2005
Sylvia Allen made her entrance into the special events industry more than 26 years ago, as the founder and President of what is today one of the country's top marketing organizations in the field of sports and special events - New Jersey based Allen Consulting.
Allen Consulting is a sponsorship and marketing organization based in Holmdel, New Jersey, that provides public relations, event marketing/management services, and sponsorship sales for a variety of community-based clients. Prior to that, Allen held communications positions with Fortune 500 companies, including McGraw-Hill and AT&T. Allen has written and delivered over 500 seminars on marketing and sponsorship throughout the world, including The Asia Forum in Singapore and the Women's Forum in Okinawa, Japan, as well as countless seminars in the United States and Canada. Her presentation skills and knowledge base have made her a regular favorite at IFEA conventions and seminars. Beyond speaking, Allen is an accomplished author and contributing writer of several published industry works including "How To Be Successful at Sponsorship Sales" and, her most recent, "A How To Guide To Sales Success - For Women Only." She has published hundreds of articles on sponsorship and marketing for major publications such as MAIN STREET NEWS, RADIO AND RECORDS, RADIO INK and SPORTS TRAVEL as well as for IFEA.
In addition to her work at Allen Consulting, Sylvia also enjoys the role of teacher, and is in her 20th year as an Adjunct Associate Professor of Marketing and Program Advisor for New York University's Management Institute. In 2006, she will also be launching a Sports, Entertainment and Events Marketing Program at Rutgers University.
Allen has held a variety of board positions both locally and nationally and is a proud co-founder of Women in Sports and Events (WISE). In 2003, after visiting Africa, she formed her own non-profit (501C3) organization called Sylvia's Children to help impoverished children in Uganda, Africa. She currently sits on the IFEA President's Council and is a member of the IFEA Foundation Leadership Alliance.
Sylvia is married, has two beautiful children - Michele and Tony Costa - lives in a house built in 1760, and drives a red convertible.