U.S. Tennis Open needs to fill thousands of positions; job fair starts Wednesday

For the past two months, Emma Creighton, 20, has been scheduling interviews with job applicants to help fill thousands of seasonal positions for the nation's biggest annual tennis tournament.

Creighton, of Huntington, said the USTA needs to fill positions, including event ambassadors, VIP concierges, maintenance workers, custodians, caterers and anti-doping chaperones. The USTA is the governing body of tennis in the United States,

"I’ve always been very interested in sports, so this definitely caught my eye," said Creighton, a junior at Pennsylvania State University studying psychology.

Creighton, a seasonal HR coordinator who will be coming back from college in late August to work the event, said she couldn't pass the chance to be part of one of the biggest sporting events in the world.

"I’m not a tennis player myself, but I honestly just love the environment," she said. "I was just looking through LinkedIn and found this opportunity and applied and I’m very happy that I did."

Economists and business sports experts said that major sporting events like the U.S. Open Tennis Championships generates more than $1.2 billion in economic impact for the region. For the workers who staff such events, the influx of seasonal employment provides supplemental income that benefits residents in a high-cost area like Long Island while providing younger workers with valuable work experience.

To fill nearly 7,000 workers for the three-week event, which runs Aug. 23 through Sept. 13, the USTA is hosting a two-day job fair at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Queens, from 3 to 7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday. The matches, which are played at the tennis center, are expected to draw more than 1.1 million visitors, according to the USTA.

Perks for certain roles include branded uniforms and meal vouchers, and the roles pay wages ranging from $19 an hour for beverage runners, who unload beverage trucks, to $450 a day for cleaning area directors, according to USTA's online job board.

Interested jobseekers should bring resume copies and are encouraged to register for the hiring event in advance, USTA officials said. 

Patrick Rishe, director of the sports business program at Washington University in St. Louis, said while the Knicks' NBA Championship run caused unexpected spending at regional businesses cashing in on local excitement, because the U.S. Open occurs annually, it provides a steady source of reoccurring income for many.

"When the USTA spends money on these temporary workers, most of whom are living in the greater New York area, that has ripple effects," he said. "If these people make incrementally more money for three weeks, they spend that money locally."

Additionally, the event can act as a proving ground for young Islanders. 

"It gives young people experience in the sports and entertainment industries," said Steven Kent, chief economist for the Long Island Association business group.

"Maybe it’s only for a few weeks, but it shows a certain amount of grit" Kent said.

David Konecky, senior director of talent acquisition for the USTA, said his organization employs approximately 2,500 seasonal workers directly, with the remaining 4,500 hires working for vendors in concessions, security, maintenance and other jobs.

"Our goal is to create a great environment for the players and the guests," said Konecky of Commack. "The challenge is bringing on the 2,500 we feel can do that."

The USTA starts recruiting in March, Konecky said but will continue to fill roles after the hiring event "to make sure we have enough people in the pipeline," Konecky said.

He said the organization sees a 40% retention rate on average, as many who work at the event often want to come back, he said.

Rosemary Marrugo, 38, of Freeport, will work as a seasonal U.S. Open Ambassador with the USTA, her 17th year working for the U.S. Open. The annual event gives her a chance to be part of the action and interact with fellow tennis fans.

"It’s a great experience to be with fans and the colleagues that I have been working with for many years," said Marrugo, who will be taking time off from her full-time job as a mental health counselor to work the U.S. Open. "And most of all, I love the sport."