More on Sports Marketing Job profile

As in any other profession, there are certain specific duties that sports marketers are expected to perform. These include:

• Negotiating and preparing contracts for athletes
• Leveraging sponsorships
• Planning and coordinating sports events
• Conducting market research and analysis
• Producing promotional material, including mailers and Web Sites
• Resolving professional and personal issues between athletes and sports organizations
• Monitoring sports activities and new trends
• Overseeing the development of new merchandise and products associated with a team, player or a particular sport
• Overseeing the upkeep and maintenance of a sports facility
• Overseeing ticket sales
• Media management during sporting events

Career prospects

As a sports marketer, you may consider working in one of the following profiles:

Marketing Directors: Build visibility and reputation of an athlete, team, or company. They also oversee the entire gamut of marketing exercises.

Promotion Managers: Responsible for game-day promos and activities

Community Relations Directors: Ensure that professional sports team maintains good relations with the community.

Sports Agents: They represents athletes and negotiate contracts to improve the marketability, visibility, and earnings of players

Public Relations Directors: Organize press box activities

Directors of Corporate Sales: Generally, they work on behalf of teams to form partnerships with businesses.

Ticket Operations Directors: Mainly responsible for the sale of single game tickets, season ticket packages, loge boxes, club boxes and luxury skybox tickets

Facilities Directors: Responsible for managing sports facilities.

Market Researchers: Responsible for conducting surveys on sports trends and sports statistics for teams, sports associations, sports retailers and manufacturers.

Travel to the USA

The United States of America is the most preferred choice of destination for many individuals and families around the globe. Individuals/Families travel to the U.S. for various purposes ranging from education, employment, personal, medical treatment, business, and tourism. Possession of a valid visa and passport of your home country allows you to travel to a port of entry in the United States.

At the foremost, a prospective traveler to the U.S. needs to locate the nearest U.S. Embassy/consulate and apply for a visa well in advance. A valid passport and necessary documents should be showed to support the visa application process.

Student applicants need to apply for a student visa, find colleges and universities in the U.S. and apply for financial aid. A course enrollment certificate to a U.S. school or university is compulsory before starting the visa application process.

As a norm, foreign visitors on arrival in USA are required to show valid passport and visa documents. Foreign visitors are also required to fill the I-94 form and any cash, 'monetary instruments' or traveler cheques above US $10,000 or more (in any currency) ought to be declared with the custom authorities.

Career as Sports Marketing

A sports marketer is the person behind your sports hero. The one responsible for spotting new talent, negotiating contracts, building the PR machinery, and popularizing a game and a player, a sports marketer has a very exciting job.

Eligibility and requirements

Since marketing is the key word in this field, a Master’s degree in Business Administration with emphasis on sports management or sports marketing is the perfect criterion. Although, you will gain many insights about the business through on-job trainings, a marketing degree will open the right doors for you and help land you your first job.

In general, well known clubs, teams and corporate houses prefer recruiting MBAs as their employees.

Personality traits

Sports marketers are people who have endless possibilities as every type of sport needs professionals to look at the business side. This is a dynamic field and you need to be a high-energy, enterprising individual with a passion for the sport you follow. With new games like snowboarding, dirt biking, extreme-skiing entering the traditional sporting arena, any avid sports buff can pursue this as a career, provided he has the aptitude of a marketing guy.

Remuneration

Your financial gain will depend on the kind of sports that you are engaged in. As has been mentioned earlier, there are very few sports that enjoy a worldwide popularity. Most often than not, the popularity of a particular game is concentrated within a certain geographical area. And, it’s certainly no lie that some sports are defiantly more lucrative than others. Therefore, an entry-level marketer working for a professional basketball or baseball team in the US can earn somewhere around $30,000 in the first year. More experienced workers can earn more than $75,000, whereas, top-level marketing executives can earn up to $150,000.

Documents and Visa Expenses for students

Documents required for a visa application are:

• A Valid Passport
• One recent Passport size photograph (Black and White or Color)
• A Non-immigrant Visa Application (Form 156) available from the Consular section
• Form I-20 executed by the authorizing official of institution concerned, signed by the applicant
• Transcripts and diplomas/degrees from previous educational institutions attended
• Scores of TOEFL, SAT, GRE, GMAT, etc

• Financial evidence or proof showing that you or your parents are sponsoring you and have sufficient financial resources to fund your tuition and living expenses during the course of your study. Staying beyond the period of time authorized by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and being out-of-status in the United States is a violation of U.S. immigration and may cause you to be ineligible for a visa in the future for return travels to the U.S.

Visa Fee
You need to pay the visa fee in Indian Rupees by Bank Draft.

