A competitive whitewater water rafting in Texas tournament became a lawsuit between two competing organizers when one claimed the other had exploited the operating agreement, misappropriating millions of dollars in revenue. Claiming that fraud and breach of contract had occurred in the organization of the water rafting tournament, someone experienced in the planning and coordination of professional action sports events was needed to examine the event’s budget and evaluate whether it is reasonably consistent with industry standards. A sports management expert was sought to opine of the case.
Question(s) For Expert Witness
1. Have you worked in a finance or budgeting capacity for a staged, multi-city professional sporting event?
3. Do you have experience negotiating television distribution rights for these events?
Expert Witness Response E-031435
I oversee budgeting for the events department of a major running club, managing over fifty races per year, including the largest marathon in the world. I have vast experience with sporting events, having worked on triathlon events in addition to running tournaments across the United States. Furthermore, I have been involved in the negotiation of TV distribution rights, as my club has television broadcast deals for several of our events, and oversee involvement with large sponsorship partners.
I also have extensive budgeting and financial planning experience working on some of the highest profile sporting events in the world, and am responsible for a multi-million annual operating budget for my organization's events.
About the author
Alissa Kruidenier
Alissa Kruidenier is a Columbia University graduate who specializes in international development, security, and diplomacy.
