Matthew Riskin’s Post

"How can I start a career in motorsport?" "What are the most important skills to have?" These are the 2 most frequent questions I got asked by people looking to start a career in this exciting industry. The truth? There is not straight and right answer. But reflecting on my 20 + years in the industry…this is my advice. Pens and paper at the ready... 𝟭. 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗙𝟭 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗚𝗣 Ok, this might seem like strange advice.  But my point is…you need to start somewhere.  There is more to motorsports that F1 and MotoGP. Get in. Gain experience. 𝟮. 𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗴 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 There are a million avenues into motorsports… agencies, sponsors, promoters, circuits, media, agents, up and coming riders, fan clubs, grassroots events... Don't get fixated on working for a team, there are other ways to start. 𝟯. 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 Write for blogs, contribute to conversations, attend events, interact with fan clubs. It's a great way to start, learn, understand what you like more, build a network. 𝟰. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 Volunteer to work at a motorsports event.  This will not only get you exposure but will also help you build experience and a network. + Bonus one 𝟱. 𝗕𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 If you don’t see an opportunity, build one. Getting yourself into the industry is one thing. But what are the skills required to be successful? One thing is clear for me: 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵. It's a good thing to have - but don’t treat sports mktg as a hobby you get paid for. Be a professional individual not a passionate fan. 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀: - writing  - knowledge of mktg - use of social media - basic graphic programs - languages (the more the better) 𝗦𝗼𝗳𝘁 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀: (these are arguably even more important for me) - reliable - flexible - positive - adaptable - resourceful - can do attitude ... ____________ In a nutshell: start somewhere. Don't wait for the dream job to knock at your door…it isn’t going to. Go for it... As there is always a way And be yourself Copying others doesn't pay off Hope I have answered to the many questions I get asked daily... If you have more, drop them in the comments, I'm sure my community can help in sharing advices too 👍 __________ P.S. Do you know I organise and lecture a Master in Motorsport Mktg?🏎 🏍 Starting next November, Milan Follow me and hit 🔔 to stay tuned

Branding is a team sport. No matter how enthusiastic a CMO is... They can't single-handedly create or safeguard a brand. It takes a full team. Internal and external. All rowing in the same direction.

Good friends of mine Geoff Thompson MBE FRSA DL QP JM and Janice Thompson are seeing their son continuing family tradition of sporting greatness. Both Geoff and Janice have both been World Karate Champions and Jordan also has their winning mindset. Jordan's boxing career is going from strength to strength with a number of back to back wins. The biggest fight of his career to date is coming up in Wembley later this month. Jordan is looking for corporate sponsors and now is the perfect time for many companies to get involved during this exciting time. https://lnkd.in/ePW77kNK Sponsoring an athlete can offer numerous benefits for business exposure: Brand Visibility: Associating your brand with a well-known athlete can significantly increase brand visibility. Your logo and products may be prominently displayed during sporting events, interviews, and on the athlete's social media platforms, reaching a wide and engaged audience. Jordan's fights are now all on tv and your branding will be seen across the globe. How can you benefit? Partnering with an athlete provides opportunities for creating unique and compelling content. Social Media Reach: Many athletes have large and engaged social media followings. Sponsoring them can grant you access to their social platforms, enabling you to reach their audience directly through posts, stories, and collaborations. Networking Opportunities: Sponsoring an athlete can also open doors to valuable networking opportunities within the sports industry and with other potential sponsors or partners. Competitive Advantage: Having an athlete as your brand ambassador can give you a competitive edge, setting your business apart from competitors who might not have such endorsements.

How much value does an athlete bring to your professional team? Hiring someone with a sports background comes with pros and cons. What I can tell you is that over the +40 years of intense sports (up to 24 hours per week), I have learned a lot, discovered more of who I am, where my limitations are, and what can be done to push boundaries to come back even better.  Tonight I will be running Le Grand Raid in La Reunion Island, la Diagonale des Fous. One of the most difficult race on this format consisting of 100 miles in the mountains with 10’000 meters on positive and negative elevation. To have a chance to succeed in this run I had to work harder than ever on 3 main components : • Preparation • Planning • Resilience The mind will have to do the rest. That’s just my own experience and by no means the absolute truth ! So… curious to hear your thoughts : what are the top 3 transferable criterias you believe sport can bring to your workforce? How much value does an athlete bring to your professional team?

In a world of texting, emailing, and DM's a good ol'fashion in person introduction and handshake go a long way. Josh Kendrick joined us as a guest speaker during the 4-week Sports Management Mastermind Intensive and shared how much he appreciated athletes taking the initiative to walk up to him at events and introduce themselves during his time leading Athlete Marketing and Performance Red Bull for well over a decade. When young athletes start exercising their communication muscles, meaning gaining confidence to introduce themselves and talk to team managers, photographers, industry folks, it demonstrates their ability to be sociable and their level of comfortability speaking to strangers. This is important for a couple of reasons. The first you are separating yourself from the pack and not letting your parents or agents do all the talking, you are initiating a personal relationship which is key. Second, it demonstrates to a sponsor that you can "work the room," meaning if they take you to a company event you would have the social skills to talk to and impress people at the brand. If you want something, especially in the competitive landscape of athlete sponsorship, take the initiative and introduce yourself and make sure to follow up and nurture that relationship as long as you possibly need to. #athletesponsorship #sportsmanagement

