Fuse Stories – 10 Minutes with Jyoti Summers-Prasad

Can you give our readers a bit of background on yourself, and when you knew you wanted to work in the sports and entertainment industry?

I’m a British Indian raised in South London, where I was fortunate to grow up in a diverse, community-oriented environment. I was always willing to try any sport and give it my best shot just because it was a laugh when I was terrible and an ego boost when I turned out to be actually okay. It was always just fun and an opportunity to miss school! But what really deepened my connection to sport was my best friend’s family, who showed me the influence of sport beyond just playing for fun, from its health benefits to competitive sport and deep-rooted support.

Rugby turned out to be my strongest sport. I dedicated a lot of time to it, playing for my county, and training with a Centre of Excellence as part of the pathway to England. This naturally steered my studies and skills toward sport and physical health, eventually earning me a BSc in Sports and Exercise Sciences. However, I realised my genuine interest lay beyond health and performance—I was drawn to the broader production surrounding major sports and entertainment events. That’s when I knew I wanted a career that allowed me to blend creativity, sport, and culture in a meaningful way.

What has your journey into the sports and entertainment industry looked like?

My first hands-on experience in the industry came as an events host at Headingley Stadium, where I had the chance to soak up the live atmosphere of cricket and rugby matches. After moving back to London, I applied for any event roles I could find and landed myself in the world of technology and AI conferences. Although it wasn’t my primary interest, the experience was invaluable in sharpening my project management skills and providing great industry experience for my LinkedIn profile (yes, I am a LinkedIn warrior!).

I first interviewed at Fuse for a different position, which provided me with insight into the company’s culture; however, I felt the role did not align with my career goals. I pushed for something more event-based, ultimately leading to me being turned down for that job. This, however, put my name on Fuse’s radar, so when a role in the events team became available, the team got in touch with me again. The decision felt easy because the role fuses my love for events and sports, so I knew I would be passionate about it, and this would, hopefully, show in my work. I believe what really helped me land the role was my combination of event experience, understanding of the sports calendar, and the broader background around sponsorship, as well as my drive and interest in the work.

What does your current role as a Senior Account Executive in the Events and Live Experiences entail?

As we speak, I’m working on upcoming activations for Vodafone at Wimbledon and Glastonbury. As part of the sponsorship of these major events, Vodafone has large-scale public activations alongside premium hospitality spaces for their VIP guests. Working with Vodafone across two very different major events gives me a great view of how both the client and rightsholder influence the way a brand shows up as a sponsor!

My role on these projects involves everything from designing the space and contracting suppliers to producing staff uniforms and coordinating guest gifts, as well as managing budgets, creating graphics and signage, and updating client presentations. This is just a snippet of all the different details we focus on for events (you’d be surprised by how much time is spent discussing small details, such as plants!). Some days, I touch on all these areas, while on other days, I dive deep into just one or two.

I also support PepsiCo and a brand within the banking category, managing ticket allocations for events at Wembley and international football fixtures. This includes creating comms, running ticket giveaways, distributing tickets, and reporting back on usage and engagement. In addition to campaign planning and delivery, I manage weekly client status calls and documentation across my accounts, which means staying on top of key updates and deadlines, as well as a healthy dose of admin.

Can you take us through what a typical work week looks like for you?

We have a small but mighty team, so my day-to-day is incredibly varied, which I love! A typical week depends on where we are in the event cycle. Early on, there is more time to explore creative ideas with suppliers and fewer client calls. As the project progresses, my week fills up with status calls, supplier coordination, and updating presentations to keep everything moving toward deadlines. Closer to the event, things ramp up — site visits, briefing documents, schedule building, last-minute shopping, and digging through storage to pull everything together. It’s hectic and hands-on, but honestly, my favourite part!

Overall, since I work across multiple projects, I kick off the week by aligning with internal teams, and then I have client calls throughout. My day-to-day is reactive to deadlines—whether it’s ticketing, comms, or fast-tracking approvals. No two weeks are the same, and there’s always a thread of creativity running through it all, which keeps me engaged.

What are some of the most challenging and rewarding aspects of your job?

