The San Jose Sharks professional hockey franchise represents the San Francisco Bay Area in the National Hockey League, having joined as an expansion team in 1991. Despite some success in reaching the playoffs the past several years, fans are still waiting for an appearance in the Stanley Cup finals. The team plays host at HP Pavilion, affectionately known as "The Shark Tank." George and Gordon Gund, former owners of the Cleveland Cavaliers, were originally awarded the NHL franchise; Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment, an investment group led by veteran sports executive Greg Jamison, has owned the team since 2002.

TCA Holdings includes subsidiaries such as the Tennis Corporation of America (develops and licenses tennis products and programs), Midtown Athletic Clubs (manages about a dozen sports and fitness clubs), Proactive Partners (manages corporate centers and wellness programs for such companies as McDonald's and General Motors), and Columbia Equities (a real estate and health club investment company). The family-owned company was established by chairman Alan Schwartz and his father Kevie when they opened the Mid-Town Tennis Club in Chicago in 1969.

South by Southwest (SXSW, Inc.) is a private company based in Austin, Texas, with a year-round staff of professionals dedicated to building and delivering conference and festival events for entertainment and related media industry professionals. Since 1987, SXSW has produced the internationally recognized Music and Media Conference & Festival. In 1994 as the entertainment business adjusted to issues of future growth and development, SXSW added conferences and festivals for the film industry (SXSW Film) as well as for the blossoming interactive media (SXSW Interactive Festival). Now three industry events converge in Austin during a Texas-sized week, mirroring the ever increasing convergence of entertainment/media outlets.

A veritable sports and entertainment empire is run out of this Palace. Palace Sports & Entertainment is a holding company controlled by Karen Davidson, widow of the late billionaire William Davidson, through which the family owns The Palace of Auburn Hills. The sports and entertainment arena serves as home of the Detroit Pistons professional basketball team (which is also controlled by Davidson), and it hosts a number of music and entertainment events throughout the year. Other holdings include Michigan's DTE Energy Music Theatre and the Meadow Brook Music Festival.

The Seminole Tribe of Florida owns Hard Rock Cafe International, which includes a network of more than 120 Hard Rock Cafes in some 45 countries. In addition to the Hard Rock restaurants, the Seminole Tribe owns two Seminole Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos (in Tampa and Hollywood, Florida), as well as five more non-Hard Rock casinos, also in Florida. The Seminole Tribe also operates a cultural and historical museum adjacent to its gaming facilities in Hollywood, as well as various educational programs at six reservations throughout Florida (Big Cypress, Brighton, Ft. Pierce, Hollywood, Immokalee, and Tampa).

Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority engages in the ownership, operation, and development of gaming facilities in the United States. As of September 30, 2009, it operated a gaming and entertainment complex, Casino of the Earth with approximately 3,700 slot machines and 190 table games, including blackjack, roulette, craps, and baccarat; food and beverage amenities comprising a full-service restaurant and bar, and 3 full-service themed fine dining restaurants; a 410-seat lounge; a simulcasting race book facility; 4 retail shops; and an Asian-themed gaming area offering 46 table games. The company also operates the Casino of the Sky with approximately 2,300 slot machines and 110 table games; food and beverage amenities, including 5 full-service restaurants, 3 quick-service restaurants, a coffee shop, a 330-seat buffet, and 5 lounges and bars; Mohegan After Dark consisting a nightclub, a lounge, and a pub; the Mohegan Sun Arena; 32 retail shops; a 1,200-room Sky Hotel Tower; a spa; convention space; and a child care facility and an arcade style entertainment area. In addition, Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority engages in the operation of Casino of the Wind with 700 slot machines, 30 table games, and a 42-table themed poker room; and dining and retail amenities.

The Pasta House operates and franchises more than 20 full-service Italian restaurants mostly in the St. Louis area. The casual-dining spots offer a variety of pasta dishes, as well as sandwiches, salads, and appetizers, as well as specialty entrees and low fat items. In addition to its full-service dining locations, The Pasta House offers catering services and it operates a small number of Pasta House Pronto quick-service units that offer take-out meals. The regional restaurant chain was founded in 1974 by company president Kim Tucci, VP Joe Fresta, and John Ferrara.

Lakes Entertainment, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, develops, finances, and manages Indian-owned casino properties. As of December 31, 2009, Lakes Entertainment Inc. held development and management or financing agreements with four separate tribes for casino operations in Michigan, California, and Oklahoma for a total of five separate casino projects. Lakes Entertainment Inc. also develops non-Indian casino projects in Mississippi, Kansas, and Ohio. In addition, it develops, buys, patents, and licenses rights for new table game concepts to market/distribute and license to casinos.

Intrawest doesn't mind peaks and valleys in its business, as long as they're covered with snow. Intrawest ULC company owns or has interests in about 10 ski resorts in North America, including a 77% stake in flagship Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia (a 2010 Winter Olympics venue). Intrawest also owns the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort in Florida and Canadian Mountain Holidays, a provider of helicopter access to ski and hiking trails. Intrawest was taken private by private equity firm Fortress Investment Group in 2006 in a deal worth about $2.8 billion, including the assumption of more than $990 million in debt.

Panera Bread Company, together with its subsidiaries, owns, operates, and franchises retail bakery-cafes in the United States. Its retail products include baked goods, soups, salads, custom roasted coffees, cafe beverages, and other complementary products. Panera Bread Co. also supplies dough items to company-owned and franchise-operated bakery-cafes. As of December 29, 2009, it operated 585 company-owned and 795 franchise-operated bakery-cafes under the Panera Bread, Saint Louis Bread Co., and Paradise Bakery & Cafe names.

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