Thursday February 19th 2026
Trivandi's Project Director for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026
Written by Glasgow View Reporter, Liam Eunson
Sam Spittle, Trivandi’s Project Director for Glasgow 2026, is calling on Glaswegians, and people from across Scotland, to seize career opportunities presented by the Commonwealth Games as recruitment ramps up ahead of summer.
Sharing advice with people looking to get involved with the Glasgow games, Sam is sharing his expertise on how to turn the Commonwealth experience into a ‘once-in-a-lifetime opportunity’, just like he did in 2014.
Originally from Auchtermuchty in Fife, Sam had just finished a degree in physiology and sport science at the University of Glasgow when he applied for a role with the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
What started out as a temporary job has since turned into an international career that has seen him play a part in delivering some of the world’s biggest and highest-profile events.
Sam explained that the 2014 games was his first introduction to a ‘mega event’, after being assigned to the sport department and helping organise the Rugby 7’s due to his strong passion for rugby.
He said: “It was a huge learning curve – there was a lot to do in a short period of time to convert the stadium so it was ready for rugby, and even the acronyms flying around were difficult to get your head around. But it was amazing how quickly you picked it all up.
“At that point I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do – I’d been looking at continuing on at university to study medicine among a few other options – but Glasgow 2014 gave me the bug for working on major events. I haven’t looked back since.”
After the 2014 Games, Sam used the experience and connections he had built to land a job in the events team at Scottish Rugby, working in sport presentation for the autumn internationals. That led to a role in venue management at the 2015 Men’s Rugby World Cup and a move to London.
Sam then switched to cricket, helping to deliver the Champions Trophy and Women’s World Cup during 2017 and the Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019. What he describes as ‘the defining moment of his career’ came next with a move to the Middle East. Sam worked on Expo 2020 in Dubai, before taking on positions at the COP28 climate conference in neighbouring Abu Dhabi.
Sam at the 2024 games
“The role I took on with Expo 2020 diversified my career from sport and entertainment into international summits and government. It meant I couldn’t be pigeonholed into one discipline and could move onto more senior roles.
“The event was pushed back because of the pandemic, which meant I got the opportunity to work in different operational areas, and it really showed how you can apply the skills you pick up to any kind of event. From there, I moved on to work on COP28 and help deliver the United Nations’ zone – it doesn’t get much higher profile than that.”
Now as director of operations and delivery for mega events at Trivandi – where he has worked on COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, as well as events in Saudi Arabia and Japan – Sam is playing a key role in helping the next generation of Glaswegians to take advantage of the opportunities the Commonwealth Games presents and leaving a lasting legacy in the city.
In the months leading up to the Games, roles will come up across a range of different areas that support the event’s delivery – from venue management and spectator services to transport and accreditation – at a variety of levels, whether candidates are graduates or seasoned professionals. The Organising Committee is also adding to its team at the same time.
“Glasgow has obviously hosted massive events since 2014, but the Commonwealth Games felt like a real turning point. The whole city got involved, the ‘People Make Glasgow’ slogan was launched in the build-up and became a central part of promoting the Games. The legacy has been hugely positive and I’ve seen the evidence of that since returning.
“Glasgow can now host almost any type of event. The people have the skills and the venues are fully capable of adapting to different needs – that’s one of the main reasons we’re able to organise these Games in a compressed timeframe. Coming back, I know a lot of my peers who got their break at the same time as me in 2014 and are now in senior positions within event delivery or directly in the 2026 team – it’s been amazing to see.
“We want the same thing to happen this time too. That’s why involving the local workforce is a big aim for us going into the Games. We want people from Glasgow to apply, jumpstart their careers, and use this as a springboard to open up new opportunities – whether that’s in Scotland, the wider UK, or in some of the global sporting events coming up in the next few years.
“There is not long to go until the Games. Whatever role you’re interested in, you won’t just be a small cog in a big wheel – you’ll be really involved and get to pick up lots of great hands-on experience that will set you up well for the next stage of your career. It’s the perfect opportunity for a new generation of Scots to take that first step towards opportunities in events across the world.”
To find out more about working at Glasgow 2026 through Trivandi, click here.
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