BY AUGUSTUS PFISTERER
Staff Reporter
“If I had to pick one word to sum up my experience with Thuzio, it would be unbelievable,” said Sacred Heart University senior Clay Sweitzer.
Thuzio is a sports media and events company that produces weekly live sports interviews. They are presented in a question and answer format for a member only audience of anywhere from 100 to 800 people per event.
“Our events have open bar, open food, and guests can interact with the talent being presented. Instead of going to a baseball game or a steak dinner, you’re going into more of an intimate experience,” said Sweitzer.
Entrepreneur Mark Gerson, former New York Giants running back Tiki Barber and current CEO Jared Augustine founded the company in 2012.
Since then, it has grown into one of the biggest sports media companies for client entertainment in the industry. Thuzio currently has branches in cities such as Philadelphia, Chicago, and Los Angeles, with their headquarters are located in New York City.
Since starting his internship in the summer heading into his senior year, Sweitzer held multiple different positions within the company.
“My role in event operations was to plan, coordinate and execute all events as well as manage and train two staffers at each event to perform guest check in. I produced different paperwork for the events, one being frequently asked questions sheet and also run of show,” said Sweitzer.
In addition to working in event operations, Sweitzer was vital to the talent procurement team.
“Working in talent procurement, I essentially dealt with everything from pitching the talent, to getting the contract signed, to having the celebrity present at the event. We obviously are looking for athletes or celebrities to be tailored for our market. I had to research potential speakers to see if that fit the content for Thuzio members, as well the market as a whole. Then, I would pitch talent suggestions in our executive meetings,“ said Sweitzer.
According to Thuzio.com, the company has four main event types. The Legends event is a classic question and answer for members to get to know a sports legend. The Marquee events are hosted by Thuzio on location at major sporting events and are more of a party scene. Ignite events are an opportunity for member-to-member networking and business generation. Lastly, Partner events provide access for Thuzio members to select exclusive events produced by Thuzio partners.
As you can imagine, working in a sports media and events company would include getting the opportunity to work with some familiar faces.
“Specifically, I ran events with Former New York Mets player Keith Hernandez, New York Giants current safety Landon Collins, two-time super bowl champion and former Giant football player Phil Simms, as well as Mike Francesa, one of the most iconic New York sportscasters,” said Sweitzer.
“I loved being around all these influential people and stars of the game, especially Phil Simms. I am a huge giants fan so being able to meet him and hear his story really stuck out to me,” said Sweitzer.
Thuzio is showing no signs of slowing down. The company plans to expand into Boston, Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Austin, Dallas, San Francisco, and Washington DC by next summer.
When asked about his favorite part of the internship, Sweitzer said, “Being involved with so many influential colleagues was probably the best part of my time there. Being able to learn from the executives, and take on a greater role to be apart of this team was the most valuable part of this internship. I felt like I was making an impact with this company.”
