For the last four years, The Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) College Program (part of Penske Entertainment Corporation) has been partnering with SPH-B Career Development and Alumni Relations to give IU students real hands-on event experience with the world's largest single-day sporting event—The Indy 500.
From guest experience tasks to working the garage and pits area, more than 40 SPH-B students have been involved over the last few months to make this historic sporting event happen this coming Sunday May 24. Director of Employer Relations Amanda Zwissler and IMS Event Operations and Programs Coordinator Cori Dove in the Guest Experience Department have worked together to make these opportunities a reality.
“It has been such a great experience to partner with Cori and the Penske Entertainment team on recruitment for the IMS College Program,” says Zwissler. “It has been so exciting to watch the number of IU Bloomington and SPH-B students involved grow over the last four years and help to meet a workforce need for the largest single day sporting event in the world.”
Dove met Zwissler at the annual Sports & Hospitality Career Fair in 2023, and their partnership has created a myriad of opportunities for IU and SPH-B students at the Indy 500 over the years. Dove says they currently have a total of 300 college students working as event staff from IU and elsewhere, and each get a maximum of 150 hours during the month of May to see how the Indy 500 works from the staff side. Students can choose from six different departments: guest experience, ticket operations, credentials, client services, sustainability, and photo retail.
Nate Cohen, a rising junior at SPH-B majoring in Sport Marketing and Management, initially started his involvement with IMS providing plenty of ice and water to employees to ensure they stayed hydrated during the hot early summer temperatures. He is currently working as event staff in the garage and pits area for both the Sonsio Grand Prix and the 500 itself.
“I make sure to check credentials to ensure the right people are getting in and also help anyone if they need it, directing them to where they need to go or answering any questions,” says Cohen. “Being involved in this program is going to support my future goals because it helps me to get a full picture of how a major event like this is put on.”
Cohen says seeing all the moving parts that come together to get the racers to the starting line on the big day has “opened up my perspectives about being in the sports industry as a whole.”
Courtney Pereria, who recently graduated from SPH-B with a major in Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management, has been working as an IMS College Intern for the last four months in the Premium Services Team. Her responsibilities have included tracking and packaging credentials to suite and hospitality clients and organizing numerous events leading up to the big race day.
“[This experience] has helped my future with event management by teaching me how to think well under pressure and stress, navigate large-scale events, and the opportunity to learn how to lead with kindness,” says Pereria. “What I’m most looking forward to is experiencing my first race behind the scenes with such an amazing department and to see everyone’s hard work pay off in such a rewarding way!”
Cohen echoes Pereria’s sentiments, stating, “Seeing everyone enjoy the spectacle will be super rewarding and helping fans have the best experience possible will be very cool.”
For Zwissler, connecting IU students to such a high-profile event over the years in a meaningful way gives her both personal and professional satisfaction.
"Students that are involved are gaining such valuable hands-on experience in large-scale event operations, customer services, professionalism, and making industry connections that will last a lifetime."
Dove adds, "I think the Indy 500 helps students understand if they truly want to be in large events, because we're talking about the largest single day sporting event in the world...students get out of the program what they put in."
For more trailblazing stories about our students, faculty and staff, visit go.iu.edu/48bx.