The Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that Sam Kennedy, Chief Operating Officer of the Boston Red Sox, will be the keynote speaker at the Chamber’s September Membership Breakfast.
The event will be held on Tuesday, September 10 at The Essex Room at Woodman’s, 125 Main Street, Essex, with check-in and breakfast beginning at 7:30 am and the program commencing at 8:00 am.
Mr. Kennedy’s talk on ‘The Business of Baseball’ will focus on the multi-faceted business side of the Boston Red Sox professional baseball club’s operations at Fenway Park. He will also bring some special gifts from the American League’s Eastern Division leading Red Sox organization.
The cost for the September 10 Chamber luncheon with Sam Kennedy is $35 for Chamber members in advance ($40 for the week or day of the event) and $50 for non-members. The event is open to all. To register and pay online, please visit www.capeannchamber.com. For further information about the event please contact Events Manager Emily Harris at 978-283-1601 or email emily@capeannchamber.com.
Sam Kennedy serves as Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer of the Boston Red Sox. Since joining the organization in 2002, the Brookline, Massachusetts native has played an instrumental part in the revitalization of the Red Sox brand, the financial stability of the franchise and the preservation and protection of Fenway Park.
Reporting directly to Red Sox President/CEO Larry Lucchino, Kennedy is responsible for growing all team revenue streams and oversees the club’s general business operations including Ticketing (sales, operations and service), Corporate Sponsorship, Broadcasting, Marketing, Media Relations, Community Relations, Social Media, Advertising and Client Service. Kennedy also directs Fenway Enterprises and is responsible for managing all non-baseball revenue generating activities at the club’s historic home field, Fenway Park.
Sam Kennedy’s Red Sox Responsibilities and Biographical Information
Sam Kennedy was an integral part of the highly acclaimed Fenway Park improvement initiative, a 10-year $285 million project, the largest renovation in Fenway Park’s 100-year history, which concluded prior to the 2012 season. He worked closely with Lucchino on the redesign, including the innovative seating section atop the famed Green Monster and incorporation of signage and sponsor branded premium seating sections that generated significant revenue for the club all while maintaining the historic ballpark’s pristine look and feel.
Under Kennedy’s leadership, the Red Sox have established Fenway Park as one of the premier destinations in New England for non-baseball events including concerts, outdoor hockey games, soccer matches and corporate functions. In 2009, Kennedy led successful negotiations with the National Hockey League and Hockey East to secure Fenway as host for the 2010 ‘Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic’ and ‘Sun Life Frozen Fenway’ NCAA Division I outdoor ice hockey games. Kennedy brought Frozen Fenway back to the ballpark in January of 2012 and nearly 100,000 people came through the gates to watch ice hockey and skate at Fenway over the 16-day period.
Kennedy also oversaw the return of ‘the beautiful game’ to Fenway for the first time in more than 40 years with ‘2010 Football at Fenway,’ a soccer match which featured Celtic F.C. of Glasgow vs. Sporting C.P. of Lisbon playing before more than 33,000 spectators. Then in 2012, Fenway played host to an epic international football match between two of the world’s best known and most respected clubs, AS Roma and Liverpool Football Club, playing before a sold-out crowd. During his tenure, Kennedy and his team transformed Fenway into one of the nation’s most popular outdoor concert venues, playing host to iconic musicians including The Rolling Stones, Dave Matthews Band, The Police, Neil Diamond, Phish, Paul McCartney, Aerosmith, New Kids on the Block, Backstreet Boys, Roger Waters and Bruce Springsteen.
In 2012, Kennedy and Red Sox ownership created a series of special events to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Fenway Park, the oldest operating Major League Park in the United States.
Fenway Sports Management
As a founding executive Kennedy helped create Fenway Sports Management (FSM), formerly Fenway Sports Group. As president, Kennedy has P&L responsibility, overseeing the organization’s Finance, Human Resources, Legal, Sales, Corporate Consulting and Marketing departments.
Kennedy has been a major catalyst in building FSM’s impressive client roster of leading brands, including: the Boston Red Sox, NESN, Roush Fenway Racing, Liverpool Football Club, Boston College Athletics, Major League Baseball Advanced Media the Deutsche Bank Championship and NBA superstar LeBron James.
Kennedy was a key member of the team that negotiated Fenway Sports Group’s acquisition of a 50% stake of one of NASCAR’s most successful teams, Roush Racing. The investment marked the first time that owners of a professional franchise in one of the four major leagues purchased an ownership stake with a NASCAR team.
In October 2007, Kennedy was named one of the Boston Business Journal’s 40 under 40 Award recipients, which recognizes 40 of Boston’s best and brightest young professionals. Sam Kennedy attended Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., where he played baseball and earned a bachelor’s degree in American Studies in 1995.