Join Sports Management Worldwide for the SMWW Hockey Conference at the 2012 NHL Draft as Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the home of the Pittsbburgh Penguins, becomes the center of the hockey universe. This is your opportunity to gain valuable insight into a variety of careers from those working at the highest level in hockey! This 2-3 day event will offer unique panel discussions and question-answer periods designed to solidify the knowledge of every participant. The conference will be split up into diverse speaker panels; including sports business, athlete representation, scouting, league management, and sports business strategies. Additionally, the NHL Draft is expected to attract over 3,000 visitors and more than 500 print, television, and radio media members to the Pittsubrgh area.
What: SMWW Hockey Conference at the 2012 NHL Draft
When:
Thursday June 21, 2012 at 7:30pm for a "no host" cocktail Welcome Reception. Location TBA but in the downtown Pittsburgh area in the hub of the NHL Draft Activity.
Friday, June 22nd, 2012 9:00am-3:30pm sports business panels and networking.
Friday, June 22nd, 2012 (tentative) 4pm-6pm buses load for short ride to Pittsburgh Consul  Energy Center, home of the Pittsburgh Penguins. (Bus fee is included in Conference fee. Buses are shared with NHL Staff, NHL Prospects & Families.)
Friday, June 23rd, 2012 at the Pittsburgh Consul Energy Center - 1st round of the NHL Draft!
Friday, June 23rd, 2012 at the end of the draft: Buses load (where they dropped you off) for the short ride from Pittsburgh Energy Center to downtown Pittsburgh, NHL Headquarter Hotels.
Saturday, June 24th, 2012 at 10am at the Pittsburgh Consul Energy Center - rounds 2-7 of the NHL Draft (Buses load from 8am-10am) Have your picture taken with the  Stanley Cup.
Saturday, June 24th, 2012 - After the draft, approximately 1-2pm, buses load to return you back to downtown Pittsburgh.
Where: Conference sessions are held at a downtown Pittsburgh hotel. NHL Headquarter Hotels are to be announced by the NHL as the event gets closer. The 2012 NHL Entry Draft will be held at Pittsubrgh Consul Energy Center, home of the Pittsburgh Penguins. (Buses are included to the draft) Conference sessions are held downtown in the hub of the activity. Most NHL teams and NHL prospects will be staying in the downtown Pittsburgh area.
Who: Anyone 16 years or older. (Exceptions made upon request.) This conference is ideal to anyone interested in working or currently working in professional sports, but particularly the NHL and professional hockey. Attendees currently employed by a team, hockey coaches, and/or registered NHLPA agents are invited at a discount due to the fact they might want to skip some panels. The networking at this event is unmatched!
Includes: A ticket to both days at the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. (One ticket per registration. Tickets to be distributed in Minneapolis upon conference check in. Additional tickets not available. Registration also includes buses both days of the draft, both directions. Registration also includes name badge, registration packet, conference sessions, Friday Lunch and Thursday night Welcome Reception.
2012 Speakers: (2012 Speakers announce in May)
Brian Burke, Toronto Maple Leafs GM
Gordie Roberts, Pro Scout and NHL Hall of Famer
Bill Robertson, Minnesota Wild VP of Communications & Broadcast
Brian Lawton, former Tampa Bay Lightening GM
Don Lucia, University of Minnesota Head Coach
Mike Johnston, Portland Winterhawks, (WHL) GM and Head Coach
Patrick Klinger, Minnesota Twins VP of Marketing
Brad Madson, Minnesota Vikings Executive Director of Community Relations
Matt Keator, NHL Agent, Olympic Sports Management
Kyle Dubas, OHL Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds GM (the youngest GM in the OHL)
Lynn Lashbrook, SMWW President
Mike Oke, OHL Peterborough Petes Manager of Player Personnel
Pat Edwards, Central US Scout, Peterborough Petes, OHL
Patrick Burke, Philadelphia Flyers Scout (tentative)
Dean Fedorchuk, Straubing Tigers & Kassel Huskies, German Elite League Head Coach (DEL)
Trevor Whiffen, OHL London Knights Governor & Sports & Entertainment Attorney
Dave Schwartz, Minneapolis KARE-TV Sportscaster
Steve Nash, Integrity Sports Broadcasting
Suzie Gebre Hewitt, Minnesota Timberwolves Corporate Account Executive
and many, many, more!
