Volume 2 // Issue 4
THE NETWORKING ISSUE 1
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Field Notes Though we are nowhere near out of the coronavirus woods yet, I have discovered that a few small habits I formed during the pandemic have helped me tremendously. As you may be aware, our motto here at PUSH Magazine is to help sports tourism professionals navigate the industry lifestyle, both personally and professionally. I have had the pleasure to talk with many of you recently about how the pandemic has change us all, both personally and professionally. The past 20+ months have been extremely challenging. Understatement of the year! Though during this journey, we have discovered a lot about ourselves and one another. We have changed. We have reworked. We have adapted. When you take a deep dive and review what has occurred amongst us, there is no hesitation that many behavioral adjustments are worthy of hanging onto. Here are a few efficiency and wellness habits that have helped and that I will be keeping: Scheduling Concentrated Work. Prior to the virus my calendar was always packed with a variety of projects and a ton of travel. I rarely had enough time to stop and think during the workday. Rather I would pre-plan and brainstorm after the workday when I should have been relaxing. These challenging times have cleared the way to create a better worklife balance. I now schedule blocks of time during the day for the time-consuming stuff like creating promotional campaigns or mapping out strategy for a client. I have been able to build in uninterrupted time to work on tasks that require my most focused concentration. Organizing movement. Whether I am taking a walk on the beach, arranging times to swim or surf, or hitting a bucket of balls on the range, movement has become a regularly scheduled element of my days. I am a raw thinker and breaking free from my office is how I generate new ideas and gain clarity. Turning off the news. During current times, it can be so easy to get carried away with news reports. Situations, rules, mandates, and even crime, change from day to day. I have not completely given up on the news; watching the news is usually now a fifteen-minute exercise for me while I eat lunch every day. Far less than what I used to absorb. Negative news can use up a ton of energy for little in return. All of us are connected, so if a massive newsworthy event happens, you will know. I do not suggest this switch for everyone. And this does not mean I have blown the news off, I am just consuming it indirectly. Clearly, we all would like to leave the virus behind and never look back. However, I encourage you to think about any changes you have made along the way because of the pandemic. Why did you make them, and how they may help moving forward in your work-life balance? 3
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6 4 Fundamentals of Networking 10 Destination Spotlight Leigh Hooten - Gwinnett Sports Commussion
16 Networking During the Delta Varient 20 Investment Goals 24 Understanding Burnout 28 Dealing with Dissatisfied Customers 30 5 Tips to Avoid Awkward Networking 34 Industry Confidential
4 Fundamentals of Networking Networking can lead to success if you know what to look out for and how to approach it.
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No matter what responsibilities you have for an organization, you are involved and looking for opportunities to network. If you think about it, many networking opportunities can end with positive results. In the sports tourism industry, we all travel often and have done so for years. Therefore, most of us have mastered several techniques on how best to approach an individual. There are a few things to keep in mind, and, when appropriate, timing can make or break an instant connection. Not every person is a worthwhile connection, but if they seem open to making a new contact and conversation, it never hurts to engage someone. Below are four fundamentals to consider when networking:
1. Give a strong introduction. A fitting but strong introduction can be an essential aspect of networking. Being long-winded about yourself and your work does not put your best foot forward. Instead, begin with a statement or question relevant to your situation. Ask if they are enjoying a recent trip or, more specifically, the destination. You may then quickly introduce yourself and give a short intro (no more than sixty seconds). If you receive short answers, see their interest waning, or they’re looking around searching for other attendees, take the clue and drop it. Do not take it personally, and remember the last thing you want to be is a hindrance.
