Switzerland Switzerland, 3 March 2026 – EHL Hospitality Business School (EHL) and UEFA Academy today announce a partnership to elevate professional standards within the global sports and hospitality sectors. The collaboration will debut a four-day intensive Executive Course in Sport Event Management from 9 to 12 July 2026, to be conducted at EHL Campus Singapore.
This strategic alliance unites two of the world’s leading institutional authorities: EHL Hospitality Business School, the global leader in hospitality education, and the UEFA Academy, the premier body for excellence in football management. By merging these two distinct global disciplines, the program addresses the increasing complexity of global sporting events like the Olympics and the UEFA EURO.
The Evolution of Sporting Success Beyond 2026
As the organizers of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA utilizes a commercial and operational framework that has established the tournament as a premier global sporting event. Through this partnership, the UEFA Academy will share its tested models for event organization and stakeholder management for the first time in a Southeast Asian academic setting.
Modern sporting events today are high-stakes operations that require strategic clarity, logistical precision, and a comprehensive understanding of the spectator journey. While traditional hosting once focused on basic logistics, today’s success hinges on the ability to manage complex service ecosystems.
This includes balancing sophisticated crowd management and seamless urban mobility with the need to mitigate the impacts of over-tourism. To uphold a global reputation for excellence, a nation’s sports workforce must ensure that operational and logistical precision is as world-class as the physical venues themselves.
“The definition of success has evolved beyond the boundaries of the stadium.” said Stéphane Haddad, Associate Dean of Executive Education at EHL. “This collaboration aims to equip leaders across the Asia-Pacific and Middle East with the technical skills required to manage events that are commercially sustainable while meeting international performance standards.”
Developing the Sport Economy Workforce in APAC and Middle East
While the program is headquartered at EHL Campus Singapore, its scope is designed to support the rapid growth of the sports event economy across the broader region. This choice is underpinned by Singapore’s established infrastructure, reputation for safety, and travel connectivity, providing a stable environment to educate executives on high-stakes event management.
This initiative arrives as nations across the Asia-Pacific and Middle East prepare for upcoming global sporting events. In Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Vision 2030 is driving a radical urban evolution to host mega-events such as the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
Moving across the region to Japan, the nation is utilizing its existing high-speed rail networks and urban infrastructure to manage the logistics for the 2026 Asian Games. Further South, Australia continues its multi-year "green and gold" runway toward the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
This surge in regional hosting has created an unprecedented demand for a workforce capable of navigating high-stakes operational pressure. By providing specialized professional expertise annually, the program ensures that these large-scale infrastructure investments are supported by personnel trained to international operational standards.
Curriculum and Program Structure
The Sport Event Management Executive Course is delivered at EHL Campus Singapore. Co-taught by UEFA practitioners and EHL faculty, the curriculum integrates real-world operational case studies with strategic management theory to establish a high-level professional standard for the industry.
Central to the program is a high-precision simulation of a UEFA Champions League match organisation. Participants are challenged to manage real-time variables across stadium operations and spectator experience, reconciling the rigid timelines of global broadcasting with the guest-centric flexibility of the hospitality sector.
“At the UEFA Academy, we are committed to preparing professionals who actively shape the evolution of sport, “said Thomas Junod, Head of UEFA Academy. “Our collaboration with EHL in Singapore brings together UEFA’s unique expertise in sport events with EHL’s globally recognized strengths in hospitality and service excellence. This programme offers sports professionals a distinctive opportunity to develop the capabilities required to design and deliver impactful sport events in an international environment. We are proud to support those who set the direction for sport events on the global stage.”
Applications for the 2026 intake will be open from the 3rd of March. For more information, please visit https://gs.ehl.edu/uefa-ehl