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Road Map for 2022 Looking back on the UNWTO World Sports Tourism Congress 2021 Lessons from Smart Cities & Sport Summit in Copenhagen Sports ETA Communities DEI Community Group Spotlight
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National Headquarters 9624 Cincinnati Columbus Road, Suite 209 Cincinnati, OH 45241 Telephone (513) 281-3888 Website www.SportsETA.org Staff Alan (Al) R. Kidd, President & CEO Janis Ross, CMP, STS, VP Events & Experiences Meagan Grau, Director of Member Services and Engagement Michelle Wessels, Business Services Director Rebecca Myles, Sponsorship and Advertising Jennifer Stoll, Ph.D., STS, Research and Education Carol Courtney, Special Projects Coordinator Russ Yurk, Special Projects Coordinator William Knox, Facilities Program Development
Letter From President and CEO................................................. 1-2 Member Services News ............................................................. 3-4 Road Map for 2022 ..................................................................... 5-6 Looking back on the UNWTO World Sports Tourism Congress 2021 ............................................................ 7-8
Board of Directors Officers Chair: Michael Price, STS, CTA, Executive Director, Greater Lansing Sports Authority Vice Chair/Chair-Elect: Don Dukemineer, STS, CHSP, Director of Sports Development, Decatur Morgan County Tourism Secretary: Frank Lett, STS, Senior Associate Executive Director/Director of Sports Marketing, Visit Kingsport Treasurer: Ray Palmer, STS, President/CEO, Pensacola Sports Immediate Past Chair: Janis Burke, STS, Chief Executive Officer, Harris County - Houston Sports Authority
Lessons from Smart Cities & Sport Summit in Copenhagen ............................................................................... 9 Sports ETA Communities........................................................13-16 DEI Community Group Spotlight ................................................ 17
Directors Ashleigh Bachert, Vice President of Sales, Tulsa Sports Commission Derek Bombeck, STS, Sales Development Manager, Lincoln CVB John David, STS, COO, USA BMX Josh Dill, STS, Director of Sports & Events, Visit Frisco Jason Gewirtz, Editor and Publisher/SportsTravel, SportsTravel Magazine Pete Harvey, Director of Sports Development, Buffalo Niagara Sports Commission Gen Howard, STS, Senior Sales Manager, Louisville Tourism Matt Libber, Executive Director, Maryland SoccerPlex Brent Nelson, Sr. VP of Business Development, Greater Orlando Sports Commission Clay Partain, STS, Managing Director, Sports Salt Lake Scott Powers, STS, Executive Director, Experience Columbia SC Sports Daniel Rush, CMP, CASE, Vice President of Global Sports and Event Sales, MGM Resorts International Christine Strong Simmons, Senior Director of Events, USA Taekwondo Marissa Werner, STS, Director of Sports Milwaukee, Sports Milwaukee, Championed by VISIT Milwaukee Gray Williams, STS, Executive Director, Play Greenville NC J.D. Wood, STS, Director of Business Development and Events, Dallas Sports Commission
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Looking to share your expertise? Information-sharing is a founding principle of Sports ETA, and the industry knowledge among the Sports ETA membership lends itself to unprecedented expertise. Sports ETA encourages members to share information with your peers. Contact Meagan Grau, Director of Member Services and Engagement, at Meagan@SportsETA.org to learn more about how you can contribute to a future edition of the Sports ETA Playbook. To include your news in the weekly Get in the Game eNews, send press releases and articles to info@sportseta.org. Distribution Date: Thursdays. Deadline for content: Wednesday at Noon ET before distribution date.
