INDYCAR’S Mark Miles to Talk Logistics in Sports, Super Bowl and 100th Running of Indy 500: Top Officials from Colts, NCAA, INDYCAR Featured in Sports Session at Summit
Indianapolis, Indiana (PRWEB) September 15, 2015 -- Mark Miles is the ultimate sportsman. From the Pan American Games to men’s professional tennis to the Super Bowl to auto racing, he has been there, done that. As CEO of Hulman & Co., which manages INDYCAR and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Miles will join two other top executives of major sports organizations – Pete Ward from the Indianapolis Colts and Mark Lewis from the NCAA – to share stories of their biggest logistics issues during the 13th annual Indiana Logistics Summit on Tuesday, Sept. 22, in Indianapolis.
Summit attendees will be treated to a rare opportunity to see these top sports executives on the same stage in the session titled “Logistics in Sports – A Critical Success Factor,” as they discuss the behind-the-scenes logistics that give these organizations a competitive edge in business and sports.
“Mark Miles is a legend in local, national and international sports circles,” said Cathy Langham, president and owner of Langham Logistics Inc. “As architect of the 1987 Pan American Games, he put Indianapolis on the map as a great venue for sports. Men’s tennis enjoyed strong international growth during his leadership of the ATP Tour and when he chaired the committee that brought the Super Bowl to Indianapolis in 2012, the hugely successful event caused the NFL to reassess the possibilities that Super Bowl week offers – even in cold-weather cities. For anyone interested in learning how the dots are connected between logistics and sports, this is a must-see event.”
During his presentation, Miles will discuss what’s in store for the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 in 2016, the logistics behind the INDYCAR series and some little-known facts about the Indianapolis Super Bowl. He’ll also offer insights about managing logistics for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” – the largest single-day sporting event in the world – which attracts 300,000 fans to a 1,025-acre complex with 26,000 parking spaces, 26 bridges, 6 tunnels and enough grandstand seating to stretch 99 miles if laid end-to-end.
“Indianapolis is really a hub for sports in this country and I’m thrilled to be a part of this session that will allow us to look at sports from a different angle,” Miles said. “There are countless logistical considerations in putting on a sports event as big as the Indianapolis 500 and I look forward to talking about some of the details that go into planning it as well as sharing some exciting new ways technology will make the 100th Indianapolis 500 an even more fan-friendly experience.”
Pete Ward, COO for the Indianapolis Colts, will discuss what goes into taking an NFL team on the road week after week and recount his team’s legendary 1984 night-time move from Baltimore to Indianapolis.
“When you think of efficient logistics planning, the move from Baltimore to Indianapolis is a really poor example,” said Ward, now in his 35th year with the Colts. “But it is a very interesting story and probably the most famous sports move ever. I didn’t know we were moving the franchise from Baltimore to Indianapolis until late that day in March 1984 when I was told along with the head coach and the rest of the coaching staff.”
Mark Lewis, executive vice president for the NCAA, will reveal the challenges of organizing 90 national championships per year, as well as coordinating athletic tournaments for nearly a half million student athletes at 1,300 colleges and universities in 164 conferences within three divisions.
In conjunction with the “Logistics in Sports” segment, an evening reception for summit attendees will take place on Monday, Sept. 21, at The Crane Bay as part of the Colts VIP Tailgate leading up to the Colts’ game against the New York Jets. Tickets to the reception are complimentary with Summit registration, and include a Morton Steakhouse buffet, cocktail bars hosted by Jim Beam, visits from Colts cheerleaders and former players, the live broadcast site for the Colts’ pregame show, an NFL memorabilia auction and much more.
The daylong Summit opens with a Keynote Breakfast featuring a presentation titled “From Grass to Glass Logistics” by Dr. Michael McCloskey, a founding farmer of Fair Oaks Farms, one of the nation’s largest dairies, and CEO of Select Milk Producers, the fifth largest milk cooperative in the country. The agenda also includes an all-star list of logistics leaders from Google, NASA, Cummins, GE Aviation, U.S. Congress, Moffatt & Nichol, Transportation Weekly, Harvard Business School, Indiana State University and more. The forum will provide an inside look at logistics in all types of industries as well as new innovations and challenges that will greatly impact the U.S. economy.
Register for the Summit online at http://www.indianalogistics.com or by phone: (866) 515-0023, or email: confreg(at)purdue(dot)edu.
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Media Contact: Rich Allen, (317) 232-9204, rallen(at)portsofindiana(dot)com
About the Indiana Logistics Summit:
The Indiana Logistics Summit is co-hosted by Purdue University, the Ports of Indiana and Conexus Indiana to promote the logistics industry and to showcase the critical role this sector plays in the national economy. The 13th annual Summit will be held Tuesday, Sept. 22, in the Indiana Convention Center and is expected to bring over 300 leaders to Indianapolis to hear educational presentations about logistics from a variety of industry sectors and also to participate in a networking reception celebrating the Indianapolis Colts' home opener on Monday Night Football. Attendees come from a wide range of businesses such as logistics, manufacturing, real estate, waterborne transportation, consulting services, utilities, distribution, engineering, law firms, media, rail, air transport, life sciences, marketing, trucking, construction, technology and many executives involved in supply chain decisions.
For more information, visit http://www.indianalogistics.com and click here to see this year’s speakers.
Rich Allen, Ports of Indiana, http://www.portsofindiana.com, +1 317-232-9204, [email protected]
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