Long time friends of Entertainment Management and UM alums Brian Knaff and Eric Manegold visited the program on February 20 and 21. This time, they were joined by former Entertainment Management student Damon Metzner, current Marketing Director for Mike Thrasher Presents.

Knaff, president and co-founder of Talent Buyers Network, spoke of his long career in the entertainment industry. He shared insights with the students abou casino entertainment, venue representation, artist/management relations, music industry consultation, broker services, sales and marketing, concert production and promotion.

Manegold, vice president of business development for Zonar Systems, spoke about production issues. He explained how important it was to inspect what you expect, maintain safety, and always maintain awareness of anything that could happen throughout an event.
Metzner introduced the students to the importance of social networking and some of the technologies available to promote events.

Knaff, Manegold, and Metzner assisted the students in applying these principles to the student produced Spring Thaw, an annual event encompassing a Festival on the Oval, a concert, and a Casino Night.

This year's Casino Night will be held Sunday, May 3, at The Broadway Inn and Conference Center.

The Festival on the Oval, followed by the Concert, will be Friday, May 8.