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Gene Hallman

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Gene Hallman Jr. (born December 22, 1959) is an American sports marketing and event management entrepreneur based in Birmingham, Alabama and named "one of Alabama's most influential sports businesspeople".[1] Hallman co-founded Bruno Event Team in 1996, growing the company to provide sporting event management services to a wide variety of sports in more than 30 states, Canada, and Bermuda.[2]

The company was renamed Eventive Sports in March 2023.[3][4] Eventive Sports was acquired by Troon, the world’s largest golf-related hospitality service company, in January 2024.[5] Hallman serves as the President of Eventive Sports, which has more than 80 employees in the United States and Bermuda.

In 2022, Hallman was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame as a Distinguished American Sportsman[6] and the Birmingham Golf Hall of Fame in 2012.[7] He was named the 2017 Birmingham Business Journal CEO of the Year,[8] the 1995 Birmingham Person of the Year,[9] the 1996 Birmingham Man of the Year,[10] the 1996 Alabama Marketer of the Year by the American Marketing Association, and the 2003 Citizen of the Year by the March of Dimes.

Early life and education

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Hallman was born circa 1960[11] in Anderson, South Carolina. His family moved to Irmo, South Carolina when he was a child. Hallman graduated from Irmo High School.[12] Hallman received his bachelor's degree in economics from the College of Charleston in 1982, then completed his MBA from the University of South Carolina in 1985.[13]

Career  

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Initially, Hallman worked for NCR Corporation.[14][15] In 1990, he decided to pursue a career in sports after reading an article about sports entrepreneur Mark McCormack[16] in Sports Illustrated.[17] Hallman quit his job[14] and started working as a self-employed agent for golfers, such as the PGA Tour's Corey Pavin.[16] He moved to Birmingham, Alabama, in November 1991 to serve as a director for a new tournament on the Senior PGA tour.[16][18] That particular tournament "gained a reputation among both golfers and spectators as a well-run tournament..."[16]

In 1995, when the Bruno's grocery chain was sold, former Bruno's CEO Ronald Bruno and Hallman co-founded the firm Bruno Event Team together.[16] Over time, the business expanded to other sports, in addition to golf.[19] It was largely a local business in Birmingham, until it started expanding in the early 2000s with events for the U.S. Women's Open.[19] Bruno also organized the soccer matches at Legion Field for the 1996 Summer Olympics.[20][16]

The Bruno Event Team became one of the largest sporting events management firms.[14][21] Bruno sold his interest in the company in 2022, when he retired.[16] The company was renamed to Eventive Sports, then was acquired by a company called Troon in 2024.[22] In 2022, Hallman was awarded the Distinguished American Sportsman Award by the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.[16][21]

References

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  1. ^ Scarbinsky, Kevin (August 2, 2017). ""Ranking the Top 25 Most Influential People in Alabama Sports."". AL.com.
  2. ^ "Ala. sports marketing company carves niche in golf". ESPN.com. 2010-07-06. Retrieved 2024-02-07.
  3. ^ "Bruno Event Team Announces Rebrand to Eventive Sports". AP News. 2023-03-14. Retrieved 2024-02-07.
  4. ^ "Bruno Event Team Announces Rebrand to Eventive Sports". Yahoo Finance. 2023-03-14. Retrieved 2024-02-07.
  5. ^ Heim, Mark (2024-01-04). "Troon acquires Birmingham's Eventive Sports, which will continue to manage events". al. Retrieved 2024-02-07.
  6. ^ Heim, Mark (December 10, 2021). "Alabama Sports Hall of Fame to recognize Gene Hallman". AL.com.
  7. ^ Thompson, Ian (March 29, 2012). "Mary Isbell, Gene Hallman join Birmingham Golf Association Hall of Fame". The Birmingham News.
  8. ^ Rebman, Stephanie (December 8, 2017). "Winners unveiled in BBJ's 2017 CEO Awards". Birmingham Business Journal.
  9. ^ "Birminghamians of the Year". Birmingham Magazine. 1995.
  10. ^ Hubbard, Russell (January 1997). "Olympic promoters Lemak, Hallman share 1996 "Man of the Year" honor".
  11. ^ Grant, Rubin (March 22, 2022). "The Sporting Life: Hallman's Career Path Lands Him in the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame". Over the Mountain Journal.
  12. ^ "Story of Success". Anderson Independent Mail. May 29, 2005. p. Section C.
  13. ^ Grant, Rubin E. (March 22, 2022). "The Sporting Life: Hallman's Career Path Lands Him in the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame". Over The Mountain Journal.
  14. ^ a b c Grant, Rubin (March 22, 2022). "The Sporting Life: Hallman's Career Path Lands Him in the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame". Over the Mountain Journal.
  15. ^ "Story of Success". Anderson Independent Mail. May 29, 2005. p. Section C.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g h Estes, Cary (April 29, 2022). "Gene Hallman: Impacting Alabama's sports scene for 30 years". Business Alabama Magazine. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
  17. ^ Patterson, Nick (April 29, 2022). "A lifetime in sports: Gene Hallman: From Regions Tradition to World Games to USFL, it's all about community". HooverSun.com. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
  18. ^ Villanueva, Andre (July 10, 2022). "Bruno Event Team: The Secret Behind The World Games". Doing More Today. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
  19. ^ a b Estes, Cary (December 2008). "Managing the Details". Birmingham.
  20. ^ McGowin, Warner (April 2004). "Birmingham's Sports Ambassador". SouthernLiving. pp. 12–15.
  21. ^ a b Heim, Mark (December 10, 2021). "Alabama Sports Hall of Fame to recognize Gene Hallman". al. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
  22. ^ "Eventive Sports acquired by Arizona company". Business Alabama Magazine. January 5, 2024. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
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