Alumni Interview - Meet this week our AMOS alumni Arnaud Sivignon, who graduated from an International masters in 2018
Currently Commercial Coordinator and TV Broadcast at the International Tennis Federation, Arnaud is also a lecturer in sports broadcasting for the Global Sport Business second-year master students at AMOS London. From his student journey to the ITF tennis courts, Arnaud talks to us about his early career, and what it takes to be effective in sponsorship sales, here is an insight into his role and more!
Likewise, it’s always a pleasure to connect with AMOS! Sure! After high school, I did a bachelor’s degree in business development at ESCEM in Orleans, France. During this programme, I had the option to get some experience abroad which I did. First, I went to Barcelona, Spain, for an internship of 4 months to increase my Spanish level. Then, I decided to do an Erasmus exchange between my second and third year which took me to Budapest, Hungary, for a year. These two experiences have proven to be great on many angles; it helped me obtain great language skills in English and Spanish, but it also helped me to become more autonomous and mature, living on my own in different countries and cultures. After graduating from my bachelor’s degree, I decided to join AMOS to specialise in the Sports industry. I did my 1st year of Masters in Bordeaux and decided to move to London for the 2nd year. It was an obvious decision to me given the fact that London is the capital of sports in Europe with so many events taking place there and institutions having their headquarters based there. It was also the opportunity to keep pushing on the international angle, improve my English and create a good network for myself.
The Sports industry is unique! First, it is an attracting industry to work especially when you are so passionate about sports. However, it is quite a small industry, and the competition is huge. You must fight hard to get where you want to get because there will always be more applicants than opportunities. Sport is all about competition and that is what it takes to achieve goals, you must do the extra mile, prove that you are worth it, and above all that you have that added value the others do not have.
Following your end-of-studies internship at the International Tennis Federation in London, you landed with your first job there. You have been working there for three years now; can you tell us a bit more about it?
I went through different stages within my time at the ITF. Like you are saying, I started as an intern thanks to the ITF great networking job. The ITF was looking for an intern in their Commercial department who could speak English, French and Spanish. They offered me an internship, two temporary contracts back-to-back, and finally a full-time contract. It has been a very rewarding three years’ experience. My title today is Commercial Coordinator and I oversee the Sponsorship Sales around different properties across the business, but mainly the Billie Jean King Cup (formerly called Fed Cup), which represents the World Cup of Women’s tennis. I have the chance to work in a great team which has given me a lot of responsibilities quickly and this has given me the opportunity to work across various markets around the world, increasing my skills in sponsorship and partnership sales. I have also been given some responsibilities within the TV team which lead me to go on a few trips around the world, meeting a lot of people from the tennis industry and learning some new skills in a field in which I did not have much knowledge. This also opened another opportunity: teaching. I have been lecturing Sport Broadcasting for the last 2 years now.
The International Tennis Federation represents the international governing body for tennis and work with 210 National Associations worldwide. It includes Pro circuits, Juniors, Seniors, Wheelchair and Beach Tennis. The ambition of the ITF is to deliver tennis for future generations and to keep increasing the tennis participation around the world. The ITF is also responsible for the Women’s World Cup of Tennis (Billie Jean King Cup) and the Men’s World Cup of Tennis (Davis Cup). Both events have recently been through some changes and, especially for the Billie Jean King Cup, which we very much look forward to seeing the results of our efforts over the last couple of years. There are different pillars that represent strong areas of focus for the years to come such as Gender Equality. The Women’s World Cup of Tennis has recently been through a couple of big changes (its format and its branding) to make it the biggest and wealthiest women’s team competition in the world. It is a great competition to work on as we are promoting women’s sports and gender equality, which is a very important topic and a story I am proud to be part of. Then, the ITF is in the middle of its digital migration and is working a lot in that direction. The digital area has been taking more and more importance throughout the years and the pandemic has accelerated that migration.
You started as an intern and now you are a Commercial Coordinator and TV Broadcast, hence can you explain what were the fundamental values that influenced your sports career development?
I think it is essential to keep our eyes wide open and to be curious. In all transparency, I never thought I would work in tennis because it was never my favourite sport but look at me now… Furthermore, when you get an internship or when you are hired in a company, you have to be ready to show your hunger, your motivation to learn and you must get involved in as many projects as possible to expand your skills and knowledge. I never thought I would be involved in TV broadcasting and I found myself working with some of the best tennis players in the world such as Simona Halep and Serena Williams, working on the organisation of press conferences and player interviews. Luck has a role to play but you must spark it. Other important values and ideas to help you develop your career are: availability, accountability, creativity, ambition…
I appreciate there is no such thing as a regular day working in sport. However, could we hear about what your role looks like on a day-to-day basis as well as telling us about some of the impacts you have made?