2. Learn timing. A few windows of opportunity always exist when approaching a possible new connection. For example, we all have downtime at a conference or trade show and find ourselves in a pre-function area or hallway. You may get lucky and spot a potential client, killing time. Another scenario could be those seated at the table you choose to sit for an awards luncheon. While waiting for other attendees to get situated, you may want to break the ice by commenting on the meeting room, your view of the stage, the convention center, or hotel itself. Again, stick to something relevant to your present situation. Another perfect moment you can use to engage in conversation is after the Emcee has made any announcements. Capitalize on the opportunity to ask your fellow tablemates to repeat what was mentioned. Then, you can segue the discussion into an introduction. I believe one of the safest times to connect
is following a general session or food function. Usually, people are looking at a conference app or printed schedule to determine where they are headed. This can be a perfect time to help direct them where they are going and walk them to the next scheduled meeting or the trade show floor. Then you can easily make your introductions. 3. Have zero expectations. When focused on expectations, there is a chance you can get hyper focus on your strategy too much. This can cause an awkward moment rather than having a natural flow to the conversation. Your colleagues will notice that your intent and discussion are not genuine. As an alternative, build trust along the way as it is better to go with the flow. Briefly mention your role but sincerely enjoy the chat. You will make a lasting impression that way. Once, a first-time conference attendee, new to the industry, asked me for tips on selecting the right breakout sessions to attend. I could tell he was
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eager to learn and serious about his experience. We chatted for a few minutes and exchanged business cards. I made sure he knew I would help him with any other questions he had. After all, our responsibility is to give back and help nurture the next generation of industry professionals. A day later, I saw him in one of the sessions I attended. He was ferociously taking notes, and you could see him hanging on every word of the speaker. His passion for learning was on full display. Several months went by, and a good friend needed to fill an entry-level position with a talented individual. I instantly thought of my fellow conference attendee as I remembered the vacancy was in his hometown. He had made a good, professional impression, and the role was a solid fit. Therefore, I felt confident when providing her with his contact information. He became one of her employees.
When appropriate, exchange information. Be considerate in today’s climate and understand if a person does not wish to take your card for fear of transferring germs. You may send one another a quick email on the spot to exchange contact information instead. If you do, be sure to follow up. A simple thank you note is always an appreciated gesture. Bonus, use the follow-up opportunity to continue the conversation. If relevant, you may wish to thank the new contact for good advice. You might specifically mention how the direction, or a subject, was particularly helpful or enjoyable. Make sure they know that you would be excited to continue connecting and bouncing ideas off one another. If so, concentrate on a balance of information that is beneficial to them. Maybe even include an article link or a whitepaper relevant to your conversation that they may enjoy reading on the subject. It never hurts to ask.
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Leigh Hooten What is your title, and how long have you held the position with the Gwinnett Sports Commission? I am the Director of Sales and have been with the Gwinnett Sports Commission for eight years. What is your current organizational structure? We are a 501c(6) non-profit destination marketing organization. The Gwinnett Sports Commission is the sports tourism division of the Gwinnett Convention & Visitors Bureau. What is the % breakdown of your revenue? We are 100% funded by a portion of the hotel/motel tax in Gwinnett County. What were your biggest challenges during the pandemic in 2020 and thus far in 2021? One of our biggest challenges was venue availability. Some of our facilities were shut down for a long time, so while we had a lot of interest from clients, we couldn’t find them a home for their events. The open facilities were jam-packed with events since other states weren’t as flexi10
n
Gwinnett Sports Commission
Destination spotlight
ble as Georgia’s COVID policies. Unfortunately, because the facilities were so busy with other groups, they didn’t have availability for some of the groups we were assisting. In general, I think there’s still a little bit of uncertainty with COVID, so some events aren’t as large as they have been in the past. Event organizers are trying their best to estimate participant numbers and event details for the future, but it’s somewhat of a guessing game right now. You are noticed for being very “hands-on” during high-profile events hosted in your destination. Does being so help you land additional events? And do you see this happen within the same sport or across all sports? My favorite part of my job is the actual event activation portion and being on-site when the event occurs. I love seeing all our hard work come to fruition, and I’m always happy to help clients during the event itself. While our team might be small, I still try to make an impact in any way possible, and being there for our clients during their event is the least I can do to thank them for being here in Gwinnett County. Some clients need more help than others, so I assist with everything from volunteer recruitment to supporting their team 11
hospitality areas and any other on-site needs they might have during their event. Before the coronavirus, you had some staff turnover. Where do things stand now, and how did you pivot to keep things afloat? We did have some staff cutbacks during COVID, like many other organizations, and during that time, it was an all-hands-on-deck situation. Everyone in our industry can say that we probably worked on some tasks that we never anticipated doing, but I didn’t mind. We will be hiring a new employee in the coming months, and I’m excited to have some help again, as business is starting to pick up. What sports does the Gwinnett Sports Commission cater to? What are your “bread and butter” sports? Is this so due to facilities you own and operate? Or have you used natural resources to serve as facilities? Both. Gwinnett County has always been strong in basketball and football- it all starts with our excellent youth programs, which continuously produce some of the top athletes in the country. Our indoor facility, the Suwanee Sports Academy, and our local parks have helped bring in a lot of basketball and football events over the years. The Gwinnett County Parks & Recreation Department has won many awards over the years. It has even been voted the #1 parks and recreation department in the nation by the National Parks Association, and we’re very fortunate to have them as partners. Our organization operates an arena and convention center (the Gas South District), and they are wonderful facilities to utilize for a variety of sporting events. For amateur, collegiate, and professional events, the facilities have hosted gymnastics, cheer/dance, volleyball, arena football, taekwondo, hockey, judo, basketball, indoor lacrosse, etc. In general, we cater to almost every sport 12
because we have such a wide variety of facilities in Gwinnett County, which is very helpful to our organization’s mission. We also love to be diverse with the different types of groups we host because we know how diverse our population is within the county - we want there to be an event for everyone to enjoy here in Gwinnett. Are there any new facilities on the horizon for the Gwinnett Sports Commission? Or expansion plans for existing facilities?