Friday, June 24th, 2011 Agenda: (2012 will be similar)
7:30am Brian Burke, Toronto Maple Leafs GM
8am Lynn Lashbrook, SMWW President
8:15am Bill Robertson MN Wild VP
9am USHL Commissioner - Skip Prince
9:30am Brian Lawton – former Tampa Bay Lightening GM
10:15am Break
10:30am – Media Panel –Dave Schwartz, Minneapolis TV Sportscaster, and Mike Rand, Minneapolis Star Tribune Asst. Sports Editor & Steve Nash, Integrity Sports
11:15am – Lunch
12:30pm – Matt Keator, NHLPA Certified Agent and Family Advisor & Scott Mayfield, NHL Draft Prospect
1:15pm – Minor League and International Hockey Panel: Mike Johnston, (Winterhawks GM), Kyle Dubas, (Sault Ste Marie GM), Trevor Whiffen (London Knights Governor) and Dean Fedorchuk, International Coach
2:15pm – Scouting Panel: Mike Oke (Peterborough Petes), Tavis McMillian, (Thrashers), Gordie Roberts, HOF & Pro Scout, Brant Berglund, XOS Digital
3pm – Patrick Klinger, Twins VP, Brad Madson, Vikings Community Relations, Suzie Gebre Hewitt, Timberwolves Corporate A.E.
4:30pm Board NHL Buses to Xcel Energy Center
4pm – Xcel Energy Center opens
6pm – First Pick of the 2011 NHL Draft
Following the first round - Load buses to Minneapolis Hyatt
Language: All conference sessions will be in English
College Credit: Student Discount is available for high school and college students and SMWW Alumni. Most attendees are not college students but sports people looking to start or advance their career in professional or collegiate sportsl. However, for those of you who are in college and would like transferable credits to your school, one hour of college credit is available. After you register for the conference, one college credit is available here.
Buses to Pittsburgh Consul Energy Center:
Buses to and from the Pittsburgh Consul Energy Center are included in your conference fees. These buses are run by the NHL and this year include SMWW Conference Attendees. The buses are provided by the NHL for NHL Staff and NHL Draft Prospects and their families. This is a business event and professional business behavior is expected of all SMWW Attendees.
Fees: (includes conference sessions, draft tickets for both days, buses, Friday lunch, and Thursday Welcome Reception.)
Note: The NHL assigns SMWW a downtown Pittsburgh hotel. At this time we do not know which of the downtown Pittsburgh hotels the conference sessions will be located.
General Public Online Registration: Regular fee: $325. Only $225 before March 31, 2012
(Click here for GENERAL registration.)
Student & SMWW Alumni Online Registration: Regular fee: $325. Only $200 before March 31, 2012
(Click here for STUDENT registration.)
(School name will be on your name badge and school will be verified. SMWW Students and Alumni receive this rate.)
Team Employees & Coaches, SMWW Agents, and registered NHLPA agents Online Registration: Regular fee: $325. Only $200 before March 31, 2012
(Click here for TEAM OR AGENT registration)
(Team or agency name will be on your name badge.)
(Conference Fee does not include hotel accommodations)
Note: This event has sold out in previous years. Space is limited.
Click Here to register online
 Conference Sessions will be held at:
a downtown Pittsburgh hotel to be assigned by the NHL. When you register for the conference you will be sent an email as soon as the hotel is announced. In addition you will have first opportunity to reserve discounted rooms before they are open to the public.
More about the NHL Draft: For those of you who have never experienced the NHL draft "live" it is fascinating! The National Hockey League is the lone sports league in which all of its teams bring their staffs to the draft site instead of having war rooms at home and just a few people to answer the phone on the draft floor. Although there is a personnel limit of 21 at each team draft table, NHL franchises typically dispatch  anywhere from 30 to 50 staffers per team on draft week. For those of us who work in sports in all the leagues, we feel this is the most exciting draft to attend. Each team brings their GM, top player personnel and all their scouts. Imagine watching the top 600 NHL executives on the arena floor making decisions for their teams that will affect years of hockey. This is a must attend event for any hockey fan.
Questions can be directed to workshop@smww.com. But please keep in mind, this event is in the organizational stages and we will list details as they come available on this website. Agenda changes will happen right up till the day of the draft.
Click Here to register online
2010 Hockey Career Conference Agenda:
(Note: Speakers are now being invited to speak for the 2011 Conference. Speakers have to work this around their meeting schedules which are not yet available. The agenda below is from 2010. The 2011 Agenda will be similar but will not be available until June when teams start to finalize their meetings. We will however list speakers as they confirm. We will be adding speakers up to the last minute...and we always try to have a few surprises!)
