The Presidents Address is presented by

Each year, SMA hosts its annual “Presidents Luncheon”which honors a sport marketing professional who has in ways become a well respected leader in the field. The Presidents Speaker is personally invited by the President of SMA and, as such, is one of the SMA's time honored and highly prestigious awards. Prior SMA Presidents Speakers include some of the industry’s most accomplished professionals.
 

Steve Griggs is entering his ninth season as chief executive officer of Vinik Sports Group after being named to the position on July 24, 2015. Prior to being tabbed as CEO, he spent one year as team president and four years as COO. Griggs first joined the organization as COO on August 31, 2010. He currently oversees all of Vinik Sports Group’s divisions, inclusive of VSG Live, VSG Commercial Sales and VSG Facilities, leading all business operations for a number of influential brands, comprising of the Tampa Bay Lightning, AMALIE Arena, USF Athletics, Yuengling Center, The Identity Tampa Bay, Tampa Bay Sports retail and more. He is a two-time Stanley Cup Champion after the Lightning captured back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021, his name now engraved twice on hockey’s Holy Grail. He was recognized by The Hockey News as the No. 1 team executive in the NHL in the publication’s ‘22 “Money and Power Issue” and, under Griggs’ leadership, the Lightning were named the 2022 Sports Business Journal Team of the Year.

In 2020, Griggs spearheaded the creation of Vinik Sports Group, which serves as parent company for the Tampa Bay Lightning, becoming the umbrella brand for three business verticals: VSG Commercial Sales, VSG Facilities and VSG Live. He introduced AMALIE Arena’s Cur(ate) TPA initiative to deliver fans the very best in fresh local food and beverage options. Griggs has led the charge on the design and opening of the new Cigar City Brewing Taproom on Ford Thunder Alley and continues to play a significant role in improvements to AMALIE Arena, the team investing upwards of $100 million in renovations over the past 10 years with more scheduled. In ‘22-23, Griggs initiated the creation of the Lightning Hall of Fame, with franchise founder Phil Esposito joining Marty St. Louis and Vinny Lecavalier as the inaugural class during an induction ceremony that was the centerpiece of Lightning Alumni Weekend, which promises to become a much-anticipated annual event.

During Griggs’ tenure with the Lightning, the organization has risen to unprecedented heights, as evidenced by the team having sold out 330-consecutive games entering the 2023-24 season, a streak that started in 2015 and is the longest current sellout streak in the NHL. Under Griggs’ leadership, the Lightning introduced the Community Hero program in 2011-12, a cornerstone program that has since been renewed twice and continues to this day. The Community Hero program has donated nearly $30 million to over 700 unique Tampa Bay-area non-profits, with $50,000 being donated each game. Griggs has also championed the Vinik Sports Group’s C.H.A.R.G.E. volunteer program where employees have volunteered over 37,000 hours at more than 150 non-profits each year. Additionally, the organization has donated nearly 7,600 items of player-signed merchandise to an average of 800 non-profits each year and has raised over $1 million through auctions, mystery pucks, 50/50 raffles and players events, all donated back to local non-profits. Griggs also leads the DEI Council for VSG and has been instrumental in launching the USF DEI Certificate Training Program, which has had over 150,000 people participate globally.

Griggs was instrumental in generating the team’s “Be the Thunder” campaign that entered its 11th-consecutive season in 2023-24. Under Griggs’ guidance, the Lightning ranked No. 1 in ESPN’s “Ultimate Standings” in September 2016 and finished in the Top 10 in 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2015. Tampa Bay was a finalist for the Sports Business Journal’s Sports Team of the Year in 2016 and 2021, being the only NHL team to do so, before winning the award in 2022. The organization has also been named to the Tampa Bay Times’ Top 100 Best Places to Work five-consecutive years from 2014-2019 and again in 2022 and 2023.

Since 2015, the Lightning, in conjunction with the NHL and the NHL Players Association, have invested more than $8 million to grow the game of hockey and teach life skills to youth throughout the Tampa Bay community. The Lightning’s community hockey department, Lightning Made, has committed to opening 10 public outdoor rinks and distributing more than 250,000 street hockey sticks and balls to more than 1,000 local schools. Griggs spearheaded the launch of the Lightning Made Training Center, a focal point for youth to learn the game and for the team to continue teaching and educating more than just on-ice skills. On February 7, 2020, Griggs led the charge on new naming rights of the Lightning practice facility, TGH Ice Plex, and the construction of a $9M upgrade to the building to create a state-of-the-art player environment.

Griggs led the organization’s efforts in conjunction with the National Hockey League to host the 2018 NHL All-Star Game in conjunction with Gasparilla. He has also worked with the league to organize both the 2019 Global Series Games in Stockholm, Sweden and the 2022 Stadium Series Game in Nashville. Griggs also works closely with the Tampa Bay Sports Commission in bringing NCAA and SEC events to Tampa Bay, including the 2022 Men’s SEC tournament, the 2023 Men’s Frozen Four, the 2023 NCAA D1 Women’s Volleyball Championship, and the 2025 NCAA Women’s Final Four.

Griggs was pivotal in a groundbreaking agreement with the University of South Florida on their 10-year multimedia rights partnership and facility management, including an agreement to rename the USF Sun Dome to the Yuengling Center. 

Before coming to Tampa Bay, Griggs spent three years serving as executive VP of sales and marketing for the Orlando Magic and opened the Amway Center. Prior to that, Griggs served for seven years as the vice president of sales and service for the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League and their parent company, Minnesota Sports & Entertainment (MSE). The Aurora, Ontario native also worked for Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE), the NBA’s Toronto Raptors (1994-99) and the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs (1997-99) as the director of ticket sales and service, where he led the sales and relocation efforts from historic Maple Leaf Gardens into Air Canada Centre in Toronto.

Griggs and his wife, Janell, have a daughter, Maddie, and a son, Jack.

Previous Presidents Speakers

2003 – Bill Carter, Partner, Fuse
2004 – Andy Dolich, President, Memphis Grizzlies
2006 – Shawn Hunter, Executive VP, Denver Nuggets & Colorado Avalanche
2009 – Nancy Hill, President & CEO, America Association of Advertising Agencies
2010 – Bill Bailey, Senior Vice President of Sales & Service, New Orleans Hornets
2013 – Jon Spoelstra, Co-Founder, SRO Partners
2014 – Bernie Mullin, Founder & CEO, The Aspire Group
2015 – Lisa Murray, Executive VP & Chief Marketing Officer, Octogan
2016 – Todd Fischer, Senior VP Global Sports & Entertainment, GMR Marketing
2017 – Ted Dalton, Senior Vice President Partnership & Business, Boston Celtics
2018 – Rich Luker, Founder, Sports Poll & Luker on Sports
2019 – Al Guido, President, San Francisco 49ers/CEO Elevate Sports Ventures
2020 – no award as the Annual Conference was not held due to COVID
2021 – Steve Miller, Chief Executive Officer of Agassi Graf Holdings
2022 - Flavil Hampsten, Chief Operating Officer, Elevate Sports Ventures
2023 - Steve Griggs, Chief Executive Officer, Vinik Sports Group