Economics

4:15-5:00 PM

Russell Sobel, Ph. D.
Professor of Economics & Entrepreneurship in the School of Business at The Citadel, and a Visiting Fellow at the South Carolina Policy Council.

5:15-6:00 PM

Adam Carroll
Financial literacy expert

6:15-7:00 PM

Craig Benzel
Packers’ vice president of sales and business development

7:15-8:00 PM

Billy Corben
Emmy and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker

Financial & Economic Sports Symposium Program

Dr. Russell Sobel
Professor of Economics & Entrepreneurship in the School of Business at The Citadel

Dr. Russell Sobel earned his Bachelor's degree in business economics from Francis Marion College in 1990, and his Ph.D. in economics from Florida State University in 1994.  Dr. Sobel has authored or co-authored over 150 books and articles, including a nationally-best-selling college Principles of Economics textbook.  His research has been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, US News and World Report, Investor's Business Daily, and The Economist Magazine, and he has appeared on CNBC, Fox News, CSPAN, NPR, and the CBS Evening News.  He serves on the editorial board for three academic journals, and on the advisory board for four university centers.  He has won numerous awards for both his teaching and his research, including the 2008 Sir Anthony Fisher Award for best state policy publication of the year.  His recent research focuses in the areas of state economic policy reform and entrepreneurship.  Dr. Sobel is a Professor of Economics & Entrepreneurship in the School of Business at The Citadel, and a Visiting Fellow at the South Carolina Policy Council.

Adam Carroll
Financial literacy expert and author

Adam Carroll is an internationally recognized financial literacy expert, author of Winning The Money Game, a two-time TED talk speaker and founder of MoneySavvy.com. He is the creator of the Broke, Busted & Disgusted documentary which be featured on CNBC and Netflix in early 2017. Adam has presented at over 700 college and university campuses, hundreds of leadership symposiums, and countless local and regional events. Adam’s passion is helping people succeed faster by building a bigger life, not a bigger lifestyle.

Craig Benzel
Packer's vice president of sales and business development 

Craig Benzel, an 18-year member of the Packers’ sales and marketing team, is in his third year as the Packers’ vice president of sales and business development. 

Benzel, who was promoted to the position on May 12, 2014, oversees corporate sales, premium seating, ticketing, food and beverage, events, the Hall of Fame and guest services. He had served the previous 12 years as director of marketing and corporate sales, a position in which he helped the organization achieve record local revenues as it expanded its partnerships and added innovative new inventory in premium seating, among other accomplishments. 

“Craig is a valuable member of our senior staff,” Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy said. “His experience with the organization has served him well in his expanded role, particularly with our business partners, who are key to the success of the organization. Craig has shown great growth in his position as a vice president and will play an increasing role in the leadership of the organization.” 

Prior to joining the Packers in 1998, the 52-year-old Benzel served as vice president of marketing for the Milwaukee Wave for six years (1993-98), managing all aspects of revenue generation, including corporate sponsorships, tickets, promotions, and television and radio programing. Before his tenure with the Wave, Benzel worked in sports marketing for the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (1991-93). 

A longtime Wisconsin resident, Benzel was born Oct. 23, 1963, in Hot Springs, S.D., before moving to the state. He earned his bachelor’s degree in economics and business management from Ripon College and his MBA from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. In the community, he serves as a board member for the Green Bay Branding Initiative and its “A Greater Green Bay” campaign and was a charter board member in the creation of the Anxiety Disorders Foundation, now part of the Rogers Memorial Hospital Foundation. Benzel’s family includes his wife, Jodi, and children Kaylee, 19, and Max, 15, and they reside in Pulaski, Wis.

Billy Corben

Emmy and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Billy Corben made his feature documentary directorial debut at the Sundance Film Festival in 2001, making him one of the youngest directors in Sundance history. Following that success, he and his producing partners founded rakontur, a Miami Beach-based content creation company. Their filmography includes the feature documentaries Cocaine Cowboys, Square Grouper: The Godfathers of Ganja, and Dawg Fight and the ESPN's 30 for 30s The U, The U Part 2, and Broke. Their 2017-18 slate includes the 6-hour documentary miniseries Cocaine Cowboys: Los Muchachos, a sequel to last year's hit Netflix documentary Dawg Fight, an all new ESPN 30 for 30 and a documentary series about Florida called A Sunny Place For Shady People. A Florida native and lifelong Miamian, Corben was recently awarded the keys to the cities of both Miami and Miami Beach. 

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

The conference invitation is open to anyone interested in sports economics or learning how sports organizations are operated.

Please REGISTER in advance.