Patrick Abts
Job Title: Vice President, Marketing
Company: Tampa Bay Rays
Industry: Professional Sports
Mentor Since: 2023
Will Mentor: Sport & Entertainment Management, Graduate Students
Mentor Type: Sport and Entertainment
Profile
Background
Job Description
Oversee all traditional marketing including advertising along with digital marketing efforts including RaysBaseball.com, email marketing, and programmatic, social, and search ad buys. Also oversee grassroots and event marketing including mascot, part time street team and non-baseball event marketing. This also includes all promotional item planning and ordering. Oversight into full team Marketing budget.
Company Description
MLB Team
Employment History
- 1.5 years at Florida Panthers as Marketing Intern and Marketing Coordinator
- 9 years at Tampa Bay Lightning as Database Marketing Coordinator, Digital Marketing Manager, and Director of Digital and Social
Education
MA, Sports Administration and Leadership - Seattle University
BA, History and Anthropology - Washington State University
Mentoring Objectives & Scope
Students can expect me to be laid back and approachable and since I'm in Tampa vs. Seattle our discussion would primarily need to be phone/video (although I do come back to the Seattle area 1-2 times a year). I'm willing to discuss career advice, building out professional development plans, what to expect in the industry or within given roles, etc. Happy to meet 1-2 times a month or less if that's what's preferred and depending on conversations I might provide some light homework such as an article or book that I found helpful or crafting of a professional development plan, etc. Overall though I would expect things to be more conversational. I have had some amazing mentors help me get to where I am today within and outside the sports industry so if I could give back a fraction of what they gave to me to somebody in the program it would be very fulfilling.
When and where do you hold meetings with your students?
Virtual. Late afternoons/evenings Eastern time. Early evening/afternoon Pacific time.
Additional Information
In my free time, I love to golf, read, and play video games and live in Tampa with my wife Amy and son (born April 2023) Everett.