Speakers are not guaranteed. Teams make meeting changes or events happen at the draft that require us to be flexible. We are constantly making speaker additions. Keep coming back to this agenda to see the most recent additions all the way up to draft day!
(Note: This is the 2010 Agenda just as a sample)
Thursday, June 24th, 2010:
(in the Los Angeles Sheraton Downtown)
4pm-6pm - Registration
7pm- 9pm No host cocktails and Welcome Reception
Join the networking and keynote speakers at the TOP of the LA Sheraton in the Polaris on the 26th floor. Featuring 360 degree views of downtown Los Angeles.
Welcome and introducations - Dr. Lynn Lashbrook, SMWW President
Harry Sinden, former Boston Bruins GM
Kerry Goulet – Shoot for a Cure & 29 Sports
Friday, June 25th, 2010:
(Los Angeles Sheraton Downtown)
7am Registration for late night arrivals
8am Welcome - Dr. Lynn Lashbrook, SMWW President
8am-9am Media & Sports Broadcasting, Journalism Panel:
Bob Miller, LA Kings Announcer & NHL Hall of Fame of Broadcasters
EJ Hradek, ESPN & NHL Network
Larry Brooks, New York Post Beat Writer & Columnist
The Hockey News named Larry, Top 100 People of Power and Influence in NHL a record 7 times.
9am Junior Hockey Panel:
Trevor Whiffen, London Knights Governor
Wade Klippenstein, Prince George Cougars Asst. GM
Mike Johnston, Portland Winter Hawks GM & Coach
Zoran Rajcic, Everett Silvertips Director of Business Operations
10am Scouting Panel:
Mike Oke, Peterborough Petes and SMWW Faculty
Mike Pilon, Endeavor Sports Group President
Dino Caputo, Tri City Americans Scout & SMWW Faculty
11am Agent Panel:
Don Reynolds, Uptown Sports Management President
Kyle Dubas, Uptown Sports Management and youngest NHLPA Certified Agent
Anne Greenstin, the only female NHLPA Certified Agent
12:00-1:00 Lunch (Box Lunch provided)
Tavis McMillian, Atlanta Thrasher Amatuer Scout
1pm Sales & Marketing Panel
Tracie Jones – Anaheim Ducks, Director of Marketing
Chris McGowan – LA Kings Senior VP, Chief Marketing Officer
Jon Lowe – LA Kings Senior Director, Marketing & Promotions
2pm Success Stories- "How to break in and move up"
Pat Edwards, International Scouting Services Scout
Ryan Colville, LA Kings Video Coordinator
Jeff Monahan, LA Kings Office Coordinator, Season Ticket Service Executive
2:45pm - walk four blocks to the Staples Center
4pm - The 2010 NHL Entry Draft begins!
(Draft tickets provided at registration. Do not lose this ticket as it is for both days!)
Have your picture taken with the Stanley Cup
Saturday, June 26th, 2010:
10am - 2010 NHL Entry Draft continues at the Staples Center
Pictures and Recap of past NHL Draft conferences:
2009 NHL Draft Conference Recap & Pictures- Montreal, Quebec
2008 NHL Draft Conference Recap & Pictures - Ottawa, Ontario
2007 Conference Recap & Pictures- Columbus, Ohio
What do folks in the industry say about SMWW Career conferences?
"I would highly recommend to anyone with a goal of pursuing a career in Professional Hockey that they give serious consideration in attending the NHL Draft Career Conference which is absolutely an incredible value for the return on the investment."
Patrick Edwards
International Scouting Services - Hockey Scout
"I am happy to report that thanks to that SMWW Sports Career conference I got an internship with the Indiana Pacers!" Tyler Hackman
"This is the ’must attend‘ event of the year for those involved in sports management programs who truly care about experiential education, establishing networking contacts with senior level executives, and exposing students to visionary thinkers in the field of Sports Management. Few people in the world can attract this level of talent and put them in one room to share their experiences. The SMWW Sports Career Conference is the kind of student-focused activity that will raise retention rates, career placement rates, and student satisfaction rates."
Ted Bouras
Prescott College
"As an Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator of the Sports Management Program, I found the SMWW Sports conference to be informative and a great way to keep a pulse on what is going on in the sports industries, from professional sports to youth sports, from marketing to sports agency and athletic advising. The information gained and networking opportunities were endless."
Janice E. Wardle
Assistant Professor,
Sports Management & Internship Coordinator
Wilmington University
Questions? Contact workshop@smww.com
2009 Conference Recap & Pictures
2008 Conference Recap & Pictures
2007 Conference Recap & Pictures
Click Here to register online
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