Sports Business Students Pitch Premium Sales Solutions to Toronto Blue Jays

Lang Sport and Event Management students had the opportunity to consult with the Toronto Blue Jays this semester on a project that explored premium sales solutions in the professional sports landscape.

The real-world challenge was presented as a part of the Sport Sales and Sponsorship course (SPMT*3220) offered in Lang’s Sport and Event Management program. Students developed and refined their ideas over the course of the semester before ultimately participating in a pitch competition judged by executives from the Toronto Blue Jays executive sales team.

This year’s champions focused their solution on a creative go-to-market campaign that aimed to recruit new client prospects to the Rogers Centre’s TD Executive Suites. The winning team was comprised of students Tim Blackmore, Tristan Elkin, Nick D'Agostino, Morgan Lunney and Scott Vanos.

“Understanding the Blue Jays were in a unique position with their current renovations, we wanted to create a go-to-market campaign that was simple and feasible, all while aligning with the Jays’ current marketing initiatives”, said fourth year student Nick D’Agostino.

Third year Sport and Event Management student Tristan Elkin explained the impact of the project noting that, "during the term we learned numerous tips, tricks, and skills that assisted us in not only becoming effective salespeople, but confident, young business professionals."

Graduating senior Morgan Lunney underscored how the experience opened her eyes to the inner workings of the sports industry and the challenges professional sports teams face. “This course didn't just teach us the fundamentals—it cultivated innovative thinkers and future sports consultants. Dr. Lebel provided us with a platform to explore and push the boundaries of what's possible in the sports industry. I am proud of my teammates, whose diverse skill sets and dedication turned our concept into a compelling pitch proposal. I am also very grateful to Dr. Lebel for the opportunity to develop a relevant campaign that has the potential to make a real impact within the Blue Jays organization. She’s helping to shape us into visionary business leaders.”

Tom Zapletal, Senior Manager of Membership and Group Sales for the Blue Jays noted, “the level of professionalism, quality of research, and creative ideation was outstanding from every group that participated in the Sport Sales Challenge. These students set the bar high with solutions that were actionable, and I would expect some of their ideas will come to fruition in the coming years.”