Ross Bjork, Director of Athletics at Ole Miss, to Be a Keynote Speaker at PACnet '13 Conference

IRVINE, CA--(Marketwire - Nov 13, 2012) - Paciolan, an industry-leading provider of ticketing, marketing, and fundraising solutions to more than 500 live entertainment organizations, including 105 college athletics institutions, announced today that University of Mississippi Director of Athletics, Ross Bjork, will be a keynote speaker at its annual PACnet community conference to be held Feb. 10-13, 2013 at the Newport Beach Marriott Hotel & Spa in Newport Beach, Calif. Bjork will deliver his keynote to all college athletics attendees on Monday, February 11^th, and this keynote will also be streamed live to the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) community. 

"I'm both excited and honored to be speaking at Paciolan's PACnet '13 conference," said Ross Bjork, Director of Athletics at Ole Miss. "The conference continues to be an excellent professional development and networking opportunity for all types of ticketing, fund development and marketing members of the college athletics community."

The youngest athletics director among BCS schools, as well as the youngest athletics director of the 120 NCAA FBS programs when previously working with Western Kentucky University, Ross Bjork has an extensive career in intercollegiate athletics spanning two decades of experience as an administrator and student-athlete. He's also worked on the senior staffs at UCLA, the University of Miami, the University of Missouri and Western Illinois University. 

At UCLA, Bjork directed all fundraising activities, including the John Wooden Athletic Fund, and was responsible for doubling total giving to athletics during his first year. Season ticket sales for football and men's basketball also increased to record totals. In 2009-10, his team raised a record $26 million in total gifts for athletics. While at UCLA, he also established the Campaign of Champions Capital Campaign to raise the funds to renovate legendary Pauley Pavilion. Bjork led the ISP Sports transition into the UCLA community and the Los Angeles market where they tripled sponsorship sales and revenue in the first four years.

Prior to his work with UCLA, Bjork worked with the University of Miami overseeing all revenue production for the Hurricanes, and directed the search process for hiring men's basketball coach, Frank Haith. Additionally, Bjork served as the day-to-day liaison for men's basketball, and was the department contact for the University President's office. During his tenure at Miami, Bjork secured the naming rights for a $52 million on-campus arena, renegotiated Miami's Nike and Gatorade contracts, and increased total giving to Miami Athletics. 

In his first senior position, Bjork spent six and a half years at the University of Missouri where he oversaw all development operations that raised record funds each year. Total giving increased from $2.1 million in 1996 to $16 million in 2003. Bjork also directed the sales campaign of the football suites project and implemented the seating program for Missouri's new basketball arena. He oversaw the generation of $88 million in donations for the Champions for Life Capital Campaign which laid the groundwork for Mizzou's recent success across the board.

"Ross Bjork's work and accomplishments have significantly impacted the college sports industry," said Dave Butler, chief executive officer of Paciolan. "We're thrilled to have him as a PACnet '13 keynote speaker and look forward to hearing him share his expertise and proven real world solutions that can help our participating partners grow their athletics organizations."

PACnet '13 provides educational sessions covering executive trends, social media, marketing, CRM, ticketing and fundraising -- all aimed at helping teams and venues sell more and maximize revenue streams. Sessions are uniquely geared to each of the markets the company serves, including college athletics, performing arts, pro sports, museums, arenas, and ticketing partners.

About Paciolan
Founded in 1980, Paciolan is the leader in venue enablement, powering ticketing, fundraising and marketing technology solutions for leading organizations across North America. Collectively, Paciolan powers over 500 live entertainment organizations that sell over 100 million tickets annually. Primary markets include college athletics, professional sports, performing arts, arenas and museums. Paciolan is a wholly owned subsidiary of Comcast-Spectacor. 

Visit www.paciolan.com for additional company information.