Tag: LakePoint Sports

ATLANTA, September 26, 2019 (Newswire.com)
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​​LakePoint Sports, the nation’s premier youth sports destination located in the Metro Atlanta area, announced today several additions to its growing professional team, including naming veteran Atlanta executive Greg Barckhoff as its Executive Vice President, Partnerships and Marketing.

The full list of new team members is:

·         Greg Barckhoff, Executive Vice President, Partnerships and Marketing

·         David Healy, Executive Vice President, Strategic Brand Integration

·         Heather Higdon, Director, Experiential Events and Operations

·         David Pate, Director, Partnerships and Marketing

·         Corbin Bryant, Manager, Marketing and Youth Initiatives

“At LakePoint Sports, these past few months have been a period of significant progress as we forge new partnerships, launch new initiatives and chart a new course forward,” said Mark M. O’Brien, President and CEO, LakePoint Sports. “We’re building something special here, and these talented men and women will work with the dedicated team members already in place at LakePoint Sports to help us carry the positive momentum from this year into an exciting, sustainable future of growth and success.”

With more than 20 years of experience in sports and entertainment sales, Barckhoff brings a wealth of expertise to LakePoint Sports. He’s held executive leadership positions with the Atlanta Sports Council, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Georgia Dome, Comcast Sports Southeast and On Location Experiences. Prior to moving to Atlanta, he worked in various capacities for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Milwaukee Brewers and the Jeep Aloha Bowl.

Currently, Barckhoff is Vice President, Partnerships for the Atlanta Basketball Host Committee, the organization working in conjunction with the NCAA to plan and coordinate the 2020 NCAA Final Four from April 4-6, 2020 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. As Barckhoff joins LakePoint Sports, he will continue to lead fundraising efforts for the Atlanta Basketball Host Committee through the completion of the tournament next year.

“Greg’s experience, knowledge and entrepreneurial energy have proven to be invaluable for our Atlanta Basketball Host Committee,” said Dan Corso, President of the Atlanta Sports Council. “The NCAA Men’s Final Four is one of the premier sports events in the world, and it offers another opportunity for Atlanta to take center stage in 2020. Thanks to Greg’s  work, we’re going to be ready for our starring role, and I’m confident he’ll bring that same passion to succeed to LakePoint Sports.”

Barckhoff, who holds a B.S. in Marketing from the University of Kentucky and a M.Ed. in Sports Management from the University of Georgia, has extensive experience in developing, coordinating and managing sports events.

“LakePoint Sports has established itself as the nation’s premier youth sports destination, and I’m excited to join their growing team and build new relationships and develop innovative partnerships that can take our story across the country,” said Barckhoff. “There is a tremendous foundation to build on here and the future is limitless, and I’m excited about this opportunity.”

Healy has extensive experience working with a number of prominent global brands, including ESPN, Anheuser Busch, Coca-Cola and AT&T. He also has strong ties to the sports landscape in Atlanta, working with the Atlanta Hawks and Atlanta United.

As a senior leader at CSE, a renown sports and entertainment agency based in Atlanta, Healy launched the Emerging Accounts team and oversaw various brand marketing efforts for clients. He also established its Integrated Services Group which included public relations, social and digital media, diversity and inclusion, experiential marketing and CSE’s in-house technology lab.

With 17 years of experience in event planning and production, Higdon will head up LakePoint Sports’ efforts to develop and activate immersive experiences for athletes, partners and the community. Her impressive resume includes producing events for Turner/Warner Media, Publix, Gulf Stream, Kohler, Michelin and Home Depot. Higdon has a B.S. in recreation management and a M.S. in sports management, both from Georgia Southern University.

A graduate of Auburn University, Pate has nearly a decade of agency experience working with brands like Coca-Cola and SunTrust, helping to develop and manage partnership activations for the National Football League, Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer and the NCAA Final Four. He also worked for the Atlanta Falcons in corporate partnerships and premium sales.

Bryant is a retired NFL player, compiling stints with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Buffalo Bills and New York Giants, and working in the offseason in the NFL’s corporate offices, Under Armour and the University of Cincinnati. He stepped away from the game in 2018 and worked as a marketing and promotions associate at the University of Georgia. Bryant was a two-time All-Big Ten selection at Northwestern where he earned his B.S. in learning and organizational change and M.Ed. in sports management.

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About LakePoint Sports

LakePoint Sports, the premier youth sports destination in the country, is committed to a mission of creating lifelong memories for athletes, families and the community one experience, one game, one guest at a time. Located in the Metro Atlanta area, the 1,300-acre destination boasts eight Major League-sized baseball fields; three multi-use fields for soccer, lacrosse, rugby, football and more; a 170,000-square-foot Champions Center; featuring 12 full-size basketball courts which convert to 24 full-size volleyball courts as well as accommodations for gymnastics, cheer and many more indoor sports and events. LakePoint Sports is the official home to the training camp of the Harlem Globetrotters, and it features partnerships with Prep Baseball Report (PBR) and PlaySight Interactive. For more information, visit https://www.lakepointsports.com.

