Did You Know? Dates, dates and more dates. Between scheduling conflicts, cultural celebrations, and public holidays — planning dates can be tricky for event professionals. Event professionals need to know not only national holidays but cultural ones too. There is also National Awareness Events and major Festivals and Events to take into account when organising an event. This website shows all these major dates.

 

Sporting events play a huge part in generating income. They not only make money for the sports organization, but also for local restaurants, hotels, taverns, and airports near the event. Attending a successful event can be extremely fun. There’s plenty of hard work behind the scenes that must be done first. That’s where a sports event planner comes into the picture. A sports event planner has the hefty task of planning every detail that goes into preparing the team and facility for game day or for sports tournaments. From Women's World Cup (2023) to professional tennis matches such as the Australian Open to the Brisbane Olympics (2032), sports event planners/coordinators work at every level to prepare for these exciting events that can range as far as international audiences. Sports event planners/coordinators have the mission of making sure the sports event goes off on the big day without a hitch to keep spectators and television audiences engaged by working closely will all involved.

(Source: Sports Management Degree Guide)

ANZSCO ID: 1493
   
Alternative names: Sports Event Coordinator, Sporting Event Planner, 
   
Knowledge, skills and attributes

In order to be successful as a sports event planner, you must possess superior interpersonal skills for constantly communicating preparation instructions and motivating workers to stick to a tight schedule. Sports events are complex with many moving parts that can malfunction at any given time, so organizational skills are essential.

Event planners must have solid critical thinking and problem-solving skills to devise creative solutions whenever emergency strikes. Being detail-oriented, a team player, and equipped with leadership traits is important. Sports event coordinators should have stellar negotiation skills for settling on beneficial contractors and getting the best prices for clients. In the fast-paced environment of sports business, sports event planners must also have composure to stay calm when under pressure.

(Source: VSSports Network)

Duties and Tasks

Sports event planners must plan carefully to keep venues operating efficiently and minimize wasted expenses.

• overseeing event set-up and cleanup activities to ensure they're prepared for events
• creating schedules for volunteers like ticket inspectors, ushers, concession staff and other roles
• preparing lodging for the team
• purchasing transportation
• distributing team news to the media
• creating emergency contingency plans
• maintaining social media platforms
• maintaining the security of spectators and players
• inspecting the facility(ies)
• engaging fans
• marketing ticket sales
• setting concession items
• delegating preparation tasks to other workers
• coordinating media coverage
• planning for potential emergencies with security staff and other personnel so they can react quickly to incidents like medical emergencies, extreme weather or fires.

 

Working conditions

As with any other career, working as a sports event administrator comes with its fair share of rewards and challenges that must be weighed. Firstly, individuals who have a passion for sports without great athletic ability can develop a career in sports event management to get right in on the action. Being a sports event planner is a great fit for the extroverted because the job requires interacting with others nearly 100 percent of the time. It’s also possible for event planners to start their own consulting business for the highest level of flexibility. On the flip side, a sports event manager deals with the stress of playing a big role in whether a sports event sinks or swims. Sports events typically are during irregular evening and weekend hours, which means this isn’t a traditional 9-to-5 job. Sporting event coordinators have a low starting salary while working long hours and facing tight deadlines.

    
Education and training/entrance requirements

Many aspiring sports planners major in sports management or athletic administration to focus their skill sets in the spectator sports industry. However, event coordinators can create a successful niche in sports with a degree in marketing, public relations, communications, business administration, and more. Take courses related to sports promotion, sports operations, facility management, business law, and sports leadership for best career preparation though. Earning a master’s degree in sports management or a related field can also help develop a thriving independent consulting business.
      


Employment Opportunities

A sports event coordinator manages every little piece of the puzzle that goes into preparing a facility for big games, matches, or sports tournaments.

A sports event manager, or sporting event manager, is an event planning professional who specializes in planning and hosting athletic events like tournaments, sports games, team dinners, award ceremonies and other activities relating to sports. Depending on their expertise, some sports event managers may work for major sports leagues, sports complexes or educational institutions.
  
Sport event management professionals plan competitions that are both spectacular and safe for everyone participating or watching. Managers are essential to today’s mega-events, which involve big-budget production, massive audiences, global broadcasting, and enormous local impact. However, professional guidance can be a worthwhile investment for smaller-scale competitions as well. A local 5k race is very different from a world-class marathon, but it still takes careful planning and specialized resources to ensure operations go off without a hitch.

(Source: Training.com.au)

ANZSCO ID: 1493
    
Alternative names: Sporting Event Manager, Sport Event Manager,
    
Specialisations: Specialists in the field may find jobs working for organizing committees, national governing bodies, and sport commissions.
    
Knowledge, skills and attributes
   
Sports event managers need to have a combination of soft skills and technical skills that allow them to oversee the planning process and completion of sporting events. Here are examples of skills that can help sports event managers complete their job duties effectively:

• Sports knowledge: Sports event managers can benefit from have a good understanding of the sport or sports they plan events for. This is helpful, as they may need to coordinate referees and maintenance activities for specific sporting events. For example, a sports event manager uses their knowledge of AFL to hire the right number of referees.
• Interpersonal communication: Sports event managers can also benefit from being able to adjust their communication strategies to aide the understanding of the person they're speaking with. This is especially important, as sports event managers communicate with people who have different professional backgrounds and personalities on a daily basis.
• Enthusiasm: When a sports event manager demonstrates enthusiasm for their job and event planning activities, they encourage others around them to take on the same mindset. This can influence the event teams' attitude and their ability to face each challenge with optimistic.
• Budgeting: In a sports event management position, individuals receive budgets from upper management that they can use in the planning, marketing and completion of sporting events. A sports event manager's ability to delegate budgeting expenses and spread their budget across event activities ensures they produce quality events.
• Adaptability: Being able to adapt to changes is an important skill in sports event management because changes in weather, staffing, vendor availability and budgeting can all have an effect on sporting events. Because of this, sports event managers should be able to adapt quickly to change to ensure they still host a quality sporting event.
• Networking: Sports event managers need to be able to network with sports teams, venue locations, event supply vendors, volunteers and freelance professionals to support their work activities. By establishing good partnerships, sports event managers can create a list of contacts to enlist for upcoming events.

