International Sports Engagement Consultant

Job description / Role

Our client, a large entity in Abu Dhabi, is looking for a International Sports Engagement Consultant who will primarily be responsible in bringing on board new and large sporting events in the country. In this role, the person will be expected to program and curate a yearlong events calendar that consist of mega events, festivals and home grown initiatives that will be anchored in the country’s strategy within agreed budgets, quality and desired objectives.

Other responsibilities will include:

• Contribute to the development of the Events Bureau department’s annual business plan in order to ensure that the Mega Events Planning & Development section’s activities and plans are aligned and congruent with the needs and plans of the department.
• Monitor performance of the Calendar Planning & Development section in coordination with the Strategy and Planning department and prepare periodic reports on the performance of the Mega Events Planning & Development section to ensure employee performance is continually measured and addressed in a timely and effective manner.
• Champion the strategy of the event sector and programming of an emirate wide annual calendar of mega events, festivals and home grown initiatives within the identified budget, quality and objectives and ensure coordination with the relevant stakeholders internally and externally.
• Organize and prepare presentations to board on strategies quarterly or as and when required.
• Develop the best fit partnership and operating models for the assigned festivals. This will include the development of the Request for Proposal, Request for Concept, Co- production models via Advantage Abu Dhabi grant and the relevant Service Level Agreements to ensure legal contractual and performance standards.
• Champion the development, framework and growth of the industry ecosystem of infrastructure, Content owners, Promoters and Intermediaries like ticket channels using a mix of policy review, data analysis and appropriate industry incentives. Quarterly overview the event licensing framework, process and prioritization so as to ensure a competitive regulatory landscape for the development a robust ecosystem and forward planning calendar of events. Where need, create an active advisory board for each initiative, cultivate relationships, and build a personal network of industry sources and experts.
• Project manage the curation of the annual Abu Dhabi events calendar with marketing, licensing and the key industry stakeholders so as to ensure a outcome of programming base on the seasonality of the key visitors and source markets to Abu Dhabi.
• Develop the best fit partnership and operating models for the initiatives. This will include the Bidding of Global events, Co-production models via Advantage Abu Dhabi grant, Request for Concept, Development of Industry incentive and support schemes alongside the relevant Service Level Agreements to ensure legal contractual and performance standards. Champion, Identify and implement private and public partnerships to reduce cost and increase private sector participation and collaborations on strategic partnerships, sponsors and patrons so as to maximize the commercial opportunities and programming impact to corporate outcomes.
• Identify and develop annual joint work plans with leading global and local Intellectual property content owners, sanctioning bodies, commercial promoters, touring production, local venues and stakeholders that can contribute to the development of flagship initiatives that drive overnight visitors to Abu Dhabi. Have to possess strong financial acumen to develop the correct incentive and commercial offers to secure, build and innovate an annual portfolio of 10-15 mega, international, touring or home grown initiatives that will attract 15,000-20,000 attendees per initiative.
• Secure the necessary activation and programming rights with content owners so as to facilitate the Outreach and Programming team to develop and produce citywide programs and format (showcases, competitions, talent discovery, market place, industry & citywide promotions/offers/deals, conferences, and symposiums) every year. This is to contribute towards the portfolio programming towards growth and innovation.

Requirements

To be consider for this role, you need to meet the following criteria:

• A degree holder, having a master degree or additional qualification would be a plus
• Strong fluency in English language; knowledge in Arabic or another language is an advantage
• Adept in reviewing various engagement contracts
• Extensive experience in various sporting events
• Strong international network of sporting organizations/institutions
• Have a proven track record in delivering/staging large sporting events

Important note: This is a permanent position but the role will be outsourced through a third party. Candidates based outside UAE are welcome to apply.

About the Company

Black Pearl is a human resources and recruitment agency that provides a holistic business and talent solution in a progressive, dynamic, and efficient way.

We pride ourselves as a unique black pearl and strive to delight our clients with a personalized partnership that helps them propel towards success.

Whether you need to find top talent, your next great job opportunity, or a consulting solution for managing your business, engaging employees, evolving your work culture, planning your people strategy, or resourcing challenges, we can help.