When Rebecca Caminiti ’14 arrived at John Carroll University as a Communication major and Blue Streak softball player, she already knew she loved sports. Through her experiences on campus, she discovered she could build a career around them, too.
More than a decade later, that career has taken Caminiti from minor league baseball and the NBA to one of the most iconic ballparks in the country. Today, she serves as Senior Events Manager for the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Most recently, she added another milestone to her career: serving as VIP Hospitality Manager during the FIFA World Cup 2026.
“Working the World Cup was such a phenomenal experience,” said Caminiti. “Bringing the World Cup to Boston offered such a healing moment of people embracing each other’s cultures. We’re in such a difficult time in the world right now, but people have come together, embraced each other, and built community.”
For Caminiti, the opportunity came together quickly. Her role with the World Cup fit within her schedule at Fenway Park, and within two days of interviewing, she was offered the position.
“It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience to have had the World Cup in Boston. The last time the U.S. hosted was in 1994. It was a bucket list experience for me, and I am incredibly grateful to have watched the world come together in sport.”
As VIP Hospitality Manager, Caminiti oversaw a VIP hospitality space at Boston Stadium, the World Cup name for Gillette Stadium, during seven matches. She worked across catering, guest experience, security, and other operations to ensure guests had a seamless experience from the moment they arrived. That meant getting to the stadium four to five hours before the game started, coordinating the hospitality space, and overseeing details down to the gifts guests received as they left.
But what Caminiti remembers most isn't the logistics. It's the community.
She watched fans from around the world arrive in Boston with an unmistakable pride in their countries and cultures. She remembers becoming emotional as the Iraqi and Norwegian teams sang their national anthems played before one match. When Paraguay upset favored Germany after a close game that went into extra time, she watched German supporters congratulate Paraguayan fans and exchange jerseys with them.
And then there were the Scottish fans.
“They took over the city of Boston,” Caminiti recalled. Among their more memorable traditions was placing traffic cones atop the heads of statues around the city—a Scottish custom of respect that Boston embraced.
For Caminiti, those moments captured what made the experience so meaningful—thousands of people from different backgrounds coming together because of a shared love of sport.
From John Carroll to Fenway Park
For the last three years, Caminiti has served as Senior Events Manager for the Boston Red Sox, where she works with clients to bring their event visions to life at the historic Fenway Park.
As part of the Evergreen Fenway events team, Caminiti works to make each event feel personal. Sometimes that means arranging an appearance by Wally the Green Monster or putting a special message on Fenway's scoreboard. Other times, hospitality is as simple as sending a handwritten thank-you note after an event or a care package when a longtime client welcomes a new baby.
Regardless of the event, Caminiti’s goal remains the same. She and her team make people feel cared for and deliver an experience that leaves a lasting impression.
“Working for the Red Sox is so rewarding,” Caminiti shared. “I never wanted to work a traditional 9-to-5 job; I like working night and weekend events. It’s always an exciting new challenge, and I love having a hand in people walking away with a smile on their face.”
That passion for sports and guest experience began to take shape at John Carroll.
A JCU Mentor Who Shaped Her Path
As a student, Caminiti played softball all four years and worked in the University’s Sports Information Department, where she had the opportunity to explore the many behind-the-scenes careers in athletics. She tried play-by-play announcing, wrote postgame articles, worked alongside game-day staff, and learned what it took to create a positive experience for fans.
At the center of that experience was the late Chris Wenzler ’90, John Carroll's longtime Sports Information Director, who became one of Caminiti's most influential mentors.
“Chris Wenzler was a great boss and guiding light,” said Caminiti. “He became my friend, and to experience that at such a young age—to realize that there are jobs like that, where you truly love what you do and find a family—was so refreshing.”
Those experiences gave Caminiti an early understanding of the sports industry and, she says, a leg up before she even landed her first internship.
After graduating from John Carroll, she began her career with the Lake Erie Crushers before moving to North Carolina to work for the Carolina Mudcats. She later returned to Northeast Ohio to work with the Cleveland Cavaliers before her career took her to Boston, where she eventually joined the Red Sox.
Working the World Cup allowed Caminiti to connect with professionals from around the world and take another step in a career built around creating unforgettable experiences through sports.
And she’s nowhere near finished.
