C (2:01)

There's giveaways, there's contests. It's fun. So I think overall it's a really good vibe. How about you?

B (2:08)

I. I would agree with you too. And I think a, a really good point that you made about this conference in particular is the timing of it, because I know that not to discredit any of those that are still playing, because there are some states that got championships wrapping up this weekend, early next week, etc. But the vast majority of ads across the country. This is a little bit of a lull. You still got winter sports going on, but this is probably the only opportunity throughout the year that you're going to get to step away and not worry about your phone just exploding the entire time you're gone.

C (2:37)

So you definitely hope so.

B (2:39)

Definitely been a level of excitement that I felt here. You know, people seem excited to be here. They want to engage and learn, you.

C (2:47)

Know, so overall, speaking of learning and engaging. Right. Like, what are some of the things that ABs can do, should be doing as they're arriving here on day one?

B (2:58)

You know, and I think you and I touched on it on one of our previous episodes of just kind of like, planning.

C (3:02)

Right.

B (3:03)

And you and I are both big planners, but I personally feel for these types of events, I like to kind of take the approach of I've got two or three things in the day that I want scheduled out, you know, specific speakers, maybe there's a breakout session, maybe there's a course that I want to go and take. But aside from that, I like to have the autonomy to be able to kind of float around, see the different vendors, connect with my peers, and just be a sponge and take it all in, you know, because to steal one of your things that we had talked about many times is when you come to something like this, bring back one thing. It's almost impossible not to bring back at least one thing from an event like this. So I think that my approach would be, you know, schedule out a couple key important things that I most certainly am there to see or learn from, and then take time to network and go around, see the various vendors, learn about what different products and technologies are available for you to make your life a little bit easier. But how about yourself?

C (4:03)

Yeah. I mean, it's what we talked about again. I know as a coach, I spent a lot of money going out to clinics, trying to learn from other coaches, spending time away from home to do so. And I always felt like if I could bring at least one thing back and use it and make my teams better, it was well worth it. And I think about all that's offered here. If you're only bringing one thing back, you're probably doing something wrong.

B (4:27)

Yeah.

C (4:27)

Like you should be able to bring back, whether it's ideas, thoughts, connections, gear, shining, beautiful toys, whatever it is from here. Like, there's plenty to learn and plenty to bring back. So, like, all of that combined together makes for a very cool atmosphere. And listen, like, your idea about not having to be necessarily completely tied to a schedule is sometimes foreign to an athletic director who, like, every time they think they're not tied to something at school, something comes up and they're tied to it. So having a little bit of autonomy, I think works pretty well.

B (4:58)

And I think you and I were talking earlier off camera, like, if we were to put together the perfect scenario for this, I believe you requested that maybe it was done on the beach.

C (5:08)

On the beach. I mean, honestly, it may sound like kissing up or something, but everything is.

B (5:12)

Done really well, and it's all here, everybody.

C (5:14)

They've been doing this for a long time. They refine every year. They get feedback for what people, like, don't like. They talk about the speakers, they see the vendors, and they make improvements. So having done it for a while and always looking to learn and get better, I think they do a great job. If we could do it on the beach, I would say we're in a good place. So our marketing people like around us now. We budget.

B (5:36)

We'll make the plead and the pitch to see. And you and I jokingly said, maybe we'll just tell them that we need a cabana.

C (5:42)

Yes.

B (5:42)

Instead of a booth. Well, you can Visit us at Cabana106 next year.

C (5:47)

I think we'll do better. I think there'll be more people.

B (5:50)

That's awesome. Another question for you. As we're going through, and this is kind of our first check in of the day and a pulse check, if you will, of how the day is going. What are you looking forward to throughout the day?

C (6:03)

I mean, there's some pretty cool award ceremonies tonight. I know a couple guys from New Jersey that are getting awards. I'm looking forward to them receiving them because I think they deserve it. I think the hospitality suites are fun. They usually do it by section from the country. So there's an opportunity to kind of stop by, say hi again. The athletic directors themselves connect with people from other states, learn a little bit about what's going on, at least in their region. So I'm really excited about that. And obviously, like, the second part of this vendor area, lots of door prizes coming up, lots of noise, people excited and getting in here to the. To the vendor area. What about you?

