Michael Samardzija
Synergy Sports Marketing, owner Michael Samardzija has a long
history of marketing & managing events of many types. Growing up in
suburban Detroit, he is the son of a professional bowler and a former figure
skater. Sports were always surrounding Samardzija, from golf courses,
bowling center and ice rinks to his father's bowling business and time spent
traveling to PBA events with his father.
There was also a passion for music, which lead him to Eastern Michigan University where he received a degree in Arts Administration. While an undergraduate, he traveled on numerous tours both in North America and abroad. This experience took Samardzija to Kansas City, Missouri upon graduation where he accepted a position in the marketing department and as touring manager of the Kansas City Symphony. After three seasons with the KCS he moved on to New Orleans to accept a graduate assistant position at the University of New Orleans. After completing his coursework in a year, Samardzija accepted a position at Tulane University's music department doing the marketing for the department's events and producing the printed materials. From there is where the unprecedented move from the arts world to the sports world occurred. Although the two seem drastically different, below the surface the two worlds are very similar; "Putting butts in seats is putting butts in seats, a press release is a press release and the law is the law" is how he usually describes similarities of the two.
Samardzija then moved to the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, the host committee for Super Bowl XXXI. His first sports event was dealing with the 4,000+ members of the media for Super Bowl XXXI. While at the Sports Foundation, they hosted a wide range of events from the Louisiana Games and SWAC Spring Sports Championships to the USA Track and Field National Championships, which turned out to be the first crowning of track & field superstars Maurice Green & Marion Jones. When hockey finally came to New Orleans, the former Detroiter was ready to help bring the sport to the south. Samardzija spent the first three seasons with the New Orleans Brass of the ECHL, serving as communications & operations manager, working closely with general managers Larry Kish, Dan Belisle and head coach Ted Sator. After the Brass, he took a position as marketing director of Lakewood Country Club in New Orleans. Lakewood hosted a variety of tournaments and outings including the still famous "Test Fest Golf Tournament" for radio station KKND, Marshall Faulk's Celebrity Golf Classic during Super Bowl XXXVI and the Playboy Scramble.
Samardzija them came to his current position as the marketing manager of the Alario Center at the Bayou Segnette Sports Complex, where he directs the marketing department in all aspects of booking events, promoting those events, managing events and building relationships for future events. During the past two years, the Alario Center has prospered despite serving as the practice facility of the NBA's New Orleans Hornets. The Center continues to host annual AAU State and National Championships, the Mardi Gras Open Paintball Tournament, the GCAC Conference Tournaments and many others. The past two years have brought new events, including two NCAA YES Clinics, the national televised Mountain Dew Slam Dunk and Three Point Championships, Basketball on the Bayou--Girls National Shootout, the Nike Memorial Day Classic and two concert productions, An intimate evening with Clint Black in the Alario Center and day long-eight band outdoor festival, Country on Whiskey Bayou.
Samardzija now brings that wealth of experience to you and your organization, feel free to contact him by any of the methods below.