Waseda University’s Health and Sport Sciences Unit held an international sport management workshop at the Higashi-Fushimi Campus on March 3 and 4. 37 students participated in total: 13 students from Taiwan, 17 from Thailand and 7 from Waseda University. On Day 1, a Waseda faculty member and researchers from abroad gave lectures on studies in the field, for example, the application of big data in sport management . The workshop participants then exchanged their opinions during a group discussion and attended a J-League football match, a major place for sport business in Japan, at the Tokyo Ajinomoto Stadium on Day 2.
On the first day of the workshop, Dr. Munehiko Harada (Waseda University), Dr. Shao-Tung Cheng (National Taiwan Normal University), Dr. Hyungil Harry Kwon (Chung-Ang University), Dr. Chatchai Chatpunyakul (Chulalongkorn University) presented their studies on sport management in their respective countries. Dr. Harada spoke about how and why DAZN, an online live streaming platform for sports which started with airing J-League matches, was implemented. Dr. Shao-Tung Cheng presented the current and future applications of big data in the sport industry, calling it the Sport Industry 4.0. Dr. Hyungil Harry Kwon pointed out problems with mega sport events such as the Olympics, especially on the use of facilities after the event. Finally, Dr. Chatchai Chatpunyakul reported on the organizational behavior in Thailand’s football management. Although circumstances in sport management differ from country to country, the participants saw the similarities in situations and got helpful hints for the future through the lectures.
Mr. Hideyuki Andy Hata, president of Nielsen Sports Japan, lectured on the latest trends in sport sponsorship, and the participants formed groups to discuss topics related to athlete branding and broadcasting rights fee for sport events on the second day. This closed with each group sharing their conclusions from the discussions and unique marketing plans.
Lastly, the participants went to a J-League soccer match as part of their social activity in the afternoon, which helped them form stronger bonds and experience this exciting field firsthand. At this time, The Health and Sport Sciences Unit sponsored this international workshop for students from three Asian universities. Taking this opportunity, the Unit aims to build an international network for sport management by further engaging in international exchange.