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Sports Management Worldwide Sports Career Conference During The NFL Combine

conference_wideWhat: SMWW Career Conference

When: February 22-23, 2013

Where: Hyatt Regency Hotel, Indianapolis, Indiana

Schedule

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22

7pm-9:30pm  Welcome Reception – private party at the Indianapolis Colts Grille. Network with NFL Executives in the heart of the action of the NFL Combine.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23

8:30am   Q and A with NFL Godfather John Wooten, former NFL Executive and NFL Agent. Played for the Browns 1959-67, Redskins 1968. Highly respected by NFL Executives.

9:00am   Q and A with Mark Dominik, Tampa Bay Bucs GM

9:30am   Break

9:45am   Scouting & Digital Video Editing with NFL Combine Pros

  • Russ Lande – GM Jr. Scouting, The Big Ten Network & The National Football Post
  • Matt Littlefield – Former scout for the Chiefs, Rams & Jags
  • Josh Liskiewitz, College Scout with GM Jr Scouting
  • Mike Stoeber, Jacksonville Jaguars Video Department

10:45am Break

11:00am   Mark Warkentien, NBA Executive of the Year, NY Knicks Dir. of Player Personnel & former Denver Nuggets GM

Noon     Lunch

1pm        Will Johnson, Pittsburg Steelers Fullback and his SMWWAgent Advisor Joe Tyler. Will was not invited to the NFL Combine and not signed out of West Virginia Univ.
Hear his inspirational story of how he fought his way and became a starter in the NFL.

2:00pm Keynote with ESPN Adam Schefter – Adam is one of the top pro football reporters in the NFL. Schefter joined ESPN as an NFL Insider in August 2009, and he appears on SportsCenter, NFL Live, Sunday NFL Countdown, Monday Night Countdown and ESPNEWS.

2:45pm Break

3:00pm NFL Agent Panel:  “Tips to Success in finding Top Draft Picks and Securing Endorsements”

  • Kelli Masters – NFL Agent
  • Tony Agnone – NFL Agent
  • Jack Mills – NFL Agent
  • Jim Solano – NFL Agent
  • Kristen Kuliga – NFL Agent

3:45pm Break

4:00pm How to Break into the NFL & NCAA via Marketing & Sales

  • Greg Hylton, Indianapolis Colts VP of Marketing & Sales
  • Jeff Cieply, Assistant Athletic Director for Sales at Indiana University

4:45pm Keynote with Marc Trestman, Chicago Bears Head Coach “Perseverance: Life Lessons on Leadership and Teamwork” (Tentative)

5:15pm Closing Remarks: Dr. Lynn Lashbrook, SMWW President

Cost:

  • General Admission: $250. Before Sunday, February 17th, 2013  click here
  • College Students and Faculty: (Your university will be on your name tag. All Sports Management Worldwide Students and Alumni are included at this rate). $200. Before Sunday, February 17th, 2013 only $175 click here
  • Team and Agency Employees Register here: (The team or agency you currently work for will be on your name tag.) $200 Before Sunday, February 17th, 2013 only $175 click here

By Darren Heitner

Darren Adam Heitner, Esq., is a preeminent sports attorney and the founder of Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., a Fort Lauderdale-based law firm specializing in sports law, contract negotiations, intellectual property, and arbitration. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2010 and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida in 2007, where he was named Valedictorian of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Admitted to practice in the state bars of Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia, as well as multiple federal courts, Darren also serves as a certified arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association.

As an adjunct professor, Darren imparts his expertise through teaching Sports Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) at the University of Miami School of Law in the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law LL.M. program. His scholarly contributions include authoring several books published by the American Bar Association, such as How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know, and numerous articles in prominent publications like Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and Above the Law. His thought leadership in NIL has earned him recognition as one of the foremost experts by The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, and On3, and he has been lauded as a “power player in NIL deals” by Action Network and a “top sports trademark attorney” by Sportico.

Darren’s passion for sports law led him to establish Sports Agent Blog on December 31, 2005, initially titled “I Want To Be A Sports Agent.” The platform, created as a New Year’s resolution, has grown into a cornerstone of the sports agency community, offering in-depth analysis of industry trends, legal disputes, and agent-player dynamics. His commitment to the field is further evidenced by his representation of numerous athletes and sports agents, as well as his prior role as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington, where he developed and taught a course on Sport Agency Management from 2011 to 2014.

Darren’s contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors, including the University of Florida’s 40 Under 40 Award, the University of Florida Levin College of Law’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, and designation as the best lawyer in Fort Lauderdale by Fort Lauderdale Magazine. He remains an active voice in the sports law community, sharing insights through his weekly NIL newsletter and his X posts, engaging a broad audience on legal developments in sports.