Washington Nationals President Stan Kasten Named as Keynote Speaker for National Association of Ticket Brokers (NATB) Convention and Trade Show

    WASHINGTON, May 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Association
 of Ticket Brokers (NATB) today announced Washington Nationals President
 Stan Kasten as keynote speaker for the 2007 Annual NATB Convention and
 Trade Show, July 20-21 at the Wynn Las Vegas Hotel -- the only 5-star
 casino and hotel resort on the Las Vegas strip. Kasten will speak on July
 20 during the lunch keynote address and is a participant of a panel
 discussion regarding the interplay between teams and other primary sellers
 and the secondary market following his address.
     "Stan Kasten is an innovator and a leader in the sports industry," said
 Russ Lindmark, President, NATB. "NATB is excited to have Stan Kasten
 discuss his experiences as a successful executive and ideas for increased
 cooperation between the secondary market ticket broker industry and primary
 sellers, including sports franchises."
     Stan Kasten, who was introduced as Nationals President by the Lerner
 Group on May 3, 2006, brings an unrivaled resume to Washington. Best known
 as serving as the President of three major sports franchises simultaneously
 -- Major League Baseball's Atlanta Braves, the National Basketball
 Association's Atlanta Hawks, and the National Hockey League's Atlanta
 Thrashers -- Kasten also served as Turner Broadcasting System's Vice
 President of Sports Teams and as Chairman of Philips Arena. Kasten has also
 served on various Major League Baseball, NBA and NHL committees, including
 a stint as Chairman of the Player Personal Development Committee. He has
 also served MLB on committees dealing with labor, realignment and
 expansion.
     Perhaps most pertinent to Nationals fans, Kasten's leadership spawned
 the most unique sports dynasty in all of sports. Under Kasten's watch, the
 Braves established themselves as baseball's premier player development
 machine. The results continue to this day, as Atlanta has captured 14
 consecutive National League Division titles, which in turn led to five NL
 pennants. Kasten earned a World Series ring in 1995, as Atlanta defeated
 Cleveland in a six-game Fall Classic.
     Mr. Kasten carries an expansive working knowledge of sports facilities
 and their construction, as he spearheaded the conversion of Olympic Stadium
 to Turner Field, which serves as the home of the Braves to this day. He
 also oversaw the design of Philips Arena, the current home of Atlanta's
 Hawks and Thrashers. Kasten brings a promising future to the Washington
 Nationals, and Washington, D.C.
     NATB's 2007 Convention and Trade Show focuses on "The Industry's
 Future" and features seminars and workshops on managing a secondary market
 ticket broker business and excelling in a changing industry, technology's
 impact on the relationship between primary and secondary market ticket
 brokers, combating negative state legislation impacting your business, and
 working with the media to improve the industry and your business. Social
 events during the Convention and Trade Show include: open bar throughout
 the trade show, breakfast and lunch on Friday and Saturday, and exclusive
 cocktail parties to meet industry professionals.
     Planning for the NATB convention and trade show, including additional
 guest speakers and social events, is ongoing. Any questions regarding the
 NATB trade show should be directed to NATB's offices at (630) 510-4594 or
 by visiting the NATB Web site at http://www.natb.org, which will include
 regular updates.
     Register for the industry's largest and longest-running trade show
 focused on the secondary market by reserving your spot via NATB's secure,
 online transaction form at: https://www.b-online.com/secure/natb/.
     The NATB will host its annual trade show at the Wynn Las Vegas. The
 room rate for the Wynn single/double is $249.00 for NATB Attendees. For
 reservations please call 1-866-770-7555. Don't wait until the last minute
 when no rooms are available at our price. Mention NATB when making
 reservations to receive our special rate.
     The National Association of Ticket Brokers (NATB) was formed in 1994 by
 a group of leading ticket brokers, involved in the sale of sports, concerts
 and theater admission tickets, for the purpose of establishing an
 industry-wide standard of conduct and to create ethical rules and
 procedures to educate the public concerning ticket-brokering services and
 to serve the primary goal of the NATB, promoting consumer protection. All
 members of the NATB are dedicated to the principle of assuring the public
 that dealings with NATB members are conducted with integrity, reliability
 and convenience. Towards this end, the NATB has created procedures that
 permit the public to report improper and unethical conduct by ticket
 brokers, and to disseminate consumer protection warnings and guidelines.
 Through self-governance, the NATB has provided many enhanced protections
 for ticket-buying consumers. The NATB has worked with law enforcement
 agencies across the country, state and federal legislators and the NFL and
 other professional sports leagues and teams, to accomplish these goals, and
 has been vital in the NFL's fight against counterfeit and stolen tickets.
 More information about the NATB is available at http://www.natb.org.
 
 

SOURCE National Association of Ticket Brokers