FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – A team of faculty and staff from the University of Arkansas Bands Program will present at the 2016 College Band Directors National Association Athletic Band Symposium on Thursday, June 2, at the University of Minnesota.  

Entitled "Tell Your Story: Marketing Communications for Athletic Bands," the presentation will be given by Benjamin Lorenzo, associate director of bands, Jamal Duncan, assistant director of bands, and Robert Hopper, associate director of operations.

"Athletic bands are perfectly positioned at the crossroads of academia, the performing arts, and sports entertainment," said Lorenzo. "Leveraging the strengths of these fields in the areas of marketing and communications can allow a program to effectively reach prospective students, current members, alumni, and friends."

Utilizing the University of Arkansas Bands as a model, the session will present technology and implementation strategies for promoting the university athletic band program.

"The benefits of a fully developed marketing and communications plan are not limited to the areas of outreach" said Duncan. "The operations can be integrated into student leadership responsibilities, creating more opportunities for students to develop ownership in the program and gain experience in content creation and arts marketing."

About the University of Arkansas Bands: The University of Arkansas Bands Program, inside the Department of Music in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, began in 1874 and is one of the oldest band programs in the country. The program has six ensembles including the Razorback Marching Band, Hogwild Band, and four concert bands with over 400 student members representing every college at the university.