Sports & Entertainment HEC Paris Summer School Students Team Up With A.S.O. to Design the Ultimate Road Race

In direct partnership with the Amaury Sport Organization, students in the HEC Paris Sports & Entertainment Management Summer School Program developed strategic marketing plans to transform what might be perceived as fitness fad—themed runs—into a valuable and lasting staple of sports culture.

While A.S.O. launched their most celebrated annual event—the Tour de France— this July 2015, HEC Paris Summer School students helped the organization plan its next venture. Under the guidance of HEC Paris instructor Stéphane Thuillier, former PSG Director of Marketing, students worked in teams to create innovative concepts for road races that would generate popular interest year after year.  Student consulting teams pitched their proposals to a jury of professors and executives including HEC alumna, Camille Bacot, Development Project Manager for A.S.O.

The closing pitches wrapped up an intensive two-week course, during which students interacted with Entertainment executives including Lionel Dubois, Marketing and Entertainment Manager of the Fédération Française de Tennis (FFT), Jason Altman, Executive Producer, Ubisoft, Antoine Cohet, Marketing and Online Manager for FIFA developer EA Sport, among several others.

The winning student team earned recognition for their vision and innovation; the international team (pictured above) included Mateo Ariño Montero (Spain), Disht Advani (India), Matthieu Forlot-Ranouil (Belgium), Shannon Robb (Scotland) and Esther Voituron (Belgium).  Advani, Robb, and Minh Quan Tong (China) were also honored with Academic Director’s Awards for outstanding course participation.

“All HEC Paris programs are taught by HEC instructors with the participation of top level industry players. This year we welcomed over 200 leading students from more than 50 nationalities,” shared Elyse Michaels-Berger, Summer School Director.

As summer school participant Shannon Robb shared, “The HEC summer program provided a fantastic learning environment and helped me to connect the dots in my learning and expand my knowledge. Overall the whole experience is something I will take with me; it has helped me grow and develop my confidence and as a person in general. The learning that HEC had provided me with is truly invaluable.”

For more information or to apply, visit: hec.edu/summer-school