Events Intern at West Michigan Sports Commission
Alyssa
Experience Information
Employer: West Michigan Sports Commission
Job Title: Events Intern
Major: Sport Management
Received Credit: Yes
Paid: Yes
Abroad: No
Description of the Organization
West Michigan Sports Commission (WMSC) is a small organization located in downtown Grand Rapids. Their staff consists of nine full-time staff members and several interns. While I was an intern, I had four fellow interns working different jobs. WMSC focuses on working with event directors to draw sporting events to the Greater Grand Rapids area in order to generate economic impacts for the area.
Description of the Tasks/Projects Completed
I worked on a variety of projects throughout my time as an intern. A lot of my projects included looking up information and putting it into Excel for my supervisors to use. I also updated our events website and the PlayEasy website to make sure they had all of our current events on them. I worked on the budget for March Madness bids, called companies, answered emails, tracked hotel information, marketed events, and worked with event directors to meet their needs. I created flyers on Canva to share information about events and posted about them on PlayEasy. I also revamped their volunteer network by contacting different groups and sharing sign-up information.
Skills/Knowledge Gained Through The Experience
I gained a lot of knowledge about navigating a professional workplace. I also refined my marketing skills, gained knowledge about conducting online research, and learned how to use Squarespace. I have improved in my ability to talk to people on the phone.
Favorite Part of the Experience
My favorite part of the job was the people I worked with and the environment in the office. There were days when we didn't talk much, but when everyone was in the office it was always a good time. My favorite part of the job was working on March Madness bids and touring different facilities.
How the Experience Influenced Future Career Goals
I know what it is like to work in a professional office environment and know that I need to have a job that is more hands-on. I also know that I want to work for a company that has more employees, as I enjoy being social. Now that I have seen this side of sports, I understand the industry more and have a better understanding of what kind of job I want moving forward into my career.
Internship Format
In Person