A visa fee may include the following:

• Nonimmigrant visa application processing fee, Form DS-156 (non-refundable): $131.00
• Border crossing card - 10 year (age 15 and over) non-refundable: $131.00
• Border crossing card - (under age 15). For Mexican citizen if parent or guardian has or is applying for a border crossing card (non-refundable): $13.00
• L Visa- Fraud Prevention and Detection for visa applicant in the L blanket petition abroad only (principal applicant only): $500.00
• Payment of US $100 for the SEVIS fee
• Pre-Departure Information
• All visa applicants must be aware that according to US immigration rules, a visa does not guarantee automatic entry into the United States
• All students within or outside the U.S. staying away from classes for more than five months, will have to enter the U.S. with a new visa. Also, all student visitors must possess Form I-20 each time they enter the United States
• All students on arriving in the campus should report immediately to the office assists international students and scholars

How to reapply if your Visa is rejected?
A U.S. consular officer shall reconsider a case if an applicant can show further convincing evidence of ties outside the United States. One should contact any U.S. embassy or consulate to know about reapplication procedures. Also, a "written denial decision" may be requested from the concerned Consular Officer.

However, a few applicants will not qualify for a nonimmigrant visa, regardless of how many times they reapply, until their personal, professional, and financial circumstances improve drastically.

Accrediting Agencies

Singapore

• Professional Engineers Board - grants national accreditation to engineering and technology courses.
• National University of Singapore (NUS) - offers a number of accredited undergraduate and post graduate programs for students to choose from, such as the accountancy program accredited by ACRA.

UK and Europe

• Association of MBAs (AMBA) - is an association of over 9500 MBA students and graduates, accredited business schools and MBA employers that is also the internationally recognized global standard for MBA programs.
• Association of Business Schools (ABS) - This is the 'Trade' Association for UK Business Schools
• European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) initiated and managed The European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS) – is the European accreditation system for B-Schools. EQUIS specializes in accrediting schools not just programs of study.
• Foundation for International Business Administration Accreditation (FIBAA) - accredits under-graduate and post-graduate courses in Germany, Austria and Switzerland
• Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) - This is the UK national government agency charged with monitoring and seeking to ensure adequate quality in higher-education. It audits institutions and publishes its findings on them.
• Engineering Council UK (ECUK) - regulates the engineering in the United Kingdom through 36 engineering Institutions (Licensed Members) who are licensed to put suitably qualified members on the ECUK's Register of Engineers.

Career Prospects in UK

The following professions are in considerable demand in the United Kingdom:

• Nursing,
• Dentistry
• Teaching
• Engineering
• Senior Care Workers,
• Community Workers,
• Managers,
• Chefs &
• IT workers.

It is relatively easy for aspiring migrant workers to acquire work permits for medical and teaching professions.

Living in the UK

London and the southeast of England are going to be the most expensive areas to live in with some of the larger northern cities, like Edinburgh, Manchester and Leeds, coming close behind. You should allow about £7,750 to £10,000 a year for your living expenses.

Student Discount: Many shops, theatres, cinemas, museums and galleries offer special reductions for students and special student fares are often available on buses and trains.

The cost of your breakfast and evening meal may be included in the rent you pay. Where meals are included you can expect to pay from £300 to £380 per month. For students with families, a number of universities and colleges offer two- or three-bedroom family units at a cost of £450 to £550 per month.

Health care: All international students on full-time UK courses that last more than six months can take advantage of the UK’s National Health Service, including free consultation with doctors and free hospital care for you and your family.

Here are some of the things that you should budget for and their average prices.

According to a survey by the UK’s National Union of Students (July 2005), the average expenses are:

• Student accommodation: average outside of London is £57 per week; inside London £80.
• Self-catering halls of residence £180 to £360 ,
• Catered halls of residence £320 to £400,
• Private-sector room in shared house/flat £200 to £380.

How to apply for a Student Visa?

An early appointment with the nearest US Embassy or Consulate through mail, telephone or a visit is required. It is best to apply 12- 18 months in advance for the visa to make sure that there is sufficient time for visa processing.

Visa procedures often vary from country to country, for example, how to pay the visa application processing fee and how to make an appointment for an interview.

All necessary documents such as a valid passport should be kept ready to support the application procedure. Details about employment, financial status and reason of travel are crucial information.

You'll need to pay the SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) fee, pay the visa processing fee (the procedure will differ from one U.S. Embassy/Consulate to another, so visit the website of the U.S. Embassy, and make an appointment for the visa interview (again, procedures will differ, so visit the website of the U.S. Embassy).Visa fee ought to be paid before an appointment and it is refundable.

After submission of the application with passport, and other supporting documents to the US Embassy or Consulate, it is usually screened by the Consular Officer and in many cases by officials in Washington DC. Visa may be issued within a few weeks or may be rejected. It is best to apply early for the visa to make sure that there is sufficient time for visa processing.
Additional information will be required in some cases. Any cases of security concern may delay your application procedure and you may be required to appear for additional interviews and also disclose further information.

The U.S. Embassy/Consulate cannot issue a visa more than 120 days before the actual start of the program in the United States. However, visa applicants are encouraged to apply for their visa as soon as they are prepared to do so.

If you have been issued a visa to enter the United States, you will not be allowed to enter the country more than 30 days before the start of your program, if you are an initial entry student. Returning students do not have this requirement.

