Who actually qualifies as a Sports Consultant 

The sports industry uses the term consultant far too loosely. Companies involved in construction, equipment supply, installation and execution routinely position themselves as consultants, even when their commercial interests are directly connected to the recommendations they make.

So the question is not simply what a sports consultant does. The more important question is whether the consultant is independent enough to advise without benefiting from the decision it recommends.

A company cannot credibly claim independent sports consultancy when it:

01 — Recommends what it ultimately builds

If a company advises a client on what should be built and then earns revenue from constructing it, the recommendation is commercially connected to the execution.

02 — Recommends products or equipment that it sells

Advice on surfaces, equipment, systems or materials becomes commercially conflicted when the advisor also benefits from the resulting purchase.

03 — Earns from the implementation of its own advice

A consultant should be free to recommend the solution that is right for the project—not the solution that creates the most revenue for the consultant.

04 — Has a financial interest in the solution it recommends

The issue is not whether the consultant gets paid for consulting. The issue is whether its financial interest depends on the client selecting a particular solution, supplier, product or method of execution.