By Lewis Wiseman

What makes the Australian sports industry so unique is the number of sports vying to be number one in the hearts of locals, as students attending the inaugural UCFB Global Summit in Melbourne this week have been finding out.

Days two, three and four of the Summit continued to see a series of guest speakers from important roles and jobs across Australia sport, with students hanging on to their every word. Some of those names included:

  • Ben Osborn, Digital and Social Marketing Manager at Cricket Victoria
  • Brett Daniher, Head of Commercial at Bastion EBA
  • Dave Arthur, Sponsorship and Marketing at the National Rugby League (NRL)
  • Paul Cammack, Head of Participation and Andrea Buckridge, Education Manager at Tennis Australia
  • Nick Hockley, CEO Twenty20 Cricket World Cup
  • Peter Marcato, Sports Broadcaster
  • Peter Wearne, General Manager of Facilities at Melbourne Cricket Club
  • Dr Josh Mcleod, Research Fellow on Sports Governance at Research Centre for Sport
  • Josh Eltringham, General Manager Venue & Events Services at Melbourne Cricket Club
  • Mark Clemmit, BBC Sport Presenter and Media Expert
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The BBC's Mark Clemmit, standing, has been hosting the Summit in Melbourne.

Brett Daniher, Head of Commercial at Bastion EBA, discussed the use of unique forms of activations. The session really caught the students’ imaginations – Brett also stayed for over an hour after his talk to interact with the Summit’s attendees.  

Students were then treated to an engaging chat from Dr. Dave Arthur, a man who has shaped the public image of Australian rugby league over the last few decades. His speaking style got everyone involved as he showed the different marketing strategies and campaigns the NRL has applied to create a family-friendly and exciting sport which is loved by the nation.

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Summit attendees enjoyed a behind the scenes tour and then took in some live action at the Australian Open.

Paul Cammack from Tennis Australia broke down how their company’s model is to put social and environmental factors ahead of tennis when they plan events. This surprised the majority of the students, but after attending the Australian Open on Wednesday to see the event for itself, it was clear that this statement was true.

At the Open, students were given a guided tour followed by a free day to enjoy the tennis, food, shopping and live entertainment.

Day four of the Summit included a taster session open to university students and industry professionals from across Melbourne to showcase what UCFB has to offer, and meant a number of students from the local area mingled with UCFB students to learn more about each other’s educational experiences.

Following this, an inspiring networking session took place between UCFB students, Australian sports professionals and local students, all in view of the hallowed MCG turf.

Up ahead is the final day of the Summit in Melbourne, followed by a weekend trip to Sydney to experience more live sport, and of course, Australia Day!