Leaving a Lasting Impression

In both the sport and hospitality industries, the way people remember an experience often determines whether they return, recommend, or disengage. My work as a Customer Service Associate at MUV Fitness and as a fine dining server at Arabesque Lebanese Cuisine taught me how to create meaningful interactions that leave a lasting impression. These jobs, though outside of traditional sport management, directly connect to the principles I studied in my SPTE courses by highlighting the importance of service, relationship building, and attention to guest needs. Together, they shaped my understanding that sport management is not only about delivering a product. But it is also about creating an experience that resonates with people and keeps them connected long after the moment has passed.

Arabesque & MUV Fitness | SPTE 201, 202

Halloween Night - Arabesque 2023

At MUV Fitness, I learned firsthand that customer service forms the foundation of loyalty. Greeting members by name, solving issues quickly, and maintaining a positive environment made members feel valued and encouraged them to keep coming back. This directly connects to concepts from SPTE 202 – Intro to Live Entertainment Management, where I studied fan engagement as the core of organizational success. Just as gym members commit to a brand because of how they are treated, fans commit to a team or venue when they feel cared for. This reinforced my belief that sport management is less about transactions and more about cultivating relationships that sustain long-term engagement.

Working in fine dining at Arabesque taught me the power of professionalism, body language, and presentation. Every detail—from how the table was set to the tone of voice used when addressing guests—communicated respect and quality. In my SPTE coursework, I studied how venues, sponsorship activations, and event experiences are carefully crafted to project a brand image. Seeing the same principles applied in hospitality showed me that presentation is a universal language in service industries. My understanding of sport experiences shifted as I realized that small details, like venue aesthetics or staff interactions, can significantly shape public perception and brand credibility.

What I took away most from both roles is that leaving a lasting impression requires creating emotional connections. At MUV Fitness, that connection might come from celebrating a member’s progress; at Arabesque, it might come from exceeding expectations during a special occasion. In SPTE 201 – Intro to Sport Management, I studied the idea that sport is meaningful because it creates shared experiences that transcend the event itself. My service jobs demonstrated the same truth: people rarely remember the technical details, but they always remember how they felt. This transformed my perspective by showing me that successful sport management, like hospitality, is about curating experiences that inspire loyalty, joy, and connection.