GIS Global Sports Summit @ BMO Field, Toronto FC

The 2023 Toronto Global Sports Summit is scheduled to include:

• Toronto FC v Chicago Fire @ BMO Field (MLS)
• Hamilton Tiger-Cats v Toronto Argonauts @ Tim Hortons’ Field (CFL)
• Toronto Argonauts v Ottawa Redblacks (CFL)

• Elite sports teams and franchises;
• Stadium and venue staff;
• Sports club owners and management groups;
• Sports agencies;
• Sports media and broadcasters;
• Former and current players, managers and coaches.

Speakers from recent Toronto Global Sports Summits included senior leaders from:

• Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment
• Toronto FC (MLS)
• Toronto Raptors (NBA)
• Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL)
• Toronto Argonauts (CFL)
• Raptors Uprising GC Esports Team (NBA2K)
• And many more!

The schedule for the 2023 Summit will be communicated closer to the time of the event.

Getting behind the scenes of key sporting organisations will form a key part of the Summit. This will include tours of stadiums and training facilities and meeting key staff. 

A number of optional city experiences will be arranged as part of the trip to showcase the best that Toronto has to offer.

Networking with key players in the sports industry will form a central part of the GIS Toronto Sports Summit. There will be opportunities to meet with senior leaders and decision makers from major sports organisations, providing an excellent chance for attendees to build connections and build their personal brand whilst learning about the local sports market.

• Accommodation;
• Access to scheduled live sport experiences
• Internal coach journeys to summit activities, where appropriate.
• Day excursion to Niagara Falls, including coach travel and ‘Voyage of the Falls’ boat tour

• Flights;
• Food and drink;
• General spending money;
• Optional group city activities; 
• Optional live sport experiences 

Students and alumni can visit the UCFB Online Shop for details of costs and to purchase their ticket.

Toronto Pearson Airport is a 30 minute drive from the accommodation, or approximately 50 minutes by public transport. It is well served by many international airports. UCFB/GIS can provide travel advice to confirmed Summit attendees.

Once further details of the next GIS Toronto Global Sports Summit are confirmed, we will advise students and alumni of estimated costs associated with attending the event.

Located on the shores of Lake Ontario, Toronto has a population of around three million people and was recently announced as the “fastest growing” population in the whole of North America. It’s lakeside location has made it a vital international trading hub and ensured it has become Canada’s financial centre. Toronto regularly celebrates its diverse culture, with around half of its population noted as being members of a “visible minority”. It’s these characteristics which make Toronto one of the most welcoming cities in the world for foreign students.

Toronto’s skyline is one of the most recognisable in the world. Nestled along the shoreline of Lake Ontario, it takes visitors’ breath away in height of summer and cold depths of winter. Its most iconic landmark though is the CN Tower; standing at 553m it was the tallest structure in the world until Dubai’s Burj Khalifa was built in 2009. A visit to the top is an absolute must. Visitors are encouraged to also take in The Royal Ontario Museum, home to an abundance of world art and natural history, and one of the biggest museums in North America, as well as take a boat out to Toronto Islands – a chain of 15 small islands which feature a beach, amusements parks and further natural beauty.

Visitors to Toronto will never be short of options if they want to take in some top level sport. Between a championship winning Raptors basketball team to a success hungry Maple Leaf ice hockey side, sport is the beating heart of this Canadian city. With Canada set to host its first FIFA World Cup in 2026, now is a perfect time to get to grips with and understand the inner workings of the Canadian sports industry.

Click here for more information on sport in Toronto

The Distillery District was once a derelict collection of industrial buildings, but can now rival any of the trendiest neighbourhoods in Europe with its collection of shopping and eating options. Coffee, tapas, ice cream, noodles and beer; you may never want to leave. Of course, any trip to Canada isn’t complete without a giant portion of poutine – fries smothered in cheese curd and gravy. For the very best in the city head to Smoke’s Poutinerie or Nom Nom Nom, according to Time Out.

GIS's global study hubs will each host one Global Sports Summit at each hub this academic year, providing attendees with a packed schedule of industry insight, professional development and networking opportunities. They will feature guests from renowned sporting organisations, locally tailored to each global study hub, allowing attendees to learn best practice and understand how sport is managed within each country. Each Global Sports Summit will provide guests grouped into three categories: from the boardroom, from the industry and from the pitch, allowing students and alumni the opportunity to truly understand all aspects of sport. 

Click here for further information on the GIS Global Sports Summits that are planned for this academic year. 

UCFB believes strongly in the benefits of students and alumni attending GIS Global Sports Summit, however we recognise that this comes at a cost to the individual. As a result, we have developed UCFB’s Global Insight Series, a portal of content regularly updated, featuring thought leadership, Q&As and career advice from UK campus guest speakers as well as from all of our global study hub partners.

