Sports and entertainment management students spending 12 weeks behind the scenes in U.K.
Every four years the world gathers around their television sets and cheers for their country's athletes in a variety of different events. The opening ceremony, the games and the closing ceremony are each a product of meticulous planning. While the rest of the world does not witness this planning, 49 sport and entertainment management students were selected as interns to experience the behind-the-scenes planning for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London firsthand.
The internship is hosted through Cleanevent, a company that has a contract for much of the cleaning and housekeeping in many of the Olympic venues as well as the athletes' village. Director of Student Opportunity and Industry Involvement in the Sport and Entertainment Management Department Steve Taylor explained the internship. "The students are working closely with venue managers on several items, from the help desk to scheduling and budgeting of their staff. The students will interact with many different stakeholders from the London organizing committee, the International Olympic Committee and many of the national Olympic committees, among many others," he said.
Though she is working 16 or 17 hours a day at the North Greenwich Arena, Samantha Cain, a third-year sports and entertainment management student, said she enjoys being part of the preparation that goes into the games.
"Some of my roles include doing payroll, managing staff, going around the venue and inspecting it and letting our help desk know if there is anything that needs to be done," she said. "I have done a lot of office work, which has taught me a lot, like how to make a purchase order or how to put in time sheets, but the more exciting part of my internship is getting to see the behind-the-scenes of everything."
Taylor expects that the students will benefit greatly from the internship.
"The students will gain venue and event management experience as well as life experiences working with people from different cultures," he said. "One Cleanevent manager thought the 12 weeks our students will spend in London will give them work and life experiences equivalent to two to three years in the regular work world because of the intensity of the experience."
Another student intern, Stephanie Smith, explained how the internship has benefited her so far.
"I think internships are great because they give you a chance to experience the real world before it really counts," she said. "I've learned a lot and have made some great connections throughout the sport and entertainment industry."
Smith went on to describe her favorite part of being an intern at the Summer Olympics.
"Honestly, living at camp has probably been one of my favorite parts of the whole experience," she said. "Living space is a bit cramped but it's just like being at summer camp. I've have had a lot of fun and have really enjoyed meeting new people from the [Sports and Entertainment Management Department] and from across the world."
Taylor was also impressed with the students' work ethic and performance.
"This is an incredible experience for our students. The growth I have seen in them already, even before the games commence, is amazing," he said. "I knew we were bringing many of our best, but they have performed above my high expectations. The university should be quite proud of the way our students have conducted themselves in a very intense atmosphere."