FAST COMPANY: This is Where top NFL Rookies go on their First Business Trip

This past weekend, 40 of the most popular, talented and sought-after NFL rookies gathered at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, CA for a four-day crash course on the business of football, the role of the NFLPA union, and meetings with major brands like Nike, Gatorade, Fanatics, New Era, EA Sports, and more. The NFLPA’s Rookie Premiere event is a sports marketing mash-up of tradeshow-meets-job fair-meets-speed dating, and for many of 2018’s incoming class of pro football rookies, it’s their first chance to explore the brand opportunities beyond the gridiron. Or, asAhmad Nassar, president of the NFLPA’s licensing and marketing arm NFL Players Inc., puts it, “This is their first business trip.”