The Gas South Convention Center is currently expanding and will double in size to 100,000 sq. ft. of exhibit hall space in the fall of 2022. We are also in the process of building a Westin Hotel on the convention center/arena property, which we’re excited about. We know that the expansion will allow us to reach a new sector of clients that we couldn’t help before.
Gwinnett County is located 30 minutes north of downtown Atlanta and is easily accessible to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Being so close to the airport makes us an excellent destination for international events. Gwinnett County is also the most diverse county in the southeast, so we know that we have a lot of local support for any international event that we pursue.
In what capacity are you and the Gwinnett Sports Commission focused on driving international business to your destination?
Your efforts with Georgia Sports have been impressive. Tell us about that journey and the need for cooperative outreach during the pandemic and beyond. All of us with Georgia Sports have close friendships, and I think I can speak for the group to say that we know there’s value in partnering to help Georgia collaboratively. We constantly share information, send leads and client contacts to each other, and work together well to promote sports in Georgia at client events. Georgia Sports is helpful for each local organization during standard times, but it was beneficial during the pandemic since there was so much uncertainty. Leigh, your involvement with the PGA TOUR’s Mitsubishi Electric Classic shows natural leadership characteristics. Can you tell us more about your involvement? The Gwinnett Sports Commission owns a PGA TOUR Champions event called the Mitsubishi Electric Classic, held each year at TPC Sugarloaf. We have staff working full-time on this event, but I also work very closely with the tournament. I am the Director of Player Services and can lead six committees each year before and during tournament week. It’s a lot of work to run those committees and oversee so many people/logistics, but I enjoy working on the event each year. Our relationship with TPC Sugarloaf has also allowed us to partner with them on other golf events, including a Gwinnett Sports Commission-owned college golf tournament which we will be hosting next fall.
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Where would you most like to live? As cheesy as this sounds, I hope to always live in metro Atlanta. I’m born and raised here, and I think Atlanta has a unique southern vibe that can never be replicated. The diversity, music, unique neighborhoods, nature, history, and soul make it a place hard to resist. What is the most prized possession you have in your office? Probably my Ham Porter Braves bobblehead. I have quite a collection of bobbleheads, but the Braves are my favorite professional team, and The Sandlot is my favorite movie so it’s the perfect item for me. What do you enjoy doing outside of work? I enjoy attending any live sporting event, traveling, and eating out at restaurants with friends/family (Is eating at restaurants a hobby? If not, I’m making it one!) What is your favorite sporting event annually? I love The Masters and the first weekend of college football.
