What is a hospitality manager in the sports sector?
This role is dedicated to a particular group of clients: VIPs. With the rise of major sporting events, more and more companies are using them to nurture their client relationships. Private boxes, official stands and business seats are set aside for these privileged guests. Whether it is a rugby match or a tennis tournament, a wide range of roles is involved in looking after them as well as possible. The Hospitality Manager is one of them.
They are responsible for selling these spaces within sports venues so that privileged guests enjoy a unique experience, taking in the sporting action in complete comfort. Bespoke services are reserved for them. Access conditions differ from those of the general public, which brings a certain prestige that is good for business. The closeness these services create allows everyone present to build professional relationships through conversation, and even to resolve issues.
VIPs therefore enjoy an ideal setting in which to experience the sporting event, where they can eat to suit their tastes, attend entertainment laid on especially for them, or even meet elite athletes at the end of the match.
Hospitality managers can work in a variety of organisations such as the federations of professional sports clubs, sports marketing and events agencies or the leagues that organise major sporting events. It is these large organisations that run hospitality programmes.
Roland Garros and the Olympic Games alike welcome privileged guests in VIP Villages. Each of them therefore needs staff to look after these distinguished guests on arrival and throughout their stay, but also in advance, to negotiate the services on offer.
What does a hospitality manager do?
The hospitality manager’s day-to-day work involves a number of responsibilities in delivering a flawless service. Their main task is to devise the commercial strategy along with the hospitality packages. These are what make it possible to reach the target revenue and profitability.
To do so, they put together the various items that will go on sale and then oversee the whole production process. The manager is also in charge of selling these packages. They therefore need to prospect for clients by tailoring the offer to their needs, and finally close the contract, having followed up the prospect where necessary.
To carry out their role as effectively as possible, they call on a range of suppliers. To select the highest-quality service, the hospitality manager goes through a lengthy research phase. They then decide which suppliers they want to work with before coordinating them throughout the event.
The role also involves more administrative tasks. They must make sure that the invoicing and payment for the services sold have gone through, that files are properly tracked in the background across the various departments involved and also monitor the market so that the packages can be adapted to trends. They must likewise review each event to identify ways of improving. All of these activities, along with the thread running through their BtoB work, are regularly written up in a report.
The essential qualities and skills of a hospitality manager in the sports sector
Given the many things to manage, the hospitality manager must be constantly responsive and handle pressure impeccably so that everything is ready on time. To get the best out of their team, strong listening skills and great availability are essential. They are, in short, a good manager who proves it day after day. The prestige of these events leaves them no choice but to be impeccably dressed while being helpful and dependable. What is more, their creativity knows no bounds when it comes to innovating in the sales offer, which they are happy to update regularly. Their solid knowledge of sport, their sports marketing skills and their commercial flair mean they hit the mark every time. All of this goes hand in hand with:
- Perfect command of English and a second language
- A talent for negotiation
- Strong organisational skills
Salary and career prospects
The salary varies according to a number of factors. Years of experience and client feedback can affect the figure. A commission on sales may also apply. That said, the average is around €2,000 gross per month.
A hospitality manager can progress by moving on to increasingly prestigious events internationally, looking after VIP clients and taking charge of a whole team dedicated to the role.
What training do you need to become a hospitality manager in the sports sector?
To work in this role, it is advisable to study for three years after the baccalaureate, on a degree or a bachelor’s degree specialising in careers in sport.
Students can then go on to a Master’s to develop their sport business skills, along with law, sports economics, marketing or sports management.
Hands-on professional practice, case studies run with partners from the world of sport, and international experience will make all the difference on a CV when entering a job market that remains highly competitive.
