The soon-to-be professionals of the sports industry who are currently studying at the Real Madrid Graduate School – Universidad Europea, enjoyed the 5-day trip to London, the city that hosts some of the most important events in the world.
They started their experience at Stamford Bridge, headquarters of Chelsea F.C., and a trip to the O2 Arena, an event venue that is the home to some of the most important sports events in the world. The students enjoyed the activity “Up at The 02”, where visitors can go up to the top of the structure through a bridge hanging at 52 meters high.
On the second day, they visited the NBA London offices, and they learnt about sports marketing and sponsorship during their field trip to Mindshare Worldwide offices, a very prestigious international marketing agency.
The third day was full of learning thanks to some of the executives of the Wimbledon tournament. They also visited the facilities. Furthermore, they attended a Champions League match between Tottenham and Inter Milan, a unique experience that represents a different way of viewing and organising sports events.
On the fourth day, the students had the opportunity to learn about strategies and upcoming trends, thanks to Jonathan Coke, Vice President of the IMG office in London, leader in sports events and media, and manager of the most prominent athletes in the world. During their visit to the Chelsea F.C. Headquarters, they met with the Communication Director and learnt about some key aspects of sports management, and visited the facilities (even some restricted areas only accessible to players). Students also went on a tour on the Twickenham stadium, the biggest rugby stadium in the UK, also known as “The Rugby Cathedral”.
The trip ended with a field trip to Wembley stadium, where students enjoyed a talk given by the top members of the English football selection.
The group of professionals, who are currently studying the MBA in Sports Management, are studying within an academic programme that includes two field trips: one to London and another one to New York, with the objective of amplifying their knowledge “in place”. They have sessions with teachers as well as conferences and visits to sports venues. This way, they can understand and learn from different points of view and learn different techniques that they will then be able to apply to other sports environments. This is also a great way to do some international networking.