Timothy Schneider, President and CEO of Schneider Publishing and host of the biggest sport-event expo and conference in the USA, is just one of the presenters of the inaugural Business of Sport two-day conference scheduled for the Jamaica Pegasus, this Thursday and Friday.

Schneider has successfully hosted 10 events all over the USA and is coming to share his experiences on the planning and execution of major events panel and will also tour the Montego Bay convention centre as a possible location for his event. The event is in Las Vegas this October.

Also on that panel are Sherry Andre, Miami Heat Sales office employee for nine years; Keith Joseph, Olympic Committee Executive, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Remco Tevreden, Executive Director, Netherlands Antilles Olympic Committee. Lisa Bell of the EXIM Bank will moderate that session scheduled for day two starting at 9:00 am.

Another interesting session will see four media executives presenting on Media Applications in the promotion of sport. This session, also for day two, will feature Ato Boldon of ESPN, Steve Wyche of NFL TV and they will be joined by Cliff Hughes and Alston Stewart, two Jamaican media owners.

Wyche, using the NFL experience, will focus on how consumers view/listen to sport in the revolution of the telecommunication industry with content being distributed on the traditional radio and television; but will give an insight on the newer mobile technologies using the Internet and mobile phones.

With the sport industry in Jamaica estimated at employing just under 27,000 people and contributing some 2.6 per cent to GDP, according to data from Delano Franklyn 2011; who also writes that if the country is able to exploit all the areas of sport, then that can push sport’s contribution from 2.6 to 4.0 per cent of GDP in five years.

The two-day conference aims to steer people in the right direction in a number of areas while creating valuable partnerships for sustainable programmes in the short, medium and long terms.

The conference is priced at US$150 or J$12,750 with a corporate discount of J$10,000 for registration of five or more persons.

The Jamaica Pegasus, which is hosting the event is home to the Secretariat as of Wednesday, but interested parties can make contact at thebusinessofsport@gmail.com or by logging on to www.thebusinessofsport.org.

The event is being organised by Carole Beckford & Associates and Samuda and Johnson.

Sponsors for the inaugural event, include Jamaica Tourist Board, Jamaica Observer, FLOW, Jamaica Pegasus, Wisynco (WATA), EXIM Bank, National Commercial Bank, Gordon Dixon and Company, JAMPRO Mona School of Business, KLAS Sports Radio, Price Waterhouse, First Global, Brand Warriors and LockerRoom Sports.