Regional Development Intern

Description

The Evansville Regional Economic Partnership (E-REP), in partnership with the Evansville Regional Sports Commission (ERSC), works to advance economic growth and quality of place throughout Southwest Indiana. E-REP supports regional economic development, business engagement, talent development, community initiatives, investor relations and regional events. ERSC attracts and supports sporting events that generate economic activity and strengthen the Evansville region’s visibility as a sports destination.

The Regional Development Intern will serve as a shared resource between E-REP and ERSC, gaining hands-on experience in sports and event management, economic development, regional research, membership engagement, marketing and community partnerships. The intern will contribute to substantive projects with visible regional impact while learning how a regional economic development organization and sports commission operate.

The intern will report to a designated E-REP supervisor and receive project-specific guidance from E-REP and ERSC team members. Training will include organizational orientation, project-management expectations, database and technology instruction, event procedures, professional communication practices and relevant safety or confidentiality requirements. The intern will participate in regular check-ins with their supervisor to review assignments, receive feedback, discuss professional development and connect individual projects to broader organizational goals.

Responsibilities

The intern’s assignments may include:

1. Assisting with sponsorship research, outreach preparation and sponsor activations for major sporting events, including collegiate basketball and other ERSC-hosted events.
2. Supporting event credentialing, volunteer coordination, guest services, signage, materials and on-site sponsor fulfillment.
3. Researching businesses and community organizations that may be potential event partners, sponsors, volunteers or group-ticket participants.
4. Helping develop and maintain volunteer recruitment strategies and communication resources for ERSC’s 2027 event calendar.
5. Assisting with planning and logistics for events such as the Power of Women in Sports Luncheon.
6. Researching READI-funded projects and compiling information about project locations, investments, outcomes and regional impact.
7. Helping create an interactive regional map featuring housing, workforce, quality-of-place and other regional investments.
8. Using mapping tools to document READI projects, River Vision initiatives and other regional development activities.
9. Analyzing membership and event-participation information to identify engagement trends and follow-up opportunities.
10. Supporting GrowthZone data-quality projects by researching and correcting outdated, missing or duplicate membership information.
11. Helping incorporate sports organizations and sports-related businesses into E-REP’s membership directory.
12. Conducting research on businesses, industries, organizations, events and regional initiatives.
13. Compiling information for reports, presentations, proposals, meetings and stakeholder communications.
14. Assisting with newsletters, email communications, presentations and promotional materials.
15. Providing project and event support during periods of high activity.

Some routine administrative work may be included as part of these projects, but administrative duties will comprise no more than 25% of the internship.

Qualifications

1. Currently enrolled in a college, university or other eligible postsecondary education program.
2. Interest in one or more of the following areas: economic development, sports management, event management, business, marketing, communications, public relations, data analysis, community development or a related field.
3. Strong written and verbal communication skills.
4. Ability to conduct research, organize information and maintain accurate records.
5. Comfortable working both independently and collaboratively with multiple team members.
6. Dependable, professional and able to manage multiple assignments and deadlines.
7. Basic proficiency with Microsoft Office programs, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.
8. Willingness to learn unfamiliar databases, mapping platforms and organizational systems.
9. Attention to detail and sound judgment when handling organizational or contact information.
10. Ability to assist with occasional events outside traditional office hours, when scheduled in advance.
11. Previous internship or professional experience is not required.

Learning Objectives

By the conclusion of the internship, the learner will be able to:

1. Explain how economic development, sports tourism, business engagement and quality-of-place initiatives contribute to regional growth.
2. Apply basic project-management skills to plan, organize and complete assignments involving multiple departments and stakeholders.
3. Conduct professional research and translate findings into useful maps, reports, presentations, databases or communication materials.
4. Demonstrate an understanding of sporting-event operations, including sponsorship activation, credentialing, volunteer coordination and on-site logistics.
5. Use membership and participation data to identify trends, data-quality concerns and potential engagement opportunities.
6. Develop professional written and verbal communication skills through interaction with businesses, community organizations, volunteers, members and event partners.
7. Use workplace technology and database tools to organize, maintain and present accurate information.
8. Demonstrate professionalism, reliability, time management, teamwork and adaptability in a multi-department work environment.
9. Receive, evaluate and apply supervisor feedback to improve the quality and effectiveness of their work.
10. Identify personal strengths, professional interests and potential career paths related to economic development, sports management, events, marketing or community engagement.

Contact Information