MSc in Sports Industry Management : student's experience

As the second semester of the MSc in Sports Industry Management came to an end late March, the cohort has traveled to Shanghai to complete their third and final semester. While they are preparing to immerse into the Asian sports industry, Eva and Miga, both current students and “embassadors” of the program, take a moment to reflect on their second semester: what they learned, what projects they enjoyed the most and what memories they will keep with them as they start the final chapter of their journey in the program.

Eva and Miga explain: “The second semester at emlyon business school was full of fun events and amazing opportunities. We had the opportunity to travel a lot. We had a week of classes in Annecy (France) to visit companies such as Solomon and Decathlon. Shortly after, we spent a week in Munich, Germany where we got the opportunity to visit Allianz Stadium, home to the great Bayern Munich and be guests at ISPO Academy, where the biggest names in outdoor sports come together to share their athletic innovations.”

Eva shares: “We also took a day trip to Brussels where we met at the House of Sport which is a joint initiative established by several leading organizations in the sport and active leisure sector. Here we met with several different federations that help support sports throughout Europe. As a class we met with: Europe Active, Sport and Citizenship, Federation of the European Sporting Good Industry, European Network of Academic Sports Services and the European Confederation of Outdoor Employers. We also had the opportunity to meet with Yves Le Lostecque, Head of the sport unit at the European Commission. From Yves, we learned that sport is a field in which the European Union's responsibilities are relatively new, acquired only with the entry into force of the treaty of Lisbon, in December 2009. Nevertheless, sport has a significant impact on the EU's economy and society and its importance is ever growing.”

Miga adds: “While settling back down in Paris thereafter, we spent the majority of our time working on group projects including a Red Bull Case Study and a business market simulation. My personal favorite group project was the business market simulation. Within two weeks, we worked in teams to create our own faux bike company in which we had to estimate our innovative bike process, for our customers, and all things revenue. The business market simulation allowed me to fully understand what it takes to open a company and successfully stay afloat. Coming from a non-business background I really appreciated this project as I learned how to work well with others and learned, through experience, key details for opening a business that you may not understand in a classroom setting.

Now we are beginning our third and final semester. We have just landed in Shanghai and will begin classes on Tuesday. I am looking forward to a new adventure in the fastest growing sports industry. Being in China, we will not only further our education, but we will broaden our perspectives in regard to culture and how it affects the Chinese market. “