Recently in Sports and Creative Industries Category

Why do little league fathers have fights under the bleachers? Is the promotion of top female athletes like Lindsay Vonn sexploitation or good business? Should college athletes be paid wages?

To help answer these questions and understand the role of sports in society, the Leeds School of Business formally rolled out its Business of Sports Certification Program in mid-January. The BRD's role in the program is to offer support for experiential research learning opportunities that will be provided to students.

The following is a short teaser of some of the material to be covered in the program.

Physical activity can be divided into four mutually exclusive categories: play, games, sports, and athletics. An understanding of the definitions of these activities helps inform the debate about questions such as those posed in the first paragraph.

• Play is unstructured activity. Children are experts at play--this is never more evident than on a cold winter day when they want to run, jump, and hop around the house. There are no rules in play, and score is not kept. It is the purest form of activity.

• Games are loosely structured activities that may involve more than one individual. Rules are minimal. Scores may be kept, but winning and losing may be based on competition or cooperation. Games are the focus of many recreation-based youth programs.

• Sports are highly structured activities that may involve individuals or teams. Sportsmanship is an essential part of the competition, even though scores are kept for the purpose of determining a winner or loser. Amateur competition, such as high school sports, is the best example of this category.

• Athletics is competition with a minimal set of rules, just short of open warfare. Winning occurs at all costs. Competition at this level is a form of entertainment. The NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL are all examples of athletics.

Sound intriguing? The BRD is interested in learning more about how you think sports, recreation, athletics, and the creative industries play a significant role in our society. If you are interested in the program, contact Robin Miglarese, Interim Director of the Leeds Executive Education Program, at 303-735-0183.

The Colorado economy is on track to shed about 75,000 jobs this year, positioning the state ahead of only 20 states in the percentage of jobs lost during 2009. Employment declines are expected in all sectors, with the exception of healthcare. The state's current level of employment is comparable to peak employment in mid-summer 2001. In other words, all the jobs gained after the recovery from the 2001 recession have disappeared.

On a brighter note, I recently had the opportunity to visit several Colorado companies as part of the work the BRD has conducted in support of the photonics and film industries. These company visit make it apparent that there are companies in various sectors that didn't receive the memo that the country has been in a deep recession for the past year.

At the top of the list is Real D, a company quietly nestled in a small industrial park south of the Boulder airport. The company produces 3D projection equipment that integrates optics research from the University of Colorado. In addition, they provide cutting-edge visualization tools for professionals, and technology for home 3D televisions and display screens. If you have visited the theatres within the past year and enjoyed one of the 3D flicks where the characters appear to jump out of the screen into your lap, then you most likely watched it on Real D projection equipment. Such movies include Chicken Little, Bolt, Up, the Jonas Brother, and Hannah Montana.

Other firms on the tour are categorized as "post-production" companies (Postmodern, Lighting Services Inc., and Citizen Pictures), a term with describes the way these companies operated a decade ago. All three companies have successfully adapted to the drastic technological changes that have transformed the manner in which productions are made and distributed.

On top of that, the model for conducting business has been changed significantly by incentives. Today, the industry is driven by incentives provided by state and local governments. Producers typically make decisions about where to produce based on these incentives rather than on factors such as location or the quality of the local workforce. In most cases, other states and communities provide incentives that are far more attractive than those provided by Colorado. (Additional information about the history, impact, and challenges of the film industry conducted by the BRD can be found by clicking here. In addition, Dave Emrich, second-generation film producer and President of Postmodern, has made available a short clip of the history of film in Colorado. Additional information about the industry can be found at the Colorado Office of Film Television and Media.)

While the state continues to feel the effects of the 2007 recession, it was a breath of fresh air to see first-hand how Colorado companies have successfully adapted to challenges provided by the recession, redefinition of their industry, and policy decisions. The success of these companies help put the struggles of the recession in perspective. Clearly, it is necessary for the country to have improved consumer confidence, better access to capital, and stronger employment levels for the economy to improve. Ultimately, though, these four companies provide a reminder that creativity, innovation, adaptability, and persistence will foster sustained prosperity in our state and national economies.