My three-day Princeternship at the sports marketing company, 16W Marketing, has given me unique exposure to the field of sports marketing and has been a tremendous learning experience. The morning of my first day, I met most of the staff in the office, and within minutes was in a conversation with one of the managers, welcoming me to the company and providing me with an overview of the industry. 16W Marketing represents high-profile clients, such as Howie Long and Boomer Esiason, and helps negotiate and execute partnerships and sponsorships for companies such as Quest Diagnostics and Nike.

The best way to learn is by doing, and sure enough, I was assigned and completed real hands-on work that is done regularly at the office. With guidance on unique resources for the sports marketing business, I was given the task of doing research for both the talent and corporate side. The talent side is comprised of successful athletes and news broadcasters, while the corporate side is comprised  of, like the name suggests, companies who are interested in using sports to advertise their brand and products. I spent the next three days discovering just how much effort is put into making the endorsements, sponsorships, and partnerships a reality. I learned to use new tools and I needed to be creative and resourceful to successfully compile relevant data on the companies I was researching. In fact, at the end of my three days, I discovered that I had enjoyed the process of exploring and learning about the various companies I was researching.

My Princeternship was made possible thanks to Princeton alumni Frank Vuono ‘78, a partner of 16W Marketing, who is one of the most influential and prominent executives in the sports marketing industry. I want to thank the whole 16W Marketing team, and Frank especially, for giving me the opportunity to do this Princeternship. It has given me a valuable glimpse into the world of sports marketing, which will help me moving forward in determining my career path.