This afternoon we in the Haller Global Fellowship Program had the pleasure of meeting with two individuals who can both offer unique new information about business, giving me a glimpse into new career avenues that I hadn’t considered. First, we went to FNB Stadium to meet with Kris Brown, the Director of Promotions and Entertainment for the Riverhounds, Pittsburgh’s professional soccer team.
This meeting was interesting because we got a lot of insight into how a sports team operates on the promotional side of things, and how a sports team can connect to the identity of a city. As someone planning to go into marketing, one of the most interesting things I learned was how the advertisements on the corner poles of the stadium are priced. You see, the stadium cannot display third-party ads that face outwards due to billboard zoning laws. However, FNB Stadium is located in Station Square, right next to the Monongahela Bridge(which crosses the river of the same name), so inward-facing advertisements which face the river do end up being seen by people passing the bridge. Despite being on the side of the stadium facing with less seats and TV cameras, these spaces are more expensive for companies to purchase due to the sheer number of cars which pass over the bridge every day. Kris Brown also told us about how the stadium isn’t just for Pittsburgh sports. They also host events like concerts, family fairs, and nonprofit fundraising events. By engaging in these community events, the stadium– and by extension, the Riverhounds– become more than just a sports team, turning into a key part of the city’s local identity.
Next, we spoke with Elissa DiNello, the Business Development Manager for Allegheny County’s Main Streets program. As a large part of our main project in Carrigart is centered around their main street, it was great to hear more about how it’s handled here in Pittsburgh and especially around Allegheny County’s smaller towns as well. As the Business Development Manager, most of the information she gave us was regarding getting grants for businesses and towns to bolster economic development and growth. Grants aren’t fully my purview as a member of the Marketing team, but it’s important to remember that the teams are just for focused efficiency, not competition. We’re all working together for the betterment of Carrigart, so there’s no reason not to try and help each other. Still, what she said was very interesting, and she even mentioned that Allegheny County local government will have internships opening up soon, so maybe I’ll check those out during the academic year!
Last but not least, not chronologically but how I wrote this(so that the important information is shown first!), we took the Monongahela Incline, one of Pittsburgh’s funiculars(which is not a word I knew.) It offered a gorgeous view in and of itself, but it also took up to a great viewpoint of downtown Pittsburgh! It felt a fitting end to the week before the weekend… and departure for Ireland!