Nowadays, my role is very much sales related. I have the responsibility to look for new partners around our competitions, and I like I said above, mainly with the Billie Jean King Cup which is our biggest competition. I take care of the sales process from A to Z: strategy, market research, company and contact sourcing, sales presentation meetings, negotiations, and contracts. I have an annual target to achieve, and this is my role to organise my day-to-day activities as I like to achieve those targets. We work very much as a team at the ITF but having the lead on the sales side is a huge responsibility that I am proud to have. I am also managing one of our global partners daily, being their main point of contact, making sure that the rights they are entitled to are respected. I am trying to maintain a great relationship with them and to be available and accountable for them. Account management is a very good experience in parallel of the sales angle.
The pandemic obviously has had an enormous impact on the tennis industry and events. Most of our events were cancelled in 2020. Tennis players travel a lot from a tournament to another and it is an individual sport. I think the positives we can take from that experience is that we had to step back and adapt in order to find ways to achieve our objectives differently, and digital had a big role to play. We have always put a lot of focus on event partnerships, but this time and we had to look at wider opportunities. This is where digital started to be a strong area of focus for us in terms of partnership sales.
What does the future hold for you?
We never know what the future holds, and this is what keeps us on our toes! I am ambitious and I want to keep getting more and more experience and responsibilities. I am focused on my role at the ITF and will keep doing my best to help the team reach its objectives. One day it will be time to move to a new challenge, maybe in a new sport, maybe in a new industry, maybe in a new country as well. I am not closing any doors and it has always proven to be the right thing to do for me. I think we should always bear in mind that it is essential to get out of our comfort zone in order to progress.
Reflecting on this interview and your sports career, what advice would you give our AMOS students looking to break into the sports industry?
The first advice I would like to give to the students, and they might have heard it many times already, is to work on their network. Nowadays, having a strong network around yourself is key and AMOS is giving you that opportunity. Show the best of yourself to the different professionals of the industry you meet and keep in touch with them! LinkedIn is a great example and an amazing resource to network: make the most of it. I would also like to tell the students to keep their eyes wide open on opportunities. You may not start with the job of your dreams straight away and you might change your mind. I never thought I would work in tennis and now I am grateful for that experience and I have been enjoying it a lot so far. As explained above, there is a lot of competition in this industry and therefore students must do the extra mile to get where they want to get to, they must show that they are eager, they need to be curious and creative. As already mentioned, international experiences are key in my opinion. Reaching a good level of English and other languages is always going to be a plus and it will make a difference on their profile. They will be useful professionally but also for your professional development.
Thanks Arnaud, for taking the time to discuss with us today. Do you have a last word to share to conclude this interview?
I would like to wish good luck to all the students in these difficult times. I know that this is a hard period to find internships and to have openings in the industry but keep pushing, do not give up and opportunities will arise.
It is a pleasure to connect with you today, Arnaud. Can you share with us a bit of your academic background?
Likewise, it’s always a pleasure to connect with AMOS! Sure! After high school, I did a bachelor’s degree in business development at ESCEM in Orleans, France. During this programme, I had the option to get some experience abroad which I did. First, I went to Barcelona, Spain, for an internship of 4 months to increase my Spanish level. Then, I decided to do an Erasmus exchange between my second and third year which took me to Budapest, Hungary, for a year. These two experiences have proven to be great on many angles; it helped me obtain great language skills in English and Spanish, but it also helped me to become more autonomous and mature, living on my own in different countries and cultures. After graduating from my bachelor’s degree, I decided to join AMOS to specialise in the Sports industry. I did my 1st year of Masters in Bordeaux and decided to move to London for the 2nd year. It was an obvious decision to me given the fact that London is the capital of sports in Europe with so many events taking place there and institutions having their headquarters based there. It was also the opportunity to keep pushing on the international angle, improve my English and create a good network for myself.
While studying for your master’s degree at AMOS, what were the fundamental values you learned when applying your skillset into the sports industry?
