The Marriott Marquis' Westside Ballroom was filled with women (and a few men) for the Women in Sports and Events' (WISE) Women of the Year awards, held in honor of Lee Ann Daly, senior vice president of marketing at ESPN; Kathleen Francis, vice president of marketing at Major League Baseball; and Stephanie Tolleson, a senior corporate vice president at sports marketing powerhouse IMG. The three women were recognized by WISE for their achievements in sports marketing, a historically male-dominated profession.
The event was organized by Melissa Cavender of Meeting Designs; Phase2Media sales development manager Barrie Krefetz; and WISE board member Patty Ryan, with the help of 25 WISE volunteers. A fern-lined stage area was set on one side of the room with video monitors on both sides and a podium in the middle. One highlight of the afternoon: Baseball legend Hank Aaron's introduction of Francis, whose short speech highlighted her involvement in bringing baseball to kids in inner-city areas through organizations like Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities.
--Suzanne Ito
The event was organized by Melissa Cavender of Meeting Designs; Phase2Media sales development manager Barrie Krefetz; and WISE board member Patty Ryan, with the help of 25 WISE volunteers. A fern-lined stage area was set on one side of the room with video monitors on both sides and a podium in the middle. One highlight of the afternoon: Baseball legend Hank Aaron's introduction of Francis, whose short speech highlighted her involvement in bringing baseball to kids in inner-city areas through organizations like Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities.
--Suzanne Ito