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Networking During the Delta Variant How to maintain contact when you can’t meet in person. Keeping up with networking is more important than ever. Particularly given that many of our industry friends have lost their jobs due to the coronavirus and are displaced. Also, many municipal and County governments have reinstituted travel bans. Networking is essential for industry leaders pursuing new growth benchmarks, such as discovering new clients, market segments, partnerships, and talented, innovative people to help drive success. We must continue performing the same essential efforts before the virus without face-to-face interaction to network while facing obstacles effectively. Below are four methods to network during the delta variant. Tap into your network for introductions. Years ago, I used the title of “business intermediary.” I could monetize my relationships inside and outside the industry and help make connections for in16
dividuals and organizations to grow. We all can leverage our contacts to do the same and make introductions. If your intermediary is trustworthy and sees the potential of an introduction, then a preliminary meeting will increase the benefits for you both. These introductions take place spontaneously when attending in-person conferences and trade shows. Consider the case last year and this year as we all attended virtual meetings. It was great to see friends and colleagues that we had not seen in quite some time. However, locating a person at times could be challenging as we all respected appointments taking place in chat rooms or by private Zoom meetings. No one has the answer as there is no simple solution. More readily, depending on what may occur this Fall with in-person conferences that may turn into virtual opportunities, request that colleagues introduce you to individuals and ask for a videoconference. While a Google Meet, Teams, or Zoom meeting will be void of the natural feel of an in-person conference introduction, you will prevent any health risk you are likely to attain the same results. Reconnect with colleagues. As the years go on, you will find yourself with a growing list of individuals you have worked closely with on projects and various organizations. Some you may be in frequent contact with, and some may not have connected with for years. Reconnecting with these individuals could provide a more beneficial outcome than someone you connected with several months ago. Just think, those you have not talked with for a while may have had new experiences that could help as you stare new business challenges in the face. Likewise, you may be free to help them in the same way. Provide a benefit.
limited. Therefore, you must build a solid opener that will pique interest. These days, as our in-person opportunities may be limited for you, it can be a challenge. Not to fear; instead, use social networks, such as LinkedIn, to begin contact. A crucial step in doing so is to craft initial outreach that benefits them successfully. This approach is so much more successful than asking for a favor from the get-go that helps only you. The approach seems obvious. Still, I weekly receive invitations to connect from people I have never met in my life that see I have invested in startups and their initial reaction is to send me their basic pitch note. Sadly, these are typically one-sided. Please do not make this widespread mistake. Research each person and organization you wish to communicate with and begin with beneficial opening outreach. Follow up but don’t be a nuisance. If days and weeks have gone by without a response, do not take it personally or feel as though all is lost. Remember, we are all busy and swamped with an extensive task list. Also, sometimes things fall through the cracks. Follow up, though if you go in too hard with repeated attempts, you could quickly be thought of as a hindrance and never receive a reply. You can follow up without being a nuisance. For example, resend your introduction and, this time add relevant article links that may be of interest. Or more clearly demonstrate the benefits of a partnership for the other person. This type of follow-up will not create results one hundred percent of the time, but the added effort you spend on ideas to help the recipient will increase your chances of them realizing that you are a worthwhile connection to make.
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Understanding Burnout Overcoming burnout is much more complicated than taking an extended vacation or maintaining an exercise routine. If you were to conduct a current poll of our sports tourism colleagues on how they feel about work, it would not be a shock to hear the same thing across the board. Truly most are feeling burnout. Over the past few months, this sentiment has increased with an onslaught of travel due to most industry conferences pushed into the Fall months. 4.3 million Americans left their jobs in August 2021 for various reasons, burnout being one of them. It may be evident that workers are feeling burned out after a twoyear-long pandemic and the stresses that have come with it. However, the precise reasons why so many are in agony are less understood. Management falls into the trap of believing the best way to overcome burnout is to encourage more time off or an increase in benefits. However, burnout is a mixed bag of unfortunate and outdated administrative policies and procedures, responsibilities that now possess higher risk, and new social issues. Burnout is confusing. To efficiently tackle the issue, we all must focus on the core concerns causing its growth. 24
Here are six of the biggest obstacles: 1. Unnecessary workload Out of the gate, it is not a shocking surprise that a considerable workload is always a massive reason that leads to burnout. Stress and long hours are known causes of heart disease. What is the fix? Well, that is up to employers. C level must identify realistic, attainable goals, deliver more support when demand shifts, and even consider fulfilling the ever-so-popular four-day workweek (PUSH reported on this idea in a previous issue). 2. Apparent lack of control Feeling micromanaged leads to a drop in enthusiasm with employees. Independence in the workplace is critical for employee well-being and retention. When employers are constantly looking over the shoulders of their employees, monitoring their work schedules, or criticizing them for missteps, burnout can be a byproduct. Instead, providing employees with choices and options on work schedules, locations, and procedures can be a beneficial way to combat burnout. 3. Zero recognition Be sure to implement a plan that recognizes, notices, and respects employee contributions. This is not just about salaries either, though paying for an employee’s worth is crucial if you wish to prevent burnout. Also, stay away from damaging competition by distributing rewards to only top management. 4. Damaging relationships
Reducing intraoffice politics and creating a friendly environment exudes a happy work environment. Employees who struggle with making social connections within the workplace will end up at the top of your burnout list. Provide employees networking opportunities to connect with coworkers in a non-workplace environment discussing subjects outside of work, such as a team volunteer effort or charitable fundraising campaigns. 5. Lack of equality No one oozes motivation for work when mistreated. It would be impossible for managers to get rid of every single complaint, but it is possible to create reporting systems and settle these concerns. Staying steadfast about eliminating favoritism and unfairness is essential. 6. Values mismatch The job you will enjoy the most will align with your core values in your career. Jobs that negatively affect us, and are likely to cause burnout, are those when we struggle with our innermost beliefs. Depending on the conditions, solve this by only acquiring employees whose values align with the organization’s mission or adhere to its values. Burnout is a distinctive occurrence for each of us, for both personal and professional reasons. Though these common contributing factors offer a solid foundation for management and employees to consider when working to overcome the other pandemic we are facing…existing burnout.
