Wisconsin Sports Business Conference

What Wisconsin Sports Business Conference does

The Wisconsin Sports Business Conference (WSBC) is a student-founded, non-profit conference organization established in September 2023 by undergraduate students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Madison, Wisconsin. It operates as an annual event-driven platform that connects emerging sports business talent — primarily UW-Madison students and faculty — with established sports industry professionals through keynotes, panel discussions, and networking sessions. The organization has run two editions of its flagship conference to date: WSBC1 in 2023 (360 attendees, 30 speakers, 5 panels) and WSBC2 in 2024 (302 attendees, 16 speakers, 4 panels), with programming spanning women's sports, sports journalism, sports investments, AI/tech in sports, experiential marketing, and athlete representation.

The organization's product surface is the annual conference itself, with no proprietary technology platform beyond a Squarespace-hosted website (wisconsinsbc.com) and a UW-Madison Qualtrics registration form. Governance is provided by a student Executive Board (Co-Presidents Devin Mehta and Jaxon Zemachson) supported by functional teams in event planning, marketing, creative/branding, and partnerships, alongside an Alumni Advisory Board of C-suite sports executives from Disney, FanDuel Sports Network, Chicago Bears, CAA Sports, Wasserman, and United Talent Agency. The team is reported as 18 employees firmographically, with broader team membership of approximately 30-40 including interns.

WSBC is funded through two revenue streams: corporate sponsorships (20-22 partner organizations including Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee Bucks, Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago Bears, IBM, MLB, Morgan Stanley Global Sports & Entertainment, and Wasserman Foundation) and conference registration fees collected via Qualtrics. No pricing or revenue figures are publicly disclosed. The organization is privately held with no external investors, no funding rounds, and no parent company; ownership and control rest with the founding student leadership. Geographic reach is regional, focused on the Midwest/Wisconsin sports business community.

Name

Wisconsin Sports Business Conference

Legal name

Wisconsin Sports Business Conference

Website

https://wisconsinsbc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Wisconsin Sports Business Conference is a student-founded non-profit at the University of Wisconsin-Madison that hosts annual conferences connecting students with sports industry professionals via keynotes, panels, and networking, funded by corporate sponsorships and registration fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Business Conferences

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events (7113), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Executive Summits & Invitation-Only Forums (MPAGAGAK)

Keywords

• Sports business conferences
• Student networking events
• Sports industry recruiting
• Corporate event sponsorship
• Career development forums

Headquarters

HQ city

Madison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Corporate Sponsorships: Partner organizations sponsor the conference events, providing financial and organizational support in exchange for brand visibility, access to talent pipeline, and engagement with emerging sports business professionals.
2. Conference Registration Fees: Attendees (students and industry professionals) register for the conference to gain access to keynotes, panels, networking opportunities, and recruitment activities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Wisconsin Sports Business Conference (WSBC) is a student-founded annual conference organization that hosts multi-day sports business events connecting University of Wisconsin-Madison students, faculty, and alumni with established sports industry professionals. Each conference features keynote speeches, panel discussions on topics such as AI and data analytics in sports, sports journalism, experiential marketing, and athlete representation, alongside structured networking and recruitment opportunities. The organization monetizes through corporate sponsorship packages sold to sports franchises, agencies, and brands, supplemented by attendee registration fees.

Product overview

The Wisconsin Sports Business Conference (WSBC) is a student-founded conference organization that provides a platform for emerging sports business leaders at the University of Wisconsin-Madison to connect with established industry professionals. The organization hosts annual conferences (WSBC1, WSBC2) featuring keynote speakers, panel discussions, and networking opportunities across various sports business topics including AI and technology in sports, sports journalism, experiential marketing, and athlete representation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wisconsin Sports Business Conference (WSBC Annual Conference) The flagship annual conference series offering keynote sessions, panel discussions, and structured networking events that connect UW-Madison students, faculty, and alumni with established sports business professionals for talent recruitment, career development, and industry insight exchange.
• WSBC1 (Wisconsin Sports Business Conference 1) The inaugural annual conference that connected UW-Madison students with sports industry professionals through keynotes and panels on women's sports, sports journalism, sports investments, and college athletics, with 20+ partner organizations including major sports franchises.
• WSBC2 (Wisconsin Sports Business Conference 2)

