Howard Handler

Howard Handler (born May 22, 1961) is an American entertainment and sports executive and the President of 313 Presents, a live entertainment company located in Detroit, Michigan.

Handler is responsible for 313 Presents' vision, strategy, operations, partnerships, and business development initiatives. VenuesNow named Handler among its 2022 All-Star Class of top live sports and entertainment executives.

Handler has held leadership positions at Major League Soccer, Madison Square Garden, Virgin Mobile, The National Football League, MTV, Saturday Night Live, and The Quaker Oats Company.

Early Life and Education

Handler in 2022

Handler was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan and is the son of a lawyer (Wallace) and a research librarian (Marlene). After graduating from Southfield-Lathrup High School in 1979, Handler attended the University of Michigan School of Literature, Science and the Arts and the Ross School of Business, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in economics in 1983 and a Masters of Business Administration in 1985. During his undergraduate studies, he played for the Michigan Lacrosse Club and was a member of the Michigan Economic Society. Handler spent summers at Camp Tamakwa in Algonquin Park, Ontario (founded by his Great Uncle Lou Handler) and Camp Nebagamon in Wisconsin.

Career

The New York Years

After spending six years at the start of his career at the Quaker Oats Company in Chicago, Handler moved to New York and became Vice President of Marketing for Broadway Video Entertainment in 1990, which gave him the opportunity to work with Lorne Michaels and the cast and writers of Saturday Night Live. While with Broadway Video, Handler launched SNL’s first merchandising program, developed over 200 products and created a new revenue stream for the franchise. He also led the worldwide merchandising campaign for Wayne’s World – The Movie.

From 1992 -1994 as SVP of Marketing at MTV, Handler created advertising and promotional campaigns for shows including Beavis & Butt-Head, The Real World and The Jon Stewart Show, as well as the '92-'94 MTV Video Music Awards and the Peabody Award-winning "Choose or Lose" voter awareness campaign. Handler also played a central role in launching MTV Latino and MTV Asia. In 1993 he was recognized as one of America's Top 100 Marketers by Advertising Age.

Handler pioneered the NFL's discipline of fan development, a new movement in sports with a "fan first" philosophy. Handler served as Senior Vice President of Marketing and Fan Development from 1995-2000, where he and his team created the NFL's first strategic branding campaign, "Feel The Power." As part of that effort, "Thank You, Fans" was recognized in January 1999 as #5 on USA Today's Super Bowl Ad Meter.

Founded by Saturday Night Live creator and Executive Producer Lorne Michaels, Burly Bear Network was a cable network and youth marketing services company. Handler served as CEO from 2000-2002 and expanded the network from 3.5 million students to a national coverage of over 86 million households through a strategic partnership with then AOL Time Warner (now part of Warner Media and AT&T). Handler also led the sale of Burly Bear to National Lampoon in 2002.

Handler helped lead the transition of Virgin Mobile USA from its start-up phase to IPO on the New York Stock Exchange in 2007 while acting as Chief Marketing Officer from 2003-2008. The customer base grew to over 5 million during his tenure, earning the JD Power award for the #1 rated pre-paid wireless service two years in a row. Handler was also part of the team that created the Virgin Mobile Festival at Pimlico in Maryland and helped to launch Sugar Mama, the first mobile advertising business from a U.S. carrier. Handler and his team also introduced RE*Generation, Virgin Mobile’s at-risk youth advocacy effort, including the designation of November as National Youth Homeless Awareness Month by a joint resolution of The United States Congress in 2007.

As EVP of Marketing for EMI Music North America (2008-2009) and EVP of Madison Square Garden Entertainment (2009-2011), Handler developed marketing plans for over 200 artists across multiple territories and was responsible for the promotion and sales of over 1000 live events per year. He worked on campaigns for artists ranging from Coldplay and Katy Perry to Lady A and Keith Urban. Handler was responsible for MSGE events at a number of locations, including Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, and The Beacon Theatre, among others.

Handler revamped the MLS brand, launching the “MLS Next” initiative, which lead to unprecedented growth in scale and relevance, making it recognized as the No. 1 new brand in 2015 by Business Insider. As Chief Marketing Officer of Major League Soccer from 2011-2017, Handler established the MLS’ content strategy, new distribution channels, a centralized data warehouse, and several apps and services, including the EMMY-nominated flagship series, MLS Insider.

Handler built and managed a consulting business at h2 Advisors from 2017-2019, with a range of clients including the XFL, where he created the business plan working with Founder Vince McMahon. Handler also advised a number of private equity and venture capital firms on media and technology deals.  

Back In Detroit

Handler is known for his initiative to return Pine Knob to its original name.

In 1972, Pine Knob Music Theatre opened in Clarkston, Michigan as the largest amphitheater of its kind in the United States. Its bold model of diversified programming and positioning as a seasonal destination for all forms of music, from rock and pop to R&B, revolutionized the industry template for outdoor venues.

Handler worked at the venue as a security guard during high school. There, here was first influenced by the acts coming to Pine Knob, including Bob Seger, Santana, Earth Wind and Fire, Fleetwood Mac, and Neil Young. He came to understand the role of Pine Knob as a highly acclaimed summer ritual for fans throughout the region and an itinerary fixture for touring acts.

By 2001, the venue's naming rights entered a 20-year branding partnership with Detroit energy company, DTE Energy. For the next two decades, Pine Knob would become DTE Energy Music Theatre.   Regardless, fans and artists often insisted on calling the venue by its original name with T-shirts reading "It's still Pine Knob to Me" and on-stage performers welcoming crowds with, "Hello, Pine Knob!" to great applause.

In 2022, Handler led an effort to rebrand and return to "Pine Knob Music Theatre" with new presenting corporate Proud Partners - United Wholesale Mortgage, Trinity Health, and Ally. The renaming was met with substantial local and national praise; landing as Twitter's second trending topic for its January 14 announcement. Under Handler's stewardship the venue also celebrated its 50th Anniversary and reprised its #1 ranking as the World's Top Amphitheatre for Pollstar's Year-End Charts.

In 2023, Handler orchestrated 313 Presents' push to bring championship boxing back to Detroit. Honoring the city's storied history of producing and embracing numerous champions, from Joe Louis to Sugar Ray Robinson, Tommy Hearns and Hilmer Kenty, Handler led event efforts in partnership with Salita Promotions to confirm the first boxing event in the history of Little Caesars Arena on Saturday, June 3, 2023 featuring Middleweight Champion Claressa "GWOAT" Shields taking on Maricela Cornejo.

Personal

Handler is married to Wendy and has two adult children. He has served on a variety of professional and philanthropic boards Current participation includes PADI, The Drone Racing League and the University of Michigan Sports Management Advisory Board.