Inside GIS’ Australia Global Sports Summit

This January, GIS students attended our latest Global Sports Summit, this time held in both Melbourne and Sydney.

The Australia edition was hosted between the 17th and 26th of the month, giving students the opportunity to network with industry leaders, go behind the scenes at some of the world’s most iconic stadiums, and attend elite live sporting events.

Experiencing A-League, Australian Open, and NBL action, we heard from some of the guest speakers and students in attendance to give others an insight into the summit down under.

Speaking with the backdrop of Sydney’s Allianz Stadium was David Hebblewhite, GM of Commercial Integration at Rugby World Cup, and he discussed the city as a global sporting hub.

“We’ve got sports teams across multiple codes all year round. Whether it be union, league, AFL, netball, soccer, or cricket, the city attracts major events both internationally and nationally.

“It’s a sport-loving city so there’s a variety of sports to get involved with and jobs and roles with sports associations and clubs that are based here that give opportunities too.”

Looking back at his time in Australia on the summit was former GB Basketball Lead Performance Analyst and GIS Combined Master of International Sports Business / Master of Sports Analytics student, Adithya Krishna.

“The summit has been incredible. Nowhere else would I be able to be in amazing locations like the Melbourne Cricket Ground or the Sydney Cricket Ground, and speak to so many people in the industry who you wouldn’t normally speak to.”

Professionals like Adithya who work in the $2.65 trillion industry will know just how exciting it is, with David explaining how rewarding it can be too.

“A lot of work goes into preparing and delivering an event. It’s a grind, but after a major event that fans get a buzz from, you get a kick out of it and you can sit back and think about the role you played in bringing it together.”

MSc International Sport Management student Paige Sutherland agreed, and has years of experience contributing to these events, including work for both Geelong Cats and Cricket Australia. 

“Sydney is a very special landscape for sport,” she told GIS. “I’ve experienced the American and European side, and there’s nothing like it. Aussies live for sport—it’s ingrained in us—so being a part of the industry is special.”

On the summit, Paige emphasised how much she enjoyed being surrounded by like-minded people, adding: “We’re all here to succeed in sport, and are all driven and want to upskill and get ourselves out there. Being with them is really nice, as well as the chance to see amazing facilities and engage with well-networked people.”

Another guest speaker at the summit was Glen Rolls, International Business Development Executive at La Liga.

Speaking during the Sydney portion of the trip, Glen offered valuable advice to any students aspiring for a career in sports about the importance of being proactive.

“Putting yourself out there is number one. 

“Invest in yourself and look at trends in industry. We’ve seen a lot of change in the last 5-10 years, and there’s going to be more shifts towards technology in the near future, so have knowledge around different areas. 

Paige added to this, saying balancing studies with a full-time role is, “hard work, but it will be worth it. Self-investment is a priority.”

Hosted in locations such as London, Miami, and Toronto, the summits are based in some of the most active sporting cities around the world, and are what GIS President Sharona Friedman calls, “The cherry on top of everything we do.”

“It’s where we bring everything together. There’s opportunities for our students from around the world to network, dive deep into the local sports industry, and see what we do best. 

“GIS chooses its summit destinations based on opportunities for our students to learn from the best of the best. Speaking to those who make the industry move across many disciplines gives you an opportunity to cross-pollinate your knowledge to understand the industry holistically.”

With many of our students being inspired by the guest speakers and professional environments they find themselves in, the summits give a taste of what the sport industry has to offer.

As someone who has worked in it for years in two continents and across sports, Glen summarised this by saying: “Everyone in sport has one thing in common, we love it.”

To learn more about how you can secure your spot in any of our upcoming summits, view our summits page, or discover our variety of expert-led programmes.

Article by Zakaria Anani