Bishop Turon Credits TEAMS Conference in Aiding Career Choice

As the TEAMS Conference & Expo turns 25 years old, we want to take a look back at some of the people that have made each event go as smoothly as it does — the ambassadors that you see helping direct traffic to events and also working in the exhibit halls and seemingly everywhere you turn. For a number of those who started out attending the TEAMS Conference while still in college, those experiences have given them entry into the industry.

NAME: Bishop Turon, an ambassador in 2015 and 2017.

WHERE IS HE NOW: Turon has been the sales and servicing manager for the Dallas Sports Commission for just over a year. He is one of three members of the sales team that is tasked with recruiting and retaining events of all sizes to his hometown. Turon puts a lot of focus on the smaller surrounding markets to provide a red-carpet experience and works alongside the events and sales teams. He works to attract the events that make headlines, like the Final Four and WrestleMania, but is also involved in bringing in annual soccer and cheer events.

WHAT HE REMEMBERS AS AN AMBASSADOR: “I had two chances to serve as an ambassador, in Las Vegas in 2015 and Orlando in 2017. It gave me the exposure to this industry that I needed to understand what goes on behind the scenes. Being an ambassador was a kickstart for my career, because at the time I was a college student who was a little bit unsure what the future looked like. Walking into that expo center, or the after-session events, gave me a sense of the passion people have in this industry and what really goes on behind the scenes — that’s what led me to choose this industry.”

HOW IT CHANGED HIS CAREER PATH: “TEAMS gave me the chance to network with some of my counterparts and form relationships that still exist to this day, which is cool to see in retrospect. It was a turning point in my career because when I was an ambassador it showed me that this was 100% where I wanted to be. I had a desire to work in the sports industry, but I didn’t know exactly what that meant. Going to TEAMS and seeing individuals being able to represent hundreds of destinations and really make a positive impact for the communities that they live in, and they’ve grown to love, stood out to me. It was more than a position that just sells tickets or a position that’s facility focused.”

THE CONNECTIONS HE MADE: “Another thing I noticed was just the overall togetherness of this specific industry. The absolute willingness to share insights and what happens on a day-to-day basis and what it looks like from a city-to-city perspective. I remember how willing everybody was to talk to some of us young students. TEAMS helped to expand my network and to understand what I needed to do to grow. I was able to form some lifelong relationships with other ambassadors and there’s a fair amount of us that still stay in contact today. Thanks in large part to TEAMS, working at a place like the Dallas Sports Commission has felt pretty familiar because I already knew so many people in the industry. A few people who really stick out to me are Josh Dill in Frisco, Texas, as well as J.D. Wood and Dominique Powell, who I worked for in Bryan, Texas.”

HIS ADVICE TO NEW AMBASSADORS: “My advice would be capture the moment and take the opportunity to network with as many individuals as possible. It’s really rare when you get thousands of those industry professionals under one roof. Also, make sure you stay professional in the settings after the expo and when networking occurs. Always follow up with the folks that you connect with, whether it be with a thank you or a LinkedIn connection. You never know where a connection can lead. It’s important — especially in the sports world, where it’s so small — that you really go above and beyond with any connection you make.”