Howard Handler

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by S2Squared (talk | contribs) at 18:52, 30 June 2023 (removed portions to address "promotional" voice as suggested on talk/discussion pages.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Handler in 2022

Howard Handler (born May 22, 1961) is an American entertainment and sports executive and the President of 313 Presents, 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.[1]

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.

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.[2]

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.[3]

Handler pioneered the NFL's discipline of fan development, a new movement in sports with a "fan first" philosophy. Handler became the first to hold the title of Senior Vice President of Marketing and Fan Development in the NFL, serving from 1995-2000. He and his team created the NFL's first strategic branding campaign, "Feel The Power."[4] As part of that effort, "Thank You, Fans" was recognized in January 1999 as #5 on USA Today's Super Bowl Ad Meter.

Burly Bear Network was a cable network and youth marketing services company where Handler served as CEO from 2000-2002. He 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.[5]

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.[6] Handler was 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.[7] Handler and his team also introduced RE*Generation, Virgin Mobile’s at-risk youth advocacy effort,[8] including the designation of November as National Youth Homeless Awareness Month by a joint resolution of The United States Congress in 2007.[9]

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.[10] 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.[11]

Back In Detroit

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.[12]

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. [13] 

In 2022, Handler led an effort to rebrand and return to "Pine Knob Music Theatre" by partnering with United Wholesale Mortgage, Trinity Health, and Ally.[14] That same year, the venue also celebrated its 50th Anniversary [15] and reprised its #1 ranking as the World's Top Amphitheatre for Pollstar's Year-End Charts. [16]

In 2023, Handler orchestrated 313 Presents' push to bring championship boxing back to Detroit. They partnered 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.[17]

References

  1. ^ "2022 VenuesNow All-Stars". Venues Now. October 3, 2022.
  2. ^ Potts, Mark (May 14, 1991). "LIVE FROM NEW YORK, IT'S 'SATURDAY NIGHT' MERCHANDISE". The Washington Post.
  3. ^ "Peabody - Stories That Matter". May 8, 1995.
  4. ^ Elliott, Stuart (August 28, 1996). "The N.F.L. kicks off a campaign to unmask its incredible hulks". The New York Times.
  5. ^ "National Lampoon, Inc Form 10-Q". SEC.gov. September 5, 2002.
  6. ^ "UPDATE 1-Virgin Mobile USA IPO raises $412.5 mln". Reuters. October 10, 2007.
  7. ^ Dan, Avi (April 26, 2012). "Major League Soccer Is A Kick In The Grass". Forbes.
  8. ^ "Sir Richard Branson Unveils Virgin Mobile RE*Generation's bold new focus" (Press release). September 9, 2014.
  9. ^ "S.Res.226 - A resolution recognizing the month of November 2007 as "National Homeless Youth Awareness Month"". Congress.gov. July 11, 2007.
  10. ^ Colman, Zach (September 22, 2020). "HOW MLS MARKETING WON PEOPLE OVER". Creative.com.
  11. ^ "67th Los Angeles Area Emmy Award Nominations Announced". Emmys.com. July 16, 2015.
  12. ^ Graff, Gary (May 18, 2012). "40 Years Of Memories At Pine Knob/DTE". The Royal Oak Tribune.
  13. ^ McCollum, Brian (January 14, 2022). "Pine Knob is Pine Knob again: DTE Energy Music Theatre reverts to original name". The Detroit Free Press.
  14. ^ Graham, Adam (January 14, 2022). "Pine Knob is back! Clarkston amphitheater drops corporate moniker". The Detroit News.
  15. ^ Woods, Megan (May 20, 2022). "Pine Knob Music Theatre celebrates name change, 50th anniversary". ClickonDetroit.com.
  16. ^ Booth, Dejannay (December 12, 2022). "Pine Knob Music Theatre named No. 1 amphitheater in the world". CBS News.
  17. ^ Cain, Carol (April 11, 2023). "Flint's Claressa Shields to bring boxing to LCA in June in bout against Hanna Gabriels". The Detroit Free Press.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Howard_Handler&oldid=1162716855"