Wisconsin Center District Creates Vice President of Corporate Partnerships Position, Hires Sports Marketing Veteran Steve Harms to Fill Role

Steve Harms. Photo courtesy of the Wisconsin Center District.

MILWAUKEE – (Aug. 20, 2021) – The Wisconsin Center District (WCD) announced the hiring of sports marketing veteran Steve Harms for the newly created role of Vice President of Corporate Partnerships. Harms will join the WCD team effective Monday, Aug. 23. In this new role, Harms will develop sponsorship programs which drive new business revenue, including working alongside Legends, the global agency charged with securing a naming-rights partner for the Wisconsin Center.

Harms brings his expertise in sponsorship sales, operations, business development, media sales, partnership strategy, and revenue generation to this new position. Most recently, he served as the Director of Client Partnerships for streaming platform Audacy where he spearheaded partnership conversations and negotiations with major brands, such as Chevrolet, Fifth Third Bank, and Meijer. Additionally, Harms has extensive experience working with NBA teams, including the Milwaukee Bucks, NFL teams, such as the Detroit Lions, as well as MLB and NHL teams in Detroit, in leadership sales, sponsorship and marketing capacities.

“Steve Harms comes to the WCD with extensive and diverse industry experience. After an exhaustive search for the ideal candidate, I’m confident Steve will develop a strong pipeline of qualified partnership prospects for our venues,” said Marty Brooks, President and CEO of the WCD. “This is a pivotal time for our organization and our industry, and Steve will play a key role creating new revenue-generating opportunities that will propel us into the future as we build more for Milwaukee.”

One of Harms’ first tasks in this new role will be to work alongside global sales and partnerships company, Legends, to identify and secure a naming-rights partner for the $420 million dollar Wisconsin Center expansion. Legends is a premium experiences company that specializes in delivering holistic solutions for sports and entertainment organizations and venues. They currently partner with venues including AT&T Stadium, SoFi Stadium and Allegiant Stadium and work with well-known brands such as Uber, IBM and Deloitte to deliver creative, custom solutions that drive results. Once a naming rights partner is secured, Harms will oversee integration and implementation of partner(s)’ sponsorship package.

For more information and to stay up to date on the expansion of the Wisconsin Center, visit buildingmore.com. To learn more about the WCD, visit wcd.org.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.