Positive Impact Celebrates 20 Years As Leading Sports and Entertainment Firm
October 23, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CRANBURY, NJ – In an industry full of competition and change, Positive Impact is commemorating twenty years of success in the sports and entertainment field.
When the firm welcomed it’s first assignment, an agreement to sell group tickets for a local collegiate sports team, no one could have predicted that Positive Impact would eventually secure clients spanning six continents and seventeen countries, becoming one of the most skilled and influential sports and entertainment consulting groups in the world. “We have experienced record growth over the last two decades, expanding our client roster and broadening our capabilities and resources” said Michael Rowe, Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Positive Impact.
Spanning a career over four decades, Rowe is no stranger to building winning organizations and designing successful business strategies. Rowe is the former President and Chief Operating Officer of the New Jersey Nets and was also the highly successful Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Meadowlands Sports Complex. He was responsible for the execution of thousands of public events and has hosted millions of spectators at such large-scale events as the 1994 FIFA World Cup, a Papal visit by Pope John Paul II in 1995, the 1996 NCAA Final Four and hundreds of family shows, concerts and sporting events.
Positive Impact has spent the last twenty years working on distinguishing themselves from their competitors. “Part of what makes our firm unique is that our clients get to work with seasoned Principals who have over 100 years of collective experience, having produced over 4,000 events attended by over 80 million patrons,” said Rowe. “We add to that senior client service an entire support team of young professionals who are eager to welcome every challenge. I don’t know of any other group of individuals with the experience and the network to assist any client and perform in any situation, no matter how large or small the assignment. Our delivery capabilities surpass even my greatest expectations and that is what truly makes us stand out from our peers.”
Working on projects as diverse as building and executing a televised NCAA college basketball game atop an active aircraft carrier (the Quicken Loans Carrier Classic), designing and planning America’s most successful regional sports network (the YES Network), advising clients on how to buy, sell, or relocate their professional sports teams or producing and operating the BIG3 professional basketball league founded by producer, actor and music legend Ice Cube and entertainment executive Jeff Kwatinetz, Positive Impact has consistently delivered winning strategies to get the job done.
As John Palmieri, former Executive Director of the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority said about Positive Impact, “Their advice is sought on business dealings with sports and entertainment issues, particularly at our Convention Center and our Historic Boardwalk Hall Arena location. Their skills in understanding the entertainment and sports business, marketing, facility management and public policy issues combine to provide our Board with viable options and recommendations that help make our operations more efficient and market-competitive.”
Select Twenty Year Highlights of Positive Impact
Positive Impact’s most unique assignment was the 2011 Quicken Loans Carrier Classic aboard the USS Carl Vinson. This was the first ever NCAA College Basketball Game played on an active nuclear aircraft carrier. Positive Impact had two weeks to build a basketball court on the flight deck of the ship and organize an in-season game featuring UNC vs. Michigan State. The Classic was years in the discussion-phase, but Positive Impact was brought in to make it a reality.
The firm’s most proud assignment(s) were the 2016 and 2017 FS1 Pearl Harbor Invitationals. An NCAA Men’s College Basketball Tournament played at Bloch Arena on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam to commemorate the attack on Pearl Harbor. “We are honored to have been selected by Fox Sports to help manage and operate this significant event” said Rowe. “This was much more than a basketball game, it payed tribute to the thousands of men and women who lost their lives in the attack on Pearl Harbor.”
The most challenging assignment was the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2007. Positive Impact hired a management staff of 35 to operate the catering and hospitality programs across 11 stadiums in 8 Caribbean Islands and the Country of Guyana in South America. The firm was also tasked with having to mobilize, train and supervise 10,000 local workers to carry out the additional hospitality and catering responsibilities.
Some additional firm highlights include:
· Lead a successful bid effort to host the 1998 New York Goodwill Games Organizing Committee and served as Head of Games
· Represent Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey in corporate partnerships and 100 plus event activations annually
· Part of the negotiating team to reach an agreement between the New York Giants and the State of New Jersey for a new football stadium (MetLife Stadium)
· Assists BIG3 basketball league with the production of their games, handling everything from venue operations, game production, game operations, and liaising with broadcast partners
· Assisted the NBA’s Grizzlies with their relocation to Memphis, Tennessee from Vancouver
· Advisor to the NHL Arizona Coyotes’ majority partner for his acquisition stake in the franchise
· Assisted in launching three new sports leagues; BIG3 Basketball, the Xtreme Football League (XFL) and the Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA)
· Produced the National Lacrosse League’s All-Star Game at Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, CT
· Teamed with Seton Hall University for marketing and sales support of their centennial season of men’s basketball
· Promoted an AVP Tour stop at the New Jersey Shore (Belmar)
· Produced sold-out Christian Rock Concert series at the IZOD Center and Prudential Center
· Led successful effort for Bermuda to host warm up matches for the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup
· Negotiated agreements on behalf of the Mills Corporation’s Meadowlands Xanadu Project (now American Dream)
· Renovation consultants for Mosaic Stadium, home of the Canadian Football League’s Roughriders
· Consultant on Dubai multi-purpose outdoor plaza
· Consulted with Rwanda Sports Ministry on development projects
· Consulted with two NCAA sports conferences; the MAAC and NEC
· Handled all business operations for the inaugural season of the New Jersey Storm NLL franchise
· Advised the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority on sports and entertainment matters concentrating on the operations and commercial optimization of Boardwalk Hall and the Atlantic City Convention Center
About Positive Impact
Positive Impact is a sports and entertainment management and consulting firm delivering business solutions to clients that help them succeed in the sports and entertainment business. Positive Impact brings innovative ideas, balanced with proven established business principles that help leagues, teams, conferences, venue developers, facility operators, governments, universities, media companies, corporations and sports entertainment rights-holders meet the challenges they face in the revenue-driven world of sports and entertainment today. Positive Impact S+E principals have produced and been involved in over 4,000 public events attended by over 80 million spectators in 17 countries. No other sports and entertainment business management firm has the experience and depth of knowledge to match Positive Impact’s skill sets and offerings.
For more information contact Bill Tuccillo at btuccillo@positiveimpact.net or follow us on Twitter @PISportsEnt, Facebook at @positiveimpactse and Instagram @positiveimpact_se
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