An Insider's Guide to Managing Sporting Eventsuses examples from real-life events of all types and sizes to simplify the event planning process. Author Jerry Solomon draws on his 20 years of experience in sport marketing and event production to provide strategies and tactics that can be used to make your event a success. This practical handbook is a step-by-step guide through the event planning and implementation process starting with the earliest stages of event design and concluding with the post-event follow-up. An Insider's Guide to Managing Sporting Eventsexplains in detail how to develop a budget, secure athletes and sponsors, sell tickets, and negotiate a television contract. The in-depth explanations will help improve the profitability of your event. An Insider's Guide to Managing Sporting Eventsalso uses hands-on learning methods. It includes checklists to reinforce the steps learned during each stage of planning and sample contracts and timelines that can be tailored for any sporting or entertainment event. These features result in cost, time, and energy savings for you. Chapter 1gets the event planning process started by helping you define the type of event you want to create and identify the marketplace in which the event will operate. It also addresses the steps for gaining approval from various governing bodies. Chapter 2explains the crucial process of creating a budget and determining cash flow sources and schedules. Chapter 3discusses the importance of picking the right site for the event. Chapter 4offers creative and practical ways of attracting quality sponsors. Chapter 5explains how to market the event to bring in fans and how to keep them happy once they're at the event. This chapter also discusses how to develop important revenue sources such as concessions and souvenirs. Chapter 6addresses the needs of the athletes and explains how to attract big names to your event. This chapter includes detailed information on drawing up athlete contracts, and it explains the obligations of the performers and the event directors. Chapter 7explains the intricacies of television coverage for sporting events and provides examples of contract language from actual documents. Chapter 8details the implementation of the event itself, from hiring staff to overseeing operations on the day of the event to the ever-important follow-up once the event is over. An Insider's Guide to Managing Sporting Eventsis a practical, hands-on guide that is essential for event planners and sport management students looking to produce events that bring back spectators, sponsors, athletes, and television year after year. This handbook sheds light on the sporting event planning process for new or future event organizers, and it takes the planning process to the next level for those with experience in the field. If you are in the field of sport marketing or management, this invaluable reference belongs on your bookshelf.