B (6:39)

I'm similar. You know, I really like the social aspect. You know, not only just later today where there's the hospitality suites throughout the evening. You know, there's all kinds of different socials that are being hosted by various groups, organizations, companies, etc. I think those are fantastic opportunities to just kind of unwind and catch up with folks that are in the trenches with you day to day. You know, they may not be at your location, they may be in a different state, but you can just kind of build some camaraderie, some networking. That's what I really look forward to is being able to connect more with them, learning about the challenges that they're seeing on a day to day basis.

C (7:16)

We're doing one. We have a, we have a social. It's always a great time, right?

B (7:19)

Yeah, absolutely. Come by American Social, you know, shameless plug, we'll do it. But would certainly love to see many folks there. I think that's what I look forward to the most. And obviously the award ceremonies and things like that are fantastic, but just the opportunity to really build a strong network and pick people's brains, you know, like, what are you seeing? What's a challenge? How are you handling it? And again, to your earlier point, bring something back from this. So that's what I'm excited for.

C (7:50)

I mean, we said, we've talked about like even the name tags. If I could change one thing, it might be like making them more prominent because you're kind of having to look down and maybe the state that the person's from or the school is a little small. And like, it's awesome to be able to see people from other states in an easy way and try and connect, maybe ask some questions. Maybe you've got a college connection from there for a friend who lives around there. So like, I love that idea.

B (8:13)

Yeah, just being able to find some easy icebreaker too, rather than just glancing down at your midsection and be like, hey, that's Scott. Okay, I think that's helpful.

C (8:20)

Yeah, no doubt.

B (8:21)

No, I'm looking forward to checking back in a little bit later today.

C (8:25)

That's cool, man.

B (8:26)

We'll be back here live a little bit later on today to do kind of a mid show check in and fill you all in on what we're seeing. So we're excited for that.

C (8:33)

Should we talk to our wives right now and tell them how cold it is? Very tough here. We're working really hard. It's a difficult thing, but we're getting through because we have each other.

B (8:42)

I mean, like it has been a frigid 70 plus degrees. I mean, the breeze earlier, the wind chill.

C (8:50)

I'm with you.

B (8:51)

I don't know how we survived. I mean, luckily you had your hoodie and we got long sleeves on.

C (8:55)

We'll be all right.

B (8:57)

I'll make sure when I'm updating my wife, letting her know how terrible the Tampa weather is compared to Salt Lake City right now, as you will for New Jersey weather in the snow. Doing our mid show check in. You know, we had a great morning, strong morning. And as you can see behind us, there's still a lot of energy, a lot of things taking place, a bustling community of athletic directors. But you know. Scott, thoughts mid show, what are you thinking right now?

C (9:24)

I mean, I'm thinking the vibe that we felt early has continued, which is not always the case. Right. Like people get tired, they stop coming into the vendor area. I was up a little while ago where all the, the classes are, the breakout sessions and stuff like that, and I looked in the rooms and they were like, they're pretty packed.

B (9:42)

Yeah.

C (9:43)

So I mean, I'll be honest, I always worry in a beautiful like place when it's so nice outside, are people going to spend time inside or they're just going to like spend all their time someplace else? But they're here, so the vi. The good vibe continues. People are looking here, they're here to learn, they're here to network, they're here to figure out what's new and they're here to get better.

B (10:03)

Yeah, I think that's similar to what I've seen. You know, like it's great being able to see that not only just various sessions, you know, the courses, they're being well attended. And I think that's because so many people here realize the value of what they're doing and being here and taking advantage of it. And I think your point's well taken too, because we are here in Tampa. I know you and I are telling our wives that it's just terrible weather here, but the reality situation is there's a lot to do in the surrounding area and this is a couple day long conference and to see this many people still this engaged, that speaks volumes to what's taking place.

C (10:37)

Yeah, totally agree, man. Any common themes you're hearing across the board, you're hearing people talk, still walking past anything that's coming up like again and again.

B (10:46)

Yeah, I think a lot of the common themes that I'm hearing is just a lot of conversation of peer to peer, you know, issues, solutions, best approaches, his practices. But from a vendor perspective, a lot of what I'm hearing is automation make my life easier, removal of duplicate efforts, if you will. I think comprehensive solution is probably a good catchphrase of what I'm hearing. And it's all encompassing. It's not just in the technology space. It's also looking at their venues. How can they maximize what they're utilizing from a vendor perspective to make their lives a little bit easier? You're never going to make an 80s life easy, but if you can find ways to improve processes and eliminate redundancies, that, that would be fantastic. From, from the thoughts of many of those that I've had conversations with. How about yourself?