The Sports industry is unique! First, it is an attracting industry to work especially when you are so passionate about sports. However, it is quite a small industry, and the competition is huge. You must fight hard to get where you want to get because there will always be more applicants than opportunities. Sport is all about competition and that is what it takes to achieve goals, you must do the extra mile, prove that you are worth it, and above all that you have that added value the others do not have.
Following your end-of-studies internship at the International Tennis Federation in London, you landed with your first job there. You have been working there for three years now; can you tell us a bit more about it?
I went through different stages within my time at the ITF. Like you are saying, I started as an intern thanks to the ITF great networking job. The ITF was looking for an intern in their Commercial department who could speak English, French and Spanish. They offered me an internship, two temporary contracts back-to-back, and finally a full-time contract. It has been a very rewarding three years’ experience. My title today is Commercial Coordinator and I oversee the Sponsorship Sales around different properties across the business, but mainly the Billie Jean King Cup (formerly called Fed Cup), which represents the World Cup of Women’s tennis. I have the chance to work in a great team which has given me a lot of responsibilities quickly and this has given me the opportunity to work across various markets around the world, increasing my skills in sponsorship and partnership sales. I have also been given some responsibilities within the TV team which lead me to go on a few trips around the world, meeting a lot of people from the tennis industry and learning some new skills in a field in which I did not have much knowledge. This also opened another opportunity: teaching. I have been lecturing Sport Broadcasting for the last 2 years now.
What does the organisation of the ITF represent, and what does the future ambition hold for the company?
The International Tennis Federation represents the international governing body for tennis and work with 210 National Associations worldwide. It includes Pro circuits, Juniors, Seniors, Wheelchair and Beach Tennis. The ambition of the ITF is to deliver tennis for future generations and to keep increasing the tennis participation around the world. The ITF is also responsible for the Women’s World Cup of Tennis (Billie Jean King Cup) and the Men’s World Cup of Tennis (Davis Cup). Both events have recently been through some changes and, especially for the Billie Jean King Cup, which we very much look forward to seeing the results of our efforts over the last couple of years. There are different pillars that represent strong areas of focus for the years to come such as Gender Equality. The Women’s World Cup of Tennis has recently been through a couple of big changes (its format and its branding) to make it the biggest and wealthiest women’s team competition in the world. It is a great competition to work on as we are promoting women’s sports and gender equality, which is a very important topic and a story I am proud to be part of. Then, the ITF is in the middle of its digital migration and is working a lot in that direction. The digital area has been taking more and more importance throughout the years and the pandemic has accelerated that migration.
You started as an intern and now you are a Commercial Coordinator and TV Broadcast, hence can you explain what were the fundamental values that influenced your sports career development?
I think it is essential to keep our eyes wide open and to be curious. In all transparency, I never thought I would work in tennis because it was never my favourite sport but look at me now… Furthermore, when you get an internship or when you are hired in a company, you have to be ready to show your hunger, your motivation to learn and you must get involved in as many projects as possible to expand your skills and knowledge. I never thought I would be involved in TV broadcasting and I found myself working with some of the best tennis players in the world such as Simona Halep and Serena Williams, working on the organisation of press conferences and player interviews. Luck has a role to play but you must spark it. Other important values and ideas to help you develop your career are: availability, accountability, creativity, ambition…
I appreciate there is no such thing as a regular day working in sport. However, could we hear about what your role looks like on a day-to-day basis as well as telling us about some of the impacts you have made?
Nowadays, my role is very much sales related. I have the responsibility to look for new partners around our competitions, and I like I said above, mainly with the Billie Jean King Cup which is our biggest competition. I take care of the sales process from A to Z: strategy, market research, company and contact sourcing, sales presentation meetings, negotiations, and contracts. I have an annual target to achieve, and this is my role to organise my day-to-day activities as I like to achieve those targets. We work very much as a team at the ITF but having the lead on the sales side is a huge responsibility that I am proud to have. I am also managing one of our global partners daily, being their main point of contact, making sure that the rights they are entitled to are respected. I am trying to maintain a great relationship with them and to be available and accountable for them. Account management is a very good experience in parallel of the sales angle.
Every aspect of sport has been affected these last months with the global health crisis. How has the pandemic impacted your business, and what positives have you taken away from this experience?
