CSULB
grad students marketing for Soccerfest
By Li-Wei Yang
Summer On-line Forty-Niner
A
group of graduate students at Cal State
Long Beach in the sports management program
held a meeting last week with officials
from Major League Soccer. The two sides
discussed extensively how to best market
the 2003 Pepsi MLS Soccerfest to the residents
of Southern California.
MLS officials had hoped to carry out a grassroots
marketing campaign here in Southern California
to promote Soccerfest — which is to be held
at the campus of CSU Dominguez Hills — and
selected CSULB as a marketing partner.
“We here at Major League Soccer have only
heard and read positive things about the
sports management program [at CSULB],” said
Neel Shah, MLS coordinator of fan development
and special events. “The prior and current
students have been involved in a number
of strong internships and the program’s
faculty and advisory board is pretty remarkable.”
Students presented various marketing strategies
and game plans to the MLS officials. Similarly,
the MLS officials attentively answered any
questions that the students had for this
event.
“I was impressed with the preparation and
enthusiasm that they brought to the presentation
and could tell that these were all motivated
students,” said Shah. “Their preliminary
research looked great and they came up with
a number of avenues to promote this event.”
The Soccerfest promotion will enable students
to be involved in a number of hands-on projects.
Students are responsible for implementing
promotional and marketing plans for Soccerfest
at a local level, and manage elements on
the day of the event. The project has designated
Soccerfest as a family event and is aiming
toward the large youth population in Southern
California. As a result, students gain valuable
experiences from this project.
“It is comforting to know that the information
taught in the sports management classroom
can easily be applied to our future careers,”
said Megan Rowe, a graduate student of the
sports management program. “This opportunity
has opened my eyes, and shown me a glimpse
of what it takes to run a successful event
of this caliber.”
Soccerfest will be held in conjunction with
the 2003 Pepsi MLS All-Star Game, which
is to be held at the newly opened Home Depot
Center — home of the Los Angeles Galaxy
— starting on July 31 and runs through the
weekend. Participants to the Soccerfest
will have opportunities to meet MLS players,
learn soccer skills and scrimmage against
opponents.
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