Students enrolled in the Bishop O'Connell Global Studies Program welcomed Rob Prazmark for a special after school seminar on Oct. 20. Prazmark, a 1971 graduate of Bishop O’Connell, is the founder and CEO of 21 Marketing, a global sports and entertainment marketing organization. His career has taken him from network television production and marketing to worldwide sponsorship development and media relations for the Olympics and other multi-national sporting events. Prazmark has been involved in 16 Olympic games and he already has his sleeves rolled up for the 2016 summer games in Rio de Janeiro. He and his firm are involved in other global sports endeavors, including World Cup soccer, America’s Cup sailing and the Special Olympics World Games.
Prazmark shared his perspectives on business trends today, encouraging the Global Studies students to explore the global dimensions of all their interests, whether it involves business, technology, sports, or any field.
“My views of the market have shifted over the years,” remarked Prazmark. “The U.S. is not necessarily the center of the universe.”
“When I started working with the Olympics there were only a handful of global companies, like Coca Cola,” he added. “That number has grown exponentially.”
The students had several questions about sports as an industry, and Prazmark diagrammed a robust “ecosystem.” He encouraged students interested in that field to explore valuable internships and not limit themselves to one small area of the industry. He also reminded them that a variety of opportunities exist for those interested in working in a corporate setting, as well as for those with an entrepreneurial spirit.