National Women's Soccer League Championship Fan Fest With Southport Marketing

The three days consisted of early mornings and late nights helping with set up and break down of the fan fest. The long hours only contributed to the experience and atmosphere, as Audrey and Melissa were immersed in a lively and exciting environment. The energy of the fans, the creativity behind each activation, and the behind-the-scenes coordination gave them a real-life look at what it takes to bring a major league fan experience to life.

Melissa shadowed and learned from Katie Conklin. Audrey worked on the operations side, diving into the bustling, hands-on work that makes these events function successfully. Whether it was managing inflows, juggling last-minute adjustments, troubleshooting activations, or making sure small details didn’t get overlooked, she cherished every minute of the experience. Audrey reflected, “Details were everything, and seeing how simply the biggest difference a table cloth or even a walkway can make for the fans is everything.”

They both worked closely with Sports MBA program alumnus Gaelen Kepics (SMBA ‘23) who gave them a deeper understanding of how all the moving parts come together and how important it is to make everything count so fans can leave feeling thrilled. Gaelen noted:

"Audrey and Melissa were a huge help to the Southport Marketing team as they assisted with the load-in of several vendors and partners to the NWSL Championship Game Fan Fest site. They both exhibited great attention to detail, and can-do attitude lending a hand wherever they were asked to help. This led to a smooth load in and load out process for all participants involved. The success of the event reflects their efforts in making things happen seamlessly."

This trip was more than just a weekend, it was a real-world learning experience that brought classroom concepts to life. Sports MBA and the students would like to thank Gaelen Kepics, Tim Young, and the entire Southport Marketing team for making this opportunity possible and for giving them such an authentic look into the industry they hope to work in post-graduation.

_{-Written by Audrey Geer, SMBA '26}