Dr. William A. Sutton currently holds an appointment as professor and associate department head on the faculty of the DeVos Sport Business Management Graduate Program at the University of Central Florida. In this role, Dr. Sutton teaches courses in sport marketing and sales and promotional management in sport, and serves as the Internship Coordinator for the program. In addition to his duties at UCF, Dr. Sutton is the founder and principal of Bill Sutton & Associates, a consulting firm specializing in strategic marketing and revenue enhancement for clients including the NBA, NHL, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Charlotte Bobcats, Pittsburgh Pirates and Cleveland Indians. Prior to assuming his current positions, Sutton served as Vice President, Team Marketing and Business Operations for the National Basketball Association. In this capacity, Dr. Sutton assisted NBA teams with marketing-related functions such as sales, promotional activities, market research, advertising, customer service, strategic planning and staffing. Dr. Sutton has previously held academic appointments at Robert Morris University, the Ohio State University, and the University of Massachusetts – Amherst.

Dr. Sutton is a co-author of 2 texts: Sport Marketing (3rd Ed 2007) and Sport Promotion and Sales Management (2nd Ed 2008) published by Human Kinetics. Dr. Sutton has also authored more than 125 articles (refereed and non-refereed), and has made more than 150 national and international presentations. Dr. Sutton, a past president of NASSM, is a founding member of the Sport Marketing Association (SMA) and the Sport Marketing Quarterly – a publication where he has also served as the co-editor. Dr. Sutton is a featured author for Street and Smith’s SportsBusiness Journal (SBJ) and for the basketball strategy and business magazines Basketball Gigante and FIBA Assist published in Italy.

Dr. Sutton’s professional experience includes service as a special events coordinator for the City of Pittsburgh, a YMCA Director, Vice President of Information Services for an international sport marketing firm, Commissioner of the Mid-Ohio Conference, and co-founder and principal of the consulting firm Audience Analysts.

A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Dr. Sutton holds three degrees (BA 1972, MS 1980, and Ed.D. 1983) from Oklahoma State University, where he was inducted into the College of Education Hall of Fame in 2003. Dr. Sutton is also an inaugural member of the Robert Morris University Sport Management Hall of Fame (2006). Dr. Sutton and his wife Sharon reside in Orlando, Florida.

Daniel C. Funk, PhD is a professor of Sport Marketing with the Griffith Business School, Gold Coast, Australia.  Dr Funk has established an international reputation in the area of Sport Marketing with and emphasis in Sport Consumer Behaviour.  His research examines personal, psychological and environmental factors that shape consumer behaviour in sport, event and tourism.  This research examines Awareness, Attraction, Attachment and Allegiance through the use of the Psychological Continuum Model; a framework to identify processes and stages that shape the development of attitudes and behaviours among sport consumers.  The application of this research provides marketing and management solutions to sport, business, community and government organisations dedicated to the delivery of sport, tourism, event and recreation services and products.

Dr Funk received his Ph.D. from Ohio State University in Columbus Ohio.  He has worked on the faculties at the University of Louisville and The University of Texas at Austin.  Prior to academia, Dr Funk spent 5 years working as a sport marketing professional developing, implementing, and promoting recreational sport programs and special events in the United States.  Dr. Funk has published scholarly work in scientific journals including Journal of Sport Management, Journal of Business Research, Leisure Sciences, Journal of Leisure Research, European Journal of Marketing, Tourism Management, Sport Management Review, Sport Marketing Quarterly, Perceptual & Motor Skills, European Sport Management Quarterly, International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship, and International Journal of Sport Management. Professor Funk is author of the book Consumer Behaviour in Sport and Events: Marketing Action, is a co-author of the 3rd Edition of the premier Australian Sport Marketing text Strategic Sport Marketing and published in the 2005 Focus on Exercise and Health Research that examined the effect of modest exercise on perception of exertion for leisure and daily living activities.

