Adriana Minasian ’24 Plans an Eventful Hospitality Career

As a stadium operations associate with Kraft Sports + Entertainment (KSE), Adriana Minasian ’24 worked behind the scenes at Gillette Stadium for concerts like Beyoncé, Billy Joel, Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift. Knowing she needed to deliver a star performance of her own, Minasian relied on her previous experiences in event planning and the sports industry, including working at her family’s events business and interning at Fenway Sports Management. In addition, studying abroad at a top hospitality school in Switzerland and leadership roles on campus also contributed to her success.  

“I signed on with KSE in April 2023 after I was introduced to the organization during a Bentley career fair hosted by the Pulsifer Career Development Center,” Minasian recalls “From the start of the internship, I had the opportunity to work on major events for some of the music industry’s top artists. A big lesson I learned is that every artist brought their own creativity to their shows. It was fascinating to see how the stages were set and what energy each artist brought to their show.” 

On concert day, she says, “it was all hands on deck” as she worked with departments across the organization to ensure a successful event. Minasian describes the role as “customer satisfaction auditing: making sure everything was in place before and during the concert, including hospitality areas and general seating, from a customer perspective.”  

In addition to her performance on the impressive summer concert lineup, Minasian worked on New England Revolution soccer matches and New England Patriots football games. Though she had worked events for some of the music industry’s most popular artists, she says it was “incredible” transitioning to sporting events in the 64,628-seat stadium. “Walking down the tunnel and onto the field after a preseason Patriots game was shocking because I've only been there as a fan. Seeing [then head coach] Bill Belichick and the team was surreal. My family gets together every Sunday to watch Patriots games; we’re huge fans. I never thought I would be on the field someday.” 

But the New England teams weren’t her first experience working in professional sports. In 2022, Minasian was an events and experiences summer intern at Fenway Sports Management — a sports marketing firm and subsidiary of Fenway Sports Group, the parent company of the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool Football Club. As part of her role assisting in planning and coordinating events, including for corporate sponsors at Fenway Park and other venues, she says, “I got to see the behind-the-scenes aspects of Fenway and an inside look at the depth, beyond games, of the work that happens in professional sporting franchises. It provided new insight into another aspect of hospitality.”

RISING STAR 

Minasian knew at an early age that a career in hospitality would take center stage in her life. “I grew up with both of my parents working in the hospitality industry. Later my mom opened her own events company, and I learned a lot from her up through high school and realized that I really wanted to be a part of it. I love planning weddings and traveling with her to different events. I like the personal connections with clients, the fact that we get to understand their ideas to help make their dreams and visions come to life.” 

She also developed an understanding of the budgeting process and working with vendors. “It’s fun for me, even though some people think event planning is chaotic and stressful. I love working on multiple tasks at once and enjoy how every event is different. And that's what I've learned even with the sports events now: Every day is different.” 

Although her interest in the field began in her childhood, Minasian used her time at Bentley to develop additional knowledge and skills she would need to make it in the industry today. She declared a major in Management with a concentration in Marketing, and in spring 2023 joined the Campus Activities Board to help plan and execute popular Bentley traditions that include Super Bingo and Casino Night for the student body. 

“Super bingo is very exciting because the Dana Center is filled with students for this event. We offer great prizes including sponsoring a student for the senior trip to the Bahamas and tickets to Boston Calling,” says Minasian, who helps manage timelines, budgets and vendors for CAB events. She is also on the Track and Field team, serving as team captain, and is a representative on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

GOING GLOBAL 

In fall 2022, Minasian’s passion for event planning took a global turn when she did a semester-long study abroad program at one of the world’s top hospitality schools, Hotel Institute Montreux, in Switzerland.  

“My study abroad advisor in the Cronin Office of International Education worked closely with me on logistics making sure my credits would transfer and reading over my syllabus for each course,” Minasian says. “I took five classes and they all counted toward either my major or general business requirements. The school had a combination of business and hospitality, so it really aligned perfectly with Bentley.” 

Eight-hour days in class were more formal than American colleges, with students required to wear business attire, but Minasian grew to appreciate it. Being around students who shared her career goal, she says, was also inspiring.  

“I was the only student from the United States at this school, so it was amazing to see where other students came from: Greece, Italy, Sweden,” says Minasian, whose father immigrated to the U.S. from Armenia. “It also changed my whole perspective: I gained a different approach to hospitality — an appreciation for the cultural differences in events and an understanding of how people look at things differently. It was very eye-opening, and something that I'll always remember and incorporate into my life every day.” 

Minasian spent weekends immersing herself in the area, located in the French-speaking western region of the country. Her favorite place? Montreux, a small Swiss town known for its annual Christmas market and spring jazz festival. “The Christmas festival was magical, I felt like it was out of a movie with the illuminated chalets and vendors stretched along Lake Geneva,” she says. “There were so many visitors from nearby countries who came.” 

The beauty of the Swiss landscape in the “fairy tale” towns, she says, “took my breath away.” Even though Minasian used the train system to visit her friends and family in Paris, Copenhagen and Florence, she preferred to explore within Switzerland. “I really wanted to take in all the Swiss culture, especially because each side — German, Italian and French — are so different."  

When she returned to Bentley, it was game on with professional sports event planning — this time as a member of the Celtics Partnership Student Board, which works on programs such as Celtics Career Day for Boston-area high school students and the President’s Speaker Series with Celtics President Rich Gotham in support of the Bentley-Celtics partnership that was announced last fall. The committee is also exploring an on-campus Celtics event for Bentley students, and the university plans to host a panel of Bentley alumni who work at the Celtics and in professional sports. 

“I’m a huge Boston sports fan but when I started internships in professional sports, I learned there are many different components that make up these organizations,” says Minasian, who will be working in corporate event planning after graduation. “I learned that it’s not just about games; there are customer-focused promotions happening pre- and post-game, corporate sponsor programs, hosting conferences and musical performances — so much more. I fell in love with the whole culture of the sports industry, particularly the shared passion and energy among colleagues for a team’s success. It’s very powerful and moving once you’re there.”