The Association for Women in Sports Media announces ESPN and the NFL as major sponsors for its 2013 summer conference, where 25 years of the organization will be celebrated, set for June 20-23 at the Montelucia Resort and Spa in Scottsdale, Ariz.
ESPN returns as a platinum-level sponsor. Headquartered in Bristol, Conn., the company also was a top-level sponsor for AWSM meetings in Philadelphia (2009), Los Angeles (2010) and Charlotte (2011) and has been among the sponsors for a number of other years.
Said ESPN senior vice president Rosa Gatti: “ESPN has long supported AWSM and women in sports media. We were an industry leader in placing women on air on SportsCenter and events in our very first year, and in placing women in key executive positions. We televised women’s events in our very first days, and have since expanded our coverage of women’s sports. And we continue to work on growing our female population behind the scenes. We celebrate AWSM and its work on behalf of women!”
Gatti is one of three current ESPNers who have been honored with AWSM’s Mary Garber Pioneer Award, winning in 2011. Claire Smith (2000) and Sandy Rosenbush (2012), who work in ESPN’s event news group, also are past Pioneer winners.
ESPN also has been a mainstay with AWSM’s internship program, which has placed more than 100 women in summer positions since 1990 – including Tori Petry, who spent the 2012 summer as an ESPN production intern.
“While the AWSM interns are at ESPN, they work very hard and go above and beyond to be involved and learn. They are always strong writers, communicators, researchers and storytellers,” said university relations coordinator Susan Grouse. “AWSM interns are eager to expand their knowledge base and work with other sports groups, while still ensuring their assigned work is completed on time. We look forward to continuing this successful relationship with AWSM.”
The NFL signed on as a gold-level sponsor for the 2013 meeting. The organization was previously a sponsor in Chicago (2012) and Charlotte (2011).
Said AWSM president Stefanie Loh: “AWSM is excited to have the NFL back for a third consecutive year. We appreciate the support, and look forward to working with the league now and in the future.”
For information about sponsoring AWSM’s summer conference, please contact VP/convention Lydia Craver, lydia (dot) craver (at) awsmonline (dot) org.
Past conference sponsors have included broadcast outlets such as Fox Sports, digital outlets like Yahoo! Sports and MLB Advanced Media, organizations such as the NBA, MLS, NCAA, USOC and the Knight Foundation, clubs and venues ranging from the Los Angeles Dodgers to Texas Motor Speedway and some of the nation’s leading newspapers including The New York Times, USA Today, The Miami Herald, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Baltimore Sun, Dallas Morning News, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, San Diego Union-Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, San Jose Mercury News and Los Angeles Daily News.