2021-2022
Letter from the President and CEO As we enter 2022, fresh off a year of record holiday spending and extensive family and friend travel, our enthusiasm is temporarily dampened by the Coronavirus’s never-ending mutation. The latest “gotcha” is Omicron with next level mutations in the rear-view mirror. A year ago I wrote that the US was entering the vaccination stage to combat the virus, and today, according to the CDC, approximately 62.5% of the population has been vaccinated and further engagement is slowing down. The facts show that the most dangerously infected are those that are unvaccinated, but as with all viruses no one is immune to catching it. The reality is that we are gradually learning to live with it as a nation. Despite the fact that the virus’s infection levels are three times higher than at any previous moment in its existence, fewer events, games, and meetings are being canceled. I believe that, barring this mutation, we will be able to better coexist within the next year. There will be safety concerns, but business may not be disrupted as much as it has been in the past. The Sports ETA team wishes to express our sincere gratitude to all of our members, partners, media, and Board of Directors for the numerous outstanding programs, services, and support provided in 2021. Innovation continues to be the theme going into 2022. Our partnerships with Playeasy and Destinations International will be significantly expanding. Playeasy has a number of new platform tools, communication options, and expanded capabilities for Destinations and Event Owners to work together that will bring an onslaught of new value to our members. We have begun a serious expansion and integration of programs / services with Destinations International. Be on the lookout for additional research, enhanced and collaborative education initiatives, and further support to each other’s events soon. Additional partnerships are in the works and have new initiatives in review that we look forward to sharing later this year.
THINK BIG!
Al Kidd President and CEO
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The Sports ETA team wishes to express our sincere gratitude to all of our members, partners, media, and Board of Directors for the numerous outstanding programs, services, and support provided in 2021.
Top Industry Trends to Watch in 2022 1
The tool box for evaluating a wider definition of success will emerge in the United States as a result of the continuing efforts by Sports ETA to develop.
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As European travel opens, a closer relationship to American cities will emerge to host international events.
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Destinations around the world will become more deeply involved in fitness for all in order to build the key infrastructure for youth to sustain a healthy community as well as develop competitive athletes for all sports.
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More unique sports will emerge that are individually focused that fit the demographic profile of the under 30-year-old market.
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A commitment to sustainability with solid and innovative approaches to ensure environmentally-sound best practices in the hosting of sporting events.
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Member Services News & Updates Sports ETA Announces William Knox to Lead Facilities Program Development Sports ETA has named William Knox to lead Facilities Program Development. He will oversee the Sports Facilities membership and programming, a growing segment of the general membership. Knox earned his bachelor’s degree in Sports Marketing with a minor in Business from Indiana University in 2000. After completing his undergraduate career, he accepted a position as the Director of Sports Marketing with the Bloomington Convention and Visitors Bureau. Later, he became the Director of the Hoosier Sports Corporation. Knox moved to Hamilton County in 2009 to accept the Director of Sports Development position for Hamilton County Tourism INC, where he also served as the Director of the Hamilton County Sports Authority. Knox went on to become the Director of the Grand Park Sports Campus in Westfield, Indiana where he oversaw the operations, marketing and business development of the 400-acre campus that includes the 370,000sq. ft. Grand Park Events Center.
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Knox is now the President and Owner of Legacy Sports Group and partner of The Collective. He will continue his sports industry consultancy with Legacy Sports Group.
William will be a valuable member of our Sports ETA team in helping us strategically increase connections between Sports Facilities membership, which is a fast-growing segment of our overall membership. William will offer valuable relationships with Sports Facilities leaders around the country.
— Al Kidd, President & CEO of the Sports Events & Tourism Association
“As Sports ETA continues to grow its Sports Facilities membership, programming and networking, I look forward to guiding this important work on behalf of the membership,” said Knox.
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Special shout out to the organizations who have joined Sports ETA already in 2022: Destinations • Explore Sioux City • New Orleans & Company • The Woodlands Township
Rights Holder • THE Spring Games, LLC • RDU SPorts • The Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Tournaments • National Intercollegiate Running Club Association • USA Taekwondo
MEMBERS
Industry Partners • Groups360 • Legacy Sports Group
As a reminder, 2021 memberships expired December 31, 2021. If your organization has not yet renewed your membership, your online account access has been turned off. Renew your membership now.
2022 Membership Chart 368 TOTAL (as of 1/31/2022)
269
Destinations
71
Rights Holders
28
Industry Partners
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Road Map for 2022 Take advantage of the resources that are right in front of you! As a Sports ETA member, you have access to dozens of resources that were developed to make your job easier. If you’re not utilizing these resources, now is the time!
Education - Whether you want to earn your Sports Tourism Strategist (STS) designation, or simply take a certificate course that interests you, look no further. The Sports Tourism Learning Institute is home to educational offerings for everyone, at any stage in their career. You’ll find topical content that is short enough to digest in 30 minutes, deep dives into content that is self-paced and earns you credit towards your STS, and everything in between!
