Hello, welcome to SportsGrad! 👋 

Here you’ll find interviews with (almost) every job in the sports industry.
We ask people living the dream:
“How did you get your job?” and “What does it actually involve?”
So that you can land a dream job in sports too.

Enjoy!

“I went from not knowing what I wanted to do, to working with some of the biggest brands in sport.” - Clayton Henderson

Meet Clayton Henderson, Partnerships Manager at IMG.

Clayton works across some of Australia’s biggest sporting events, including the Nike Melbourne Marathon Festival, Great Ocean Road Running Festival, and Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show. His role involves securing and managing commercial partnerships, ensuring brands maximise their impact in these large-scale events.

With experience at Cricket Victoria, Golf Australia, and now IMG, Clayton’s journey has taken him across different corners of the sports industry, each role building on the last. He has gained expertise in commercial partnerships, event management, and sponsor servicing, making him a key player in the business side of sport.

If you’re interested in how to transition from internships to full-time roles, the importance of networking, and how to stand out in commercial partnerships, you’re going to love Clayton’s insights. His journey proves that even if you start out with no direction, you can still find success in sport – if you put yourself in the right places.

🔥 Quickfire Questions

1. What inspired you to work in sport?
   Always surrounded by sport – played it, watched it, and grew up in a sporting family.

2. What was your first ever sports-related role?
   Coaching and umpiring kids’ hockey at 15.

3. After high school, did you do any extra study?
   Bachelor of Business at La Trobe University, minored in Sport Management.

4. What's one interview question you were asked for your job?
   No tough questions! Just discussions about my experience.

5. A book or podcast recommendation that's helped your career?
   The Howie Games – particularly Mark Howard’s episode on his career journey.

6. If you could try another job in sport for a day, what would it be?
   Team Manager of the Australian Men’s Cricket Team.

🔥 Quickfire Journey

1. Love for Sport – Always played and followed sports growing up.

2. University & No Direction – Studied business with no clear career path.

3. First Internship at NRL – Landed a role through a mutual connection, opening his eyes to sports careers.

4. Membership Services at Cricket Victoria – Took the first job he could to break into the industry.

5. Commercial Partnerships at Golf Australia – Moved into partnerships thanks to networking.

6. IMG Account Manager – Now managing sponsors across major events

💬 Quotes from Clayton

"Best $300 I ever spent – it got me a lifetime membership and an entire career in sport."

"I had no real direction, but one lucky internship changed everything."

"Networking isn’t about luck, it’s about putting yourself in the right place at the right time."

"From coaching at 15 to managing major sports events – every step built on the last."

"I went from not knowing what I wanted to do, to working with some of the biggest brands in sport."

"The key to breaking into sport? Say yes, work hard, and let opportunities find you."

"I never got a crazy interview question – maybe I’ve been lucky, but preparation is key."

"Managing marathon partnerships is like running a marathon itself – it’s long, tough, but rewarding."

"Your first job in sport doesn’t have to be your dream job – it just has to be a step forward."

"I didn’t think a membership would change my career – but it opened doors I never imagined."

Career Journey: How did Clayton get here?

Early Days & Finding Direction:

Growing up, Clayton was always around sport—playing, watching, and talking about it with family. Like many students, he wasn’t sure what career path to take after high school. He studied Business at La Trobe University, choosing a Sport Management minor on a whim. While he enjoyed the course, he was directionless during university and didn’t have a specific job in mind. He studied Business at La Trobe University, majoring in Sport Management on a whim. While at first, he had no clear direction, but a lucky internship at the NRL during university changed everything.

Breaking Into Sport:

Everything changed when a mutual connection helped him land an internship at the NRL during the COVID-19 lockdown. At the time, Clayton wasn’t actively looking to work in sport, but this experience opened his eyes to career possibilities. He saw firsthand how professional sporting organisations operated, giving him valuable exposure to the industry.

