Jon Spoelstra

Jon Spoelstra: Profile

Spoelstra is president of Mandalay Sports Entertainment, Pro Teams Division. Mandalay makes major movies and owns four minor league teams. One of the teams, the Dayton Dragons, set a record that had never been achieved before-it sold out every ticket to every game during a season.

As president and CEO of the New Jersey Nets for three years, Spoelstra dramatically increased ticket and sponsorship sales. During his tenure, the team set its all-time attendance record. Sellouts at Meadowlands Arena increased from zero to 25. Local sponsorship sales went up from $400,000 to $7,000,000.

In the 11 years with the Portland Trail Blazers as Senior VP/General Manager, Spoelstra helped make the front office a model for all team sports. During his time there, there was never a game that wasn't sold out. Spoelstra also was founder and chairman of SRO Partners, a sports marketing consulting firm that works with teams in the NBA, NHL, MLB and teams in Japan and Spain.

Spoelstra was the focus of what was perhaps the strangest trade in sports history. Portland was in need of a guard to fill a hole created by injury. The guard that the Blazers wanted was the starting point guard for the Indiana Pacers. The compensation to the Pacers wasn't a player, but one week of Spoelstra's time. Spoelstra played a key role in the restructuring of the Pacers front office during that time frame.

He has written five books. His most recent book, Marketing Outrageously, How To Increase Your Revenues By Staggering Amounts is a Wall Street Journal bestseller. Ice to the Eskimos, a general marketing book based on his sports marketing strategies, was published in June 1997. The book is a lively blueprint on how to take any product that is not the best in its field and jump-start sales and profits. Success Is Just One Wish Away, a motivational book on how anybody can develop a passion for their job and life, was published in June 1999.

The other two books were workbooks targeted to pro sports teams. How to Sell the Last Seat in the House is considered the "ticketing bible" for teams worldwide. Your Profits Are Brought to You By Sponsorships has aided many teams in bringing radio and television broadcasts "in-house.