1. RISHONDA’S PORTFOLIO
The following is a compilation of sporting events and
sponsorship programs that I have been fortunate enough to
work on. Please feel free to contact me at
rithomast@gmail.com with questions

2. Goals
 GENERATE revenue for a professional sports entity through ticket and/or sponsorship sales
 Prospect and generate potential new leads
 Service season ticket accounts or corporate client accounts
 Exceed sales and revenue goals
 LEARN about the business operations of a professional sports franchise
 Participate in a sales program that offers ongoing training and growth with experienced staff
 CONTRIBUTE to the overall franchise by assisting game night and events staff
 Assist partnership marketing staff with fulfilling sponsorship programs
 PERFORM other duties as needed and/ or assigned by Manager

3. Background
 Education
 Davidson College BA English
 Bonner Scholar
 Women’s Basketball Team Manager
 Intramural Flag Football Champion
 Choate Rosemary Hall
 Choate Scholar
 Basketball and Lacrosse player
 Experience
 Octagon
 Team Epic (formerly Velocity Sports & Entertainment)

4. Testimonials
 Supervisors
 “I know with your work ethic and attitude you'll knock them over…!”
 Teachers
 “Rishonda is a pleasure to have in class. She is both liked and respected by her peers”
 “She continually exhibits great kindness and thoughtfulness to anyone she encounters”
 “She has brought good spirit, positive attitude, and fierce determination to all she has done
this fall”
 Peers
 “You are such a fabulous listener and your leadership style is calm but direct”
 “I appreciated your laid-back enthusiasm and the genuine spirit you contributed to the group”
 “Your positive attitude is infectious!”

5. Case Studies
 Regression Analysis Charlotte Bobcats
 Pilot Pen Tennis Tournament
 Arthur Ashe Kid’s Day
 US Open
 BMW Championship
 BMW M Power Tour
 2011 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition Launch
 Pepsi MAX Grassroots Marketing Tour

6. Charlotte Bobcats Case Study
 Sports Economics Independent Research Course
 Examined economic impact of American professional sports and the business models of the
NBA, NHL, MLB, and NFL
 Final Project
 Project examined variables that led to higher attendance at Bobcats games
 Statistically Significant Variables after Regression Analysis
 Weekend
 Football Season
 All- NBA 1st Team Players on Opposing Team
 Games Remaining on the Schedule
 Number of Championships in Opposing Team’s Franchise History

7. Pilot Pen Tennis
 The Pilot Pen Tennis Tournament (currently known as New Haven Open)
 Takes place in New Haven, CT and is one of 10 tournaments (Olympus US Open Series)
leading up to the US Open Tennis Championship in late August
 Title Sponsor
 Pilot Pen Corporation of America- a leading writing instrument marketer and manufacturer
 Objectives
 Pilot Pen wanted to increase brand awareness and sales among affluent, middle aged
consumers who often start buying school supplies for their children around August
 Results
 The tournament attracted over 70,000 people
 Event was televised on CBS and ESPN2

8. Arthur Ashe Kid’s Day
 Arthur Ashe Kid’s Day
 Children’s event that celebrates the life of former tennis player and activist Arthur Ashe and
kicks off the US Open
 Presenting Sponsor
 Hess Corporation- Energy Company (Oil and Gas) that conducts oil exploration worldwide
and offers utilities and gas service stations on the East Coast
 Objectives
 Build brand awareness and establish goodwill among the public at a time when oil companies
are experiencing an increase in negative publicity because of the BP oil spill
 Results
 Over 25,000 spectators attended the event
 Event was televised worldwide on CBS
 Arthur Ashe Kid’s Day remains the largest community tennis event in the world

9. U.S. Open
 United States Open Tennis Championships
 The US Open is the USTA’s annual major tournament. USTA Serves supports the
organization’s tennis and education initiatives
 Objectives
 USTA Serves wanted to leverage the popularity of the US Open to increase donations and
awareness
 Solution
 USTA Serves set up a booth along the Avenue of Aces (stadium entrance)
 Volunteers handed out flyers and giveaways and spoke with patrons about USTA Serves
 Encouraged patrons to participate in Text 2 Donate- mobile donation campaign partnership
with Usher’s New Look Foundation
 Results
 Greater exposure and awareness for USTA Serves
 Over 700,000 people attended US Open in 2010
 Both US Open website and mobile site experienced significant web traffic gains

10. BMW Championship
 2010 BMW Championship
 PGA Tour event which is part of the FedEx Cup Playoffs and features the top 70 golfers in
the FedEx Cup standings
 Proceeds support the Evans Scholars Foundation- a college scholarship program for caddies
 Title Sponsor
 BMW- a luxury car manufacturer
 Objectives
 Establish brand loyalty and increase sales
 Activations
 Provided BMWs (535GT) to players for duration of the tournament
 Premium service (parking privileges & hospitality) to BMW owners
 Invite BMW owners to play in the pro-am tournament
 BMW Fan Challenge, BMW Owner’s Pavilion, BMW Experience, BMW Biergarten
 Results
 Over 1000 patrons participated in the Fan Challenge activation
 Ticket giveaway at Citigroup Transportation Center ran out of tickets within 10 minutes of
starting

11. BMW M Power Tour
 BMW M Power Tour
 BMW launched the 2011 M3, X5M, and X6M
 Solution
 Organize a 6- week test driving tour in 6 different markets- Chicago, IL, Westchester, NY,
Long Island, NY, Washington, DC, San Francisco, CA, and Los Angeles, CA
 Invited M enthusiasts and others who drive competing vehicles to have a 20 minute
information session with M Brand Manager and take a 25 minute test drive by themselves
 Results
 Over 300 guests responded to the invite and pre-registered for each city
 Over 300 test drives per event
 Events generated buzz which led to several walk-ins and consumer generated blog postings
 Key Learning’s
 Allowing consumers to test drive vehicles and learn about the features enabled them to better
understand the value of the vehicle and differentiate it from a BMW 3 series or a competitor
vehicle

12. Sports Illustrated
 2011 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Launch
 Sports Illustrated turned the launch of the annual Swimsuit Issue into a property similar to
events such as the NBA’s All-Star Weekend and MLB’s All-Star Fan Fest
 Objectives
 Drive awareness, excitement, and sales of the 2011 SI Swimsuit Issue
 Solution
 Host a week of promotional events in New York and Las Vegas and secure sponsors such as
the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Nissan, and HTC
 Invite the models, celebrities, VIP clients, PR, and media to the events
 Results
 Swimsuit franchise remains strong despite overall dwindling sales in print media industry
 Readership among the 18-34 demographic comparable to the NFL’s Super Bowl viewership

13. Pepsi MAX Tour
 Zero to the MAX Tour
 7 month long nationwide grassroots experiential marketing tour that activated at several
Pepsi properties and large scale events in key markets 5 days a week
 Objectives
 Drive trial, build brand awareness, and deliver over 5 million samples in key markets in
regions including Northeast (New York), Midwest (Chicago), South (Atlanta), and West (LA)
 Activations
 Activation experience included branded Pepsi MAX truck, event specific interactions, and
MAX Facts trivia
 Results
 West team (based in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, OR, and Seattle markets)
exceeded sampling goal for 4 straight weeks
 Hit key events in Los Angeles market such as Angels games and large scale festivals

14. Thank YOU!
 Thank you for viewing my presentation
 Questions? Please feel free to contact me at rithomast@gmail.com to set up a time to discuss
 Thanks again and please take care