School to Career - New York Knicks - Vice President of Event Presentation


		Rally Music
		On the Job Courtside
		Time Out Entertainment

The Vice President of Event Presentation and Broadcast is in charge of booking talent, producing the video elements and putting together all of the pieces that make up the "show" that takes place around the main event, which is, of course, the game.

Gary Winkler holds this position for the Knicks. He works with a crew to produce highlight videos and create the various elements that will excite the crowd. This may include music and clips from films or other places. On game day, Gary arranges all of the video and music elements, plus promotional videos, sponsored advertisements and contests so that they will each appear at the precise moment to deliver non-stop action when the on-court action stops.

He Was A DJ

Gary began working his way into this position by running a mobile disc jockey company back in college. He worked his way through college as a deejay and also as an announcer for high school sports. In 1994 Gary joined the Knicks as an intern in the Marketing department. From there he was offered a part-time position with the promotional staff, which led to a full-time job. Then in 1997, he also joined the Liberty. "I had 'no game' so the front office was the place for me" quips Winkler, who handles the job for both basketball teams.

Creatively Creating Fun

To succeed in this type of position, Winkler believes patience and creativity are essential elements. "There are a lot of people working together to produce a great show each game and one must have a high tolerance for craziness to handle the flow. Being patient with others is a key to success, as is a creative mind looking for new ways to excite the crowd."

Creating a fun atmosphere is not always easy, especially when the home team falls behind by twenty points. Therefore, succeeding in this type of position requires organization and a good sense of how to entertain, produce a show and generate excitement. You'll feel the rewards when the excitement prompted by the crowd sparks a rally by the team.