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Exciting work environment

WE'VE all watched a sports game or a concert at a stadium - it's amazing how organised everything is.

With so many people in one area most would assume something would go wrong. This is where the stadium manager comes in.

Hugo Kemp is the manager at one of South Africa's largest sport stadiums. He completed his sports degree and got involved in rugby at varsity and club level.

"I met the right people at the right time," he explains, "then I seized the opportunity and made the most of it to get into this career."

If you're a stadium manager or are keen on becoming one, you can expect to earn R300000 a year.

"As a stadium manager your job involves two aspects. Firstly you're required to manage the stadium and its facilities and fields," says Hugo.

"You manage all the maintenance issues and the subcontracts such as cleaning, electricity, plumbing, telecommunication, waste removal, air conditioners, fridges and lifts.

"All the advertising in and around the stadium is your responsibility and you manage the private suites, private offices and the concession rights such as public kiosks, food and beverage suppliers and liquor sales.

"Secondly, you manage all the events at the stadium (rugby; soccer, concerts, religious, political and cultural events).

"From the planning phase with sponsors, organisers, teams, SAPS, metro police, disaster management, fire department, local economic development, department of health and safety, city council, private security and medical suppliers, through to the actual event and de-briefing afterwards, these are all duties and responsibilities that will fall on your shoulders.

"The pros in this career," says Hugo, "are that it's exciting, challenging, high tempo and you have an ever-changing work environment. Not one day is the same; and you meet numerous people - famous and influential."

"The cons are that the average number of events a year is 65, so it's a six to seven-day working week, which means very long hours. You have to be the first to arrive and the last to leave. You're the first line of any complaints, responsible for the safety and security of 50000 people and you don't experience the events, as you're too busy!"

There are no specific fields of study or experience required for this career.

"I have a BCom honours degree in Sport and Recreation which does help," says Hugo.

Some skills that will put you on the right track for this career include good planning, good communication skills, a strict enforcer and crises manager.

With regards to the personality, "you need to be friendly yet firm. There are no grey areas when it comes to security and safety. You also need plenty of patience for unsatisfied clients," says Hugo.

Structured and planned personalities with a good anticipation of possible problems and attention to detail will do well in this career. Lastly, you need to be positive, well-mannered, have a professional attitude and a passion for what you're doing, as well as good business sense.

An average day consists of planning for the next event and restoring, fixing, repairing or changing all the faults and problems that occurred during a previous game. You also handle the enquiries and maintenance issues.

"The best thing about the job is the exciting environment," says Hugo.

"The worst thing about the job is the pressure on my family due to the long working hours."

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