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Dealing with Dissatisfied Customers “This isn’t going well.” These four words are always tough to hear. Depending on who it may come from, I would rather run the Boston Marathon while listening to Justin Bieber, on broken glass, backwards. I can overcome most things easily, but dealing with disappointment from a person we hope to impress makes us want to lock ourselves in a room for a day. Answering a dissatisfied customer is a close second. It can be an agonizing experience for any sports tourism professional and can affect your organization’s reputation. 28
Though sadly, we cannot run from the dissatisfied customer and blockade ourselves till the problem disappears because you must rise to the occasion and solve the issue. It is proven, customers are two times more likely to share negative customer service experiences on social media and by word of mouth than positive encounters. How can you save face? Well, knowing that failure to solve a problem promptly and poor treatment are the top two reasons for client loss, we have two strategies that will help steer you through the process of dealing with dissatisfied customers.
The resolution is the solution Solving the issue that disappointed your client is essential to turning their “frown upside down.” The resolution is what they are looking for, and it is your job to deliver. A dissatisfied client will become frustrated if you wait for them to create a strategy moving forward. They are looking to you for the solution. Delivering a resolution involves a guarantee from you to execute certain actions for a certain effect at a certain time. Leading into…
Timing is everything The secret is not only finding the resolution but determining when to act. Immediate resolutions are precisely what a dissatisfied customer is looking for. Own up to it. They put their trust in you, your services, and your organization to represent them in some way. No matter how long they have been a
client, it will show how much you value their business if you prioritize them first above everything else you are facing. Should their issue be more complex and not allow for an instant resolution, make sure they tangibly see you have taken steps toward solving the problem. You can then offer a specific timeline for them to expect everything to be back to normal again. We have all been on the other side, and when we know the process and when it will take place, it helps make the customer experience more tolerable. Always provide polite interactions and make it known that you will handle their issue. By doing so, you will inevitably manage their expectations and thus relieve the amount of customer disappointment. Always remember, a dissatisfied customer becomes a thrilled customer if you can find a resolution in a reassuring, cooperative, and suitable manner.
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Tips to Avoid Awkward Networking
Many years ago, at one of our industry conferences, one of the breakout session speakers labeled networking as an ugly word. Networking can sometimes catch a bad rap because people relate it with: · Uncomfortable conversation with unfamiliar people. · Unwanted sales attempts. · Business card exchange unlikely to lead to a project The coronavirus has not made matters easier, and to top it off with so many furloughs and layoffs, the average individual’s network has diminished over the last couple of years. Introverts encounter awkward feelings when placed in a networking situation. These situations can be more manageable when in the right mindset, but that is not always the case. Once introverts make enough introductions, they can form a networking style and overcome the awkward feelings they once battled by letting go of fear. Now that we are back to in-person conferences and trade shows, apprehensive colleagues can rediscover networking methods. These five tips can help remove fear, improve conversation skills, and increase connections.
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1. Be curious.