As well as being an international Mc, last year I was elected as president of the Welsh MMA association. In August our youth team are heading to Abu Dhabi for the World Championships. If your company can help with sponsorship, I would be ever so grateful. But not as grateful as the kids representing Cymru on the world stage. ___________ Attention businesses owners. In August, MMA Cymru are sending a strong team of youth athletes to the World Championships in Abu Dhabi. Unfortunately the sport still isn’t recognised by the Welsh government and no funding is available. However we are offering businesses the opportunity to help the next generation of Welsh MMA fighters get to the worlds. Why Sponsor Us? Support Young Talent: Your sponsorship will directly support the development of young athletes. Brand Exposure: Gain visibility and promote your brand on an international stage. Community Involvement: Show your commitment to supporting local sports and youth development. How You Can Help: Financial Sponsorship: Your contribution will go towards the overall costs for the team. Equipment Sponsorship: Help provide necessary gear and uniforms for our athletes. Service Sponsorship: Assist with travel, accommodation, or other logistical needs. Sponsorship Benefits: Brand Visibility: Feature your logo on our gear, social media, and event materials. Acknowledgment: Recognition in press releases and at events. Positive PR: Align your brand with youth development and international sportsmanship. Please get in touch with us for more information on how you can become a sponsor and support Team Wales on this exciting journey. For any questions or to discuss sponsorship opportunities, please contact us at [email protected] or send a DM. The impact that your company will have will be the foundation stone of future Welsh UFC stars at the very beginning of their careers.

📢 The last issue of Sports Business Playbook for the year is something different. Instead of analyzing one of the biggest business stories in sports, I'm excited to share the story of an exceptional sports company — Spartan. In a Sports Business Playbook first, I had an opportunity to sit down for an interview with the Founder and CEO of Spartan, Joe De Sena, to help tell that story. As you’ll learn in this piece, De Sena is one tough customer (and an absolute quote machine), and he’s on a mission to bring the Spartan lifestyle and mindset to 100 million lives. This week’s issue has it all: - How the brand is more than photos of people covered in mud on Instagram - Yoga in 1970’s Queens - How to effectively build a true community - Raising $1 million dollars in a weekend to stay afloat - The continued ascension of niche sports into the mainstream - And most importantly, an overall compelling story of mental toughness, resilience, and a mission-driven business. My big takeaways from a business perspective: 1. It’s incredibly cliche, but a brand that truly embodies its values will win every time. Marketing expert Seth Godin has a great quote about brand ethos: “If Nike opened a hotel, I think we would be able to guess pretty accurately what it would be like. If Hyatt came out with sneakers, we’d have no clue because Hyatt doesn’t have a brand, they have a logo.” Spartan falls into the former category, and its community persona is its biggest moat. 2. Business — and life for that matter — will punch you in the face. It is inevitable. How you respond is what matters 3. Pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone — both personally and professionally — enables deeper change, better results, and overall more fulfilment This was one of the most challenging, but fun, pieces I’ve gotten to write (definitely appropriate given the subject matter here), and as we head into New Years resolution season, I hope there are nuggets that each of you can take from the piece and apply to your personal and professional lives. A special thank you to Joe for his time and to Charles Bernard for getting us together to help share Spartan's story. Check it out below and let me know what you think! 👇 https://lnkd.in/gkGQMeTU

We’ve recently taken new clients on board and have lots of opportunities to work with brands of all sizes 🤝 If you’re a brand that might be interested in: - Partnering with high level, upcoming athletes - Exposing your brand to thousands of people - Supporting young athletes in their exciting careers Then feel free to message or email us for a no strings attached chat to see if we can work together! 🙌 #sportmanagement #sportmarketing #sportbiz #sportbusiness #athletemarketing

What can motorsport do for your business that other sports can’t? Have you ever been to a football match (soccer and NRL/AFL included here)? I attend quite a few over the years and this is what I’ve noticed 🏈 Activations are limited or non existent, people only turn up to watch the game and then 80 minutes later they are gone 🏈 The only advertising space is on the field, the players and at half time intervals with no more than a name in most cases. 🏈No mention of your brand through the commentators, it’s the game and the game only 🏈Fans only watch their team, meaning it’s hard to grab the attention outside of their normal viewing But what about motorsport? 🏎️ Activations galour! Fans attend between 6-8 hours a day and in some cases up to 4 days, and with that time fans can tour the circuit and see what’s on display 🏎️ Real world testing, a product that is used in motorsport is used the the real world, meaning customers can purchase high quality products that have been tested straight in front of them 🏎️Corporate experiences, pit garage tours, see the cars up close and personal 🏎️More viewers for longer, instead of two teams going head to head, sometimes up to 60 cars can be on the circuit at the same time, meaning fans will all watch the same race together 🏎️Sports stars that can sell, they are business driven, educated and know how products work Motorsports brings a lot of benefits instead of the classic “brand awareness money dump” that some have become used to. So if you want your sports marketing to mean something make sure to reach out, we would love to help!