The Negotiation Challenge is a two-day workshop designed for SPMA undergraduate who are interested in developing their negotiation skills. This event is organized by SPMA Council but run by Professor Ryan Clutterbuck and Professor Michael Van Bussel. The two-day workshop will include fundamental knowledge about negotiations and how to negotiate as well as multiple Harvard Law School simulations that will allow the participants to apply what they have just learned to a real-life situation. This event is open to all SPMA students and it DOES NOT matter if you have any prior knowledge or experience with negotiations. The goal of this event is to educate students about this area in the sport industry.
The event runs on January 15th from 5:00-8:00pm and January 16th from 10:00am-3:00pm and registration can be found on our website's events page.
If that isn't enough to convince you to register for the Negotiation Challenge, we asked upper-year members of SPMA Council why they believe that this event and negotiating in general is important.
Ethan Crystal- 3rd Year, SPMA Council President
Without even knowing, negotiations have really dictated a lot of decisions that have been made in my life, getting me to the point where I am now. I do not know if many people recognize how much bargaining actually happens on a day-to-day basis. I cannot even imagine how much negotiation I would have to participate in during my career, as I hope to become a high-level executive within a sports organization. I think this negotiation challenge is an amazing opportunity to give me the fundamentals I need to grow myself as a negotiator
Natalie Hamel- 3rd Year
This event is a great opportunity to learn outside the class with the guidance of professors from the Sport Management department. As a student in SPMA I understand that negotiations are part of the job no matter where I end up. Having the chance to do these negotiation challenges with other students in a less formal setting then class is really exciting! And having the chance to put what you are going to learn or have learned into practice is also really beneficial. I am looking forward to seeing my classmates outside the classroom but still having the opportunity to develop skills that I will need in the future!
Jake Matthews- 3rd Year
Sport law and negotiation is one of the most important components throughout the sport industry as it is incorporated into everyone’s job regardless of what department they are in. I have learned from the 2nd year Sport Law class that everyone will have to face and learn the legal aspects of the industry in order to be successful. This challenge can be very beneficial to students in all years as it will help the students learn key negotiation skills and challenge themselves to step outside of their comfort zone.
Brianna Paszt- 4th Year
During the past semester I took Dr. Van Bussel’s Negotiation class, SPMA 4P96. I found the course content to be very interesting and beneficial to SPMA students because regardless of the paths/ careers we have when we graduate, negotiations will occur and it is important to understand how to be an effective negotiator. When I heard about the Negotiation Challenge, I thought that it would be an excellent opportunity for SPMA students to gain practical experience and learn the negotiation practices and principles. During the COVID-19 pandemic it has been very difficult to gain experience but as more virtual opportunities to learn new skills arise, it can be beneficial to continue to learn new things. My advice to first and second year students is to take advantage of the experiences and opportunities that are available to you in the SPMA program. During these difficult times, the SPMA faculty and Brock clubs such as SPMA Council, SHEMA and BSBA are working hard to create opportunities to learn new skills and work on professional development.