Yes! All current students and alumni will be able to attend a Global Sports Summit at a GIS global hub.

No. Places are only available for current UCFB and GIS students as well as all alumni.

Yes! Places are limited at every Summit, however there is nothing stopping you applying to attend more than one event.

GIS’s global hubs will provide current students and alumni the opportunity to attend Global Sports Summits, based at some of the world’s leading stadiums. GIS’s global hubs are based at New York's Red Bull Arena, the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Toronto FC's BMO Field, the Inter Miami CF Stadium and the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

UCFB and GIS has exclusive partnerships with these stadiums, providing a unique global network for students and alumni.

Visiting a Global Sports Summit at one of GIS’s global hubs will allow you to grasp a true understanding of how different sports are managed around the world by hearing first-hand from leading sports organisations, which will be locally tailored to each global hub location.

In addition to this, you will have the opportunity to further develop professional skills and gain a cultural awareness of another part of the world. International educational experiences have been shown to boost student prospects across a variety of areas, particularly:

• Increased average earnings;
• Increased employment rate;
• Increased overall grades.

Currently GIS’s global hubs will only be accessible during each Global Sports Summit. In time, UCFB and GIS may look to increase accessibility through more educational events.

In addition to all benefits listed for those visiting a GIS global hub, there is still a host of benefits that will arise from UCFB’s international expansion, including:

• Thought leadership from our global hub partners, accessible through UCFB’s Global Insight Series and the content hub of the UCFB website;
• Increased work experience and employment opportunities for current students and alumni, through increased international employer engagement;
• A more global alumni network.

To allow students and alumni maximum flexibility, Summit attendees must book all travel arrangements independently. Logistical information can be found above on this page, however if further information is required please contact toronto@ucfb.com and our team will be happy to help you with your travel plans.

UCFB-GIS works closely with GDG Travel, who have years of travel expertise. Their team will know all the travel requirements for the Toronto Global Sports Summit once they have been confirmed and will be more than happy to help you book. An email address will be provided by email once details of the event have gone live.

Accommodation for this opportunity will solely be booked by UCFB-GIS, and to book your place at the Summit you must book accommodation through UCFB-GIS. All attendees will be staying at the same hotel for the duration of the Summit.

Attendees are free to make their own travel arrangements as they see fit, however are reminded that for the duration of the Summit their accommodation is fixed as per the Summit schedule.

Attendees are expected to attend all sessions as part of the Summit. Whilst the Summit is ongoing, the focus of all UCFB and local staff will be on providing an excellent experience for those in attendance.

Yes – we know that attendees will want time to themselves to explore the area at their own leisure and this will be scheduled into the Summit agenda.

Some live sports games will be free of charge – these will be core activities that form a part of the Summit.

We are busy working with sports organisations and individuals in Canada to confirm the best possible experiences and speakers for the Summit. We will release details of speakers and experiences as they become confirmed in due course. A full and detailed schedule will be sent to all those travelling before we depart for Toronto. As communicated, the Summit will contain a mix of guest speakers, learning opportunities, networking opportunities, live sport and behind the scenes access.

Yes. Please contact global@ucfb.com after completing the booking form to discuss this.

Attendees will need money for food, drink, city activities, and general spending. Toronto is a vibrant city with a huge variety of options, however spending budgets depend on the individual.

UCFB will have a team in place on the ground in Toronto to assist with inbound Summit attendees. Once you have booked your place at the Summit and booked your travel, UCFB will request your travel plans so that we can assist you with logistics on day one when you arrive.

Summit attendees are responsible for ensuring they can travel to Canada and to any countries in which they stop at as part of their journey to and from the Summit, along with any visa costs.

British Citizens don’t usually need a visa to visit Canada for short periods of time, but they need to get an Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) before they travel. An eTA is required to board a flight to Canada.

Further information on this is available from the UK Government website here.

Summit attendees have full responsibility their entry requirements. If you are an international student or alumni, please contact your relevant embassy or government website to check your travel permissions and any steps you need to take to gain access to Canada.

UCFB encourages all attendees to check their travel permissions and make their visa arrangements well in advance of the Summit in case of any visa processing delays.

Students will be required to purchase their own travel insurance for this trip and will need to provide UCFB-GIS with proof of purchase in order to attend the Summit. 

The feasibility of hosting our international Summits in-country is under constant review. Where travel is not possible due to COVID-19, the Global Sports Summits will be delivered virtually and made available for all UCFB and GIS students. We are committing to communicating a final decision on whether these events will go ahead in-person or virtually with a minimum of 2 months’ notice.