New Arts & Entertainment Specialization Offered
There's No Business Like Show Business
by Will McClaran ‘08
Professional sport teams are mixing in lively entertainment at games to make the experience more enjoyable for fans in the stands. Consider the effectiveness of mascots like the Worcester Sharks' Finz and the Worcester Tornadoes' Twister, as they pump up game crowds, attract families with kids, and build attendance.
Today, entertainment and sport industry success is not just about attracting talent...it's about effectively managing a business and maximizing revenues. Here at Nichols College, renowned for our career-focused business programs, a new specialization is being added this fall called Arts & Entertainment to complement our already very popular Sport Management program.
Nichols will be one of eight colleges in the country offering a Sport, Arts, and Entertainment Management degree. Professor Colleen Colles, chair of the Sport Management program, is very excited about this addition to the business curriculum: "The focus of our new specialization is still management, but it will cater to the increasing number of high school graduates with an interest in the fields of arts and entertainment."
"Hopefully, one beneficial outcome of adding this specialization will be an increase in the number of female students at Nichols," Colles adds. Historically, Nichols has been a predominantly male business college.
Arts & Entertainment courses will cover key industry topics in marketing, financial management, and law. Elective classes will include sponsorship & sales, communication & PR, event management & production, venue & box office management, and volunteer management.
Most importantly, the Arts & Entertainment specialization will require students to complete an internship. The Sport Management program at Nichols is well known for its ability to place students in top internship programs, including venues such as Madison Square Garden, Fenway Park, and IMG World. Such internships help students test drive careers, make important industry contacts, and position themselves for future employment.
The College is now working hard to build ties within the Arts & Entertainment industry. "We have met with the human resource manager at EMI Music North America located in New York City," Colles notes, "and are very excited about developing internship partnerships with them." There is also a partnership in the works between Nichols and the newly renovated Worcester Center for the Performing Arts.
East Longmeadow native and marketing major Michelle Bourget is the first to take advantage of Nichols EMI Music contact. She was one of 40 students invited to EMI's internship fair in New York City on April 20th. After several meetings, Bourget was offered, and has accepted, a summer internship in the marketing department of Caroline Distribution, a subsidiary of EMI.
"They're a really small firm, so my goal is to come up with several cost effective strategies to market albums," says Bourget. "They don't have the financial backing of the bigger companies, so I'll have to do a lot of thinking outside of the box." Founded in 1983 under Virgin Records, Caroline Distribution is one of the U.S. music industry's largest third party distribution companies for the independent market.
"I think that it's a great idea to bring the Arts & Entertainment specialization to the College," adds Bourget. "It will give incoming students more options, and it will help diversify Nichols' business offerings."
To launch the new program, Nichols has added Assistant Professor of Arts & Entertainment Management Tim Griggs to the faculty roster. The Nashville native's background in the music industry is extensive, ranging from owning a recording studio to providing legal representation to current and/or former members of bands such as the Allman Brothers, Fleetwood Mac, Nine Inch Nails, Guns N' Roses, Derek and the Dominoes, and the Grateful Dead. He holds a Juris Doctorate degree from Southwestern University School of Law and a bachelor's from Georgia State University.
Entertainment has grown up. It's no longer a playground for ex-athletes, music legends, determined fans, or family dynasties. "We want our business grads to have opportunities to be leaders in growing industries," says Ezat Parnia, Nichols provost & executive vice president. "The Arts & Entertainment specialization will help them position for these new and exciting career opportunities."
