Named a 2023 “Biz Bash Sports Power Player”, 2023 Chief Marketer Pro Awards winner, 2023 SBJ 2023 “Power Player in College Sports 2023 and 2022 Silver Ex Award winner, 2022 NACDA/NACMA Gold Medalist, Atlanta Magazine 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019 and 2018 “Atlanta 500 Power Players”, 2020 Atlanta Business Chronicle “Georgia 30 Most Influential People in Sports Business”, Chief Marketer Magazine’s 2020 “Top 200 Agencies”, Sports Business Journal’s 2019 “Power Players”, Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 2018 “Most Admired CEOs” and Biz Bash’s “Top 500 Event Producers”, Vince Thompson is a brand builder/sports marketer.

In 2000, Thompson founded and built MELT into one the largest independent sports, entertainment, culinary, music, sponsorship and event/experiential marketing agencies. This includes MELT’s 22-year representation of Coca-Cola activating 18 NCAA Final 4s, 8 seasons of ESPN College GameDay, FIFA, MLB, MLS, Nascar, NBA, NFL, NHRA, PGA and Olympics. He authored AFLAC’s college football strategy starring Coaches Saban and Sanders. He also assisted The City of Mobile in securing OVG and Live Nation as management/booking partners for their new 300mm arena. He also re-opened the iconic War Eagle Supper Club in 2024 at The Graduate Hotel Auburn.

Thompson, a 1984 graduate of Auburn University, was a Student Assistant in the Sports Information Department and a Sports Editor for The Auburn Plainsman. This led to the formation of MELTU, an award-winning intern program for college students spawning hundred of careers. He lectures at universities, is featured in national publications, sits on advisory boards of Samford and UGA and published his book, “Build Brand YoU” in 2021. He co-founded SANIL, a pioneering NIL agency and in 2022 produced the first NIL student-athlete summit in history. He developed the “Jboy Show” sports podcast which led to its acquisition by Ben Shapiro’s The Daily Wire.

Awards include 2019 CCA Award, 2019 Summit Award, 2019 ABA Company of Year, 2018 Shorty, 2018 Drum Marketing USA, 2018 Interactive Marketing, 2018 Event Marketer’s 100 “IT” List, 2018 American Business, 2018 Shopper Marketing Effie, 2018 PR News Social Media, 2018 Cynopsis Sports Media, 2018 Cynopsis Social Good, 2017 Event Marketer, 2017 and 2015 ABA Agency of The Year, 2015 Cynopsis Social Good, 2014 Cynopsis Brand Marketer, Event Marketer EX Award, Biz Bash Top 50 Event Producer and Adweek Buzz Award.

For community service, Thompson has received the 2015 ADA Father of The Year Award, 2015 Wellspring HOPE Award and Showcase Group’s 2014 Rise Award.