Playmakers: The Bay Area Sports Marketing Summit at Lyft HQ (SF)

PLAYMAKERS is AMA SF’s night for sports, media, and marketing. Meet the teams, brands, and builders shaping Bay Area fandom.

Playmakers: The Bay Area Sports Marketing Summit

Sports marketing isn’t just about game day anymore. Sports are digital too, and fan connection is built year round across streaming, creators, and gaming and esports communities. Teams have become full brands, and brands tap sports to earn attention and show up in culture with credibility. Come get the inside playbook from the teams, platforms, and partners shaping Bay Area sports marketing right now.

PLAYMAKERS brings together leaders from the Golden State Warriors, San Francisco Giants, Bay FC, Oakland Roots, Sephora, NBC Sports Bay Area, The Athletic, and more to share how modern sports brands build fan communities and momentum year round.

Hosted at Lyft HQ, this evening program features two focused panels, a mini Super Bowl commercial recap, and community networking with people building the future of sports, media, and culture. Whether you’re part of a team, brand, agency, platform, or startup, or you are simply sports-curious, you’ll leave with practical insights, new connections, and a clearer view of where sports marketing is headed next.

Light bites and drinks will be provided.

What You’ll Experience

Speakers

Panel 1

Moderator: Carolyn McArdle, Music Director & Morning Show Co-Host, iHeart Media; PA Announcer, SF Giants

• Kim Trinidad, VP Marketing & Operations, Golden State Warriors
• Edreece Arghandiwal, Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer, Oakland Roots
• Brendan Mallette, Chief Revenue Officer, Bay Football Club
• Celessa Baker, VP of Marketing Partnerships, SEPHORA

Panel 2

Moderator: Katie Hegarty, Sales Lead, Lyft Ads

• Alexandria Leavenworth, VP, Creative and Strategic Marketing, NBC Sports Bay Area & California and NBC Bay Area
• Shabnum Mehra Palomba, Executive VP, Digitas
• Bryan Srabian, VP of Brand Development and Digital Media, San Francisco Giants
• Jenna Winchell, VP, Marketing, The Athletic

Session 1: Inside the Rise of Bay Area Sports: Building Brands and Driving Growth

How do sports organizations turn a name, a logo, and a roster into a brand fans genuinely care about?

We’ll cover:

• How teams define brand story, values, and voice
• Early fan acquisition and community building strategies
• Partnerships that create win win outcomes
• Lessons learned from launch through brand maturity

Commercial Break: Super Bowl Ad Recap

Session 2: Beyond the Stadium: The New Sports Marketing Playbook

In today’s landscape, every team is also a media company.

We’ll cover:

• The evolving sports media ecosystem: audio, social, creators, and live streams
• Turning real time moments into clips, stories, and campaigns
• Partnering with creators, influencer squads, and player personalities
• What e-sports and gaming communities reveal about always on fandom

*Please note that program (and session panelists) are subject to change.

Who should Attend?

• Sports team and league marketers, content leads, community managers
• Brand marketers working in sponsorships, partnerships, social, and experiential
• Agency strategists and creatives in sports, culture, and entertainment
• Media and platform folks in audio, streaming, social, and creator economy
• Anyone building fan engagement, communities, and content engines