The pandemic obviously has had an enormous impact on the tennis industry and events. Most of our events were cancelled in 2020. Tennis players travel a lot from a tournament to another and it is an individual sport. I think the positives we can take from that experience is that we had to step back and adapt in order to find ways to achieve our objectives differently, and digital had a big role to play. We have always put a lot of focus on event partnerships, but this time and we had to look at wider opportunities. This is where digital started to be a strong area of focus for us in terms of partnership sales.
What does the future hold for you?
We never know what the future holds, and this is what keeps us on our toes! I am ambitious and I want to keep getting more and more experience and responsibilities. I am focused on my role at the ITF and will keep doing my best to help the team reach its objectives. One day it will be time to move to a new challenge, maybe in a new sport, maybe in a new industry, maybe in a new country as well. I am not closing any doors and it has always proven to be the right thing to do for me. I think we should always bear in mind that it is essential to get out of our comfort zone in order to progress.
Reflecting on this interview and your sports career, what advice would you give our AMOS students looking to break into the sports industry?
The first advice I would like to give to the students, and they might have heard it many times already, is to work on their network. Nowadays, having a strong network around yourself is key and AMOS is giving you that opportunity. Show the best of yourself to the different professionals of the industry you meet and keep in touch with them! LinkedIn is a great example and an amazing resource to network: make the most of it. I would also like to tell the students to keep their eyes wide open on opportunities. You may not start with the job of your dreams straight away and you might change your mind. I never thought I would work in tennis and now I am grateful for that experience and I have been enjoying it a lot so far. As explained above, there is a lot of competition in this industry and therefore students must do the extra mile to get where they want to get to, they must show that they are eager, they need to be curious and creative. As already mentioned, international experiences are key in my opinion. Reaching a good level of English and other languages is always going to be a plus and it will make a difference on their profile. They will be useful professionally but also for your professional development.
Thanks Arnaud, for taking the time to discuss with us today. Do you have a last word to share to conclude this interview?
I would like to wish good luck to all the students in these difficult times. I know that this is a hard period to find internships and to have openings in the industry but keep pushing, do not give up and opportunities will arise.
Written by Victoria Chacon, Communication and Events Officer AMOS London.
Plus d'actus :
09 Feb 2023
GSBM student interview Maxime, a strong passion for NFL
The Super Bowl is coming...
This 12th of February, 11:30pm, is the kick-off of one of the most anticipated sporting event of the year: the Super Bowl. This mega event which was viewed by over 200 million people last year will oppose the Chiefs to the Eagles, at the State Farm Stadium in Arizona. Many of our students are fan of American sports, and this is the case for Maxime Jos - a Global Sport Business Master - 1st year student, from the London campus.A strong Passion for NFL
« I discovered American Football when I was a teenager by watching movies such as Maxi Papa and Always America. There is a fighting spirit in this sport that I love. I started to play when I moved to Lille, where I played for 2 years as a line backer, it was a dream. The number of strategies that go into one game has always fascinated me. » Maxime Jos Currently, he does not have the opportunity to play... « I am focusing on martial arts, notably boxing, which I practice a few times a week, but hopefully in the years to come I will get back into it. » Maxime Jos « When I was at PACE University, New York City, I went to watch the homecoming game of my university. It was an interesting experience. As I had been playing this sport for the last 2 years, I understood the several aspects of the games. » Maxime Jos
Thankfully for Maxime, this opportunity presented itself again, in his new city, London. For the past 15 years, the NFL London, has made a lot of efforts to make the « American Games » popular beyond the United States.
In 2017, Roger Goodell, who was the league commissioner at the time, implemented the International Series. Since then, NFL teams have come to play in the UK on a yearly basis (apart from 2020 because of Covid 19).
« Since the UK attracts NFL teams to come and play on their territory, I had the chance to go to Wembley to see an NFL game a few months ago. There was a great atmosphere, a great spirit. » Maxime Jos
Working experience for an NFL agency
During the third year of the Bachelor programme, our students have the occasion to travel overseas and study for a semester in a partner university. Maxime took this option and fulfilled his dream by heading to the US. Maxime went to PACE University (New York City), and, thanks to the J1 Visa, he was able to work for companies on the American soil once his semester was over. An opportunity that he seized, to discover a new market and to develop his NFL passion and knowledge. « I did work for an NFL agency in New-Jersey. It was a great experience, I earned a lot about marketing, branding and prospecting. The job, at the time, was prospecting brands for the players. Players have their own interests, and they want to represent brands they feel comfortable with, so our job was to find these companies and negotiate for them. If I had the opportunity to do it again, I would seize the chance again, of course! » Maxime Jos
While pursuing his studies, Maxime keeps an eye on the NFL, and will, obviously, be focusing on the Superbowl on the 12th of February...
