Confirm My InvitationWho's AttendingProgram Summary

In its third iteration, The Assembly Leadership Retreat remains inspired by being member-led and member-driven. It is where PRO leaders who are influential in setting strategies for their organization and who are committed to creating a strong, healthy, and fair future across the industry gather to refine their own learning and leadership perspectives, celebrate and occasionally commiserate. Our focus this year is “Pro Sports Leadership Evolution & Innovation.” From rapidly evolving financial models to navigating unpredictable political and global influences, the best pro sports leaders strive to stay connected and ahead of the curve. By coming together and sharing a private space for such important conversations you will help speed up the rate at which we can mitigate threats and solve organizational and industry-wide issues.

• identify the most critical issues facing the industry
• workshop solutions and
• agree on a path forward as inclusive pro sports leaders

If you have received an invitation, please confirm today to reserve your room at the retreat center (limited to 150). Please note, days two and three are closed to media and attendees are asked to strictly follow Chatham House rules.

At The Assembly, leaders from professional teams, leagues, unions, and venues work together to:

AFTERNOON

• Annual Membership Meeting

EVENING

• Welcome Reception
• Medal of Leadership Awards Program presented by OVG Arena Alliance – Meet the 2024 Honorees
• To tip off The Assembly, the 2024 Medal of Leadership honorees will be celebrated for advancing the professional sports industry, both inside their organization and beyond by elevating the standards of leadership excellence. The opening celebration elevates PRO members who are building strong, healthy and fair organizations and communities. Inspired by two leaders who epitomize what it means to be a PRO and have lifted inclusive leadership to new heights: Jason Jenkins and Cynt Marshall. You are invited to attend and consider your position of influence to benefit the greater good.
• Hospitality Suite

Thursday, June 6, 2024: Leadership Conversations and Workshops, part 1

DAYTIME
The focus of the third PRO Leadership Retreat and Workshop will turn attention to our industry’s leadership evolution and innovation.  June 6th is when the "work" in the workshop begins. The discussions will be followed by workshops with practitioners offering tools to refine our efforts and impact.

• State of the Union in Pro Sports Leadership
• Perspective is important. Proximity is powerful. Bringing together top leaders with significant influence and perspectives to explore the extraordinary challenges and opportunities ahead enlightens and empowers PRO leaders to chart a path forward. From owners to commissioners, to top leaders at teams and unions - each leadership perspective is critical to understanding how we are collectively responsible for creating a strong, healthy and fair future in the professional sports ecosystem. In the opening keynote panel featured leaders share an overall analysis of the current status of leadership in professional sports; where we are headed, the major pain points, and what to prepare for in the next 10, 20, or 30 years. By sharing responsibility for industry-wide threats and business matters PRO leaders can gain perspective to strengthen their own organizations and establish a front line of defense to help safeguard the industry.
• Re(Design) Thinking the Pro Sports Business Model
• Necessity is the mother of innovation. From internal disruptors to external uncontrollables, such as evolving fan, staff, and athlete preferences and broadcast consumption options to unpredictable political and global markets - professional sports organizations are rapidly evolving. Valuations are growing. Private equity and Sovereign Wealth are entering the ecosystem. Challenger leagues and brands are disrupting the status quo. Here we will consider the sustainability of the current model and learn from those reimagining the framework for the future so we can be prepared to lead through shifts in market dynamics. 
• Attracting, Developing, and Retaining Top Talent
• Players and coaches make up a high-profile and mighty 5% of the professional sports talent pool. The other 95%, an estimated 150,000+ full-time employees are responsible for running the business. With aggregate valuations of US-based professional sports franchises topping 500B (yes, that’s a B for billion), it’s incredible to consider what the other 95% are able to create and support for such valuations. In this conversation we will explore how improving cross-sport connectivity, collaboration and collective commitment to leadership development in pro sports helps to mitigate unnecessary vulnerabilities for owners/investors, top organization leaders, and the workforce.
• Public Policy in Pro Sports
• In 2024, twelve Commissioners from US-based Major Leagues met for the first time as a collective group to consider leadership for the industry and the power of our collective platform to impact cultural, political and economic factors across society. From public financing to the systematic disassembly of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) to regulatory amendments and laws around alcohol consumption, bearing arms, land use, labor relations, sports betting, AI, etc public policy and pro sports are ever intertwined. In this conversation, we will learn from those who are guiding the tactical strategies for professional sports organizations to navigate the complexities of public policy at various levels of government - from municipal to state and federal.
• Navigating the Implications of an Election Year
• As much as some might like to see a “Church and State” like separation between sports and politics, if 2019 taught us anything, it’s that pro sports leaders care deeply about how elections impact their personal and professional endeavors. Seen as community leaders, professional sports executives actions (or inactions) are sought from a variety of stakeholders and influencers. Managing the demands and expectations of such requires savvy stamina - and a well-equipped team. Here we’ll learn insights from the experts.  

EVENING

• Fireside Chat with a Friendly Family Fued
• Hospitality Suite

DAYTIME
Day 3 will challenge the way we think about key operations in our business. Dynamic sports leaders are concerned with what happens far beyond the competition; we will explore how to leverage our leadership influence for lasting impact on front offices, our community, and the industry of professional sports.

• Workshop: Personal Leadership Brand Development

• In this workshop facilitated by the visionary Founder of BREAKTHRU Brands, Laura Barnard, you will be introduced to The Spectrum of Leadership EmpowermentTM (SLE) — an innovative and inclusive leadership development model designed to inspire you to think internally, in terms of identifying your motivations to lead, as well as externally, in terms of stepping into your greatest power as a leader.

  Prior to the workshop, we invite you to explore and chart your own unique Leadership Type through BREAKTHRU’s self-guided, online Leadership Types Quiz. At the end of the workshop, Barnard will provide you with recommendations on how to apply these learnings to build a strong, authentic Leadership Brand, which can enable the confidence, clarity, and visibility required to drive business and organizational development, career advancement, and connectivity with your audiences and stakeholders.
  
  KEY TAKEAWAYS:
  – Learn about The Spectrum of Leadership EmpowermentTM — an innovative and inclusive way to understand and think about leadership styles, stereotypes and biases.
  – Chart your own Leadership Type through BREAKTHRU’s self-guided, online quiz.
  – Understand how your Leadership Type can help you best communicate and relate with others, setting you on the path towards building a strong, authentic Leadership Brand and enabling you to achieve your greatest impact.

• Business Case for Inclusive Leadership - ownership mindset
• Where do we go from here?
  As an Assembly of PRO leaders, what will we do individually and collectively to build organizations that thrive with intentional, inclusive leadership across professional sports? This isn’t a rhetorical question. Everyone is invited to share and support the work ahead.
  – Oracio Galindo
  – Dr. Jamil Northcutt
  – Alexis Roe

AFTERNOON

• Recreation and Departures