Media Contact: Johnathan McGinty (Jackson Spalding), jmcginty@jacksonspalding.com

Source: LakePoint Sports

Press Release
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updated: Apr 25, 2019

EMERSON, Ga., April 25, 2019 (Newswire.com)
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​​​​​LakePoint Sports, the nation’s premier youth travel sports destination located in the Metro Atlanta area, announced today it has named Mark O’Brien as its new president and CEO. O’Brien, who recently served as president of Mizuno USA and chairman of Mizuno Canada, brings a wealth of sports and brand experience to his new role.

“Mark has a robust background with deep experience in sports, marketing, retail and customer satisfaction while leading organizations,” said Jeff Bemis of Rimrock Capital Management, the owner of LakePoint. “He has a special expertise in helping set brands up for lasting success, as well as an ethos that aligns with our vision and values. We can’t think of a better person to help usher LakePoint into this exciting new era, and I look forward to working with him to solidify LakePoint’s position as the ultimate authority in youth travel sports.” 

O’Brien has more than two decades of executive leadership for some of the most recognizable brands in the world, including Mizuno USA and Mizuno Canada, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, The Original Honey Baked Ham Company, Johnsonville Sausage and Miller Brewing Company (now MillerCoors). His career has been defined by employing a thoughtful, purposeful approach to transforming and revitalizing mature, rapid-growth organizations, turning them into high-performing, established brands that are viewed as leaders in their respective industries.

O’Brien boasts a diverse array of experience in the sports industry, including several years in minor league baseball that culminated in a role as general manager. He also worked in sports marketing and branding for the NBA’s Houston Rockets, assisting with the franchise’s brand partnerships. During his time with GMR Marketing, his work focused on customer engagement and experiential marketing for one of the top global sports entertainment and experiential marketing agencies.

“LakePoint is truly unlike any other youth sports campus in the country – an impressive and impactful experience that stands above the rest,” said O’Brien. “I’ve always had a passion for sports and for supporting kids with ambition and drive as they work toward their goals on and off the field. I am thrilled to join LakePoint and intend to ensure that, through its continued excellence and outstanding service delivery, it is a destination for young athletes to live out their dreams for decades to come.”

O’Brien joins LakePoint at an exciting time in the life of the organization as it recently announced a joint venture with Prep Baseball Report (PBR) in late 2018. PBR operates hundreds of amateur baseball events in 41 states and Canada and runs the country’s largest and most respected independent baseball scouting service. PBR will hold events for some of the nation’s top youth talent at LakePoint’s state-of-the-art baseball facilities, which include eight Major League-sized fields.

With O’Brien at the helm, LakePoint will continue to integrate into other sports verticals, leveraging its operational expertise, brand relationships, owned real estate and extensive capital resources. 

“We were very intentional and strategic throughout this search as we sought to find a leader who could combine the visionary leadership needed to take LakePoint to the next level while also providing the broad depth of experience in operations and marketing to lead this enterprise,” said Bemis. “Everything we were seeking kept leading us back to Mark. His experience with professional sports properties, Mizuno and the Boys and Girls Club of America gives him an invaluable perspective that will only enhance LakePoint’s status as the preeminent youth sports destination in the country.”

LakePoint is coming off one of its most successful years to date. In 2018, it hosted more than 1.25 million visitor days at its nationally recognized sports complex and generated nearly $100 million in economic activity for the region. Last year, LakePoint saw nearly $8 million invested into the complex by Rimrock Capital, leading to 10 percent overall growth and the commencement of a $29 million road-bridge project for future development.  

LakePoint hosted a variety of premier sports events in 2018, including the Georgia Special Olympics Winter Games, USA Cheer camp, the Harlem Globetrotters training camp and national championship tournaments hosted by Adidas, Nike and Under Armour and will do so again in 2019. The 2019 calendar is filled with a wide variety of sporting events and activities. Every weekend from January through mid-September, the Indoor Pavilion is currently under contract with regional and national basketball, volleyball, gymnastics, wrestling and cheerleading events.

LakePoint’s convenient location in the Metro Atlanta area gives players and families a variety of entertainment options, and its proximity to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport ensures that more than 80 percent of the country is less than a two-hour flight away.

About LakePoint Sports

LakePoint Sports is the premier youth travel sports destination, located in the Metro Atlanta area. The 1,300-acre destination opened in 2014. Facilities include eight Major League-sized baseball fields, three multi-use fields for soccer, lacrosse and football, a 170,000-square-foot Indoor Pavilion that has 12 basketball courts which convert to 24 volleyball courts, hotels, restaurants and entertainment venues. Our mission is to be the premier sports vacation destination that delivers quality, fun and convenient experiences for athletes, families and community. For more information, visit https://www.lakepointsports.com.

Media Contact
Bryan Harris, Jackson Spalding
bharris@jacksonspalding.com  
(404) 874-7164

Source: LakePoint Sporting Community