Think BIG! Our theme for 2022 is Think Big! Does that sound familiar? You may have seen or heard Al Kidd, Sports ETA President & CEO, use that phrase to end an email, close Kidd’s Komments, or even encourage you not to be afraid to think BIG! How do you think BIG? It’s easy – don’t let anything get in your way, feel empowered to try new things, make mistakes, have fun, and learn along the way. Thinking BIG comes in a variety of forms. Whether you are developing a strategic plan for your organization, creating a new event, launching a marketing or advertising campaign, budgeting, hiring a new employee, or anything in between, allow yourself to Think BIG! We can’t wait to see the results!
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Network and Build Relationships - Sports ETA hosts 6 events each year that range in size from 50 to 1,000 attendees. Not only will you do business, learn, meet new friends and colleagues, you’ll also have fun at Sports ETA.
Member Directory - Access contact information for any Sports ETA member (destination, industry partner, or rights holder) Get in the Game eNews - Subscribe to our weekly eNewsletter, free. Tons of industry articles with the latest news and updates delivered right to your inbox every Thursday. Did you know Sports ETA members are encouraged to share news, press releases, and articles for inclusion? Just add info@SportsETA.org to your distribution lists. Community Groups - Join a Sports ETA Community, there’s one for everyone (and if there’s not, let us know!). For more information on Communities, see page 13. While this is just a short list of the benefits and resources available to Sports ETA members, you can find a full list here.
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Looking back on the UNWTO World Sports Tourism Congress 2021 BY J E N N I F E R S TO L L , P H D
It seems we were pretty lucky. Now with Omicron in full-force around the globe, me and my family were able to travel to Europe for a two-week adventure of a lifetime, and return home safely before the onset of this next variant. Here at the start of a new year, it has me asking myself, “Did we really just do that?!”
(FC Barcelona game at the Famed Camp Nou)
More than the pictures on my phone, the amazing memories etched in my mind confirm that, yes, we sure did! To top it off, my kids’ curriculum this year is Cultures of the World, so we couldn’t think of a better way for them to learn than to experience. But it wasn’t just fun and adventure (though I’d be lying if I said that wasn’t the bulk of it). The reason we got that opportunity was because I spoke at the first-ever UN World Tourism Organization (UTWTO) World Sports Tourism Congress in a little town named Lloret de Mar, Spain on the Costa Brava. 7
Sports EIC Presentation group at the UNWTO World Sports Tourism Congress 2021, Photo: Julia Termes
Presenting on US market trends
Not only did I get the chance to represent Sports ETA and our industry as a whole for the U.S., I also got to meet new colleagues from around the world and learn from them. Here are my Top 5 takeaways from my sports tourism around the globe.
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Sustainable tourism is making way for regenerative tourism, and Europe is way ahead of the US in this regard. Not only are organizers and destinations trying to create sports tourism that takes preservation of scarce resources into consideration, but they are also striving to implement strategies that actually results in a destination and its people better-off than before the event. As my momma always said, “Leave it better than you found it.” The European sports events and tourism industry from country-to-country parallels our state-to-state structure. You could think of each European country as a State in the US. In essence, much of what European countries are doing regarding national-level initiatives is quite similar to efforts of our 26+ state associations in the US. It truly is fascinating! They are also striving to better measure and communicate impacts of sporting events…with one main difference: sport initiatives are predominantly nationally funded there. Therefore, destinations are living and dying by lodging tax revenues. Which, in turn, makes
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it much more palatable for them to find motivation to explore an expanded definition of success of their events (see #5 above).
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Because of their governmental funding mechanisms supporting sports development, they do not have the same massive youth/amateur sport ecosystem – and their accompanying facility development explosion – we are seeing here in the US. No matter the country, the sport, the destination, or the level of competition, one was clear: There are dedicated, passionate sports tourism academicians and practitioners around the world that see the value of sport on individual and community well-being and are working tirelessly to advance that cause. That likely includes you, the reader of this blog. Until next time to my new international colleagues and friends. Happy New Year and I look forward to laughter and learning together again.
