Caption: Jamie Obletz (third from left), Delaware North group president of Sportservice, Patina Group and U.K., was a key speaker on a panel at the recent CAA World Congress of Sports event in Nashville.
Jamie Obletz, group president of Delaware North Sportservice and Patina Group, took the stage last week at the 2025 CAA World Congress of Sports, joining a high-powered panel to discuss the top issues facing the sports industry.
Obletz participated in the event’s opening panel discussion, “Industry Issues You Need to be Watching Now,” alongside Sarah Hirshland, CEO of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee; Candice Storey Lee, vice chancellor of athletics and university affairs and athletic director at Vanderbilt University; Mark Marshall, chairman of global advertising and partnerships at NBCUniversal; and Nadia Rawlinson, co-owner, operating chairman and league governor of the Chicago Sky of the WNBA. The session was moderated by Sports Business Journal Staff Writer Ben Fischer.
The panel addressed a range of pressing topics, including macroeconomic pressures on the sports industry, shifts in fan engagement, the role of technology in venue operations, the evolving media landscape and strategies for growth in women’s sports.
Obletz offered perspective from Delaware North’s dual leadership roles in hospitality and sports, particularly as it relates to fan experience and innovation at major sports venues. He also spoke to the company’s role in creating experiences at sports venues year-round, pointing to the success of The Hub on Causeway mixed-use development at the Delaware North-owned-and-operated TD Garden in Boston.
The World Congress of Sports, produced by Sports Business Journal, is one of the most influential gatherings of sports industry executives. This year’s event was held at the Grand Hyatt Nashville and featured an impressive lineup of speakers, including NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey, Disney CEO Bob Iger and ESPN Chair Jimmy Pitaro.