(Source: Executive Events Blog)

Duties and Tasks
   
A sports event manager works under the pressure and responsibility of arranging every detail involved in preparing for an event. A sports event manager coordinates with teams of varying sizes to guarantee that every aspect of the sports event is under control and everyone involved is on the same page.

There are a wide range of managerial challenges that can affect the success of a sport event, and each comes with its own demands. The sport event manager may have responsibilities that cross every facet of putting on a great show, ranging from managing relationships with sport national governing bodies to deliver on their expectations to collaborating with PR professionals or ensuring that amenities like WiFi are ready for an influx of excited sport fans.

Some other common tasks for professionals in this field include:

• Bidding for sport events
• Hiring and training event staff including security details, broadcasters, referees and event volunteers
• Negotiating price points with event contractors, venues or sporting arenas
• Scheduling sporting events like tournaments, games or team dinners to ensure availability for proper venue spaces
• Collaborating with team coaches and parents at the recreational level to put together award ceremonies or team dinners that fit their budget
• Coordinating with sports marketing professionals to develop flyers, print or digital advertisements and purchasing channels for event-goers to buy tickets
• Working with key sport event stakeholders to define project timelines
• Providing hospitality to sponsors and other “clients” of the sport event
• Communicating with broadcasters and members of the press
• Recruiting and managing volunteers
• Identifying an appropriate venue and collaborating with staff on preparations
• Arranging for lodging and transportation to the event location for participants
• Implementing security measures for athletes and spectators
• Making parking available for attendees
• Coordinating with leaders in the local community
• Negotiating agreements with vendors and sponsors
• Determining how to respond to inclement weather or emergencies

Did You Know? Is a sports event manager different from a sports event coordinator? The positions of event manager and event coordinator are two distinct but closely related roles. A manager is tasked with big picture considerations like designing a schedule, securing a venue, and meeting community needs. A coordinator’s work focuses on a narrower set of issues like supervising logistics and conducting vendor relationships. All these aspects might be handled by a single manager for a smaller event or delegated to multiple coordinators under a manager’s supervision for a larger undertaking.

(Source: University of Kansas)

Education and training/entrance requirements
    
Review these steps to help you determine the education and experiences you need to become a sports event manager:

1. Earn a bachelor's degree
For those looking to pursue a sports event manager job, they should first attend a four-year bachelor's degree program at a university. Good majors for sports event managers include sports management, event planning or event management, sports administration or hospitality and event management. Sports event management education requirements could also marketing, communications, business administration, or public relations. However, specialized graduate education can offer deeper insights into the nuances of sport events and prepare students to accomplish their long-term objectives.
  
2. Complete an internship
During the completion of a bachelor's degree program, students can benefit from completing an internship related to sports event management or event planning. Besides internship experience, students can also benefit from working at sports venues and volunteering at sporting events.

3. Think about one or more areas in which you want to specialize
Some sports event managers work for sports complexes where a variety of sporting events can take place. However, there are opportunities for you to work specifically with a football, soccer, basketball, cricket or netball venue. Therefore, it's important to think about whether you want to specialize in event planning for one sport that you're passionate about.

4. Pursue entry level roles in sports event management
Good entry level roles including working as a sports event assistant, coordinator or planner. These roles can help prepare you to take on a leadership role as a sports event manager and can help you learn more about what it takes to plan and oversee sporting events.

5. Apply for sports event manager roles
After completing a few years in a related role, you can use your experience to market yourself for sports event manager potions. Use your resume and cover letter to highlight the skills and qualifications you've earned that make you a valuable candidate.

(Source: Torrens University)

Employment Opportunities

Before you can leap into a dynamic sports event management career, you’ll likely need to have further education of at least a bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year higher learning institution. Students who are earning their degree in this career path should get started building their resume with valuable experiences in sports event management right away. Taking on internships, part-time work, and even volunteer learning with their school’s athletic team will be beneficial. Having a degree doesn’t guarantee a job, so aspiring sporting event coordinators need to receive hands-on practical experience in arranging events. Going the extra mile to ask professors about seminars related to event management and network with other event planners will pay off. You can even attend the International Sports Event Management Conference to form a professional network in the industry.
   
Overall, sports event management is a unique niche that blends the excitement of sports with the hard work of business and the strategic sports event planning process for a successful event.

How to Become a Sporting Event Manager // A Life That Travels Interview with Sally Hill
https://youtu.be/FgoPo4T27QY

 

 

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Materials sourced from
MyFuture
CareerHQ [Conference & Event Organiser; ]
Sports Management Degree Guide [Sports Event Planner; ]
Indeed [Sports Event Manager; ]
UF [What is a Sport Event Manager; ]
Your Career [Conference & Event Organiser; ]