« I’ll be in front of my TV, same as every year, watching it with a lot of frenzy! » Maxime Jos
Written by Guillaume Faure, Communication Officer AMOS London09 Feb 2023
GSBM student interview Maxime, a strong passion for NFL
The Super Bowl is coming...
This 12th of February, 11:30pm, is the kick-off of one of the most anticipated sporting event of the year: the Super Bowl. This mega event which was viewed by over 200 million people last year will oppose the Chiefs to the Eagles, at the State Farm Stadium in Arizona. Many of our students are fan of American sports, and this is the case for Maxime Jos - a Global Sport Business Master - 1st year student, from the London campus.A strong Passion for NFL
« I discovered American Football when I was a teenager by watching movies such as Maxi Papa and Always America. There is a fighting spirit in this sport that I love. I started to play when I moved to Lille, where I played for 2 years as a line backer, it was a dream. The number of strategies that go into one game has always fascinated me. » Maxime Jos Currently, he does not have the opportunity to play... « I am focusing on martial arts, notably boxing, which I practice a few times a week, but hopefully in the years to come I will get back into it. » Maxime Jos « When I was at PACE University, New York City, I went to watch the homecoming game of my university. It was an interesting experience. As I had been playing this sport for the last 2 years, I understood the several aspects of the games. » Maxime Jos
Thankfully for Maxime, this opportunity presented itself again, in his new city, London. For the past 15 years, the NFL London, has made a lot of efforts to make the « American Games » popular beyond the United States.
In 2017, Roger Goodell, who was the league commissioner at the time, implemented the International Series. Since then, NFL teams have come to play in the UK on a yearly basis (apart from 2020 because of Covid 19).
« Since the UK attracts NFL teams to come and play on their territory, I had the chance to go to Wembley to see an NFL game a few months ago. There was a great atmosphere, a great spirit. » Maxime Jos
Working experience for an NFL agency
During the third year of the Bachelor programme, our students have the occasion to travel overseas and study for a semester in a partner university. Maxime took this option and fulfilled his dream by heading to the US. Maxime went to PACE University (New York City), and, thanks to the J1 Visa, he was able to work for companies on the American soil once his semester was over. An opportunity that he seized, to discover a new market and to develop his NFL passion and knowledge. « I did work for an NFL agency in New-Jersey. It was a great experience, I earned a lot about marketing, branding and prospecting. The job, at the time, was prospecting brands for the players. Players have their own interests, and they want to represent brands they feel comfortable with, so our job was to find these companies and negotiate for them. If I had the opportunity to do it again, I would seize the chance again, of course! » Maxime Jos
While pursuing his studies, Maxime keeps an eye on the NFL, and will, obviously, be focusing on the Superbowl on the 12th of February...
« I’ll be in front of my TV, same as every year, watching it with a lot of frenzy! » Maxime Jos
Written by Guillaume Faure, Communication Officer AMOS London26 Jan 2023
GSBM alumni interview Nathalie, FIFA 2022 World Cup
The view of an insider on how things went in Doha
On the 18th of December 2022, at the Lusail Stadium, the 22nd Men Football World Cup ended on a dramatic final, which saw Lionel Messi and his teammates winning the most desired trophy. Never in history, the attribution and the preparation of a World Cup had provoked this many reactions from governments, organisations, newspapers, and people all around the world. It was, within this tense climate, a little over a month ago, that our alumni Nathalie Deutsch, Workforce Operations Manager at TMS, was getting ready to live the biggest experience of her young career. A month later, we are reaching back to her, to have the view of an insider on how things went in Doha - Capital of the Qatari Peninsula. For our former Global Sport Business Master student, the general mood around the World Cup changed when the competition started. « A lot of people have criticized the competition, wanted to boycott, and they had their reasons for it. As a member of the staff, we did not agree with everything that happened here, however, at our level, we made sure to deliver everything ethically, and in a way, it was successful ».
The competition was a success, as soon as Daniele Orsato (referee who officiated the first game of the tournament) blew the start of the first match, fans were once again enthusiastic. Focusing on the performances of their team, people were cheering all around the world and the polemics were put aside, leaving us with what a World Cup is meant to be: a moment in which the whole world comes together to share vivid emotions.
