Western Illinois University issued the following news release:
Next week Western Illinois University sport management students will get the benefit of hearing how one WIU alumnus is applying his graduate degree in the sports industry.
According to Darlene Young, sport management graduate and internship coordinator in WIU's kinesiology department, Tim Atterberg (M.S. 1998) will return to campus to present 'Sports Marketing: Successfully Connecting Companies with Consumers through Advertising and Sponsorships,' at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 28, in Brophy Hall 224-226.
Atterberg's lecture is co-sponsored by the kinesiology department and is made possible through a grant from Western's Visiting Lectures Committee, Young added.
'Soliciting professionals to return to campus is crucial for our sport management program,' Young said. 'We need to continue to provide experiences beyond the classroom. I believe Tim is just one example of the many successful alumni we have working in the sports industry. It's also great to have former students return and see how their careers have progressed and provide them with the opportunity to give back to the program.'
Atterberg's impressive resume details his accomplishments in the sports industry; after finishing formal classes at WIU, he interned with the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he served as a customer service representative and sales intern. As his career progressed, Atterberg continued working in sports marketing and advertising: he held sales positions at television stations in Quincy (IL) and Wausau (WI), as well as the Fox TV affiliate in Cedar Rapids (IA).
'The station I worked for in Wisconsin is the official Green Bay Packers station,' Atterberg noted. 'When I was there, I had the opportunity to work on the live show 'Pack Attack,' which aired every Monday during football season.'
Currently, Atterberg works at Learfield Sports -- Cyclone Sports Properties in Des Moines (IA) as an associate general manager.
'We partner with Iowa State athletics, and we sell radio, television and web advertising and market signage, sponsorships and promotions. I work with advertisers and use our products to get advertisers their desired results,' he explained.
Atterberg noted that his sport management degree from WIU's kinesiology department enabled him to concentrate solely on the sports industry during his graduate education. He also said the department's internship program was invaluable for him professionally.
'It allowed me to start my career and gain valuable experience while fulfilling my internship requirement,' Atterberg said.
Atterberg's success may not only provide motivation for Western kinesiology and sport management students, but it will give them insight into the fast-paced sports industry.
'Sports marketing is exploding. Advertisers are moving away from traditional media and looking at sports marketing as a way to connect with customers,' Atterberg explained. 'I picked this topic because I want to show students the sales side of sports marketing. I will show them the Cyclones Sports Properties official media kit and present case studies of successful sports marketing concepts.'
'Sports Marketing: Successfully Connecting Companies with Consumers through Advertising and Sponsorships' is open free to the public.
For more information, contact the kinesiology department at (309) 298-1981 or kinesiology@wiu.edu.
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