College football is a hugely profitable business with a surprising share of the total revenue generated during bowl season. This valuable niche is only growing in popularity, with record viewership and fan participation prompting the regular addition of new games. The 2019-2020 bowl schedule includes an astounding forty games—a bowl “season” that culminates in a national championship in New Orleans on January 13.

With the death of former President George H. W. Bush last week, we are reminded that a presidential funeral is a national event that demands intensive and detailed planning. Plans for state funerals are often determined years in advance, and former presidents must complete planning for their own state funeral within one year of leaving office. The elements and character of the state funeral often reflect the deceased’s life and achievements.

What is the most important skill a candidate needs to succeed in a career in sports, entertainment, or event management? According to Sarah Jane Wyman ’11, senior meetings and special events manager at Marriott International, the answer is passion.

“You need to have eagerness and drive for your position,” she said. “I can teach you the skills but I can’t teach you to have a good personality.”

“The SEEM field is really only limited by your imagination and creativity.”

“This is the fun industry.”

“You can study what you’re really passionate about.”

You might not be familiar with a degree program that allows students to explore the intertwining worlds of sports, entertainment, and events. At Johnson & Wales University, we are more than familiar with the idea—and we call it “SEEM.”

Do you ever wonder where popular wedding practices come from? If you’re planning a wedding or helping someone plan their big day, you might be interested to learn that most modern traditions are derived from ancient customs and superstitions—some of which are rather creepy and unromantic.

These days, couples are choosing to alter or skip some customs altogether. Here are five contemporary traditions, where they came from, and how they’ve changed over the years:

1. Something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue.

You probably never thought of it, but the ancient Olympics and Disney’s Electric Light Parade didn’t just happen. These events required skilled event planners to come off without a hitch.

Despite the fact that the event profession as we know it today is a relatively new field of study, for as long as we can remember—and even before that—people have been coming together to gather and feast. Back to the ancient Olympics in Greece: Even back then, someone had to organize the pagan festival and sacrificing of 34 oxen and the following athletic competitions among city-states, right?