Mega Events in Sport

Mega Events like the Olympics and World Cup shape the global sporting landscape, offering host cities and brands unparalleled opportunities for visibility, economic impact and legacy. This course provides a deep dive into the complexities behind these events, from the strategic considerations of bidding and planning, to the challenges of managing large-scale operations and building the right teams.


Through a blend of theory, case studies and real-world examples, you'll explore how these events create lasting legacies, drive brand engagement and influence global sport trends. Whether you're looking to understand the big picture, or gain practical insights into the operations of Mega Events, this course offers a comprehensive perspective on what makes these global spectacles successful.

Course curriculum

    1. Introduction to Mega Events in Sport: Professor Rob Wilson, Professor of Applied Sport Finance and the Academic Director at InSport Education.

    2. Module 1: What are Mega Events and their significance in the business of sport? Dr Rami Mhanna, Exeter University.

    3. Module 2: What is the process of bidding for Mega Events? Dhruv Garg, Deloitte.

    4. Module 3: Building the Mega Events puzzle - making it happen, host cities and major events. Berna Ucel, Managing Partner at m.i.h Major Events Ltd.

    5. Module 4: The significance of assembling the right workforce for Mega Events. Bianca Berenguer, Senior Operations Manager, Event Lab FZ LLC.

    6. Module 5: Why do brands invest in Mega Events? Robin McCammon, ex-adidas.

    7. Module 6: The importance of venue operations at Mega Events. Lauren Scrymgour, Venue Consultant.

    8. Module 7: How do brands stay relevant during the Mega Event cycle? Rob Grenville-Jones, ex-LOCOG.

    9. Module 8: The future of Mega Events. Andy Rice, Major Events International.

    10. Summary of Mega Events in Sport: Professor Rob Wilson, Professor of Applied Sport Finance and the Academic Director at InSport Education.

About this course

  • £269.00
  • 10 lessons
  • 8.5 hours of video content

Professor Rob Wilson

Academic Director InSport Education

Rob is a leading sport finance expert and football business consultant. He has more than 20 years’ experience in the sport business sector and brings a wealth of experience as a creative educator. Rob specialises in financial reporting, management accounting and economic decision-making processes in sport organisations. Alongside his teaching interests, he has published 5 books and has a prolific media profile.

Dr Rami Mhanna

Senior Lecturer at Exeter University

Rami is the Business Lead for MSc Sports Management at the University of Exeter. His specialist areas include Sports Management, Events Management and Entertainment. Rami’s research focuses on planning for Mega Sport Events and leveraging legacies of such events. He has led, managed and delivered a range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes at several UK Higher Education institutions.

Dhruv Garg

Deloitte

Dhruv is a management consultant with 7+ years of work experience at Deloitte, KPMG and MI Global Partners. He currently works within Deloitte's Sports Business Group, based out of Manchester and worked on host bids for a number of major events, including Australia's FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 and 2027 Rugby World Cup bids.

Berna Ucel

Managing Partner, m.i.h Major Events Ltd

Berna is a Mega Events specialist with a track record of planning and delivering high-profile and complex international projects. She managed the venue team for the road cycling at both the Olympic and Paralympics at London 2012 and the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow 2014. Berna is now the managing partner of m.i.h Major Events Ltd which specialises in supporting host cities achieve their ambitions and maximising the benefits of hosting a major or mega event.

Bianca Berenguer

Mega Events Consultant

Bianca is a Mega Events Consultant and has worked for a wide range of events throughout her career, including Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, the Special Olympics and the AFC Asian Cup. Bianca is a Major Events professional, with over 18 years’ experience across 4 continents. She possesses a deep understanding of the intricacies involved in mobilising and operating large workforces for major events.

Robin McCammon

Ex-adidas

Robin worked for adidas for almost 20 years, within a number of high-profile leadership positions including the Director of Global Sports Marketing based in the company’s headquarters, Herzogenaurach. He has extensive experience across adidas’ approach to Mega Events and has led marketing efforts across multiple FIFA World Cups and UEFA European Championships. Robin is now the founder of Left Peg Ltd which focuses on sports, music and culture.

Lauren Scrymgour

Venue Consultant

Lauren has over 20 years’ experience in delivering major events across Australia, Europe, North America and the Middle East. Specialising in the planning and delivery of multi-sports events, Lauren has been involved in 5 Commonwealth Games, 2 Olympic and Paralympic Games, an Asian Games, a European Games and an Invictus Games. She brings an array of specialist skills including stakeholder engagement, strategy, leadership, venue operational planning and technical event knowledge.

Rob Grenville-Jones

Ex-LOCOG

Rob is a commercial sports professional with 25 years' experience across business development, client management, licensing and retail permits. His experience has been amassed across both rights' holder and agency roles, including with WWP, the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and England Rugby/RFU.

Andy Rice

COO, Major Events International

Andy is the Chief Operating Officer for Major Events International who help global events mitigate risk, minimise cost while maximising revenues and fan engagement. After taking up the role as Publishing Director at SportBusiness International, Andy helped transform it into the market-leading, multi-media brand that it is today. He has experience in heading up sport and managing partnerships with LOCOG and The Premier League.