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Lessons from Smart Cities & Sport Summit in Copenhagen B Y A L K I D D , P R E S I D E N T & C E O , S P O R T S E TA
Before the holidays, I was invited to join a keynote panel discussion at the eighth edition of the Smart Cities & Sport Summit in Copenhagen Denmark. I was joined by international colleagues: Mark Hurst, Competition Bidding Manager, World Athletics; Morten Sandaes, Secretary General, Norwegian Wrestling Federation; Ariane Croteau, Account Executive Québec City Business Destination; and Birgitte Nestande, Project Manager Events, Innovation Norway.
Longer relationship development is a part of winning strategy.
The panel discussed the shifting process for sports acquisitions through bidding for host events. The valuable discussion covered global differences in the process and features that affect the outcome in the United States and Europe. The event bidding and acquisition process is moving toward inclusion of more purposeful relationships between the bidding parties than just price and RFP. Additionally, there are currently significant differences between both continents in deciding outcomes of the bid process. New considerations should include: Infrastructure development, leaving a legacy to the destination, zero carbon footprint event, positive community impact and growing the sports from the event after it is completed, to name a few.
New considerations should include: Infrastructure Development ... Leaving a Legacy to the Destination ... Zero Carbon Footprint Event ... Positive Community Impact ... Growing the Sports from the Event After it is Completed 9
All in all, prospecting and securing events from winning bids has begun to include a longer courtship that will consider a much wider definition and outcomes for mutual success. As a result, discussions among interested parties will take place over a longer period of time and tend to be more mutually beneficial. Event owners have determined that long-term market value is proving to aid in creating a more positive view of the events and the meaning to the hosting communities.
Watch Panel Discussion
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Sports ETA Communities In 2020 through The Pulse, Sports ETA members indicated the importance of staying connected to others in the industry with similar interests. To meet these needs, we created and launched dedicated member communities to better connect and resource Sports ETA members. We are proud of these communities’ growth and successes thus far. Take a look at each of our communities below. If you find a community (or several) that fit your interest, subscribe to their email lists to be notified of upcoming calls and discussion topics, or reach out to the community leaders (contact information can be found below).
College Towns
Industry Suppliers
This group is open to all who are interested in joining a community dedicated to the unique trends and challenges faced by members working in college or university towns, regardless of size.
This group is open to industry partner members only. If that’s you, we encourage you to participate in this community group to discuss trends, challenges, successes, and everything in between!
Community Leaders:
Community Leaders:
Chad Culver, Senior Director of Sports Commission, Visit Knoxville
Hank Pivarnik, STS, EventConnect
Zach Ebarb, National Sports & Convention Sales Manager, Visit Baton Rouge Kinda Fry, Senior Manager-Sports, Tourism & Events, Compete College Station Joey Jewell, Senior Director, Eugene, Cascades & Coast Sports Joseph Piotrowski, Sports Director, Visit Tallahassee Mike Price, Executive Director, Greater Lansing Sports Authority
Upcoming Call: Tuesday, February 22, 2022 @ 2:00 PM ET
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Subscribe to learn more about this community group and receive call details.
Daniel Rush, CMP, CASE, MGM Resorts International Learn More
L.E.A.D.
Outdoor Tourism
The L.E.A.D. (Leading, Engaging, And Developing) Community, formerly the Mentoring & Engagement Community, focuses on collaborating, communicating, mentoring and educating association members on avenues to be engaged and involved within Sports ETA and its member communities. Our community will guide members on networking opportunities within the sports events and tourism industry, and provide support, expertise and resources to utilize in developing their careers. L.E.A.D. will serve as the liaison between additional Sports ETA communities, and be responsible for the planning and execution of interactions for first-time attendees and new members at all live events.
This group is open to all who are interested in joining a community dedicated to the unique trends and challenges faced by members working in facets of outdoor recreation and tourism. Whether running or biking events, fishing or kayaking events, or everything in between, bring your thoughts and ideas to the group for open discussion.
Community Leaders: Don Dukemineer, STS, CHSP, Director of Sports Development, Decatur Morgan County Tourism Hank Pivarnik, STS, Event Solutions Advisor, EventConnect Jerrine Lee, STS, Director of Sports Development, Richmond Region Tourism Cole Lacey, Assistant Tourism Manager, Wicomico County Recreation, Parks & Tourism/TEAM Maryland Ariana Tyler, Senior Business Development Manager, Greater Columbus Sports Commission
Community Leader: Clay Partain, Visit Salt Lake Subscribe to learn more about this community group and receive important information.