C (11:42)

You know what? I feel like we're seeing a fairly young crowd, which is pretty cool, right? Like there's a lot of younger, I think probably newer ads here, which is awesome because they have fresh thoughts.

B (11:54)

They're young guys, you and I. Yeah.

C (11:55)

Exactly, minus 20 years. But I think that they're like ambitious. They understand terms like data analytics, short form, video, fan, engagement. Right. Like what's important in 2025. I think they get it. Yeah. And I think that's a lot of what I hear. Like, yes, make my life easier. But it's got to be fun, exciting, new, fresh. At the same time, I love the.

B (12:22)

Point about just the change of the crowd, if you will, and more data driven. Because we've talked about this many times just on the show, like how it's an ever evolving position and how many times folks are making decisions based off of data and they're wanting to have that now. And you're getting that theme as you're talking with some of these folks that are coming through here today. I think that's awesome.

C (12:45)

I love that. Emerging trends, Anything besides what we just said, like trends that you see, whether it's here in the vendor hall, outside, anything to look forward to here.

B (12:58)

You know, I think from a trend perspective, the technology piece is becoming the bigger trend. And I think that that's too much of a blanket statement of just technology. But you're seeing continued utilization of digital platforms for whether it be ticketing concessions, a payment platform, seeing more and more engagement and wanting to learn about streaming analytics. The technology scope is becoming more of the day to day life, websites included. Hearing more and more of that as the day's going on. What type of trends and themes have you been hearing today?

C (13:36)

I think a lot of what you said. I'll go AI.

B (13:39)

Yeah.

C (13:39)

Just AI in general.

B (13:40)

Right.

C (13:40)

Like how can I use AI to make my life easier? Everybody's their kid, the students are doing it.

B (13:46)

Yeah, right.

C (13:47)

And schools are still trying to Figure out how to allow kids to use AI with integrity in the right way. Well, I mean, ads are still trying to figure out, I think, to an extent, like, how far can they push it and how much can they utilize AI because it's going to be a big lifesaver timesaver.

B (14:03)

I think it will. Certainly.

C (14:04)

I hear that a lot and I'm excited, like, with play on all the stuff that we have in the pipeline when it comes to AI.

B (14:11)

Yeah. And I think that's a big one that we're going to continue to hear about because not even just in the athletic director space, just in the global sense, that is becoming the key phrase of like AI. How are we going to use it? What are we going to do for our jobs, things like that. So certainly a good theme that we've been touching on. Today we're doing our near the end of the day check in with everyone. It's been a busy day, Scott, and it still is a busy day. As you can see behind us, there's still many people here in the vendor hall, and we've only got a handful of minutes until they close it down for the day. But, Scott, what are your thoughts? What are, you know, what are some of your key takeaways from today?

C (14:51)

I had a great time. I want to hear your key takeaways first. Okay.

B (14:55)

You know, I think a couple key takeaways that I've gotten from today is just the. The amount of ads that are here for the first time and being able to chat with them a little bit and like their experience overall, how has been for them, what were some of the benefits that they've seen today? And a lot of it, again, centers around just improvement of processes, learning of new skill sets, if you will, and then also just solutions to problems that they have and that they've shared with other athletic directors here at the show. I'd say that those are kind of my mean main takeaways just from people I've spoken with the show. But then I would say an overall takeaway is this has been a great event. You know, it's been so well done. First class through and through, and very much excited to do this again next year. How about yourself, Phoenix?

C (15:50)

Next year?

B (15:50)

Yes, sir.

C (15:51)

Right. Yeah, I'm excited about that.

B (15:52)

Should be fun.

C (15:54)

I mean, listen. One, your thought on newer athletic directors. We should probably do a podcast, maybe get like a new athletic director perspective on an upcoming podcast. I think that would make sense. Two is how worthwhile the investment is in coming. And I know that not everybody can Just like snap their fingers and be budgeted and be able to attend the event just by asking for the first time. So it may take some playing ahead. It might take you a couple years as an ad, like maybe I can get to my state conference, but I've got to work two, three years to get to the national.

B (16:29)

Justify it, Right?

