Event Recap: Tim McGhee '84

On October 12, 2012, Tim McGhee ’84 returned to Ithaca to talk to the ILR Sports Business Society. A graduate of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences with a degree in business, Mr. McGhee founded MSP Sports, a specialized sports marketing consultancy with clients that include the New York Red Bulls, Merck, Major League Soccer and USA Luge. While visiting, McGhee shared his career experiences, gave an overview of the sports marketing field and shared advice for students interested in entering the industry.

A distinct theme throughout McGhee’s career has been that of entrepreneurship. Currently the principal of his own consulting firm, one of Tim’s first forays into sports marketing was by partnering with the University of North Carolina’s Alumni Association to operate a basketball fantasy camp. Leveraging the Tar Heels’ success on the hardwood, the small program developed into one of the first fantasy camps in the nation. Even though Tim’s next entrepreneurial venture came far later in his career, this experience showed him the excitement and potential that a career in sports marketing offered.

There are two distinct sides to sports marketing, the brand side and the property side. Brands seek to connect to consumers through sports, a “passion point” for many consumers. Likewise, properties can borrow brand equity if the fit is good. As opposed to professionals who came up on either the brand side or the agency side, McGhee honed his skills working on both sides. On the agency side, Tim worked at Momentum Worldwide, SFX and PSP Sports before moving on to IMG and then crossing over to work on the AT&T brand. While at AT&T, Tim managed a corporate sponsorship portfolio of over $100 million. Included were sponsorships of twenty pro teams, the NCAA and professional golf. After nearly five years as AT&T’s Executive Director of Sponsorships, Tim returned to IMG to serve as the Senior Vice President of Corporate Consulting. Two years later, Tim returned to his roots as a sports entrepreneur to launch MSP Sports, the consultancy he operates today.

As a consultant, Tim helps brands and properties come together to execute marketing strategies and meet business objectives. Essentially, he needs to find the best way to plan and execute a strategy that ties together the audience (fans and consumers), the brand (a sponsoring corporation) and a property (a sports team, venue, league or player). At the intersection of these three elements is a “sweet spot,” where all involved parties can benefit. Successful sports marketing activations fall in this sweet spot. However, Tim mentioned the importance of giving a client good advice. For example, he conveyed to students that “not every brand should be doing sponsorships,” a reminder that this popular route is not always the best for all brands looking to connect.

In closing, Tim offered a set of tips for career success* and encouraged students to “cultivate [their] network constantly,” an essential part of the people-oriented sports industry. After a reminding students not to “undervalue their work” and to keep an eye on the future, he took the time to meet one-on-one with SBS members before departing in search of the next big deal.

As always, we at the ILRSBS are thankful for alumni like Tim McGhee who share their experiences in the sports industry with our members. We are truly appreciative of Mr. McGhee’s commitment to helping students succeed in their careers and we hope to host him at another event in the future.

*Tim McGhee’s Career Tips:

1. Have a goal and pursue it to the exclusion of everything else.
2. Be passionate.
3. Be flexible.
4. Be lucky, but make your own luck.
4a. Be nice.
5. Expand your skill set.
 5a. Be a good writer.
6. Take on new challenges.
7. Pay it forward.
8. Have fun.