"This course is unique – I have certainly never seen anything like it – and it is the answer to growing market demands for qualified stadium management“
David Griffiths, former CEO of Wembley Stadium
EVMI Stadium Management Summer School opens to international acclaim
FRANKFURT, 23rd of May 2007
The Stadium Management Summer School (SMSS) residential, 5-day course is unique in Europe – and indeed the world. At a time of record investment in sports infrastructure at all levels, there has never been a greater need for professionals to run these facilities.
Students on EVMI’s inaugural Stadium Management Summer School are being trained by some 14 industry experts in all aspects of modern stadium management. The course includes site visits and training tours of Frankfurt’s Commerzbank Arena and Düsseldorf’s LTU Arena – both stadiums were rebuilt for the FIFA 2006 World Cup.
"Historically, the stadium manager just cut the grass and swept the seats. That has changed. Today's stadium manager is now operating a multi-million Euro budget, dealing with 1,000s of staff issues and increasingly reliant on sophisticated security, ticketing and CRM/marketing technologies,” says Ian Nuttall, publisher of Stadia magazine and EVMI co-founder. "At this time of unprecedented investment in new, renovated and expanded stadiums, for all sports and at all levels, the demand for experienced management far outweighs supply. This is why the industry needs and has indeed welcomed EVMI and this new training initiative."
A not-for-profit organization, EVMI was set up in response to the growing need for professional education and career development for individuals and venues. Today's multi-faceted venue management role requires professional training – preferably delivered by today's experts for tomorrow's practitioners. Similar courses exist in North America and Australia but these are tailored specifically to their respective markets and, as such, have little practical application for venues in Europe. Uniquely EVMI programmes take into account the diverse cultural, financial and organisational structure of European and international markets - and so delivers practical, knowledge-based training.
The EVMI certification course is seen as a gateway to a career in the sports venue sector by providing not just practical training but also fostering lifelong friendships and networking contacts in its residential training environment. The first course (which is Part 1) was oversubscribed and includes representatives from a diverse range of venues: Wembley Stadium (London), Emirates Stadium (Arsenal FC, London), Dubai Sports City (UAE), Ellis Park (South Africa), Kenya’s Sports Stadia Management Board and even the new Euro2012 stadiums being prepared in Poland.
The training is delivered ‘for the industry, by the industry’ and is certainly not theoretical. Modular elements include Stadium Safety and Security, Customer Relations and Marketing, Compelling Visitor Experiences and Revenue Generation. Part II of the course will be hosted in the UK in May 2008 and will include site visits to The O2, the new Wembley Stadium and Emirates Stadium, home of Arsenal FC. E-learning and project tasks will keep the students occupied between the two residential programmes.
"This course is unique – I have certainly never seen anything like it – and it is the answer to growing market demands for qualified stadium management,“ observes David Griffiths, former CEO of Wembley Stadium. It is a sentiment echoed by former CEO of the German Football League (DFL) and Vice President of the German Football Association (DFB), Wilfried Straub, who welcomed EVMI’s students earlier in the week.
Pictured is Patrik Meyer, CEO of the Commerzbank Arena, who guided students through the intricacies of the public-private partnership operating contract in the 'Stadium Environment' module.
The summer school reopens in May 2008. For enquiries and application forms please contact EVMI's office via office@evmi.org