Underscoring the tremendous growth and popularity of competitive fishing and outdoors competition, The Oh Boy! Oberto Redfish Cup, a property owned by Career Sports & Entertainment, today announced the hiring of Steve Levi as the full time general manager of the elite saltwater fishing competition. As general manager he will be responsible for raising the visibility of the Redfish Cup and Redfish Nation, as well as guiding the future growth and direction of the property.
Levi has a rich history in the outdoors industry, serving as a district sales manager in the outdoor sporting goods product market and as an events manager for ESPN Outdoors. He has also served as director of sales and marketing for Athens, Ga.-based Zoom Bait Company.
Levi will coordinate tournament logistics for the Redfish Cup from start to finish along with Sealy Outdoors, and identify and negotiate potential venues for the tournament series. Levi will also handle the on-site Redfish Cup experience, as well as local sponsorships and community outreach.
As general manager, Levi will manage membership in the Redfish Nation and its Club initiative, and promote Redfish Nation magazine. Additional responsibilities include executing conservation efforts in coordination with the American Sportfish Association, Club partners and local organizations.
Levi will also play a prominent role in growing awareness for the Under Armour College Bass National Championship within the sports industry. This will include managing day to day communication with all sanctioned college bass clubs, as well as coordinating tournament logistics He will also identify, select and negotiate with potential venues for the events and activities.
“Our long-term vision for these properties has always been to deliver the best experience possible for our anglers, and share what we have with a broader audience,” said David Healy, senior director of sales and sponsorship at Career Sports & Entertainment, the agency that owns the properties. “Adding Steve to our team is going to help us immediately deliver more for our fans, anglers and sponsors.”
Now in its sixth season, the Oh Boy! Oberto Redfish Cup has become the nation’s premier saltwater fishing championship. The event will visit five venues across the Southeast in 2008 and give away more than $1 million in prize and contingency monies.
The 2008 season kicks off April 25-27 in Punta Gorda, Fla. and makes three additional stops throughout the Southeast before the season-ending championship Oct. 10-12 in a yet to be announced location. Each event features a $50,000 grand prize and $180,000 in total payout.
About the Oh Boy! Oberto Redfish Cup
In its sixth year, the Oh Boy! Oberto Redfish Cup is the nation’s premier inshore saltwater fishing championship. The nation’s top competitive teams compete at all events, creating the sport’s first true professional tour. The 2008 schedule consists of five events culminating with the Oh Boy! Oberto Redfish Cup Championship in October. Full 2008 tournament coverage can be seen every Saturday at 8:30 a.m. ET on ESPN2 beginning in July.
Sponsors of the 2008 Oh Boy! Oberto Redfish Cup includes Oh Boy! Oberto Beef Jerky, Lake and Bay Boats, Tabasco, Under Armour, Mercury Marine, Lowrance Electronics, Academy Sports + Outdoors, Falcon Rods, Motorguide and Check It Stik.
About Career Sports & Entertainment
Career Sports & Entertainment is a full-service sports and entertainment agency, with expertise in client representation, corporate marketing and media services.
The client representation division represents athletes, coaches and broadcasters, including Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz, Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers, Michigan State head men’s basketball coach Tom Izzo, University of Georgia head football coach Mark Richt, CBS play-by-play announcer Gus Johnson, PGA TOUR golfer Ryuji Imada and LPGA golfer Meaghan Francella.
The corporate marketing division offers comprehensive services with an emphasis on measurable results from sponsorship negotiation, marketing activation, public relations outreach, interactive production, creative services and on-the-ground presence marketing to Fortune 500 and growing companies. The team also provides strategic sponsorship consulting for properties. Corporate clients include AT&T, Aflac, the Kellogg Company, the Atlanta Falcons and the Nets.
CS&E’s media services division is a leader in niche sports programming with more than 200 hours of content on ESPN networks annually. CS&E also produces content for AT&T handsets and develops video-enabled Web sites for sports properties, networks and corporate clients. CS&E produces content for varied sports properties including the STIHL® TIMBERSPORTS ® Series, Bassmaster Elite Series, Oh Boy! Oberto Redfish Cup, Quiznos Madfin Shark Series and the Under Armour College Bass National Championship.By: Melanie Jarrett
