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Stop Teaching Theory. Start Teaching How Events Actually Run.
From site mapping and logistics to crisis management and vendor coordination, Operationally Speaking prepares students and professionals for the realities of high-stakes events.
36 Operational Chapters
End-to-end coverage of real event execution—from site review and mapping to teardown and post-event insights.
14 Core Systems
Security, law enforcement, communications, ADA compliance, traffic, vendors, media, concessions, staffing, volunteers, and more—each treated as its own critical system.
25+ Years of Major Event Leadership
Authored by a Director who led U.S. Open operations for over two decades, managing temporary cities at new sites every year.
60,000+ Spectators per Day Managed
Operational frameworks designed for large-scale, high-pressure environments where mistakes become national headlines.
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Who Is This Book For?
Whether you’re teaching, training, or stepping into event operations for the first time, this book delivers real-world systems you can rely on.
University Directors
Prepare Your Students for the High-Stakes Operational Breach.
The book anchors its crisis management module around a high-profile, real-world scenario: The 16-foot inflatable union rat deployed at the U.S. Open Men’s Golf Championship. This chapter teaches operational resilience, transforming unexpected risks into critical learning moments for future sports executives.
Why This Case Study Matters to Your Curriculum:
✓ Crisis PR Integration: How an operational failure immediately became a national media story.
✓ Multi-Agency Coordination: Real-time decision-making protocols involving venue security, law enforcement, and event management.
Training Programs
The Standardized Curriculum Advantage.
Operationally Speaking provides the standardized operating procedures (SOPs) and ready-to-use checklists that streamline your training modules and ensure every trainee learns from verified industry best practices.
✓ Modular Structure
Self-contained chapters for easy module integration.
✓ Actionable Checklists
Field-tested procedures for immediate deployment.
✓ Licensing Solutions
Customized options for content integration.
Aspiring Professionals
Your First Step into Event Operations
Learn the foundational, high-stakes knowledge trusted by industry leaders.
This book is your foundational map to understanding how major events—from mapping and logistics to crisis management—are actually run.
✓ Interview Ready
Discuss logistics, risk, and vendor management confidently.
✓ Learn from the Best
Authored by a Director who ran the US Open for 24 years.
✓ Start Executing
Direct, actionable instructions, not abstract theory.
TESTIMONIALS
What Industry Leaders Think
Staging an event takes knowhow, hands-on experience, organizational skills and fortitude. Frank Bussey mastered all of these traits, which made him the “go to” person for decades to get things done at U.S. Open Championships. If you are staging an event, learning and applying these insights will undoubtedly make it better.
Mike Davis
Retired CEO, U.S. Golf Association
Frank was instrumental in the success of 3 U.S. Opens while I was CEO of Pebble Beach. He worked closely with our team in developing the site plan and executing our strategy to perfection. We would never have achieved the success that we did without Frank’s leadership and creative thinking. This operational manual is a vital tool for anyone involved in staging and running a major sporting event. I highly recommend it.
William Perocchi
Co-Chairman, Pebble Beach Co
