Breakfast Club March 2026
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A monthly breakfast, networking and presentation event highlighting experts & business leaders in Charlotte.
Join South Charlotte Partners for its March Breakfast Club as regional sports and entertainment leaders explore “The Impact of the Sports & Entertainment Economy on Charlotte.” This dynamic morning program will examine how professional sports, major events, and entertainment experiences are fueling Charlotte’s growth, driving jobs, tourism, corporate investment, and a vibrant quality of life. The discussion will be moderated by Steve Bagwell, CEO of the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority, and features executive perspectives from Hornets Sports & Entertainment, Tepper Sports & Entertainment, and the Truist Championship.
Hosted at the AC Hotel Charlotte Ballantyne, this networking breakfast offers a behind-the-scenes look at Charlotte’s rise as a premier sports and entertainment market. Attendees will gain insight into economic impact, fan experience, innovation and branding, and the critical role of infrastructure and public-private partnerships, while connecting with business and community leaders shaping the region’s future. Don’t miss this timely conversation on how sports and entertainment continue to elevate Charlotte’s national profile.
Our Moderator
Steve Bagwell
CEO of the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority
Steve Bagwell is a dedicated advocate for the hospitality industry, with a career spanning over 25 years devoted to enhancing Charlotte’s visitor economy. A native of the Queen City, Steve brings a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to fostering a positive organizational culture. As CEO of the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority (CRVA), he leads efforts to champion tourism as a key driver of economic development and to enhance the positive impact the visitor economy has on the community’s quality of life.
Steve’s leadership journey began at the Charlotte Convention Center when it opened in 1995, where he served as Warehouse Manager before transitioning into the role of Concessions Manager within the Food & Beverage department. His experience expanded during his tenure in Finance, where he played a pivotal role in the 2004 merger that formed the CRVA. Over more than a decade, Steve managed financial reporting and audit functions, earning his CPA designation in 2000.
By 2012, Steve was at the helm of the Charlotte Convention Center as General Manager, and by 2014, he was promoted to Vice President of Venues, overseeing operations at some of Charlotte’s most significant event spaces. His leadership has contributed to hundreds of successful events annually, generating millions for the local economy. Steve also spearheaded major projects like the $127 million expansion of the Charlotte Convention Center in 2021 and the $20 million enhancement to the Bojangles Entertainment Complex in 2020.
A testament to his ability to lead large-scale operations and navigate complex projects that leave a lasting impact on the city, Steve has been instrumental in hosting high-profile events such as the 2012 Democratic National Convention, the 2019 NBA All-Star Weekend, and the 2014 Alpha Kappa Alpha 66th Boule.
Steve earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Clemson University and is a proud alumnus of Leadership Charlotte Class 41. He serves on several boards, including the Charlotte Sports Foundation, Charlotte Center City Partners, and the NASCAR Hall of Fame Foundation, where he is also a member of the Advisory Committee. Additionally, Steve is a Trustee of the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance Board, reflecting his deep commitment to advancing the economic and cultural vitality of Charlotte.
Our Panelists
Mike Behan
Chief Business & Revenue Officer, Hornets Sports & Entertainment
Mike Behan joined Hornets Sports & Entertainment in April 2025 as the organization’s Chief Business & Revenue Officer, bringing extensive experience in the sports and entertainment industry, with a proven track record of leadership, partnership development and revenue generation. In his role at HSE, Behan oversees areas including ticket sales and services, ticket operations, partnerships and business intelligence.
Most recently, Behan spent 13 years with Legends – a globally recognized leader in premium live events – where he played an instrumental role in launching Legends College, a first-of-its-kind company dedicated to assisting universities and athletic departments in elevating the experience of fans and growing revenues. As President of Legends College, Behan led strategic partnerships with over 25 major universities and athletic programs, including Notre Dame, Ohio State, Florida State, Oklahoma and Georgia Tech, while overseeing a team of over 300 full-time employees.
Before joining Legends, Behan served as Director of Team Marketing & Business Operations for the NBA, where he consulted with NBA, WNBA and NBA G League teams to optimize their revenue streams across ticket sales, sponsorships, premium seating and merchandise. Behan began his NBA career with the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2005-2010, starting in their inside sales department and ultimately advancing to the role of Director of Ticketing.
A 2020 Sports Business Journal Forty Under 40 honoree, Behan is a 2005 graduate of Le Moyne College. He and his wife, Amanda, have three children: Madison, Emma and William.
Jake Burns
Chief Strategy & Development Officer, Tepper Sports & Entertainment
Jake Burns joined Tepper Sports & Entertainment in April 2021 and serves as the Chief Strategy and Development Officer. In his role, Burns focuses on forward-looking, high-level strategic initiatives, encompassing commercial endeavors of significant impact across the enterprise, while also guiding the Business Strategy and Analytics team.
Burns came to TSE after five seasons with Major League Baseball’s Washington Nationals, most recently as the team’s Executive Vice President, Business Operations. In his role, he was responsible for all functions related to revenue generation, including corporate partnerships, licensing, ticket and suite sales, strategy and analytics, broadcasting, marketing, brand management, game entertainment, retail, food and beverage and non-baseball events at Nationals Park.
Burns has nearly ten years of professional sports experience. Prior to joining the Nationals, Burns spent 14 years in organizational and human capital strategy consulting, including time with Booz Allen Hamilton, a strategy and technology consulting firm based out of McLean, Virginia. While at Booz Allen Hamilton, Jake served as a Senior Associate in the firm’s Defense and Intelligence Group, where he was responsible for business development, account leadership, client delivery and career management for a team of consultants who helped organizations envision, design and implement major transformations.
Burns is a member of the Johnson & Wales University Executive Advisory Council, the North Carolina Travel & Tourism Board and the World Affairs Council of Charlotte Board. He also serves as a volunteer youth baseball coach.
Burns holds a bachelor’s degree in systems engineering from the University of Virginia and an MBA from the UVA Darden School of Business. Burns and his wife, Katherine, have two children, Jackson and Charlotte.
Adam Sperling
Executive Director, Truist Championship
Adam Sperling, a Vice President at the PGA TOUR, serves as the Executive Director of the Truist Championship, a Signature Event held annually at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina. Prior to that, he served as that club’s Director of Professional Golf, where he guided the club’s strategic positioning in the golf ecosystem related to events they hosted or were preparing to host, as well as playing an integral role establishing the partnerships that would ultimately keep professional golf at Quail Hollow through 2031.
He arrived in Charlotte in 2018 after being hired as the Executive Director of the 2022 Presidents Cup, the PGA TOUR’s premier global team event. In that role, Sperling was responsible for oversight of all sales and marketing initiatives as well as operational planning and execution, and guided the event to record sponsorship, hospitality and ticket levels, while delivering a $131.5 million economic impact for Charlotte – a record-setting number for sporting events in the city. The bi-annual global team competition, which pits the top players from the United States versus the top International players excluding Europe, left a significant charitable contribution in the community, while creating an onsite experience for over 200,000 fans that reflected the iconic neighborhoods and culture found throughout the city.
He has spent his 20+ year professional career in the world of golf, with stints at PGA TOUR headquarters in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro Am in Pebble Beach, California, as well as the Shriners Children’s Open in Las Vegas, NV. Sperling sits on the boards of the Charlotte Sports Foundation and The First Tee of Greater Charlotte, and is joined in Charlotte by his wife Erin and their three daughters Claire, Catherine, and Nora.
