SCRD students tour the "Greatest Show on Grass"

Did you know construction on the WM Phoenix Open starts in early October and once the 180 acres of space is developed, it becomes the 7th largest city in Arizona? On Thursday, Feb. 1, students enrolled in the Special Event Management program and associated classes toured the grounds a few days prior to welcoming record crowds to the Greatest Show on Grass. Students learned about the planning, construction and development of the tournament and then toured multiple venues to truly learn how the mega event comes to life.

Likely the favorite venue was the iconic hole #16 where students admired the views, talked with Doug Janison and Michael Hammill from M Culinary Concepts about the food and beverage planning and the Scottsdale Fire Department as they conducted a pre-event inspection. Elizabeth Gill from ProEm National Event Services focused on guest services, risk management and safety and security and had some entertaining stories to tell from her experiences as a senior project manager.

Most impressive, Thunderbirds Charities stands to surpass the $200 million charitable giving mark this year (mostly donations to children's charities in Arizona).

It was a beautiful day on the course and we are excited to hear stories from the many students who will be working and attending the tournament next week.