Limpert Tech "SullyCast" on ALT 105.7 and iHeartRadio 4/17/21 - Brandon Steiner, Sports Collecting Expert, Athlete Direct

Rick is joined by a legend in the sports collecting universe this week, Brandon Steiner.

Sports Memorabilia Expert Brandon Steiner and 'Athlete Direct,' an innovation on his CollectibleXchange.com site which will allow fans to purchase memorabilia of all kinds directly from players and coaches. 

Have a listen:

** Skyrocketing price of trading  cards vs value? Danger of investment? See this article by Hal Bock
https://www.nysportsday.com/2021/02/27/bocks-score-protect-to-collect/
** Covid and Sports, one year laterState of Collectibles industry
** Latest items on CollectibleXchange visit https://collectiblexchange.com/
***Value of collectibles

Brandon Steiner, who revolutionized the sports memorabilia and collectibles industry during 32 years as founder of Steiner Sports, is transforming the industry once again with the innovative CollecibleXchange.com.  The dynamic sports marketplace is set to launch “Athlete Direct” with enormous sports figures as Mark Messier, Walt Frazier, Sue Bird, Tom Coughlin, Aaron Boone andLou Holtz leading the way. "Athlete Direct" gives the players and coaches a “one-stop-shop” to sell memorabilia – autographed, game-used and commemorative items – directly to their fans. In addition, collector's will be able to have their own photos, jerseys, balls and the like  personally signed autographed by the athletes. And that's not to mention fan experiences for zoom one-on-ones to such video greetings as birthday messages

 “This was always the big picture I had in my mind,” says Steiner. “I found that over the years, there was too much of the same thing, hundreds, thousands of balls and jerseys signed by the same player. People bring collections to us, and are disappointed in their value because players just signed so much. Now we are away from the volume and give propriety to high end exclusive stuff; those ‘hard to get,’ cool, pieces. We’re trying to work on not only collectibles but also private items – from exercise machines to skin care products to healthy snacks.” 

Limpert Tech "SullyCast" on ALT 105.7 and iHeartRadio 4/10/21 - Drew Bulter, Icon Source, College Student Athlete Branding

Rick is joined by Drew Butler this week.

Butler spent four years as a punter for the University of Georgia from 2007-2011, before playing professionally with both the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals. He now runs his own consulting business, called 4th Down Consulting and hosts two college football shows, the Punt & Pass Podcast and CampusLore Live. His career has always been focused on the intersection between media and sports, and his unique perspective will position Icon Source as the major contender in the college space.

He is now part of the team at Icon Source.

Have a listen:

College student athletes in Georgia would start receiving financial compensation under legislation the General Assembly passed last Wednesday.

The measure, House Bill 617, would begin to allow students to earn money, and it prohibits schools from canceling their scholarships for doing so.

Drew was recently added to the team at Icon Source, which is a digital marketplace that connects brands with professional and college athletes.

Icon Source, a digital marketplace that connects brands with professional and college athletes, has tapped former college and professional football player Drew Butler to head its collegiate division. This expansion comes after Icon Source’s announcement to open its secure on-demand platform to college athletes in response to the NCAA decision to allow players to profit from their name, image and likeness (NIL), as early as July 1, 2021.

A longtime advocate for college compensation laws, Butler brings a passion to empower college players on how to build their personal brand, putting the individual athletes above institutions or outside parties looking for a way to profit.

“Current NIL laws leave the heavy lifting up to the student athletes to promote themselves and find opportunities to capitalize on their likeness,” shares Butler. “While there are a number of companies focused on helping college athletes boost their social media presence, Icon Source is the only platform to directly connect them with brands, both national and hyper-local, while maintaining the transparency compliance officers and universities will require. ”

College athletes on the Icon Source platform have the ability to build out profiles based on division, conference, school and sport, in addition to the metrics like social stats, location and personal interests. Companies can perform organic searches for athletes or utilize Icon Source’s AI technology to be paired with an athlete based on social audience demographics. Tracking and reporting capabilities are also already integrated into the platform, allowing the monitoring of opportunities by coaches, school compliance officers and the NCAA, ensuring the protection of young athletes. 

Icon Source is a digital marketplace that brings agents, athletes and brands together. The Denver-based startup is the only platform that provides brands of all sizes direct communication with agents, eliminating unnecessary intermediate steps to engage with a professional athlete. Its proprietary AI technology pairs athletes and brands based on social audience demographics. For additional information and to create a free account, visit www.iconsource.com.

Limpert Tech "SullyCast" on ALT 105.7 and iHeartRadio 3/27/21 - Hermann Elger, VP at Sharecare on Safe Events

Rick talks with Hermann Elger, VP at Sharecare this week.

Elger, VP President of travel, hospitality and entertainment at Sharecare, talks about the long-term planning and tools stadiums and arenas need to be using to fully rebuild their businesses and fan trust.

With a light at the end of the tunnel, some leagues have started to welcome fans back into stadiums (re: MSG and Barclays) and others are in the preparation stages. However, it will take more than revamped cleaning procedures to truly win back the trust of fans and visitors.

