The business of Sports Management is booming, and there is a growing need for strong managers who are ready to step into leadership positions.
The faculty who teach this course have decades of experiences in the field, which they bring to the classroom daily. Students develop a strong understanding of the sports consumer, the economics of sports, how sports are marketed locally, regionally, and internationally, and how sports teams and facilities are managed to benefit the communities they serve, and how sports can serve as an amenity at clubs and resorts.
This concentration at Coastal Georgia equips students to pursue rewarding careers in sports-related industries, including professional and collegiate sports, sporting goods, fitness and recreation centers, resorts, and more.
Students who complete this concentration are equipped to pursue exciting careers in a variety of fields within the world of professional sports, interscholastic and intercollegiate athletics, community and recreational sports, and sports management within resorts, including facilities management and operations, marketing, public relations and sports information, club management, and research and analytics.

Education
Ph.D. in Hospitality Administration, Oklahoma State University
J.D. in Law, Georgia State University
M.A. in Tourism Administration, The George Washington University
B.S. in Business Administration, Georgetown University
Teaching and Research Interests/Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
My research interests are in the areas of legal issues and safety and security as they relate to the hospitality and tourism industries, and in particular as they relate to conventions, meetings, and events.
Recent publications:
Book chapters:
Warner, T. (2024). Legal issues in meetings and events, In Fenich, G. & Malek, K. (Eds.) Meetings, expositions, events, and conventions: An introduction to the industry (6th ed.). [Revision] Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Hilliard, T.W. (2019). Contracts and risk management. In National Association of Catering Executives Certified Professional Catering Executive (CPCE) reference guide, version 2. [Revision] Columbia, MD: National Association of Catering Executives.
Hilliard, T.W. (2019). Legal issues in meetings and events. In Fenich, G. (Ed.) Meetings, expositions, events, and conventions: An introduction to the industry (5th ed.). [Revision] Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Articles:
Hilliard, T. (2019, February 3). An essential contract checklist for meeting planners. MeetingsToday. bit.ly/3MoX1lx
Podcasts:
Warner, T. (2020, July 7). The pandemic legal environment for the events industry. The Business of Meetings.
Rozenberg, E., Walling, S., & Warner, T. (2020, April 7). Independent business owners: You are not alone. Event Business Formula.
Recent Invited Presentations:
Blood, J. & Warner, T. (2025, October). Did you see that coming? Legal issues for meetings. Presented at IMEX America, Las Vegas, NV.
Warner, T. (2025, July). Ask the association attorney: Everything you want to know about event contracts and more. Presented at Florida Society of Association Executives, West Palm Beach, FL.
Warner, T. (2025, June). The law, liability, and current issues. Presented at Meeting Professionals International World Education Congress, St. Louis, MO.
Warner, T. (2025, June). RFPs and contracts in the meetings industry. [Moderator]. Presented at Meeting Professionals International North Florida Chapter, Jacksonville, FL.
Warner, T. (2025, May). Addressing those uh-oh situations in your contracts. Presented at Society of Government Meeting Professionals National Education Conference, St. Louis, MO.
Warner, T. (2025, March). Contract negotiation strategies for 2025. Presented at SmartMeetings magazine Knowledge Exchange, webinar [online].
Blood, J. & Warner, T. (2024, October). Contracts: Seeing through the crystal ball. Presented at IMEX America, Las Vegas, NV.
Warner, T. (2024, June). All things force majeure—What you need to know. Presented at Society of Government Meeting Professionals, webinar [online].
Warner, T. (2024, March). Uh-oh scenarios. Presented at Meeting Professionals International Wisconsin Chapter, Madison, WI.
Warner, T. (2024, January). What goes up—Inflation, meetings, and contracts. Presented at Southwest Showcase, Austin, TX.
Warner, T. (2023, December). All things force majeure—What you need to know. Presented at International Association of Exhibitions and Events Expo! Expo! Dallas, TX.
Blood, J. & Warner, T. (2023, October). Contracts: Designing for shared success. Presented at IMEX America, Las Vegas, NV.
Warner, T. (2023, July). Contracts: New, novel, and nagging issues. Presented at Professional Convention Management Association Southeast Chapter, Orlando, FL.
Warner, T. (2023, June). What goes up—Contracts and inflation. Presented at Meeting Professionals International World Education Congress, Riviera Maya, Mexico.
Warner, T. (2023, May). Contracts: Retooling for today’s market. Presented at Meeting Professionals International Georgia Chapter, Atlanta, GA.
Warner, T. (2023, January). Understanding difficult contracts—Parts I & II. Presented at Religious Conference Managers Association Annual Conference, Chattanooga, TN.
Warner, T. (2022, October). Contract negotiations for these unruly times. Presented at IMEX America, Las Vegas, NV.
Bettlach, J., Johnson, A., Rowbotham, B., Warner, T. (2022, October). Contract experiences that make you go…hmmmm?! Presented at IMEX America, Las Vegas, NV.
Warner, T. (2022, June). What’s law got to do with it? Presented at Georgia Society of Association Executives, Jekyll Island, GA.
Warner, T. (2022, June). The care and feeding of introverts at your meeting. Presented at Georgia Society of Association Executives, Jekyll Island, GA.
Hardigree, C. & Warner, T. (2022, March). Contracts post-pandemic: Lessons learned. Presented at Meetings Industry Council of Colorado, Denver, CO.
Hardigree, C. & Warner, T. (2021, September). Something old, something new, something legal. Presented at Rocky Mountain Chapter Meeting Professionals International, Denver, CO.
Bagnall, K. & Warner, T. (2021, June). The future of meetings contracts & liability…and the future is now. Presented at Meeting Professionals International World Education Congress, Las Vegas, NV.
Pelletier, S. and Warner, T. (2021, June). Your inner phoenix: Reinventing yourself through adversity, acceptance, & adventure. Presented at Meeting Professionals International World Education Congress, Las Vegas, NV.
Allgauer, M., Murakami, G., & Warner, T. (2021, June). Contracts & negotiations in the new normal—a discussion from all perspectives. Presented at Meeting Professionals International World Education Congress, Las Vegas, NV.