Pigskin Planner

Even before the first snap of the Chick-fil-A Bowl on Dec. 31, 2010, Derek Martin (M.S. '95) will be looking ahead to the 2011 college football season.

That's because Martin, senior vice president of events for the Chick-fil-A Bowl, will be well into planning the hoopla surrounding next year's Chick-fil-A games.

"People ask, 'Is that a full time job?' or 'What do you do the rest of the year,'" he joked. "It's full-time, and we start planning for next year while this year's event is taking place."

Next fall, the first time, the Chick-fil-A Kickoff will open the season with a doubleheader, which means Martin has to pull double duty.

This year's Chick-fil-A Bowl marks Martin's 12th time organizing the more than 30 events surrounding the annual postseason game. "We work year 'round on planning so everyone involved leaves with a great impression and, hopefully, the best experience they have had at a game," he said.

After earning his master's degree in sports management, Martin interned with the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs. He later joined the Georgia World Congress Center as an event coordinator for the 1996 Olympics.

"The advice everyone gives is do something you love," Martin said. "Sports, and specifically the business side of sports, greatly interest me. And Atlanta makes the perfect destination for the bowl, the Kickoff game and all the events that surround them because of its location, facilities, hotels and attractions."