Atlanta, GA – August 9, 2017 – MELT, (www.meltatl.com), the award-winning sports, entertainment and culinary marketing agency, announced today that Founder Vince Thompson (Auburn, ’84) will address The Auburn University Raymond J. Harbert College of Business Atlanta Young Alumni Group next Thursday, August 16th. The Q3 Happy Hour and Speaker Series will last from 6:30 – 8:30 pm., at The Sky Lounge (top of the Glenn Hotel) on 110 Marietta St. The Atlanta Young Alumni Group hosts quarterly speakers from the wide variety of business and professional backgrounds in The Auburn Alumni Family.

Thompson’s story will focus on his professional journey which started when he entered Auburn University in the Fall of 1980 from Chatom, Alabama to pursue a degree in sports journalism and communications. A chance encounter with then Sports Information Director David Housel started his career path and journey to founding MELT, now one of the country’s largest independent sports marketing firms. In 2017 and 2015 MELT was awarded Marketing Agency of The Year by The American Business Awards and has captured numerous other business awards including The EX Awards, Adweek Buzz Marketer of The Year and Biz Bash Top 50 Event Producers in the Country. MELT has one of the country’s longest running agency partnerships with The Coca-Cola Company, 17 years, including the activation of 15 straight Final 4s, the 5th season of the activation of ESPN College Game Day and this year’s Inaugural Taste of The Tournament in conjunction with The NCAA Men’s Final 4. MELT also works with major corporations such as Caterpillar, Core Power, Gildan, IHG, Kia, Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen and many others.

Thompson spent 1981 through 1984 working as a Sports Information student assistant in The Auburn Athletic Department where he learned from one of the greats, Housel, Coach Pat Dye’s inaugural season and during the careers of Auburn greats such as Bo Jackson, Charles Barkley, Frank Thomas and many others. While at Auburn University, Thompson was a sports editor for The Auburn Plainsman and was a member of The Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity – all introductions from Housel. It was these experiences, which led Thompson to develop a career path in the business of sports.

Through these experiences, Thompson also founded MELT University, the widely-acclaimed summer intern program that this summer hosted 37 students from 25 universities. Talent included Tristan Watson (Auburn ’18) who was an intern coordinator and Ellis Baxter (Auburn ’17) who will start full-time for MELT in the near future.

“I love to share my story of how The Auburn Family and my Auburn Experience molded and shaped my values and my career,” said Thompson. “I also love to try and help as many young and rising professionals as I can, which through my Auburn experience, certainly helped mine. I’ll be forever grateful for that.”

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