The 2005 SMWW Sports Agent Workshop held at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis was the biggest and best ever! We had over 100 attendees from 25 different states as well as Canada and Europe. The attendees were excited to hear insights from a variety of speakers with many different backgrounds and everyone agreed that there was a lot to learn.

SMWW welcomed 35 year veteran NFL agent Jim Salono who has represented over 700 NFL clients and currently represents head coaches Bill Cower & Herman Edwards as well as Defensive Coordinator Ray Rhodes. Salono was joined by James Campon, Offensive Line Coach for the Green Bay Packers. Salono shared his insights on how the industry has changed over the years and told the group to treat every client the same, no matter if they make $100,000 or $10 million a year.

SMWW was able to secure the Vice President of Basketball Operations for the Indiana Pacers, David Morway, who is also a former successful agent in 5 different sports. Morway shared insights about how to get started in the business, the pit-falls he encountered and how the front office does business with agents.

Sally Sullivan former agent of Venus and Serena Williams, NFL player Lincoln Kennedy and many other superstars, spoke on securing endorsements and other opportunities for your athlete. She reflected on years of experience with Reebok, Nike and Adidas and related that the local car dealership in the athlete's hometown should not be ignored.

Charlie Wright with Athletes Performance gave us the insights on training athletes and preparing them for the draft. The importance of having a nice facility as apart of your recruiting pitch as well as getting your athletes in tip-top shape is something SMWW felt was invaluable for its attendees.

Dan Wilker and Raymond Braum from Morgan Stanley shared their advice on setting athletes up for their financial futures' and how agents can secure their recruits' a line of credit in-order to stay competitive with other sports agencies.

Matt Brock, Bill Kent and Dr. Lashbrook gave us the keys to success in their version of Recruiting 101. Next year, our new attendees will all come back as successful sports agents with multiple professional athletes!

Deana Garner, NCAA Representative for Agents, Gambling and Amateurism, shared the ins and outs of how to stay in compliance with all the rules and regulations with her up to date review of "do's and dont's"

Jim Kuzmich, MLB sports agent explained the differences in recruiting and representing clients in baseball versus other sports. He brought with him his client Garret Barger, Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher who shared his experience of selecting an agent and what it's like for a player within the MLB system.

KC Callero, SMWW Director of Overseas Basketball, gave us a terrific walk thru on how to promote our basketball clients in Europe and a ranking of all the top leagues and competitions for European Basketball. He also highlighted the salary range and insights that are needed to successfully negotiate with a team in Europe.

The highlight for all involved had to be the networking and relationship building. We are excited to know all the faces that go with the names! Here are some photos of this year's event.

Mark your calendars today for the 2006 Sports Agent Workshop, February 24-25. Indianapolis Hyatt during the NFL combine. See you in Indy!

2005 Conference Photos