First Paid Job in Sport:

That internship exposed Clayton to the industry, but his first paid role came in Membership Services at Cricket Victoria. After finishing university, Clayton wanted any job in sport to get a foot in the door. He landed a role in Membership Services at Cricket Victoria. Knowing it wasn’t his long-term goal, he took the job just to get a foot in the door,. He dealt with fan engagement, customer service, and renewals. While it wasn’t his dream job, it allowed him to gain experience inside a major sporting organisation.

Transitioning to Partnerships:

While at Cricket Victoria, Clayton connected with SportsGrad and started learning about career progression. This led to a pivotal moment: his name was put forward for a Commercial Partnerships role at Golf Australia. Thanks to this connection, Clayton was shortlisted for the job and soon moved into the sponsorship side of sport. Here, he learned how to manage corporate partnerships, work with brands, and deliver on sponsorship agreements.

Moving to IMG:

After building experience at Golf Australia, Clayton transitioned to a global stage by joining IMG as an Account Manager. In this role, he manages partnerships across Nike Melbourne Marathon, Great Ocean Road Running Festival, and Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show. His work now involves liaising with sponsors, ensuring brand activations run smoothly, and delivering value for corporate partners at large-scale events.

Role Overview: What does a Partnerships Manager actually involve?

Clayton’s job at IMG revolves around managing partnerships and sponsorship activations for major sporting and entertainment events. He ensures that corporate sponsors receive value from their investment, while also maintaining strong relationships between IMG and its partners. His role covers a mix of sales, event execution, branding, and relationship management.

Key Responsibilities

Sponsorship Management: Clayton oversees sponsorships for events like the Nike Melbourne Marathon, Great Ocean Road Running Festival, and Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show. He works closely with brands to ensure their sponsorship goals are met, whether that’s brand visibility, audience engagement, or product activations. This requires constant communication with partners, reviewing contracts, and ensuring deliverables are executed as promised.

Event Execution & Branding: On event days, Clayton is on-site managing activations, signage, and brand visibility. His job includes ensuring all sponsor branding is placed correctly before races begin—logos, banners, and promotional materials must be set up, photographed, and aligned with partner agreements. A key moment is at the marathon start line, where he ensures every sponsorship placement is ready before media and photographers capture the event.

Partner Communications & Relationship Management: Outside of event days, much of Clayton’s role is focused on regular communication with partners. He provides them with insights on event reach, audience engagement, and digital performance to demonstrate ROI. If issues arise—such as last-minute branding changes or activation challenges—Clayton is the first point of contact to find a solution. His ability to manage expectations and maintain strong relationships is critical for securing renewals.

Renewals & New Partnerships: Clayton is responsible for negotiating sponsorship renewals and bringing in new partners. He tracks engagement data from past events, presents reports to brands, and makes recommendations on how they can maximise their investment in future events. In some cases, he helps structure multi-event sponsorship deals, allowing brands to activate across multiple IMG properties.

Handling High-Pressure Event Days: Event days are fast-paced and unpredictable. Clayton starts early (sometimes as early as 3 AM for marathons) and is responsible for resolving last-minute issues, coordinating partners, and ensuring activations run smoothly. At the Melbourne Marathon, for example, he oversees the BMW pace car entry, ensuring safe access through road closures while managing partner branding. The intensity of event days makes it one of the most challenging—but rewarding—aspects of his role.

Questions asked by Members

1. What does your day-to-day role look like in the lead-up to an event?

2. How did you transition from membership services to commercial partnerships?

3. What are the biggest challenges in managing sponsorships for marathons?

4. How do you manage competing partner expectations on event day?

5. What’s the most unexpected part of working in partnerships?

6. How do you balance multiple events happening at different times of the year?

7. What’s the best networking advice you have for someone breaking into sports?

8. What role does data play in sponsorship negotiations?

9. Do you see yourself staying in sport or branching into entertainment?

10. How do you manage long event days, like waking up at 3 AM for a marathon?

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