Fan experience
Over the past 4 months, I had the chance to write a couple of articles on her adventures, which taught us a lot about the organisation of such an event, notably the fact that changes are made up to the very last minute, and the result is never guaranteed. However, the hard work and dedication of the teams paid off as the fan experience received great feedback. « I had the opportunity to see a few games, especially the semi-finals and the final, and I have to say, apart from a few things that you will always have in this kind of competition (queueing to get into the stadium, customer service that could be improved...), the services were great. Overall, it was super easy to get around and there was a great atmosphere ». Regarding the games she attended, one obviously stuck to her: the final! « 80% of the stadium was filled with Argentinian fans, they were good fun! Every time Messi touched the ball, the whole stadium was like… wow! It was special moment ».
Collaboration between multiple stakeholders
Organising a Global Sporting Event is about finding a way to successfully collaborate with multiple stakeholders. And we have known from previous interviews and the international press that it is not an easy process. Multiple newspapers relayed the difficult relations between FIFA and the Qatari Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy during the build-up of the competition. However, according to Nathalie, once the competition started, the momentum took over and everyone found a way to work together. « When the operations come live, the collaboration between stakeholders gets better. We have meetings, and every time there is a problem, a representative of each entity is present to discuss it and find a solution. Everyone came together and worked closely to get things done. The approaches are sometimes different from a stakeholder to another, but the end goal is the same, having a wonderful competition. I think that the World Cup brought the best out of Qatar, and that is what everyone saw, whether they were there or in front of their television ».
The World Cup Legacy
According to the Qatari’s ambassador in Russia, the total cost of the world cup is around $200bn, which is according to Sky Sports, « many times higher than any budget spent on similar events in history ». Qatar has built 8 stadia, over 100 hotels to host the teams and the fans, as well as a brand-new underground for the crowd to navigate easily. With all these news infrastructures, the question that is yet to be answered is the one about the legacy. For Nathalie, everything was planned. « In terms of transport, the metro is something that was needed, whether international competitions are happening or not, it will still be of great use for the locals and tourists ». « Regarding the stadia, from what we know, they will have a capacity reduction and will be used for local or international events » (as mentioned in the previous articles, Qatar will host the upcoming international Asian Games as well as the Asian Football Cup AFC). The Education City stadium will become part of the wider Qatar Foundation facilities for university students.
« The stadium made up of ship containers (Stadium 974) will be dismantled and repurposed. Obviously, Qatar is not going to be as busy as some other countries, which have an all year long sporting calendars, but they will still use the vast majority of the infrastructures that were built for the World Cup ».
« All in all, Qatar proved that they were able to create and manage a mega event, and it will probably bring many opportunities for this country in the years to come ».
Post World Cup Duty
In the mind of most spectators, once the final is over everything ends and their lives go back to normal, and the only things remaining are memories. But for the managers on the field, it is another story. The work there isn’t quite finished, it is even the beginning of a new adventure. The first two weeks after the competition consisted of sending her staff home, and since the new year Nathalie has been focusing on a legacy job. « I am currently busy compiling information and data from the competition, then writing action reports, preparing handovers for whoever wants to know about the event, because there are other events coming up, and even if my team will not be there, someone will need to use what we built to deliver the future events ».
Nathalie will be staying in Qatar until the end of March, ensuring that all reporting is done, before heading back to London where she will have some well-deserved holidays! After that she will be looking for a new job, whether in Workforce or any other part of the sporting event industry!
There is no doubt that the future of this promising young lady will be bright as well as for the companies who will have the chance to have her on their team. And we will, of course, keep following her in her next adventures!
Written by Guillaume Faure, Communication Officer AMOS London26 Jan 2023
GSBM alumni interview Nathalie, FIFA 2022 World Cup
The view of an insider on how things went in Doha
On the 18th of December 2022, at the Lusail Stadium, the 22nd Men Football World Cup ended on a dramatic final, which saw Lionel Messi and his teammates winning the most desired trophy. Never in history, the attribution and the preparation of a World Cup had provoked this many reactions from governments, organisations, newspapers, and people all around the world. It was, within this tense climate, a little over a month ago, that our alumni Nathalie Deutsch, Workforce Operations Manager at TMS, was getting ready to live the biggest experience of her young career. A month later, we are reaching back to her, to have the view of an insider on how things went in Doha - Capital of the Qatari Peninsula. For our former Global Sport Business Master student, the general mood around the World Cup changed when the competition started. « A lot of people have criticized the competition, wanted to boycott, and they had their reasons for it. As a member of the staff, we did not agree with everything that happened here, however, at our level, we made sure to deliver everything ethically, and in a way, it was successful ».
