16 Buffalo Business Spring 2017
Getting the Gaelic games
Interns put Buff alo in the international spotlight
Delivering the pitch
The process to bring the competition to Buffalo began in early
2014 when Padraic Walsh, a UB law student and chair of the local
CYC organizing committee, approached the School of Management's
Internship and Experiential Learning team for help developing a pro-
posal to convince the GAA to bet on Buffalo for 2017.
The team quickly developed an internship around the bid
process, and three students joined the committee: Keith Fernandes,
MS '15; Venkata Viswanath Miriyapalli, MS '14; and Jack Staudt,
BS '14. Over four hectic months, the team met multiple times per
week, gathering and analyzing data on venues, hotel occupancies,
transportation and additional resources, and coordinating with
This summer, the world's largest youth Gaelic Games event is
expected to bring 18,000 people and nearly $2 million in economic
impact to Buffalo — thanks, in large part, to two groups of School of
Management interns. One group successfully pitched the Gaelic Ath-
letic Association (GAA) to consider Buffalo for 2017, while the other
is working to secure sponsorships and market the city to attendees.
As a result of their efforts, from July 26-31, 2017, the city will
host the Continental Youth Championship (CYC), an annual Gaelic
football and hurling tournament that attracts more than 250 teams
from across the United States and Canada. About 800 hotel rooms
are already reserved for athletes and their families, most of whom will
be visiting Buffalo for the fi rst time.
Stepping Up
CeLeBRaTInG THOSe WHO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
