The professionals-to-be of the sports industry who are being educated at the Real Madrid Graduate School – Universidad Europea enjoyed a 5 day trip to London, the base of some of the most important sports events in the world. Their trip commenced with the visit to the O2 Arena, a space that hosts some of the biggest sport events in London. They enjoyed the activity “Up at The O2”, where the students went up to the top of a footbridge suspended 52 meters over the ground.
The second day they visited the NBA London office and the Arsenal Emirates Stadium, the headquarters of Arsenal FC and the third biggest stadium in England, just after Old Trafford and Wembley.
The students learned about sports marketing and sponsorship during their visit to the Mindshare Worldwide offices, a big and prestigious international marketing agency. Furthermore, they discussed strategy and upcoming sports trends with Jason Hudges, who is the Football Vice-President at the IMG agency in London. This agency is the world leader on sports events and media, and they represent some of the most important athletes in the world.
Another remarkable activity was the visit to 'The All England Lawn Tennis Club Centre Court' facilities, where the Wimbledon tournament is held, the oldest and most prestigious tournament in the world. They were able to learn about all the keys to organising this event and also how the competition is managed.
During the tour around Stamford Bridge, the Chelsea FC headquarters, they had a meeting with the Chelsea Director General, Mr. Christian Purslow. They learned about all the aspects of managing Chelsea Football Club and also had access to some areas that are usually limited to the players. They also met with the Millwall Football Club, a London based football club that plays in League One and were founded back in 1855 after Millwall Rovers name.
They attended the Champions League match Tottenham - CSKA Moscow, a unique experience that represents another way of understanding the management and organisation of sport events. Another sport event that they were lucky enough to attend was the 'The Varsity Match' an annual rugby tournament played between the Oxford and Cambridge Universities, that is held at Twickenham since 1921.
The trip ended with a visit to the Wembley stadium, where they were able to learn from one of the executive members of the English team's stadium.
The professionals that are currently studying the Máster Universitario MBA en Dirección de Entidades Deportivas - Alfredo Di Stéfano are learning with an academic model that includes two trips: one to London, and one to New York, with the objective of broadening their knowledge on location, having learning sessions and conferences, as well as visits to sports facilities.
This is a great way of learning from different points of view and for learning new tactics that can be applied to different sports and environments. Also, it is a great way to make important international contacts.