How to use your mentor.

Your fellow Sports ETA members, especially those on the mentoring committee, each come with unique perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds to our industry’s association. The best part of the diversity of membership is access to these leaders in sports tourism and what you can learn from them.  It is not just about having someone to help guide new members through their first experiences, but also an opportunity to get creative and learn. Some of the most pivotal things I've learned in this industry weren’t taught to me in school or any formal education session, but from my colleagues, their experiences and of course my own. 

I would encourage anyone to lean on those members of the mentoring committee, whether your assigned mentor or another member of the committee you already know, as a resource to bounce ideas off, seek career guidance, learn from their missteps and successes alike. Someone outside your destination, organization, or experience level. 

For those new to the industry, you will quickly learn that while we are essentially, in the most basic sense in competition, we are an industry of passionate professionals who understand the correlation of teaching and information sharing and continued success of the industry and each professional in it.

After all, the greatest asset to our industry is not found on a field, pitch, court, or in a pool, but the people! 

   Sarah Kirchberg, CSEE
   Director, Global Sales
   MGM Resorts International