Previously the Chief Operating Officer of Baccarat Hotels & Resorts, Hermann has been helping the hospitality, entertainment and sports industries get back on their feet with Sharecare’s VERIFIED®, a multi-pronged digital verification and accountability system in partnership with Forbes Travel Guide and supported by CAA Icon and OVG. Most recently, the State Farm Arena in Atlanta announced the integration of VERIFIED® into their recovery plans to establish confidence from fans in their safety efforts.

Topics:

Why on-site COVID testing, mobile ordering, digital health passports and cleaning procedures won’t be enough to fully recover entertainment/sporting events

The value people are placing on health security, digital accountability and a verification standard for venues

How COVID’s permanently changed the way people think about events and how stadiums need to communicate with visitors

Hermann Elger is executive vice president of travel, entertainment, and health security at Sharecare, the digital health company that helps people manage all their health in one place.

In this role, Elger is responsible for leveraging the company’s digital capabilities and health expertise to help employers and businesses across service industries ensure public health safety as part of overall consumer well-being. With channel partners such as Forbes Travel Guide, Elger oversees the delivery and global expansion of Sharecare’s Health Security VERIFIED™ solution, a platform and verification system designed to help hospitality organizations comply with proactive and reactive measures to minimize the risk and impact of acute public health events.  

A well-respected, widely traveled, and assured leader in luxury hospitality, Elger brings a wealth of expertise and 25 years of global experience to Sharecare. Prior to joining the company, Elger served as managing director of Baccarat New York and chief operating officer of Baccarat Hotels and Resorts, leading the development of new properties and overseeing day-to-day operations and quality guest experiences for the flagship hotel. Previously, Elger also served as general manager for Baccarat Hotels and Resorts, overseeing operations and the guest experience at luxury properties such as The St. Regis New York and Montage Beverly Hills. He also spent 18 years with The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, where supported the development of new hotels as an opening team leader for The Ritz-Carlton Aspen Highlands, Philadelphia, Dubai, and Kuala Lumpur.

Born and raised in Mexico City, Elger followed his father into the hotel industry and earned a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management from the University of Denver. His talents are recognized with honors including “Best GM in US and Canada” in the Travvy Awards and “Most Innovative GM” by American Express Fine Hotels and Resorts, both awarded in 2016. Elger also was named one of the “40 Most Influential Leaders in Tourism in Mexico” by Lideres magazine.

Limpert Tech "SullyCast" on ALT 105.7 and iHeartRadio 3/6/21- Bob Gillespie, Author, South Carolina Golf

Here's a book telling the story of golf in the great state of South Carolina.

Co-author, Bob Gillespie joins Rick.

For nearly three hundred years, South Carolina has played a vital role in American golf. The first golf clubs in America came from Scotland to Charleston in 1739. Myrtle Beach is sometimes called the “Golf Capital of the World,” with more than eighty golf courses. The Country Club of Charleston produced World Golf Hall of Fame members Henry Picard and Beth Daniel. The 1991 Ryder Cup matches, the “War by the Shore,” took place at Kiawah Island’s Ocean Course, also the site of the 2012 and 2021 PGA Championships. Hilton Head’s Harbour Town Golf Links has hosted the PGA Tour’s RBC Heritage for more than fifty years. Bob Gillespie and Tommy Braswell detail the history of the game in the Palmetto State.

Have a listen to Bob and Rick.

Bob Gillespie was a senior sportswriter, columnist and golf writer for The State newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, from 1979 to 2010. He won The State’s Ambrose E. Gonzales Award for distinguished journalism in 1988, was Associated Press Sports Editors’ national runner-up in features (2001) and explanatory stories (2009) and was named the Herman Helms Excellence in Media Award winner by the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame in 2019. He and his wife, Jane, live in Columbia.

Great to have Bob on and you can buy the book here:

https://www.amazon.com/South-Carolina-Golf-Sports-Gillespie/dp/1467145491/ref=sr_1_2?crid=PW0G3BH9C0VF&dchild=1&keywords=south+carolina+golf+book&qid=1615133175&sprefix=South+Carolina+Golf%2Caps%2C186&sr=8-2

Limpert Tech "SullyCast" on ALT 105.7 and iHeartRadio 2/13/21 - Adam Goodyer, CEO Realife Tech, On Live Events Returning

Adam Goodyer joins Rick this week.

With live events strategically being held, we are starting to see organizations preparing their venues for fans. The safety of fans who attend these games/events is now taking priority, and new innovations in live event technology are reassuring fans’ comfortability in attending. Adam Goodyer, CEO of Realife Tech talks the steps organizations are taking to provide safety before, during and after live events.

Topics:

What new features event venues are deploying to reduce key touchpoints, such as paperless ticketing, mobile ordering, and contactless collection from concessions

The evolution of ticketing and the potential access that can come with purchasing through mobile ticketing platforms

How venues are revamping their communication plans across the entire fan experience

The ways teams and venues are managing social distancing/density controls before, during and after events


Happy to connect you with Adam; I’ve included a brief bio of Realife’s impact on live entertainment below.

Realife Tech works with some of the biggest sporting and entertainment clients across Europe and North America. Using advanced data analytics and innovative UI, the Realife platform creates technology that increases mobile spend and revenues at live events. Realife Tech works with the world’s biggest venues and events, including The O2, London; Tottenham Hotspur Stadium; LA Galaxy & Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and Outside Lands Festival.