OVERVIEW

The course addresses the fundamental principles and tools for the management, planning and organization of 
sports activities and sports organizations, with particular attention to transforming an idea into a sustainable, 
measurable and practically feasible project. 
The course considers sport as a complex system in which sports organizations, public institutions, businesses, 
athletes, coaches, volunteers, sponsors, media, local communities and other stakeholders interact. 
Particular emphasis will be placed on understanding the national and international sports system as a fundamental element in the planning and management of sports activities and events. The course will also address the definition of objectives, resource planning, budgeting, marketing and communication, service quality, risk and safety management, sustainability and the evaluation of results. 
Through case studies and practical exercises, students will be guided in applying management tools to operational situations within the sports sector. 

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The teaching has as its educational objective to know the correct setting of a sports company in reference to the methods of designing structures, analysis of the Quality System, budget planning and marketing strategies; manage the organization of a sports event in the different ways and specificities.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to provide students with the knowledge and skills required to understand and manage the 
main organizational, economic and managerial processes within the sports sector. 

By the end of the course, students will be able to: 
• understand the structure, key actors and fundamental relationships of the national and international sports 
system; 
• understand the organizational and managerial characteristics of a sports organization or sports enterprise; 
• identify the objectives, stakeholders, resources, constraints and expected outcomes of a sports project; 
• structure the main phases of planning, implementation and evaluation of a sports event; 
• prepare the essential elements of a budget and understand the relationship between costs, revenues, funding 
sources and economic sustainability; 
• apply marketing and communication principles to the promotion of sports organizations, projects and events; 
• understand the role of quality systems and performance indicators; 
• identify the main organizational aspects relating to safety, risk management, accessibility and sustainability; 
• analyse practical cases and formulate reasoned organizational solutions; 
• develop a sports project by integrating managerial, economic, organizational and communication aspects. 
Learning outcomes will be developed in terms of knowledge and understanding, applying knowledge and 
understanding, making judgements, communication skills and learning skills. 

PREREQUISITES

No specific prerequisites are required beyond the basic knowledge acquired during previous university studies. 
Any economic and managerial concepts required for the course will be introduced or reviewed during the 
lessons. 

TEACHING METHODS

The course consists of 24 teaching hours during the first semester. Teaching combines lectures, case analysis, 
guided discussions, practical exercises and project activities. Examples from local, national and international 
sports organizations, projects and events will be used. 
The teaching approach emphasizes the connection between theoretical principles and practical application. 
Subject to course organization, professionals and experts from the sports sector may contribute to selected 
sessions, and supplementary materials will be made available through AulaWeb. Attendance, in accordance 
with the Degree Programme regulations, is strongly recommended due to the applied nature of the course. 

Any Student with documented Specific Learning Disorders (SLD), or with any special needs, should contact the Lecturer(s) and to the dedicated SLD Representative in the Department before class begins, in order to liaise and arrange the specific teaching methods so that the learning aims and outcomes may be met.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

1. The national and international sports system 
– characteristics and structure of the sports system; 
– main actors and sports organizations at national and international level; 
– organizations, enterprises and other entities operating in the sports sector; 
– relationships among public institutions, sports organizations, the private sector and non-profit organizations; 
– stakeholders within the sports system. 

2. Management and organization 
– mission, vision, objectives and strategies; 
– organizational models, roles, functions, responsibilities and decision-making processes; 
– human resources and volunteer management; 
– leadership, coordination and teamwork. 

3. Project planning in sport 
– context and needs analysis; 
– definition of objectives and expected outcomes; 
– phases, activities, timelines, resources and responsibilities; 
– stakeholder analysis and partnerships; 
– monitoring, indicators and evaluation of results. 

4. Financial management and budgeting 
– essential structure of a budget; 
– costs and revenues; 
– sponsorships, partnerships and main funding sources; 
– financial control and project sustainability. 

5. Marketing and communication in sport 
– principles of sport marketing; 
– segmentation, audiences and positioning; 
– sponsorship and partnership activation; 
– event communication, media and digital tools; 
– brand, reputation and stakeholder relations. 

6. Planning and organization of sports events 
– types and characteristics of sports events; 
– bidding, concept development and organizational planning; 
– venues and facilities, logistics, accreditation and services; 
– organization of human resources and volunteers; 
– relations with institutions, federations, partners, sponsors and suppliers; 
– management of services for athletes, delegations, spectators and stakeholders. 

7. Quality, safety, risk and sustainability 
– quality management principles and customer satisfaction; 
– identification and management of organizational risks; 
– safety and security principles applied to sports events; 
– accessibility and inclusion; 
– environmental, social and economic sustainability; 
– event legacy and territorial impact. 

8. Case studies and project work 
– analysis of sports events and organizations; 

– guided development of a sports project or event; 
– definition of objectives, organizational structure and stakeholders; 
– budget and economic sustainability; 
– marketing and communication; 
– risk and safety management; 
– sustainability and performance indicators. 

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Teaching materials, slides, case studies and documents made available by the lecturer through AulaWeb are an 
integral part of the course preparation. 

Recommended books and references: 
• Masterman, G., Strategic Sports Event Management, Routledge. 
• Hoye, R., Smith, A. C. T., Nicholson, M., Stewart, B., Sport Management: Principles and Applications, 
Routledge. 
• Mullin, B. J., Hardy, S., Sutton, W. A., Sport Marketing, Human Kinetics. 
• Documents, guidelines, regulations and applied case studies indicated during the course. 

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

IGOR OVIDIO MARCELLO LANZONI (President)

TOMMASO ARRIGO (President and Coordinator of Integrated Course)

LESSONS

LESSONS START

1st semester, October.

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The examination is designed to assess students’ knowledge of the course contents and their ability to apply 
management, planning and organizational tools to practical situations within the sports sector. 

The examination consists of: 
1. a written multiple-choice test covering the topics addressed during the course and the teaching materials 
indicated by the lecturer; 
2. an assignment/project work, to be completed individually or in a group according to the lecturer’s 
instructions, concerning the planning, management or analysis of a sports activity, organization or event. 
The project work is intended to assess the student’s ability to apply the acquired knowledge in practice by 
integrating organizational, managerial, economic, communication, safety and sustainability aspects. 

Operational arrangements, the characteristics of the test and project work, and the related assessment criteria 
will be explained by the lecturer at the beginning of the course and made available on AulaWeb. 

ASSESSMENT METHODS

Assessment is intended to verify achievement of the learning objectives and expected learning outcomes of 
the course. 

The following elements will be assessed: 
• knowledge and understanding of the fundamental concepts relating to the national and international sports 
system and to management, planning and organization in sport; 
• appropriate use of technical and managerial terminology; 
• ability to understand the relationships among the different actors within the sports system; 
• ability to apply management and planning models and tools to practical cases; 
• ability to analyse organizational problems and identify coherent solutions; 
• ability to integrate organizational, economic, communication, safety and sustainability aspects into the 
planning of sports activities and events; 
• quality, coherence and practical applicability of the assignment/project work. 

The final assessment will take into account both the results of the written test and the quality of the assignment/project work.