When Work Meets Play

If You are One of the Many Who Eat, Sleep and Breathe Sports, Why Not Work in the Same Filed? A Career in Sports Event Management Allows You to be Part of the Action!

The only thing more exciting than watching a live sporting event, is actually organising it. From handling logistics to dealing with sponsors, sticking to deadlines and smoothening glitches, a career in sports event management will certainly keep you on your toes. In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of sporting events in India, such as the Commonwealth Games in 2010, the Cricket World Cup in 2011 and the annual IPL extravaganza, which increases in scale every year. While these developments satiate the appetites of hungry sports fans, it also means the scope of sports event management as a career is growing at a rapid rate. In fact, some Indian institutes now offer a special degree in sports event management. While cricket enjoys the support of viewers, corporates and sponsors, other sports are also finding their place in the limelight. Football, hockey, golf, tennis, etc are gradually turning into organised sports as well. As corporate funding in sports events increases, so does the scale of these events, which means sports enthusiasts have some exciting times ahead of them. A sports event, like most others, relies on the efficiency of various departments. Therefore, to run a successful event, you need to be a team player to ensure all the spokes of the wheel are perfectly in tune. Your soft skills will especially come in handy in this profession and might play an important part in determining your career growth. You need to have good organisational and communication skills, as well as the ability to think on your feet. Leadership qualities are also essential as you will be handling a large number of volunteers and other members in your team. You also need to be outgoing and confident so that your superiors feel comfortable entrusting you with big responsibilities. Before you talk the talk, make sure you can walk the walk as well and upgrade your skill sets. And most importantly, if things go haywire at the last moment, as they usually do, you should be able to take charge of the situation without losing your cool. After all, the game must go on.
When you enter the event management field, you might compromise on time with friends and family and even with your own bed as the timings in this field can be erratic. You might be working on weekends as well, especially when you inch closer to the day of the event. On the brighter side, the thrill of watching an event come together and end in a success can make up for the drawbacks of this profession. Couple this with the opportunity to be in the midst of all the sporting action and the possibility of travel, and you find that there is enough bait to lure sports lovers into this profession.
Earlier, you could pursue a general event management degree to enter this field. While that is still possible, there is also the option of applying for a bachelor’s or post-graduate degree in sports event management. If you would like to keep your options open, you can opt for a general event management course and do a certificate course in sports event management or choose to learn the rest on the job. The amount you can earn in this career depends on the scale of the event and the company you are associated with. Generally, entry level payment ranges between Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 15,000 per month. As you gather more experience, you can earn around Rs. 40,000 per month at a manager’s level.

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