Bespoke CEO Mike Boykin has been named the recipient of the inaugural Distinguished Service in Sport and Entertainment Award from the University of South Carolina's Department of Sport and Entertainment Management.
The Distinguished Service in Sport and Entertainment Award recognizes an individual for outstanding service contributions to the sport and entertainment industries. The award is intended to encourage high standards of service to the industry and recognizes those who have rendered distinguished and outstanding service on a local, regional, or national basis over a period of years.
"I have been fortunate during my career to work alongside teammates, clients and partners who inspire me," said Boykin. "This is a great honor and a reflection of the many great people in this business and the positive influence that they've had on me."
The award was presented during the school's annual Sport Entertainment & Venues Tomorrow Conference, which brings together sport and entertainment industry leaders, students, and educators to discuss and analyze the sport, entertainment, and venues industry of tomorrow. Past speakers have included longtime sports executives Scott O'Neil, Peter Luukko and Sonny Vaccaro.
Also recognized at this year's award ceremony were Ben Sutton, former CEO of IMG College and founder of ISP Sports, with the Lifetime Achievement in Sport & Entertainment Award. Abe Madkour and Richard Weiss of SportsBusiness Journal were presented with the Pioneers in Sport and Entertainment Award.