The competition was a success, as soon as Daniele Orsato (referee who officiated the first game of the tournament) blew the start of the first match, fans were once again enthusiastic. Focusing on the performances of their team, people were cheering all around the world and the polemics were put aside, leaving us with what a World Cup is meant to be: a moment in which the whole world comes together to share vivid emotions.
Fan experience
Over the past 4 months, I had the chance to write a couple of articles on her adventures, which taught us a lot about the organisation of such an event, notably the fact that changes are made up to the very last minute, and the result is never guaranteed. However, the hard work and dedication of the teams paid off as the fan experience received great feedback. « I had the opportunity to see a few games, especially the semi-finals and the final, and I have to say, apart from a few things that you will always have in this kind of competition (queueing to get into the stadium, customer service that could be improved...), the services were great. Overall, it was super easy to get around and there was a great atmosphere ». Regarding the games she attended, one obviously stuck to her: the final! « 80% of the stadium was filled with Argentinian fans, they were good fun! Every time Messi touched the ball, the whole stadium was like… wow! It was special moment ».
Collaboration between multiple stakeholders
Organising a Global Sporting Event is about finding a way to successfully collaborate with multiple stakeholders. And we have known from previous interviews and the international press that it is not an easy process. Multiple newspapers relayed the difficult relations between FIFA and the Qatari Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy during the build-up of the competition. However, according to Nathalie, once the competition started, the momentum took over and everyone found a way to work together. « When the operations come live, the collaboration between stakeholders gets better. We have meetings, and every time there is a problem, a representative of each entity is present to discuss it and find a solution. Everyone came together and worked closely to get things done. The approaches are sometimes different from a stakeholder to another, but the end goal is the same, having a wonderful competition. I think that the World Cup brought the best out of Qatar, and that is what everyone saw, whether they were there or in front of their television ».
The World Cup Legacy
According to the Qatari’s ambassador in Russia, the total cost of the world cup is around $200bn, which is according to Sky Sports, « many times higher than any budget spent on similar events in history ». Qatar has built 8 stadia, over 100 hotels to host the teams and the fans, as well as a brand-new underground for the crowd to navigate easily. With all these news infrastructures, the question that is yet to be answered is the one about the legacy. For Nathalie, everything was planned. « In terms of transport, the metro is something that was needed, whether international competitions are happening or not, it will still be of great use for the locals and tourists ». « Regarding the stadia, from what we know, they will have a capacity reduction and will be used for local or international events » (as mentioned in the previous articles, Qatar will host the upcoming international Asian Games as well as the Asian Football Cup AFC). The Education City stadium will become part of the wider Qatar Foundation facilities for university students.
« The stadium made up of ship containers (Stadium 974) will be dismantled and repurposed. Obviously, Qatar is not going to be as busy as some other countries, which have an all year long sporting calendars, but they will still use the vast majority of the infrastructures that were built for the World Cup ».
« All in all, Qatar proved that they were able to create and manage a mega event, and it will probably bring many opportunities for this country in the years to come ».
Post World Cup Duty
In the mind of most spectators, once the final is over everything ends and their lives go back to normal, and the only things remaining are memories. But for the managers on the field, it is another story. The work there isn’t quite finished, it is even the beginning of a new adventure. The first two weeks after the competition consisted of sending her staff home, and since the new year Nathalie has been focusing on a legacy job. « I am currently busy compiling information and data from the competition, then writing action reports, preparing handovers for whoever wants to know about the event, because there are other events coming up, and even if my team will not be there, someone will need to use what we built to deliver the future events ».
Nathalie will be staying in Qatar until the end of March, ensuring that all reporting is done, before heading back to London where she will have some well-deserved holidays! After that she will be looking for a new job, whether in Workforce or any other part of the sporting event industry!
There is no doubt that the future of this promising young lady will be bright as well as for the companies who will have the chance to have her on their team. And we will, of course, keep following her in her next adventures!
