Lang students competing for the University of Guelph swept the podium at the recent Canadian National Sport Sales Championships (CNSSC), taking home both individual and team honours. The sales event was co-hosted by Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment and Baylor University’s Center for Sports Strategy and it took place at Toronto’s BMO Field. Lang sent a team of 18 students who competed against peers from 12 different schools, including rival business schools Ivey, Lazaridis, Brock, Laurentian, and the Ted Rogers School of Business. Lang students showcased their strong sales talent and gained industry connections through both a Sport Sales Role Play Tournament and a Speed Sell Networking Challenge. The University of Guelph was ultimately named the Top School in the country based upon Lang’s strong combined performance.
The marquee Role Play event included a competition wherein students were challenged to sell professional sport ticketing packages to potential “buyers” played by sales managers and recruiters from the country’s top professional sport organizations including the Toronto Blue Jays, Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Raptors, Toronto FC, Toronto Argos, and the American Hockey League. Students were scored on their performance based upon an established rubric and the top sellers moved through a 64-player bracket in a single elimination format. Lang’s Ben Hennig was named the overall tournament champion. He was joined by Nick Metcalfe in the tournament’s prestigious final four. Cedric MacNay earned a spot in the Elite Eight and Jack Miller, Ben Lienhard, and Courthey Grech each earned spots in the Sweet 16. A total 13 Lang students were named to the Top 40 National Ticket Sales Power Rankings.
In advance of the championship, students trained for several weeks as a part of the Advanced Concepts in Sport and Event Management course (SPMT*4020), led by Dr. Katie Lebel.
Students learned how to craft an effective sales pitch. They refined their skills through a mock Speed Sell Competition where they developed 90-second elevator pitches and practiced selling themselves. The class also competed against one another in their own role play bracket challenge. Tyler Diplock, a fourth year Sport and Event Management student, was named the class champion. Diplock said the class experience allowed he and his peers to gain a deeper sense of how feedback and continuous iteration can lead to an improved overall performance. He noted that the opportunity allowed him to better understand what life looks like post grad while developing critical industry skills. “I am thankful to Dr. Lebel for her leadership and guidance throughout this journey! It was such a rewarding experience!"
Courtney Grech, also a fourth year Sport and Event Management student, emphasized the importance of the practical, hands-on experiential learning.
"Having the opportunity to prepare for the CNSSC through our class was critical to our team's success. We cultivated our skills through our own in-class Role Play Challenge and were provided with the opportunity to develop a solid foundation of sport sales skills which built up our confidence and helped us to feel well prepared for the event. Without the extensive preparation in class, I would have never believed in myself and carried the confidence I developed into the National Championships. Attending the event was an unforgettable experience, providing valuable insight into the sports sales industry and many networking opportunities that provoked both professional and personal growth,” Grech said.
Students are looking forward to next year’s competition in 2025 and will undoubtedly be vying to defend their hard-earned national title.
To learn more about the competition, click here [1].
