Class of 2024 takes positives, valuable lessons from CEV Volleyball Management Programme

The second edition of the CEV Volleyball Management Programme powered by LUNEX recently concluded with 11 students from 10 countries graduating with success after completing the course that had started back in January. The aim of this initiative is to upgrade the skills of people working for National Federations and provide them with tools that are useful to further professionalise their work and help grow the game at all levels. 

The curriculum included five modules dealing with key areas when it comes to sports management and the work of a National Federation / sports organisation, more specifically strategic management and digital transformation, good governance and sustainability, digital marketing and social media, finance and economics, as well as communication and event management. 

The Class of 2024 includes the following students: Laurence Rase (Belgium), Laura Allcoat (England), Christian Dünnes (Germany), Matthildur Einarsdottir (Iceland), Alisa Cesnuleviciute (Lithuania), Joanna McCrory (Northern Ireland), Alexandru Stratan and Serghei Predius (Moldova), Roza Wachowska (Poland), Rowan Johnston (Scotland), and Marek Prokes (Slovakia), 

“The opportunity to participate in this course was a great challenge for me from the very beginning, as I am responsible for event organisation at the Slovak Volleyball Federation. It was quite challenging to combine an online session three times a week with my regular duties at the Federation, but since the course ran from January to April, so outside of the national team season, in the end it was quite manageable. The programme included several interesting sessions regarding strategic planning given by Geoff Wilson and management of organisations. I was also very interested in the topics regarding the use of social media presented by Mr Leo, as well as in other areas such as ticketing, marketing, and budgeting. My impressions are very positive. I am happy I will be able to use the information gained during the study, especially in terms of event organisation, strategic planning, governance, and finance.  Moreover, I look forward to sharing the information with my colleagues and apply what I have learned to the activities of the Slovak Volleyball Federation, even though in some cases we already do so and with pretty much success,” reflected Marek Prokes, Technical Director at the Slovak Volleyball Federation. 

“The CEV Management Programme has been very beneficial and timely for our small federation as we are currently experiencing growth. All the modules, including strategic planning, good governance and sustainability, finance, marketing and sponsorship, digital transformation, and events management, were conducted by different mentors who are experts in their respective areas, making them highly relevant. Additionally, having sessions with participants from other, bigger, and more successful federations was very valuable, as it added shared knowledge and experience to the course. This programme has elevated my knowledge to the next level, and I believe it will not only accelerate our federation’s growth but also have a significant impact on my future career. Thank you to CEV for this opportunity and initiative which helps to develop federations and strengthen the entire volleyball family,” said Joanna McCrory, Vice-President and CEV School Project Manager at Northern Ireland Volleyball. 

“The CEV Volleyball Management Programme powered by LUNEX brought numerous benefits to the colleagues from a variety of National Federations involved in the course. It has provided invaluable insights and practical skills shared by leading industry experts, thereby fostering a collaborative environment that enhanced professional development and strategic capabilities in volleyball management,” concluded Vuk Karanovic, CEV Head of Development. 

The students were supported in their endeavours by a pool of highly qualified lecturers and leading sports executives, with Geoff Wilson, Mario Leo, and Martin Ulber showing very much dedication and readiness to share their wealth of knowledge and experience with the members of the volleyball family involved in the 2024 programme.