Hello friends! 👋

Welcome to the SportsGrad Newsletter. Each week we take a deep dive into how people are growing their careers in sport.

Here you’ll find insights, tactics and tools to help you win jobs, get promoted, work around the world, make an impact, and still get paid fairly in sport.

Plus the latest on what’s happening in the SportsGrad Community - a private group of legends lifting each other toward the careers of their dreams.

Meet Ebony Flanigan, the Event Coordinator at O2 Events!

O2 Events organises majority of the mass participant road events you’d be familiar with - think Run for the Kids, 2XU Triathlon Series and the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race!

After going from a participant, to a volunteer, to casual staff, to a full-time employee, Ebony is now fittingly working in the Participant and Athlete Services department - ensuring that the process to take part in these mass events is as flawless as possible.

If you’re keen to coordinate and lead major events like Ebony, keep on reading 👇

How this Event Coordinator went from a participant to a Full-Time employee 🏃‍♂️

What is O2 events, and what do you do as the Events Coordinator?

O2 Events is an event management company that organises predominantly mass participation road style events. Some of these include 2XU Triathlon Series, 2XU Wellness Run and Great Ocean and Otway Classic Ride. We also deliver Run for the Kids, a beloved event raising funds for the Good Friday Appeal; the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race (CEGORR), which involves both mass participation and elite cycling events that are part of the UCI World Tour; and in 2023 we assisted with the delivery of the AFL Grand Final Parade.

As an Event Coordinator my role is involved mostly in Participant and Athlete Services. I'm responsible for taking care of the full participant life cycle from registration to roll out on event day. On event day I also often step into a production role, managing the production schedule, MCs and any on stage presentations. For CEGORR I acted as Athlete Services Manager assisting with taking care of all World Tour cycling teams for the duration of their stay with us in Geelong.

Talk about how you’ve the roles you’ve had previously, and how you gained experience to get your current role?

I feel very fortunate to have landed my current role as my first role in the sports/events industry. I initially volunteered with O2 Events at the 2XU Triathlon Series after taking part as a participant. Following this I was offered a casual events role before being offered the full time position of Event Coordinator (Participant Services).

I do believe that every role I've held in the past (everything from retail, to personal training, motor vehicle industry and working as a social media manager/photographer) provided me with a wide variety of skills that assist me in performing my current role effectively.

What do you enjoy most about your role?

The feeling of achievement that comes along with being able to deliver often very big and complex events! I also enjoy being able to constantly refine and improve key touchpoints for participants, ultimately elevating their experience. As a frequent participant in the type of events we deliver, this is something I am really passionate about improving and feel it's a unique perspective I can bring to my team.

What are the goals of your role? Do you have specific targets or KPIs to hit?

The main focus for my role is to ensure a positive participant experience throughout the full lifecycle. This includes pre-event communication, enquiry, purchase, at-event experience and post event services. Some KPIs that I work towards include specific response times for enquiry, no major errors in event information communications and minimum scores in post event feedback for relevant areas such as Pre Event Information & Registration/Pack Collection.

Is there something in your work life that you couldn’t live without? (e.g. a platform, a planner, have to exercise to be productive, performance reviews, anything!)

Spreadsheets and checklists!! I can't live without them. Anyone who knows me, knows that I love a well organised spreadsheet to manage workload, due dates and ensure all key tasks are completed.

What are some of the challenges you’ve faced working in events, and how do you overcome them?

Working in events can often involve overcoming high stress situations that occur during critical moments on event day. The biggest challenge is managing your stress levels, and therefore how you operate as a professional and interact with those around you. Overcoming this challenge begins well before the event with thorough planning. If you fully understand the key priorities during these critical moments on event day, it makes decision making a lot easier. I generally find if I am able to make clear informed decisions in these moments, my resulting stress levels are significantly reduced. In short, be well versed in the information that you should know for your role!

Has there been a time you’ve had to rely on your network, and how did it benefit you?

Absolutely, I can think of several times that having a strong network has been a huge benefit. I was fortunate enough to receive a contract as a photographer at the Fan Festival for the FIFA Women's World Cup last year, an opportunity that only came about based on recommendation from a connection of mine. Such a great opportunity to be part of the incredible phenomenon that is the Matildas! I also attribute landing my current role to the relationships I was able to build through being willing to put my hand up for volunteer roles.

What advice would you have for someone who is at the start of their career journey?

If you're looking to get into events (or any role within sport for that matter), find opportunities to volunteer as much as you can and bring your best possible self to that volunteer role. Even now I am still actively looking to volunteer or work casually at events that excite me outside my full time role. This can open up so many opportunities to add to your skillset and build meaningful connections.

What’s happening in the Community?

Community Wins ⭐️

Here’s what SportsGrad Members got up to last week...

Teysha Deal landed a new role as a Client Services Executive at Rifle Agency

Jayneel Jasapara is joining Indoor Sports Victoria as a Digital Media Manager

SportsGrad Members have landed over 620+ jobs in sport.

If you've had a win, share it with us in the #wins channel on Discord!

Upcoming Member Events 💛

Members, to join an event, RSVP via Discord.

Pro Member Events:

🏟 Career Q&A with Jeffrey Leong (MKTG) - May 30th 12:30pm AEST

🤝 Pro Speed Networking - June 4th 7pm AEST

Do you work in sport? Apply to become a SportsGrad Pro Member

Rookie Member Events:

🤝 Rookie Speed Networking - May 27th 7pm AEST

🏟 Career Q&A with Jeffrey Leong (MKTG) - May 30th 12:30pm AEST

🤝 Rookie Speed Networking - June 10th 7pm AEST

Do you want to work in sport? Join the list to become a SportsGrad Rookie Member

Job Opportunities 💼

Looking for a new gig? Here’s a few organisations who want to hire SportsGrad Members:

🥇 Event Workforce Coordinator - Melbourne (Full-time)

🏏 Fan & Community Engagement Specialist - Sydney (Full-time)

🎟 Business Development Executive - Melbourne (Full-time)

🏉 Participation & Fan Acquisition Officer - Sydney (Casual)

👷‍♀️ Venue Operations Officer - Melbourne (Casual)

📞 Customer Experience Officer - Melbourne (Casual)

📸 Digital Marketing Internship - Melbourne or WFH (Internship)

📲 Digital Media Assistant - Canberra or WFH (Internship)

🤝 Special Events & Partnerships Assistant - Canberra (Internship)

🏆 Sports Assistant - Canberra (Internship)

👷 Operations Assistant - Canberra (Internship)

🏋️ Workforce Assistant - Canberra (Internship)

Need help hiring sports industry talent? Get in touch with Ryan.

Enjoy your weekend!

Catch you soon,

Acacia 💛

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