Written by Guillaume Faure, Communication Officer AMOS London16 Jan 2023
Student Interview Joseph, Global Sport Business Master in Paris
21 years, 3 countries, 1 journey
H. Jackson Brown Jr. once said, « Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than the ones you did do », and if there was a student that embodied this mindset, it would be our Global Sport Business Master student Joseph Vincent De Perez, currently based in Paris. Born in Auxerre (France) from a Spanish dad and an English mother, Joseph grew up in London (where his mum was transferred to work) until he was 7 years old then moved to Spain where he did his primary and secondary school in an international campus. Perfectly fluent in 3 languages (French, English and Spanish) by the time he turned 18, Joseph decided to pursue his undergraduate studies in an international environment. Although tempted by the high standards and reputation of economic studies, Joseph followed his heart and went to Kent (England) to study a 3-year Sport Management Programme. With 300 hours of work placement and some solid knowledge about sports business, Joseph graduated from the British University, and decided to look for a Masters in which he could develop his international network as well as gain experience from high-end sports professionals.
« Whilst in my last year as an undergraduate in Kent, I was actively looking for the best Masters degree in Europe, which is when I found AMOS Paris. The location was perfect as I never had the opportunity to live in the French Capital before. Learning from sports professionals, traveling the world to study diverse global markets was the perfect occasion to do so, and I almost thought that it was a scam. But no, so far AMOS delivered on what it has promised. On the first week of class, we had to do a presentation in front of the ex-directors of Nike France and Gucci, this is exactly what I had signed up for! »
His relationship with sports
Our polyglot student has always been a sports aficionado, « I started playing football in England when I was 4 years old and continued in every country I lived in. When I was in Spain, I was scouted to play for the Valencia Academy, which I did for a few years, but I was realistic, and I knew that a career as football player would be extremely difficult ». However, last year, while living in the UK, our AMOScian was scouted again, this time, to play 5-a-side in the first English division. « I was playing semi-professionally on BT Sport and travelling across the UK. Playing on a regular basis against the best players like the captain of Northern Ireland». A fantastic experience that he wishes to live again, in Paris this time, maybe?
Starting his international career
Although many students are attracted to sports clubs or event management, Joseph is targeting a career in management within worldwide organisations such as Nike, Puma, or Red Bull. But for now, his next challenge is to work for the Atlético Madrid Club as part of a summer job, and we wish him the very best in this fantastic opportunity. Written by Guillaume Faure, Communication Officer AMOS London16 Jan 2023
Student Interview Joseph, Global Sport Business Master in Paris
21 years, 3 countries, 1 journey
H. Jackson Brown Jr. once said, « Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than the ones you did do », and if there was a student that embodied this mindset, it would be our Global Sport Business Master student Joseph Vincent De Perez, currently based in Paris. Born in Auxerre (France) from a Spanish dad and an English mother, Joseph grew up in London (where his mum was transferred to work) until he was 7 years old then moved to Spain where he did his primary and secondary school in an international campus. Perfectly fluent in 3 languages (French, English and Spanish) by the time he turned 18, Joseph decided to pursue his undergraduate studies in an international environment. Although tempted by the high standards and reputation of economic studies, Joseph followed his heart and went to Kent (England) to study a 3-year Sport Management Programme. With 300 hours of work placement and some solid knowledge about sports business, Joseph graduated from the British University, and decided to look for a Masters in which he could develop his international network as well as gain experience from high-end sports professionals.
« Whilst in my last year as an undergraduate in Kent, I was actively looking for the best Masters degree in Europe, which is when I found AMOS Paris. The location was perfect as I never had the opportunity to live in the French Capital before. Learning from sports professionals, traveling the world to study diverse global markets was the perfect occasion to do so, and I almost thought that it was a scam. But no, so far AMOS delivered on what it has promised. On the first week of class, we had to do a presentation in front of the ex-directors of Nike France and Gucci, this is exactly what I had signed up for! »
His relationship with sports
Our polyglot student has always been a sports aficionado, « I started playing football in England when I was 4 years old and continued in every country I lived in. When I was in Spain, I was scouted to play for the Valencia Academy, which I did for a few years, but I was realistic, and I knew that a career as football player would be extremely difficult ». However, last year, while living in the UK, our AMOScian was scouted again, this time, to play 5-a-side in the first English division. « I was playing semi-professionally on BT Sport and travelling across the UK. Playing on a regular basis against the best players like the captain of Northern Ireland». A fantastic experience that he wishes to live again, in Paris this time, maybe?
