Mariana Pabon
Seeing sports through a business lens
Sports management major, Mariana Pabon, did her freshman year internship with a division I college, working in the sports world. She recalls watching a game and thinking to herself, 鈥淭his is more a production than it is a game.鈥� She says that sports are really entertainment more than anything else.
A business and communications minor, Pabon understands that to make any entertainment event successful, the base knowledge you need is a strong business and marketing skill set. That’s why completing her internship with The Gold Group, a local all-purpose marketing firm that markets ticketed events, made perfect sense.
During her time with the firm, Pabon conducted market research, researched customer demographics, and contacted individuals to generate leads for the company. Before The Gold Group, telephone calls were intimidating to her. Through her experience she grew more confident in calling people and really focused on strengthening her communication skills on the phone—a crucial skill for business and marketing. “I learned not to be afraid to just make conversation while making phone calls. It doesn’t have to be just strictly business,” she says, “People really like when I ask them for feedback because it makes the interaction a little more personal.”