Chad Ballard, M.S. SM 2009, has an exciting career with Feld Entertainment in Tampa, Fla., and he attributes much of his success to the knowledge and experience he gained as a CPASS student.
Ballard spends his days walking the elephants and horses from The Greatest Show on Earth down Main Street to announce the circus is in town, brain-storming marketing techniques for Monster Jam Motorsports events, and keeping fans enticed when they attend Disney On Ice.
The opportunity to work in groups and learn how to present ideas to others is a talent Ballard learned at CPASS that he puts to use every day.
“With all of the projects and presentations we did in Sport Management throughout college, getting more comfortable in presenting ideas to a group in a clear, concise presentation format certainly helped out in my current role,” said Ballard.
“It’s real world experiences that helped open the door to what the industry expects of you coming out. Having some prior knowledge of how to present ones ‘self in front of a group and communicating effectively to varying types of personalities is what truly helps in this industry.”
After graduation, Ballard was certain he wanted to stay in the sport management industry. He earned a job as a stadium operations assistant at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. where he helped manage football games, concerts, and Monster Jam events.
Ballard’s networking skills helped him shortly after a Monster Jam show at the stadium. The Monster Jam promoter, someone who Ballard worked closely and stayed in contact with, offered him a job.
“Who knew Monster Jam was part of the same company as the Circus and Disney On Ice,” said Ballard.
Ballard has many responsibilities in his career currently, but he values the opportunities that he has gained because of CPASS, his hard-work, and his drive to succeed in the sport management industry.
“It is a lot of responsibility, but when you walk out to the floor of a sold out show and see the faces of the audience both young and old light up with laughter and cheer, all of the hard work in the “off season” or pre-planning period truly pays off,” said Ballard.