Dr Funk has worked on various international projects examining marketing practices for professional sport teams and sporting events.   He has given invited presentations at international conferences and seminars in Australia, Canada, Greece, Japan, New Zealand, Scotland, South Korea, and United States. In 2007 he formed the Sport Tourism, Event Research Network STERN a collaborative research network of academics working to enhance the economic, social and environmental sustainability of the sport industry and related sectors.  Dr. Funk served as co-editor for a special issue on “Sport Consumer Behavior” in the journal Sport Marketing Quarterly.  In 2007; Dr Funk was recognized as a Research Fellow by the North American Society for Sport Management for his achievement in sport related scholarship areas of Sport Marketing and Consumer Behavior.

Alma Mater: University of Northern Colorado (2001)

Current Position: Associate Professor of Sport Business, Chair-Department of Human Performance & Sport Business

Background: Jim joined the faculty at Mount Union College in Alliance, Ohio in 1997 and teaches courses in sport marketing, sales, and sport marketing research. In 2005 he founded the Sport Sales Workshop. Now in its fifth year, this one-day event brings together leading sport sales professionals to provide college students with training and insight into sales. In addition to outstanding sales personnel from numerous professional sport organizations, the Workshop has featured outstanding speakers including Jon Spoelstra, Scott O'Neil, Charlie Chislaghi, Chad Estis, Buffy Filippell, and Bill Sutton. Prior to joining the academic ranks, Jim worked in intercollegiate athletics, high school athletics, and professional sports, as well as marketing and administrative positions outside of sports.

Jim will serve as host for the 2009 Sport Marketing Association conference being held October 28-30 in Cleveland, Ohio.

Dr. Dan Drane is Assistant Director of the School of Human Performance and Recreation (HPR) and Associate Professor of Sport Management at the University of Southern Mississippi. As Assistant Director, he is directly responsible for all graduate studies, coordinates international collaborations and relationships, and oversees research efforts for HPR. Dr. Drane has extensive experience in the sport industry and academia and was recently named Distinguished Researcher of the Year for the College of Health. He was also selected to train, manage, and supervise volunteers for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Dr. Drane is an accomplished researcher and writer with articles published in many sport management journals. He has authored one book and is currently working on a Sport Event Management textbook. Dr. Drane has been an invited speaker at international conferences such as the North American Society of Sport Management, the Korean International Sport Science Conference, and the Sport Marketing Association. He is an expert in the areas of Sport Sponsorship and Marketing, Service Learning in Sport Management, Sport Celebrity Endorsements, and Economic Impact studies in sport. Dr. Drane’s sport industry experience includes positions as Head Golf Professional at one of the top 100 courses in America, General Manager of a country club, and owner of a golf retail business.

Education
Ph.D. University of Southern Mississippi, 2001
M.S. University of Southern Mississippi, 1999
B. S. University of Southern Mississippi, 1987

Alma Mater: University of Northern Colorado
Areas of Expertise: Corporate sponsorship and marketing of women's sport, Leadership development in intercollegiate athletics, Title IX and Gender Equity
Research Interests: Antecedents for Professional Advancement in Athletic Administration, Exploration of Work-Life Balance in Intercollegiate Athletics: Policies, Programs, and Institutional Climate, Sponsorship valuation and enhancement for women's sporting events, Marketing and media influence on the success of women's sport properties.

Biographical Description
Dr. Nancy L. Lough is an Associate Professor in the Sport Education Leadership department and directs the graduate program in Athletic Administration. Dr. Lough has worked in sport extensively, with experience as a collegiate coach, athletic administrator and consultant. Prior to assuming her position at UNLV, Dr. Lough served as sport management faculty at the University of New Mexico , Iowa State University and Kent State University . Her years of experience in the sport management field have also included coaching and teaching in NCAA Division I and II programs in California and Texas in addition to public and private high schools in Colorado . She has consulted with professional sport organizations such as the LPGA and amateur sport organizations such as the Native American Sports Council. Her primary teaching areas include Marketing & Promotions for Athletic Programs, Financing Sport, Leadership Theory in Sport, Intercollegiate Athletic Administration, Sport Facility & Risk Management and Women in Sport. She is the Associate Editor for Sport Marketing Quarterly and has served multiple sport management organizations including NASSM (North American Society for Sport Management), NAGWS (National Association for Girls & Women in Sport) and the SMPRC (Sport Management Program Review Council).