As it happens, the sports industry is going through an rapid and interesting period of change right now. New areas of development are demanding ever more specialised skills and training to help prepare the future workforce of sports all over the world. We take a look at some of the areas that future sports industry professionals need to focus on in the immediate future to get ahead in a competitive and evolving world.
Globalization
The National Football League arriving in London, the English Premier League gaining ground in the United States—these are classic examples of successful globalization. Throw in the examples of the summer and winter Olympics, as well as a host of other events, and you have a pretty solid reason as to why knowledge of global markets is key.
With international trends in sport, an awareness of different cultures and customs, as well as the obvious languages, is of huge importance to the sporting industry. More typically, people working in this industry will need a good appreciation of the challenges and difficulties in large events planning that take place on an international scale. Knowledge of logistics, transportation and other key areas will be crucial for success in this field.
Digital Technology
As technology continues its relentless march, it will continue to affect all sectors of society and business, including sport. For sport in particular, the introduction of Smart helmets, Virtual Reality , and Tech-assisted refereeing and adjudication are some of the technological trends in sports. With an increasing number of devices connected together and recording information, sport will also be hit by a deluge of Big Data.
Big Data has for a while now presented a range of opportunities—and headaches—for a variety of industries and sectors. The biggest headache of all is that all that data needs interpretation. This will mean increasing demand for data scientists who are able to interpret the data to spot important trends for teams, leagues and fans.
Big Data
The reality is that big data interpretation will be of huge importance when it comes to building and expanding sports—including individual teams, sports, and the overall industry—across the world.
With proper sifting, sorting, and organizing, Big Data can help to grow the business aspect of every aspect of sports. Already, teams are using Big Data to increase and improve the rate of ticket sales for games. This brings greater returns on holding games, that can be used for investment and development.
Of course, having a skilled up workforce will be vital in this. It is as important for the industry to ensure that it has the data scientists it needs, as it is for potential workers in this industry to consider the skill sets they will need for a successful future in sports.
How to Learn About Career Paths in the Sports Business
Many people are interested in pursuing a career in the sports industry but are unsure of how (and where) to get started. To help tackle this problem, the faculty of Columbia University’s #2 globally-ranked sports management programme launched an affordable online certificate program for that will educate aspiring sports professionals on how to carve out a career path within the global sports industry.
Hosted entirely online, the Sports Industry Essentials program leverages the expertise of Columbia faculty with established professional sports and industry executives. Its ultimate goal is to expand students’ knowledge and insight of the industry, and to create greater awareness about the career paths available to them in the world of sports.
To learn more about Columbia University’s Sports Industry Essentials online programme, click here , and as a part of the GlobalSportsJobs network, receive a unique 20% discount off tuition.
This article was written by John Kerner to support GlobalSportsJobs partnership with Columbia University Sports Essential Programme.
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