Every year each of our hubs hosts an annual Global Sports Summit, bringing together students, alumni and leading sports industry professionals in some of the most advanced sports and entertainment venues in the world.
These immersive sports experiences will be based around tailored talks and workshops, featuring sports professionals from the pitch, from the boardroom and from behind the scenes of the sports industry, as well as cultural visits around each city and the opportunity to attend a live sporting event.
Hosted at Inter Miami CF's DRV PNK Stadium, New York’s Red Bull Arena, Toronto FC’s BMO Field and the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), our Global Sports Summits enable groups of students and graduates to further enhance their knowledge of the international football and sports industry from professionals working at some of the biggest organisations in the sector.
Networking centres in Dubai, Mumbai, Shanghai and Singapore also provide unprecedented international opportunities for students, delegates and graduates to network with their peers and the wider sports industry community.
Our global summits
The schedules at our global hubs will be based around four themes:
- From the pitch – hear from those who contribute towards the playing side of sport such as coaches, match analysts and sports scientists;
- From industry – find out more from those who’re responsible for what happens behind the scenes, including marketing managers, agents and media officers;
- From the boardroom – learn about how the big decisions are taken at clubs and organisations from the likes of chief executives and chief finance officers;
- Cultural activities – this will include visits to national landmarks, leading sporting venues and at least one live sports fixture (subject to fixture lists).
Guest speakers for the summit will be confirmed ahead of each event, but attendees will be able to hear from the leaders and key personnel at some of world's leading leading sports and clubs.
GIS Global Sports Summit @ BMO Field, Toronto FC
On campus and online students, as well as alumni, are able to attend GIS’s Global Sports Summit in Canada, primarily based at BMO Field in Toronto. The summit is based around seven days of specially tailored talks, workshops, exclusive networking opportunities and visits specific to the Canadian sports industry.
Crowned MLS champions in 2017, Toronto FC are based at Canada’s national football stadium, BMO Field, and are owned by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE).
UCFB and GIS students will be able to learn from MLSE's unique business that runs successful venue and multi-sport franchise operations and is a world leading organisation in sports technology. Our Canadian summit will also access MLSE's stunning Scotiabank Arena, home of the NBA's Toronto Raptors and the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs.
The 2025 GIS Toronto Global Sports Summit is currently scheduled to be held in June 2025, in the academic summer break. Exact event dates will be communicated ASAP, following the release of the MLS fixture schedule.
What is a Global Ambassador?
GIS Global Ambassadors represent UCFB and GIS, as we travel worldwide for our Global Sports Summits. Ambassadors play crucial roles in supporting GIS with the planning and execution of each summit, both on-campus and on-location. Summits are held across our global hubs and campuses in Melbourne, Miami, New York, and Toronto.
The primary responsibility of a Global Ambassador is to help deliver a world-class event and enhance the attendee experience. In recognition of their efforts, UCFB | GIS will cover the cost of the Summit ticket for each ambassador selected. Global Ambassadors just need to arrange their travel to attend the summit, along with any other associated expenses.
If a Global Ambassador is also a recipient of a UCFB | GIS scholarship, the funding for the Summit costs will be drawn from the student’s scholarship fund.
All on-campus UCFB and GIS students are eligible to become a Global Ambassador. As Global Ambassadors will be required to carry out tasks on-campus before and after the Global Sports Summits that they support, this opportunity is not available to online students or alumni.
The 2024 Global Ambassador Programme application window has now closed.
The 2025 Global Ambassador Programme application window will be communicated in due course.
Experiencing live sport will form a key part of the Summit, here are some examples of events our students have attended on past Summits:
- NBA: Miami Heat v Orlando Magic
- Major League Baseball: NY Yankees v Minnesota Twins
- Major League Soccer: Toronto FC v Chicago Fire
On past Summits our students have heard from speakers working at some of the biggest sporting organisations across the world, including:
- New York Yankees
- Tennis Australia
- RB Leipzig
- Toronto FC
- New York Jets
- Inter Miami CF
- Toronto Maple Leafs
- US Soccer
- Melbourne Cricket Ground
Getting behind the scenes of major sporting organisations will form a key part of the Summit. This will include access all areas tours of stadiums, arenas and training facilities and meeting key staff.
Free time will be built into the schedule of the week and there will be ample opportunity for students to explore what the city has to offer.
Networking with key players in the sports industry will form a central part of the Summit. There will be opportunities to meet with senior leaders and decision-makers from major sports organisations, providing an excellent chance for attendees to build connections and build their personal brand whilst learning about the local sports market.