In most countries, first time student visa applicants are required to appear for an in-person interview. Keep in mind that June, July, and August are the busiest months in most consular sections, and interview appointments are the most difficult to get during that period. Students need to plan ahead to avoid having to make repeat visits to the Embassy.

Advantage of Swiss education in hotel management

Students from across the globe come to Switzerland for hotel management courses. At "César Ritz", for example, about 500 students come to study every year from over 50 countries. Alumni of Swiss hotel management colleges are spread all over the world. You can have the advantage of alumni network. The faculty comprises well-experienced international hotel professionals as well as highly distinguished professors from business and general education fields. Practical training is of superior quality and IT and theory classrooms meet world-class standards. Students cannot graduate from the Swiss schools without having completed some practical work experience in a hotel or restaurant. These practical training periods vary from 6 months to one year and usually take place in the Swiss hospitality industry.

Languages of Instruction

The languages of instruction in Swiss colleges are English, French or German.

Accreditation

ASEH - the Swiss Hotel Schools Association accredits hotel management colleges in Switzerland and ensures the quality and standard of the colleges. At present ASEH has over 12 leading hotel management schools, teaching their programs in French, German, and/or English, eight of which teach programs in English. ASEH is a stamp of guarantee for quality hotel management education in Switzerland.

Other Study Abroad Options

You can also explore other destination such as Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, UK, and Canada for courses in Hotel Management. You can find, compare, and evaluate various Hotel Management programs in the above mentioned destinations at this site.

Want Student Visa for USA

In the U.S. visas are categorized into: immigrant and nonimmigrant. The Immigrant visa category applies to those individuals who intend to live permanently in the U.S. Nonimmigrant visas is applicable for people with permanent residence outside the U.S. but who wish to be in the U.S. on a temporary basis – for tourism, medical treatment, business, temporary work or study.

Students interested in studying in the United States must be admitted to a U.S. school or university before starting the visa process.

Student visas are further divided into three types:

• F 1 Visa for Academic Studies accepted for a program to study or conduct research at an accredited American educational institution
• M 1 Visa for Non-Academic or Vocational Studies is issued to individuals accepted into a program to study or train at a non-academic American institution
• J 1 Visas for Academic Studies as an Exchange Visitor is issued when accepted into a program through a designated sponsoring organization to participate in an exchange visitor program in the U.S. It also includes educational and cultural exchange programs

Traveling Expenses for USA

A visit to the USA is a privilege for many people around the world. Discovering America is a fun-filled adventure with breathtaking landscapes, fashion streets and innumerable interesting attractions.

Tourists keen to discover the myriad culture and greatness of America do not need a lavish budget.

Taking away the cost of air fares and visa fees, one can be content with a minimum budget of $250 to $300 a day, to keep on the spirit of discovering America. Apart from travelers check and cash, major debit and credit cards of MasterCard/Visa are also accepted.

U.S. Dollar ($) banknotes and bills are all of the same size and color. An American dollar ($) is equivalent to one hundred cents and US Dollar notes come in denominations of 1, 2 , 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100.

Areas of work in hotel

• General Operations: This includes supervision, co-ordination and administration of all other departments as well as overall financial control.
• Front Office: This includes providing information, making room reservations and taking care of check-ins and check-outs, besides the duties performed by the Personnel Department of any company.
• Sales and Marketing: This includes interaction with travel agents and tour operators as well as other potential corporate clients in order to sell hotel facilities. This department also normally handles advertising and public relations.
• Food and Beverage: This function is the hub of the hotel industry and is responsible for all the food that is prepared and served in the hotel.
• House Keeping: The main function of the housekeeping is to make sure that all rooms are kept in order and all the needs of the guests are met.

Top Employers
The Taj, Oberois, ITDC, ITC, and Welcome Group.

Average Salaries
Entry level salary in the Indian hotel industry is around Rs. 10000 – Rs.13000 per month. The salary grows with your experience and you can expect to earn Rs. 25000 plus after 2-3 years of experience. With the increase in demand for highly skilled resources, salaries are rising very fast.

Study Abroad
Switzerland is the most preferred destination for hotel management courses. A degree or diploma from a Swiss Hotel Management college will give you a competitive edge

Career Prospects in hotel management

At the present rate of growth of Indian Tourism, the future of careers in Hotel Management is extremely bright. The requirement for manpower is estimated to be over 100000. With globalization, jobs in hotel industry are also opening up internationally. International job opportunities offer better salary packages and opportunities for travel as well as prospects of professional and personal growth.
You can look for a career in:

• Hotel and restaurant management
• Airline catering and cabin services
• Club management
• Cruise ship hotel management
• Hospital administration and catering
• Hotel and tourism associations
• Forest lodges
• Guest houses
• Institutional management (supervising canteens in college, schools, in factories, company guest houses etc.)
• Catering departments of railways, banks, armed forces, shipping companies etc.
• Hotel and catering institutes
• Self employment

Students graduating from established institutes of hotel management can join Railways, Airlines, and Shipping lines in their catering services, or the defense sector. Hospitals and other institutions also recruit hotel management professionals.