NC State College of Management

Relationship building leads to ‘AMAZING!’ sports marketing internship

Summer Intern: Andrew Vanderberry

Junior, Business Management

Photo of Robert Vanderberry August 29, 2007 - Andrew Vanderberry, right, completed an internship with Bank of America’s Global Sponsoring Marketing Group in the summer of 2007. He answered a few questions about his internship before heading off to Venice, Italy, for a fall semester study abroad program that he arranged through CIMBA, a Consortium of Universities for International Studies. His responses have been lightly edited.

How did you find out about this internship, and how did you go about securing it?

I heard about this internship nearly 18 months ago, right after Bank of America’s Global Sponsorship Marketing group finished interviewing for last summer’s positions. I was late getting into the application and interview process, so I waited until this summer. More specifically, over those 18 months I reached out and created relationships that allowed my resume to get into the hands of the recruiter, as the intern position is never actually posted.

The application process lasted from January through February and consisted of numerous interviews. I secured one of the three undergraduate intern positions by relating how my leadership and management roles with organizations on campus and in the College of Management gave me the necessary skills to be successful.

How does this experience fit in with your career plan - or did it change your thoughts about what you want to do after you graduate?

I went into the interview process and internship role with the mindset that this is what I want to do after I graduate, and my four months in the role confirmed that. I have a better understanding now of the competition in this particular area and the importance of working hard, both in school and in the work place, to create positive, lasting impressions. As of now, I hope to work in this field after graduating and obtain an MBA following a few years of experience in the work force.

What did your group do, and what was your role?

Where to begin?! I was assigned to support both the NASCAR platform and the Baseball platform. And, as the official bank of both sports, the Global Sponsorship Marketing group deals in large part with numerous race tracks and ballparks, as well as NASCAR and Major League Baseball teams. As the primary goal of sponsorships is to support the lines of business in achieving their goals, assets such as branding rights, tickets and unique access, consumer and associate programs and other opportunities are leveraged to reach those goals and increase client satisfaction.

Throughout the summer, I joined team and industry meetings and learn about the business strategies behind decisions regarding our resources. I had the opportunity to take a larger role in planning, specifically with ticket allocation for major events and associate programs leading up to the Bank of America 500 in October.

You had some great networking experiences. How did you prepare yourself to spend time with a leading exec of a leading company? What did you learn from these experiences?

I was given ownership of our executive management piece for the MLB All-Star Week in San Francisco, Calif. As the official bank of both Major League Baseball as well as the All-Star Game, both our vice chairman and chief marketing officer were scheduled to make an appearance. It was my responsibility to anticipate and schedule any needs they might have, including travel and accommodations during their stay, custom itineraries with minute by minute schedules of events, detailed information packages including guest lists and talking points, and handling impromptu situations. I prepared myself by reaching out to team members who attended the event in years prior, educating myself on the city and venues, and being thoroughly detailed in my scheduling preparations. Other necessities – business acumen, professionalism, and communication skills – were developed through being actively engaged in programs and experiences in the College of Management and on campus at NC State.

What was your role with the NASCAR and Coca-Cola 600 challenges?

I started my internship on May 7th, two weeks before the events. This created the demand for swift adoption into the team and gave me the opportunity to hit the ground running with learning and participation. Because the preparation and development for both events was completed by the time I joined, my role centered more on execution. I helped in fulfilling our ticket demands leading up to the event and was onsite at the race track both weekends to help with client hospitality.

What goes into the planning of a major race like the Bank of America 500, and what was your role? Will you get to stay involved through its completion in October?

Photo of Robert Vanderberry, right, with fellow intern and their Lowe's NASCAR drive, prior to a ride 'round the track

Oh my! Planning for the Bank of America 500 began heavily in June, immediately following the Coca-Cola 600, and continues through October. Five months of intense preparations involving every logistic from display dimensions to helicopter routes and all event planning, from driver introductions to the national anthem. An event of this magnitude is broken down to every detail, from strategic branding location to staff apparel and everything in between. It requires dedicated leaders and a brilliant team, extensive communication and resilient teamwork with numerous partners, and flawless execution of every detail.

I participated in initial budget allocations based on 2006 totals, creating a budgeting system to be used throughout the process, and apportioned ticket assets to lines of business and other requests. [He wil be out of the country on his study abroad program this fall and won't be helping with the conclusion of this event.]

Tell me a little about how your coursework prepared you for this experience, and how do you feel it will affect you in the coming year, when you're back on campus as a student?

I think more than the coursework specifically, it is the attributes that the coursework creates that prepared me. The detail orientation built from courses like accounting and economics, the writing and communication skills from my business writing course, and the subject knowledge from marketing management and marketing resources courses are all examples of takeaways that better equipped me for this role. Additionally, the programs and experiences associated with the College of Management that I am a part of provided valuable experience.

Any additional comments that you'd like to contribute?

I had an amazing opportunity to intern in sports marketing for a major corporation, attend extravagant events and meet famed and prominent people. None of this could have been possible without the hard work during my time at school, getting involved and networking with others, as well as the extraordinary opportunity that Global Sponsorship Marketing gave me.