C (16:30)

Yeah. But it's worth investing early in that and starting to talk to like your bosses back, you know, principals, superintendents, about trying to get to a national conference at some point. Because it's just a completely different perspective, certainly than being at a state show.

B (16:44)

Yeah. Because there's. You no longer have the regionality of it. Right. And you see things through different lenses because you're talking with people from different regions of the country. Again, you and I have hammered the point home before, many times on the show where you were in New Jersey, I was in California. Geographically, public, private, there's differences, but there's a lot of similarities. But then when you step outside of just your region, you start chatting with folks, you see problems that may not have hit your area yet. You know, you see different ways of conducting the job. And I, I wholeheartedly agree with you. Like, take baby steps, get to your local levels, get to your state levels, make the push to get to the national level.

C (17:23)

Definitely total level to get here. All right. We talked about, like learning something. Can you take one thing back with you, one insight? Do you have one?

B (17:33)

You know, like, I look back, if I put my old ad hat on, like when we would attend things like this, everything had to be justified. Right. Like, why were you here? What was the spend? We would do kind of like a summary report of. Okay, here's a few key points of what took place. And in doing that, a key takeaway for me would be if I were doing that again right now, would be going through that summary, but also building in follow ups of the various people that I met with, that I networked with, you know, connect with them on LinkedIn, be able to connect with them, you know, and keep that relationship. Any vendors that I spoke with, you know, follow up with them if I had questions, concerns, if I want to get, you know, bids or things like that. A lot of vendor follow up would be a takeaway for me and then beginning to plant the seed and process internally. How can we get back here the following year?

C (18:20)

Yeah.

B (18:21)

And getting that rolling, I think those would be probably some of my bigger takeaways, is just kind of making sure that I'm reporting back what took place while at the Same time holding myself accountable for follow ups and what I had picked up from the show. How about you?

C (18:35)

I mean, a couple things, right. One is lifelong learning.

B (18:39)

Yeah.

C (18:39)

You can be an AD for 25 years if you think you know everything, you're in a lot of trouble.

B (18:45)

Yeah.

C (18:45)

But if you're always going to go out and learn and see what's new and be willing to listen to other people, I think it's incredibly important to be a lifelong learner. And here is a great place on a yearly basis to get some of that professional development and continue that learning process. And two, what's interesting, walking around the vendor hall, there are some deals out there, like show deals. So you maybe you consider like getting some money budgeted that you can spend or sign up some small contracts. Right. But like, hey, can I get some footballs ordered for next year? Because I can get them for 30% off if I sign a contract for it today. Like there are some of those deals out there. And so maybe plan ahead and work that out with your business office in advance.

B (19:32)

Absolutely.

C (19:33)

Save yourself some money and kind of go from there.

B (19:36)

I think the one thing that I left out on mine would be planning ahead to set aside some time for personal excursions, if you will. You know, like outings outside of just here, you know, we're in Tampa, we're telling the wives that it's super cold out and that's just terrible level. But I think planning ahead towards Phoenix next year, you know, certainly set aside some time outside of the conference just to go and see the sights too. That's probably another takeaway.

C (20:03)

On my own, I'm like a foodie sometimes and I like pizza from New Jersey.

B (20:09)

Like I see oddly biased eyes and.

C (20:12)

I always think it's the best. I gotta like plan ahead, like what pizza places to check out when I travel.

B (20:17)

Sometimes be able to rate states based upon their pizza. That's fair. Something like that. The Rosenberg pizza scale will be coming to your local. Yeah, that's the Italian pizzeria soon right there for sure. Well, I mean, Scott, it's been a pleasure doing this with you. It's been a lot of fun for us to be able to get on the road, do this live. All the recordings we've done, we're always doing it, you know, remotely. So we're never in the studio together. So it's a lot of fun doing this in person. Any closing thoughts?

C (20:40)

Come back next year. I'm looking forward to it and looking forward to tonight, having some fun tomorrow. We got another day.

B (20:48)

Yeah. Exactly. Well, you know, likewise. Appreciate you taking the time sitting here and chatting with me to our our marketing team that helped put this on live on the spot. It's pretty awesome. So shout out to Cole and Amanda for helping us coordinate all of that. With that said, if you liked what you heard today or saw, if you're watching us as well, please be sure to follow us on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast from. And in closing, from A.D. 360, I'm Greg Vandermade.

C (21:14)

Scott Rosenberg.

B (21:15)

Until next time, folks.