Sports Business Management Series
The George Washington University stands apart as a leader in Sports Marketing & Management education with Bachelor Degrees and Graduate Degrees available through the Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management. The Event and Tourism Professional Education Programs are able to expose students to this rich Sports Curriculum by offering a unique Sports Management Series. Students can gain knowledge from leading sports professionals addressing key issues and aspects of the sports industry.
The sports industry is growing rapidly with marketing positions in professional sports organizations, the Olympic Games, NASCAR, Professional Golf Tournaments and many others.This series is a rare opportunity for professional education students and can enhance your credentials as employers in the sports industry seek out individuals with specific knowledge in this area.
The series can be taken in its entirety but the certificate will be in Tourism Destination Management. Courses from the series can be taken individually, or as electives within the Tourism Destination Management Program or Event Management Certificate Program.
SPMD 711 - Retail Marketing: Merchandising for Profitability
By the end of this course, the student will be able to:- Understand the principles of Smart Buying
- Make better pricing decisions
- Maximize the retail environment for sales
- Effectively measure sales
- Visualize new techniques to maximize sales
- Employ best practices of retail marketing.
SPMD 712 - Management and Leadership for Sports Organizations
Sports organizations cannot be successful without strategic and efficient management and leadership. This course is designed to give you a framework for improving your ability to effectively lead and manage a sports organization. It provides a detailed discussion on the 7 keys to leading any successful sports organization including sound planning, efficient organizational structure, established values, good relationships within the organization and with partners, strategic communications, and successful leadership.
At the end of this course, you will be prepared to:
- Develop a sound strategic business plan based on an efficient organizational structure and clear operating procedures
- Enhance relationships with strategic vendors and partners
- Develop a communications strategy for all key audiences
- Improve your capacity as an effective leader of any organization.
SPMD 714 - Funding Sports Organizations
Funding the ongoing programs of a sports organization is a challenging task requiring careful planning and thorough implementation. This course discusses various strategies on how to identify funding opportunities, develop effective strategies and take successful actions to help fund and grow your organization's programs and member services.
At the end of this course, you will be prepared to:
- Effectively and efficiently raise funds for your sports organization
- Develop a fund raising plan
- Identify fund raising opportunities and benefit from the ones that are best suited for your organization
- Successfully implement a fund raising program.
SPMD 715 - Risk Management in Athletics
By the end of this course, you should be able to:- To remove the potential of risk or injury without changing the fundamental nature of the sport/event itself
- To understand the basic legal issues faced by a risk manager
- To provide the basic tools needed to protect all parties (i.e.: participants, spectators, event managers) from foreseeable and non-foreseeable dangers.
SPMD 716 - Sport Marketing
Regardless of their size and scope, sports organizations heavily depend on effective marketing. This course discusses the steps to creating and implementing successful strategies that will help effectively market your organization, create awareness, and strengthen its public presence.
At the end of this course, you will be prepared to:
- Focus your resources by selecting the marketing tools and vehicles that best fit your organization’s needs
- Build your organization’s brand and value with a clear mission statement and an effective, sustainable position and marketing strategy
- Address in an efficient way your members, corporate sponsors, the media, host cities, public institutions and other partners and competitors
- Execute your marketing plan thoroughly by timely adjustment of activities and staff necessary to reach your stated objectives.
SPMD 717 - Sponsorship
The success of your organization’s sponsorship programs depends on the ability to plot and negotiate win-win deals for both – your organization and the organization you are negotiating with. This course discusses strategies for building more effective, more profitable, and more sustainable sponsor relationships.
At the end of this course, you will be prepared to:
- Apply marketing theories to sport events and properties
- Target corporate prospects and develop customized sponsorship and endorsement proposals
- Effectively negotiate and service sponsorship contracts
- Promote and sell sport events and products.
SPMD 718 - Sport Event Management
Some of the most significant events in the world are sport events. Regardless of their size and scope, sport events require careful research, design, planning, coordination and evaluation. This course discusses all aspects of organizing a successful sport event like budgeting, staffing, promotion, security and others.
At the end of this course, you will be prepared to:
- Implement the five steps of the event management process
- Recognize different event objectives
- Develop and manage comprehensive event budgets
- Organize and coordinate event logistics
- Conduct benefit from event evaluation.
