IRVINE, CA — (Marketwired) — 12/09/15 — Spectra by Comcast Spectacor, the experts in hosting and entertainment, today announced Jimmy Conrad, KICKTV host and former U.S. Soccer and Major League Soccer (MLS) defender, will be the closing keynote speaker at its annual PACnet community conference, to be held Feb. 21-24, 2016 at the Newport Beach Marriott Hotel & Spa in Newport Beach, Calif. Conrad will deliver his keynote to the Spectra community on Wednesday, Feb. 24.
“I–m excited to speak to the PACnet community and to share my story and some of the valuable lessons that I picked up along the way,” said Jimmy Conrad, KICKTV host. “It should be a fun event and I am very honored to be included in on the festivities with such an accomplished group of live entertainment organizations.”
Conrad will discuss his journey to a career as a professional soccer player, from youth sports, to collegiate teams to the World Cup, and the secret to success both on and off the field. Conrad will also share his story of reinventing himself and launching a new career as an on-air host for KICKTV, YouTube–s global headquarters and a digital destination for soccer, news, lifestyle and entertainment showcasing video, analysis, commentary and comedy to more than one million subscribers. Conrad also authors features and opinion articles at KICKTV.com, highlighting a wide variety of content for the world–s most popular sport.
Conrad spent 13 years in MLS, scoring 20 goals in 290 appearances with the San Jose Earthquakes, (1999-02), Kansas City Wizards (2003-10) and Chivas USA (2011). Conrad was named to the MLS Best XI on four occasions (2004, 2005, 2006 and 2008) and was named MLS Defender of the Year in 2005 while with the Wizards. Conrad also appeared in 26 matches with the San Diego Flash of the now-defunct A-League in 1998, and made eight appearances in 2000 on loan at Lech Poznan in Poland–s top division, during the MLS offseason.
In addition to his club career, Conrad represented the United States men–s national team (USMNT), earning 27 caps, including two appearances at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. During the 2006 World Cup, Conrad was substituted on in a 1-1 draw with the eventual champions Italy, and also played the full 90 minutes in a 2-1 loss to Ghana where he was named Man of the Match.
He made his first appearance for the USMNT on July 7, 2005 in a Gold Cup match against Cuba, and less than a year later was named to the 23-man World Cup roster. In 2007, Conrad captained the USMNT for the first time in a 3-1 victory over Denmark, and again captained the U.S. in a 2009 Gold Cup quarterfinal match against Panama. Conrad scored his lone goal for the USMNT against Mexico in an international friendly on Feb. 7, 2007.
Following his retirement from professional soccer on Aug. 18, 2011, Conrad served as an assistant coach at Chivas USA in 2011.
Prior to his professional career, Conrad was part of 1997 NCAA championship team at UCLA, where he played for two seasons. Conrad transferred from San Diego State University where he played for the Aztecs in 1994-95. At the youth level, Conrad won the 1997 U-20 club championship with the San Diego Surf. He also played for Temple City High School in Arcadia, Calif. and was a four-year letterman.
“We are thrilled to have Jimmy Conrad, a well-respected professional athlete and entertainment personality address the PACnet community to share his uplifting message,” said Dave Butler, President and Chief Executive Officer of Spectra Ticketing & Fan Engagement. “PACnet is an outstanding forum to share strategic visions, industry best practices and inspiration, and we look forward to Jimmy leaving a lasting impression at our closing luncheon.”
Spectra–s Ticketing & Fan Engagement division is a leader in ticketing, fundraising, marketing, and analytics solutions with over 35 years of experience. Spectra Ticketing & Fan Engagement enables college athletic programs, arenas, professional sports, and performing arts clients to sell more than 120 million tickets per year.
Spectra by Comcast Spectacor is the expert in hosting and entertainment, partnering with over 300 clients at 400 global properties to create memorable experiences for millions of visitors every year. Spectra–s expertise is embodied within three divisions: Venue Management (formerly Global Spectrum), Food Services & Hospitality (formerly Ovations Food Services) and Ticketing & Fan Engagement (formerly Paciolan). Learn more at SpectraExperiences.com.
Comcast Spectacor is part of Comcast Corporation, a Fortune 50 media and technology company that operates Comcast Cable and NBCUniversal. Headquartered in Philadelphia, Pa., in addition to Spectra, Comcast Spectacor owns and operates the National Hockey League–s Philadelphia Flyers and the Wells Fargo Center venue. Visit us at ComcastSpectacor.com, PhiladelphiaFlyers.com and WellsFargoCenterPhilly.com for more information.
Craig Ricks
Spectra Ticketing & Fan Engagement
Vice President of Marketing
949.823.1636 (O)
Steve Brown
Spectra Ticketing & Fan Engagement
Corporate Marketing Specialist
949.823.4506 (O)
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