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Sales Director, Experiential Events

Top Management

Executive with expertise in Corporate Partnership Sales, Client Activation, Athlete Management and Event Operations. Part of three NBA Championships with the Los Angeles Lakers (1999-00, 2000-01, 2001-02). 

Spearheaded integrated partnership sales across the events division for opportunities including the Dew Tour on NBC, SURFER Awards, Pacific Paddle Games, Transworld Motocross Race Series, POWDER Awards, Riders' Poll Awards, TransWorld Skatepark, SURFER's Camp Shred and SURFER's Bolsa Chica Water Days.

Responsible for driving increased revenue for the organization and exceeding revenue targets for the events division by securing partnerships with blue-chip brands and agencies.

Responsible for generating pipelines, prospecting, outreach, pitching, negotiating, contracting, on-boarding and revenue tracking of partnerships. Worked cross-functionally throughout the organization with key stakeholders including C-level, legal, accounting, marketing, event operations, etc.

Provided event production agencies, content production companies and professional athletes with a resource to achieve their sponsorship, marketing, branding and overall business development goals. Through his consultative style and client-first mentality, Ken bridges the gap when it comes to working with and developing partnerships with some of the world's largest brands. With twenty (20) years of experience, he brings people and brands together. Clients include:

• Reynolds Sports Management
Responsible for spearheading corporate partnership sales for roster of Major League Baseball clients that are represented by Reynolds Sports Management.

• Conveyor Media
Responsible for securing branded content partnerships across all platforms including multi-channel network, mobile, and linear television.

• American Red Cross Los Angeles Region
Provided consulting services to craft an overall strategy designed to increase fan engagement and to raise funds for the American Red Cross with professional sports teams in Los Angeles.

• IMG Action Sports
Services continued to be retained by IMG Action Sports (post acquisition by WME) to execute corporate partnership sales for the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour. Ken spearheaded corporate partnership sales for the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball property (on behalf of IMG Action Sports) for 3 years.

Corporate Partnerships & Business Development

Executed corporate partnership sales for the Action Sports Division of IMG with focus on portfolio of events including the Vans US Open of Surfing, AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour, Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon, The Color Run, Formula DRIFT Series, etc. Sales efforts successfully lead to increased revenue for IMG by securing partnerships with blue-chip brands and agencies.

Worked cross-functionally throughout the organization with key stakeholders including C-level, legal, accounting and event operations.

Sales Agent, Corporate Partnerships 

Spearheaded corporate partnership sales, marketing and client servicing for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Greater Los Angeles. Sales efforts lead to successful Regional, National and International partnerships by securing $1 million in monetary support for Make-A-Wish (a 70% increase in revenue for the Los Angeles chapter).

Worked cross-functionally throughout the organization with key stakeholders including the National Chapter, C-level, local board, public relations, accounting and program services.

Senior Director, Corporate Alliances

Specialized in business development, strategic partnerships, event operations, etc. Consulting clients included:
• Game Producer, Los Angeles Galaxy vs. Real Madrid Soccer Match at the Rose Bowl – Pasadena, CA (August 7, 2010)
• Project Runway "Happy Hour N' a Half" Party at The Tea Room at h.wood – Los Angeles, CA (July 2010)
• Vitaminwater Kobe "Kloser" Party at ESPN Zone – Los Angeles, CA (May 2010)
• Mia Hamm & Nomar Garciaparra Celebrity Soccer Match at Home Depot Center – Carson, CA (January 2010)
• T-Mobile Invitational Basketball Tournament at Samford University – Birmingham, AL (December 2009)
• NASCAR "Champions Week" – Las Vegas, NV (December 2009)
• The Breeders Cup at Santa Anita – Los Angeles, CA (November 2009)
• Vitaminwater / Kobe Bryant “Get on the #24 Bus” promotion at STAPLES Center – Los Angeles, CA (September 2009)
• WWE "SummerSlam" at STAPLES Center – Los Angeles, CA (August 2009)
• T-Mobile / NBA "Shot of a Lifetime" – Mobile tour across the United States (June 2009)
• NASCAR "Rev'd Up" – Rancho Cucamonga, CA (February 2009)
• Mia Hamm & Nomar Garciaparra Celebrity Soccer Match at Home Depot Center – Carson, CA (January 2009)
• T-Mobile Invitational Basketball Tournament '09 at Ball State University – Muncie, IN (December 2008)


Consultant 

Recruited back to the Los Angeles Lakers organization in July '06 to direct and execute all day-to-day business operations of the Lakers NBA Development League affiliate team. Responsibilities included, but were not limited to:
• Focused on profit and loss
• Lead point of contact for the NBA League office
• Represented the team at all NBA League meetings, etc.
• Hired, trained, and supervised all senior staff
• Executed corporate partnership sales
• Wrote press materials, managed digital content, etc.
• Directed and managed game day operations at STAPLES Center
• Negotiated and managed all team related vendor partnerships including travel, hotel, etc.

Executive Director, Business Operations of NBA G-League Affiliate of the Los Angeles Lakers 

Negotiated, sold and serviced sponsorship contracts to blue-chip brands including Blue Cross, Nestle and Oakley, etc.
Secured publicity opportunities for roster of athletes in major media outlets including "Cribs" (MTV), "The Daily Habit" (Fuel TV), Complex Magazine, Skinnie Entertainment Magazine, and Carbon Magazine.

Executive Director, Athlete Management & Business Development 

• Developed and executed promotions, events, and partnerships with properties and agents of professional athletes, etc. on behalf of T-Mobile USA, Inc.
• Negotiated professional athlete endorsement contracts (on behalf of T-Mobile USA, Inc.) for members of the '04 T-Mobile Action Sports Team (athlete roster included: US Olympic Medalists Shaun White and Gretchen Bleiler. Roster also included Dave Mirra, Bucky Lasek, Ryan Nyquist, and Carey Hart).
• Negotiated title sponsorship and executed promotional programs for the '04 T-Mobile Core Tour presented by Nokia; a national/multi-city action sports and music tour.
• Executed promotional programs for T-Mobile’s sponsorship of the '04 Summer X Games X in Los Angeles, CA.

Account Executive

Executed the day-to-day fulfillment of contractual obligations including print, web, signage, and promotions for corporate sponsors including Southwest Airlines, Toyota, Nestle, STAPLES, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Warner Brothers, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Sony Playstation, Verizon Wireless, and Miller Brewing Company.
Generated increased revenue for the Lakers via sponsorship sales to Kraft Foods, Professional Sports Publications, and Mammoth Mountain Ski Area Company.
• Directly supervised staff.

Manager, Corporate Sponsorships & Promotions

Ken Whelan is a Sales Director, Experiential Events at TEN: The Enthusiast Network in Manhattan Beach, CA.

Ken Whelan

Ken Whelan

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Education history

Riverside Poly High School

University of California, Riverside