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 4/3/21 - Danica Tormohlen, Covering the Trade Show Industry

Great to be joined this week, by one of the best follows on Twitter when it comes to the Trade Show industry. Danica Tormohlen (@DanicaTormohlen).

Danica and Rick have a lively chat about events, conventions and trade shows returning.

Danica has been a respected professional in the exhibition industry ever since she joined EXPO in 1994 as an assistant editor and moved up the ladder to the publisher’s office. Her career has included a Folio: Eddie Award for Editorial Excellence in the travel and hospitality category, and an award for best web site redesign from min’s btob.

Tormohlen, who will be based in the Kansas City area, has also spoken at industry events and has served on various committees for the International Association of Exhibitions and Events including education and public relations.

She is a fountain of information and she shares some of it this week with Rick.

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 3/20/21 - Jennifer Earnest, Jen & Jamey’s Virtual Cooking Classes

Virtual cooking this week!

Rick is joined by Jen, from Jen & Jamey's Virtual Cooking Classes this week.

Have a listen:

When the Pandemic hit nearly one year ago, Jennifer Earnest and Jamey Evnoiuk, co-owners and a husband-and-wife team, nearly lost one of the South’s most renowned and events business and their restaurant.  With a highly skilled and curated team of 30, the company, Chef’s Garden Catering and Events lost thousands of dollars in days and nearly 2 million in revenue in 2020 due to canceled events.  Their restaurant located in Northeast Florida’s Largest Art Museums also temporarily closed.  Out of sheer desperation and panic inspired by COVID, the drive to keep their team intact and business afloat, combined with the need to bring joy and togetherness into people’s lives, this husband-and-wife team and introduced Jen & Jamey’s, Virtual Cooking Classes.  

The first test class was hosted on St. Patrick’s Day and due to the incredible early success, has become the silver lining today in their thriving business.  The duo has reinvented and re-directed their skills in catering and learned how to navigate the technology, to create something that transforms the cooking class market. And even during these desperate times, their business partnered up with non-profit Feeding Northeast Florida and provided the labor to cook donated food for homebound seniors.

Jen & Jamey’s Virtual Cooking Classes revolutionize the cooking class market because they offer:

Convenience: you are learning to cook from the comfort of your own kitchen + ingredient delivery

Approachability: we teach you to cook with what you already have and show people what they are actually capable of.

Jen & Jamey’s Virtual Cooking Classes have now grown nationally and in Canada with a variety of class offerings for individuals, couples, groups as well as private classes.  They are not only fun but offer participants the confidence in the kitchen to cook meals equally unique as skilled. The cooking classes allow people of all ages to receive live, hands-on instruction from the comfort of their own homes, with recipes that are created to be adaptable using the equipment they already have in their kitchens. For the whole duration of the cooking class, attendees will be led by expert Chef, Jamey, and culinary host and entertaining expert, Jen. Jen & Jamey’s Virtual Cooking Classes are perfect for many occasions: as a team-building event, virtual birthday party, date night, or a unique family and friends' get-together.

To date, Jen & Jamey’s Virtual Cooking Classes have hosted classes for such prestigious companies as Pinterest, TikTok, Google, Blue, Atlantic Union Bank, Microserve, Redwood Credit Union, Nexiva, Elevate Labs, Lilly, Pharmacyclics, Appian, BCG, and the Association of Legal Administrators Capital Chapter.

From homemade Pasta or Paella to Shrimp and Grits, Sushi, and beautifully curated Cocktails & Cheeseboards, Jen & Jamey’s Virtual Cooking Classes offer the ability to create an array of delicious meals from all over the world without having to hop on a plane. Furthermore, classes are always changing with new, exciting recipes to create! Once the class of choice is chosen, everything necessary to concoct the meal at home will be delivered fresh to your door including all ingredients and recipe cards with instructions. The only thing needed is for the participants to get ready and excited to create a delicious meal with others or on their own.

People can go to www.jenandjamey.com to see the available classes to book for themselves, family, friends, and as a gift.  Private and group classes can also be arranged for virtual gatherings and celebrations including anniversary, birthday, bridal parties, and for corporate team building events making it only a ‘click’ away from people cooking, eating, and enjoying an amazing virtual experience. Classes range from a Valentine’s Day Surf & Turf, Southern Style Shrimp and Grits, Lasagna Bolognese, New Orleans Style Gumbo, Cocktails, and Cheeseboards to Sushi Rolling classes and so many more!