Over the past 4 years psd has proudly supported Sport Podge, which celebrated its 12th anniversary in May. Kit Taylor, Director of psd Sport talks about the unique lunch dedicated to the passion and personalities of sport.

There are many Sports events out there – why does psd choose to support Sport Podge?

In my opinion (and I think many in the industry would agree) Sports Podge is the “must attend” event of the sporting calendar. It provides a unique opportunity for sporting personalities, business leaders and key decision makers to network and build new relationships in an informal and truly unique setting. It’s an invitation lunch which means that the guest list varies from year to year and gives us the opportunity to meet new people every time.

psd Sport’s brand positioning is very much aligned with that of Sports Podge, and the audience stretches across all sub sectors of the sports industry in which we work.

How have you seen the events evolve over the last few years?

psd has been involved with Sport Podge for a number of years now, and each event is always themed differently, although the core approach remains very much the same – relaxed, fun and enjoyable. It has enabled us to grow and nurture some fantastic relationships with both clients and candidates, for which we are extremely grateful. Feedback from the event is always hugely positive, although for some, memories can be quite jaded!

What were the highlights from the event this year?

Once again the calibre and diversity of attendees was very impressive. The atmosphere and informality enabled far more engaging conversations, the formation of new business relationships and positive memories for all. It was so interesting to hear directly from CEO’s about the culture of their companies and what drives them and their teams to succeed. This is so valuable to our line of business – if we can get to the heart of company culture and hear it from the people who lead sports organisations, we can better serve our clients.

Where is the Sport recruitment industry headed second half 2017?

The global sports industry continues to evolve in many different ways, but most notably through digital transformation, which has resulted in increasing fan engagement and performance technology. This in turn has fuelled the growth of a whole range of start-ups and SMEs, as well as increasing the attraction of sport leadership roles to executives from a wide range of other sectors.

This is a trend which the wider expertise within the psd Group is well placed to support. Within the National Governing Bodies, changes and challenges to funding will see a greater emphasis on sustainable commercial growth initiatives; and across the whole sporting landscape, organisations will dedicate more resources to consumer insight.

Where have psd Sport seen success since the last Sport Podge in 2016?

The last 12 months have been tremendously successful for psd Sport. The practice has doubled in size in terms of headcount, which means we are able to meet a greater and more varied demand from clients, resulting in the delivery of a number of significant projects.

These include: CEO – British Cycling, Commercial Director – Leicester City, Head of Hospitality – Wembley Stadium, CEO – Sports Coach UK and Executive Director – Arena Racing Company.

Changes and challenges to funding will see a greater emphasis on sustainable commercial growth initiatives and across the whole sporting landscape, organisations will dedicate more resource to consumer insight.