McCormack London Trip 2023

Over this year’s break, McCormack grad students were given behind-the-scenes access to stadium tours, management strategy meetings, live spectator sporting events, and the best of the UK's cultural entertainment offerings during a week-long international excursion. This first-hand insight and perspective into the UK’s sports business ecosystem helped connect our industry-leading on-campus curriculum with the living, breathing global sports landscape.

Highlights of the action-packed week-long excursion included:

• Visiting IMGs Stockley Park to ground ourselves in the relationships and commercial empire Mark McCormack built. Students toured The Premier League’s media nerve center, learning how games are produced and distributed to sporting fans across the world. Hearing how the business has evolved from Leslie McCormack and Mark’s first IMG UK employee Sarah Woolridge helped connect past and present! 
• Touring the hallowed grounds of Wimbledon and learning about the business nuances behind the oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament in the world.
• Visiting Lords Cricket Ground to meet members of the England & Wales Cricket Board and better understand the challenges and growth opportunities currently facing England’s national sport. Afterward, students practiced playing cricket at Sixes London Cricket Pub. 
• Connecting with alumnus Dom Macklin at City Football Group and unpacking the unique, multi-club business model driving the property’s growth. Icing on the cake? Erling Haaland’s 5 goals for Man City in a 7-0 Champion’s League triumph over RB Leipzig at the Etihad.
• A brief sneak peak of historic Old Trafford, and meetings with Manchester United’s business teams. 
• A little theatre: Hamilton in the West End! 
• A WSL Sunday match between Chelsea Football Club and Manchester United. 
• Touring the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, home to the 2012 Olympic Games. The impact and recreational utility of this space illustrated the power of lasting sport event legacies. 
• A classic, Saturday afternoon English Premier League match: Tottenham Hotspur Football Club vs. Nottingham Forest FC. 
• Exploring Wembley Stadium, the home of English football and the Football Association, complete with a locker-room tour. 
• Analyzing the momentum behind Formula 1’s growth at corporate HQ after a morning with URC to learn about their business model and strategy.

Please check out our gallery for more trip highlights. A special thanks to the McCormack Family and our many dedicated alumni who contribute annually, across numerous fundraising initiatives, to make these enriching experiences possible for our students.