicago White Sox in 1999 as ticket sales intern. Ryan was promoted to a full time position in the ticket sales department and later promoted to a corporate sponsorship sales account executive where he served from 2001 to 2002.
In 2002, Ryan accepted a position with the Chicago Bulls as Corporate Sponsorship Account Executive where he was responsible for selling sponsorships for the Bulls and the United Center.
In 2004, Ryan accepted a position with Chicago Bears where he served as Corporate Partnerships Manager for 2 years. In 2006, he was promoted to lead the corporate partnership sales team as the Director of Corporate Partnerships. Ryan successfully led the Bears sponsorship sales to dramatic annual growth and dynamic platform development while contributing broadly across the Bears business operation.
In 2013, the Pittsburgh Steelers called on him to join the franchise in a newly created, Director of Partnerships and Sales role. Ryan was initially asked to lead the growth and development of key revenue generating business lines including corporate partnership sales, corporate partnership activation and premium seating sales. In early 2015, he led the development of a new sales and marketing corporate structure. Ryan now serves as Vice President of Sales and Marketing where he oversees sales (sponsorship sales, sponsorship activation and premium seating sales) marketing (brand, event marketing, gameday marketing, youth marketing and alumni relations) and content (TV, radio, digital, print and editorial) functions for the franchise.
Heinz Field
100 Art Rooney Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15212 (map)
Event Contact:
Laura Faust, laura.faust@pyp.org