Parks & Recreation This group is open to all who are interested in joining a community dedicated to the unique trends and challenges faced by members working in facets of parks & recreation. Subscribe to learn more about this community group and receive important information.
Upcoming Call: Tuesday, February 15, 2022 @ 3:00 PM ET Subscribe to learn more about this community group and receive important information.
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Rights Holders This group is open to rights holder members only. If that’s you, we encourage you to participate in this community group to discuss trends, challenges, successes, and everything in between! You’ll also have access to a secured web page dedicated to this community group filled with research, documents, and other important resources.
Community Leaders: Steven Short, United Soccer Leagues John David, USA BMX Christine Simmons, USA Taekwondo Learn More (Sports ETA login required – must be a rights holder to access)
State Association Leaders (Invite only) This group is open to state association leaders only. If that’s you, we encourage you to participate in this community group! This group meets every other month on Thursdays and discusses a variety of topics, shares challenges, successes, best practices, and everything in between!
Community Leaders: Shannon Sullivan, Team Indiana William Bloom, Louisiana Office of Tourism Learn More (Sports ETA login required – must be a rights holder to access)
Small to Mid-Market Destinations The Small to Mid-Market Destination (SMID) community group is open to any destination member, regardless of size. No organization is too small or too large to participate! This group meets every other month and shares best practices, wins and loses, lessons learned, challenges, and has open discussion.
Community Leaders: Frank Lett, Senior Associate Executive Director/Director of Sports Marketing, Visit Kingsport Mike Price, STS, CTA, Executive Director, Greater Lansing Sports Authority Don Dukemineer, STS, CHSP, Director of Sports Development, Decatur Morgan County Tourism Subscribe to learn more about this community group and receive call information.
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Young Professionals
COMMUNITY GROUPS
Women’s The Women’s Community is dedicated to the advancement of women in the sports tourism industry. This passionate community meets (virtually) every other month, with the exception of in-person meetings at industry events and months with holidays. Sessions are curated to include content pertaining to professional development, networking, best practices, and advocacy. The composition of this community is relatively balanced; an even number of suppliers and event organizers regularly attend meetings and the LinkedIn Community Group contains 60+ active professionals. All active Sports ETA members are welcome to join this community.
The Young Professionals Community Group is a collection of sports tourism industry professionals open to Sports ETA members under 40. Led by Young Professionals for Young Professionals, across all sectors to connect, learn, and collaborate. The group meets monthly for education sessions focused on topics specific to young professionals, including networking, personal and professional development, industry best-practices, rising trends and more. This community seeks to support and empower members by focusing on education, networking, and personal and professional development through multiple platforms, providing the necessary tools for growth and career advancement.
Community Leaders: Ariana Tyler, Senior Business Development Manager, Greater Columbus Sports Commission Luchie Javelosa, STS, Senior Sports Sales Manager, Tempe Tourism Office Subscribe to learn more about this community group and receive call information.
Discussion topics focus on four primary pillars: professional development, networking, best practices and advocacy.
Community Leaders: Linda Logan, Executive Director, Greater Columbus Sports Commission Bree Nidds, Vice President of Sales, Discover Lehigh Valley Sports Gray Workman Williams, STS, Executive Director, Visit Greenville NC Kayla Adams, Sports Sales Manager, Greensboro Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Subscribe to learn more about this community group and receive call information.
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DEI Community Group Spotlight The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Community will focus on educating, celebrating, and welcoming diversity in the sports event and tourism industry. This community will allow space for members to engage in healthy conversations around DE&I, share best practices, and learn from our peers and subject matter experts.
The DE&I community will serve Sports ETA members as ambassadors for helping provide the membership with the tools they need to recruit, diversify, foster inclusion, and advance equity within their organizations. Through these initiatives with our collaboration amongst destinations, industry partners and rights holders, our goal is to increase the knowledge and exposure of DE&I within the sports events and tourism industry – and continue to expand the industry.
Community Group Leader: Jerrine Lee, Richmond Region Tourism
Resources available to members: • • • •
Education Provide professional resources for training Online Sports ETA community Networking
How to join the community: • Subscribe to our email list to receive important information and call details • Email Jerrine • Email Info
Call schedule: This community group meets on the third Wednesday of every month at 1:00 PM ET starting in February
DIVERSITY 17
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