Throughout the winter semester, Lang Commerce students in the Sport Sales and Event Management classes taught by Dr. Katie Lebel worked with the Toronto Blue Jays to come up with innovative ways to engage with fans and promote the new Outfield District that is a part of the Rogers Centre’s new $300 million renovation project. Both courses culminated in a pitch competition where students had the opportunity to share their plans with an executive from the Blue Jays.
These courses offered by the Sport Management major in the Commerce program give students an opportunity to gain expertise in the evolving sports landscape through hands on industry projects and pitch competitions. Leading up to the competition, Dr. Lebel worked with the students to refine their ideas before their big pitch to the professional baseball franchise. The first round of winners was selected through class votes, with the second round being a formal presentation to Tom Zapletal, Manager, Membership Sales with the Blue Jays.
“The energy, enthusiasm, and talent of the students was undeniable. I am already looking forward to my next collaboration with this program” said Zapletal. He also commented on the professionalism of the students presenting, noting they didn’t make the decision easy to select the winners.
The winning team from the Sport Sales course was made up of Sam Carfrae, Lauren Falcone, Carter Hughey, Cedric MacNay and Megan Sugiyama. They pitched a new ticketing strategy designed specifically for grandparents and their grandchildren.
The winning team for the Event Management course proposed a multicultural event to attract new Canadians to the Rogers Centre. The concept was pitched by Charandeep Dhillon, Krish Goswami, Mitchell Morrison and Ryan Scott.
Students in the classes commented on how unique these experiences were to their academic careers and how rewarding it was to present their ideas to a professional sports organization.
“Our partnership with the Toronto Blue Jays this semester was a phenomenal learning opportunity for our students,” said Dr. Lebel. “It was so rewarding to watch these students step up to the plate and refine their concepts and ideas over the course of the semester. They knocked this out of the park and I could not be more proud of them.”
