FIFA World Cup Gives a SHA Grad Student Hands-On Experience in Event Management
Carol Gao (SHA’25) is interning with Absolut Sport and learning the behind-the-scenes logistics of event planning
Carol Gao (SHA’26) outside Gillette Stadium, where she is interning with Absolut Sport during the FIFA World Cup Boston matches. Photos by Simon Simard
FIFA World Cup Gives a SHA Grad Student Hands-On Experience in Event Management
Carol Gao (SHA’25) is interning with Absolut Sport and learning the behind-the-scenes logistics of event planning
For Carol Gao, hospitality has always been about connecting with people. As a graduate student in Boston University’s School of Hospitality Administration concentrating in event management, Gao (SHA’26) has dreams of a career that will allow her to interact with people and help create memorable experiences for them.
Her current internship with Absolut Sport—a hospitality company that provides accommodations and ticket services for fans during the FIFA World Cup—is giving her a chance to do exactly that. This summer, Gao is serving as a primary point of contact for guests throughout their stay, helping coordinate everything from hotel check-ins to match-day transportation. (Boston’s World Cup games, which began three weeks ago, will conclude on July 9 with the quarterfinals.)
The experience has given Gao, who graduates in August, a behind-the-scenes look at one of the world’s largest sporting events while strengthening her customer service and problem-solving skills. Despite the fast-paced environment, she says the internship has only reinforced her passion for event management.
BU Today spoke with Gao about her internship, what fans don’t see behind the scenes, and how the experience has inspired her to pursue a career in event management.
Q&A
with Carol Gao
BU Today: How did you land this internship?
Gao: Absolut Sport sent a letter to SHA’s Marriott Career Center, and someone there sent the email to me. They were like, “Hey, I know you’re super interested in event planning, and this is a big chance for you to get involved”. So I sent an email with my resume to Absolut Sport. I got the interview and then got the position.
BU Today: What does your internship involve?
Gao: My main responsibility is to support guests throughout their stay. I assist with any accommodation-related issues and also help guests with questions about their hotel stay, transportation, match schedules, and ticket information. On match day, I meet them in the hotel lobby. I hold a sign with the hotel’s name so they can easily identify me, and I also give them wristbands so that they can be easily organized.
BU Today: What made you want to concentrate on event management?
I really like to talk to people. I can’t do a job just in front of a computer.
BU Today: Do you get to interact with a lot of people through your internship?
Yes—they come from all over the world. I just met two people from New Zealand, and we talked a lot on the bus and during their stay. I love to hear their stories, for instance, about their families.
BU Today: What’s been your most memorable interaction with a guest?
I would say those two guys from New Zealand. After the game, they said they really appreciated my help and asked to take a picture together with me. Then they said, “We’re going to take that picture back to our home and introduce you to our family.”
BU Today: What does a typical match day look like?
We depart from the hotel about six hours before kickoff, and we take the bus together to the stadium. After we get there, we drop off the guests at the stadium entrance. The driver and I go to the parking lot together, and I send the guests our location so they can find us after the game.
BU Today: What might fans not realize about all the work that goes into making their experience run smoothly?
As they check in, I always ask guests for their contact information to make a WhatsApp group chat so I can reach out to them easily. They can text me if they have any questions, like recommendations for restaurants or places to visit. And I always contact them one day before the match to tell them what time we depart so we can get there together.
BU Today: What is one challenge you’ve faced?
Sometimes people accidentally don’t receive their tickets, even a day before match day. So I comfort them first, then reach out to our ticket department for help. So, there’s a lot of teamwork.
BU Today: What have been your biggest takeaways from the experience?
Although my major is hospitality, I don’t really want to get into the hotel industry in the future—I want to do event planning, and this experience [has] really strengthened that, along with my problem-solving and customer service skills. This is the first time I’ve worked in a fast-paced international environment and coordinated with different departments, like the transportation and hotel departments. I’ve had to adapt quickly when unexpected situations arise. It really gave me valuable hands-on experience.