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

23 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Morgan Stanley Global Sports & EntertainmentcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPresented panels at WSBC1 and WSBC2 events. Provides sponsorship support and brand visibility at the conference.
• Wasserman FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSupporting partner providing funding and industry connections for the conference.
• Green Bay PackersflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor Wisconsin sports franchise partner providing speaker participation and brand support.
• Milwaukee BucksflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerNBA franchise partner contributing keynote speakers (President Joshua Glessing at WSBC2) and industry expertise.
• Milwaukee BrewerscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMLB franchise partner supporting the conference as a Wisconsin sports business organization.
• Chicago BearscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNFL franchise with executive participation (Karen Murphy, COO & EVP Stadium Development) on panels and advisory roles.
• IBMcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPresented the 'A Changing Landscape: How AI, Tech and Data Analytics are Re-Shaping Sports' panel at WSBC2.
• MLB (Major League Baseball)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerPresented the 'Memories Not Merchandise: Winning Through Experiential Marketing' panel at WSBC2.
• Forward Madison FCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerUSL League One soccer team partner providing local sports business perspective.
• Madison NightmaresminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal sports organization partner.
• Madison MallardsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSummer collegiate baseball team partner from the Northwoods League.
• ESPN MadisonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal ESPN affiliate media partner.
• Chotin Family FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPhilanthropic foundation supporting Wisconsin sports business initiatives.
• Cousin's SubsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWisconsin-based restaurant chain supporting the conference.
• Destination MadisonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTourism and destination marketing organization for Madison area.
• Madison Area Sports CommissioncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional sports commission supporting sports business development in Madison.
• VC ConnectminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVenture capital network connecting startups and investors in Wisconsin.
• TopHouse FoodsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFood industry partner supporting the conference.
• Mueller Sports MedicineminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSports medicine and healthcare partner.
• Moss SportsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSports business consultancy partner.
• Wando'sminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal business partner.
• Jay'sminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal business partner.
• The Vault NYCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNew York-based partner.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Indiana University Sports Business Club Conference: Student-led sports business event programming at Indiana University (Kelley School). Comparable student-conference model and Big Ten context to WSBC.
• Ohio State Buckeye Sports Business Forum: Big Ten peer-school sports business forum/conference at The Ohio State University, convening students and sports industry professionals. Same format and audience as WSBC.
• Michigan Sports Business Conference (Ross): University of Michigan Ross School of Business-affiliated student sports business conference. Same Big Ten peer-school context as WSBC, with a similar annual event format targeting students interested in sports industry careers.
• Georgetown Sports Industry Conference: Annual student-run sports industry conference at Georgetown University featuring panels, keynotes, and networking for students pursuing sports business careers. Closely mirrors WSBC's student-conference model.
• Maryland Sports Business Conference: Student-run sports business conference at the University of Maryland drawing regional and national sports industry participants. Directly comparable conference-format peer to WSBC.
• MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference: The premier student-affiliated sports business/analytics conference held annually at MIT. Directly comparable to WSBC as a university-hosted sports business conference connecting students with industry executives, though larger and more established.
• NYU Sports Business Conference: Student-led sports business conference at NYU connecting undergraduate and graduate students with industry professionals. Comparable format, audience, and value proposition to WSBC.

Broad incumbents

• Sports Business Journal (SBJ) Events: Industry-leading trade publication operating numerous sports business conferences and awards events throughout the year. Comparable in subject matter (sports business networking) but vastly larger and commercially established versus WSBC.
• Leaders Group (Leaders in Sport): Established global sports business events and content company running major industry conferences (e.g., Leaders Week). Compares to WSBC as a sports business event organizer, but at far larger commercial scale and broader audience.

Regional players

• Texas Sports Business Conference: Student-run sports business conference at the University of Texas at Austin, comparable in format to WSBC but serving a different regional talent pool (Texas/Southwest) with different flagship corporate partners.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wisconsin-sports-business-conference

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wisconsin Sports Business Conference