One of the most challenging aspects of my role is managing client requests and navigating internal approval processes. Often, our clients require sign-off from multiple stakeholders, which can slow things down and introduce a range of differing opinions. This can then lead to last-minute changes, and it’s our responsibility to adapt quickly while still hitting production deadlines. Budget limitations can also be a challenge, especially when they restrict some of the more creative ideas we would love to bring to life. The time pressures and budget constraints combined pose a challenge to still create an experience that exceeds everyone’s expectations, but also helps us think outside the box in some ways!

The most rewarding part is always being on-site at the actual events, seeing everything come together, and being part of wider events, which we then get to enjoy. But also, the adrenaline of last-minute problem solving – it is always so satisfying and surreal once everything is in motion.

Can you share examples of some of the most exciting projects and events you have worked on?

I’ve been at Fuse for a year now, and from day one, I knew Glastonbury and Wimbledon would be key projects—and I jumped straight into the deep end, going on-site within my first month. Since then, I have had the opportunity to go back in time at the Goodwood Revival, transforming a WW2 hangar into a five-star hotel experience. This was an incredibly immersive event – featuring numerous vintage racing cars, themed areas, and amazing outfits. The detail that went into making everything onsite look and feel as if we were back in the 1950s was cool and provided a fun twist in the planning process.

From the first-ever race cars to the most recent addition to the Formula 1 season, we flew to Vegas and worked on a guest programme for one of the drivers. Watching the race from the Paddock Club, overlooking the Las Vegas Strip, was a pinch-me moment for sure. However, while in Vegas, I was still working on a smaller-scale event at Wembley for the week after, which involved giving fans the chance to play a match on the Wembley pitch. The time difference meant lots of early morning calls, but this hard work was definitely worth it, especially when I stood in the players’ tunnel, watching the excitement of the fans as they ran out into an atmospheric Wembley Stadium alongside some FA legends.

As you sit in the Events and Live Experiences team, do you collaborate with other departments within the company? If so, how?

Events are just one part of wider sponsorship contracts, so we regularly collaborate with the Rights Consultancy team to ensure everything is aligned, from ambassador contracts and campaign consistency across rightsholders to onsite execution details. There’s also frequent crossover with the PR team, especially when events offer media opportunities—so it’s not unusual to have people from different departments on-site. Following the event, we collaborate with the Insights and Effectiveness team on post-event reporting and ticket usage analysis.

Across all the events, I have worked with slightly different teams too, which means I’ve had the chance to collaborate and learn from various people across the company, building great relationships, and learning about their experiences in the industry (of course, I still think the events team is the best!).

If you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be and why?

From an events perspective, it would be the balance between out-of-the-box ideas and brand guidelines of both rightsholders and clients at events, especially when time is tight and many voices are involved. The challenge of producing something that connects with consumers, while ensuring it aligns with the way the brand wants to show up, and all while fitting within budget, can sometimes become a game of Tetris. I think with a bit more time dedicated to projects, this could allow event professionals to find that sweet spot. Time and budget constraints can sometimes limit creativity and the opportunity to break through the norms of how people experience consumer-facing activations at events.

If you could pick the brain of anyone in the industry over coffee, who would it be and why?

I think it would have to be Katie Keenan, Senior Director of Live Event Operations at the NFL. The Super Bowl is the ultimate blend of sport and entertainment, and the scale of production is insane — from booking artists to working with broadcasters, sponsors, and teams. I would like to delve deeper into how they curate such intricate halftime shows with huge sets that must be built and de-rigged in minutes. I would love to see the run of show for such an intricate event as well.

What is your favourite piece of advice you’ve received that you would give to a young person who is looking to enter the sports and entertainment industry

One of the best pieces of advice I got early on was: make yourself available. If you can start tomorrow, you are more likely to get the opportunity! It really worked for me. I landed my first full-time role by being flexible, starting just two days after my interview while balancing my notice period at another job. Even when interviewing at Fuse, the fact that I had a short notice period was seen as a big plus.

I was also advised to enhance my experience through volunteering or taking on shift work that aligns with the industry. Doing any role at a sports event can give you insight into how sponsors show up, which you can then talk about in interviews. I believe that when entering an industry, experience doesn’t necessarily need to be directly relevant if you can show how you’ve been proactive and used it as a platform to build industry knowledge. It can convey the passion and determination that, in my opinion, is more valuable.

In summary: show them that you are eager!