2. Prepare questions.
When curious about a topic or person, anxiety can be pushed aside. Curiosity helps individuals release negative thoughts and connect with other people. Not to mention, when you can tactically trigger the interest of others, the process is much easier. Your style of dress can work in your favor. An example: A female purposely wears brightly colored clothing at functions known for adhering to strict business dress. She is always dressed professionally, just with a louder style than most. This is considered a bold move when so many are accustomed to wearing neutral colors in her industry. The result: she usually never has to approach anyone at a networking function; her colleagues come to her and begin conversations by complimenting her signature style. This approach eased her anxiety about starting conversations with strangers.
If you are a seasoned industry professional, you may have encountered an opening question like this: “What do you do?” This is never a productive way to start a conversation. This style places a person back on their heels to reply with an answer that must explain 10 or even 30 years of professional experience in a single reply. If the person you ask is not feeling chatty, you will likely get a concise answer (“I work in marketing.”). This, of course, sends you back to the drawing board to stimulate a conversation. Not all questions bring out the best in everyone, so this is where preparation can help you create a successful networking event. Try three easy questions to kick things off: · What made you decide to attend this event? ·How did you occupy your time during the pandemic? · What is it about the job that makes you get out of bed each morning?
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3. Be a good listener. If you are genuinely into networking, you understand that you do not have to do all the talking. The best approach is to ask a question, then listen. There is a common misconception that you must give the perfect pitch. This is entirely incorrect. Most folks get so wrapped up in what they should say that they miss the opportunity to connect. Recently during a networking event, I learned that a client was having financial challenges at his organization. Listening gave me an entirely new strategy in a follow-up conversation when presenting one of our products. Had I not listened, I would not have developed a solution to assist my client. Networking is about listening, not talking.
5. Tell stories. An excellent approach to making connections is through storytelling. We all remember stories, though you must be sure to share the right story. Stay away from telling your entire life story, and do not always focus on stories specifically about your work environment. The best networking event idea I have ever come across had blank name tags on a table for each person to write in their name. However, each name tag had a pre-typed question on the bottom. These included, “What is the best vacation you have ever taken?” and “What is your dream job?” These questions were in place for everyone to answer when approaching one another. I learned so much about my fellow attendees that day, and I can still remember their answers. The questions became the conversation starters, and the stories that day were hysterical. Sadly, not every networking function has helpful conversation starters. Though, with a great attitude and mindset, a bit of practice and curiosity can convert any networking experience from agonizing to pleasing. 32
4. Attitude. Networking can be fascinating, odd, or even downright uncomfortable. This depends on your attitude and perception. You can wrap yourself up in fear, or you can take it on as part of the experience. Early on in my career, I was shy and, at times, avoided networking activities. I did not have a strategy to make the most out of conversations and connections. Twenty-five years later, I know full well that mindset and attitude are everything. If you place yourself in engaging scenarios with intent, then you will experience and meet interesting people. You will still have those inevitable awkward exchanges, maybe sit in on a lackluster speaker, or dislike the offering at an event. Still, none of these should take you away from interacting with interesting people. At some point in time, the people you meet at these functions may perhaps purchase your products and services, refer clientele, or vouch for you on a new opportunity.
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Industry Confidential Check in every issue for the unfiltered thoughts of our guest writers and contributors as they discuss the hottest topics in sports tourism. Join the conversation by tweeting us: @pushsports In this issue, our guest writer discusses the subject of conference optics.
When will it end? Year-end and year out, we finish attending conferences with a feeling of quantity over quality. As we work through the first stage of our post-pandemic sports tourism reboot, now is the time to change many aspects of our industry. I’m hoping we start with a switch on conference experience by moving to a post-conference feeling of quality over quantity.
fall in several ways if we, as an industry, are not careful moving forward.
The majority of conference attendees are from small to mid-market destinations. Among this segment of our colleagues, most represent government entities or are at minimum funded by tax dollars. Over the past ten years, we have witnessed more scrutiny for return-on-investment measurement, both internally and externally. Some Destination Marketing Organizations and Sports Commission have sales process and room I have a full understanding of what it takes night quotas that must be met on a monthfor a conference to be successful. From des- ly and annual basis. Based on budget, those tination bid fees and in-kind services to destinations dependent on conference apvariety in exploring a destination’s assets, pointments to meet and discuss new and expectations on room night pick up, and repeat business must showcase results. sponsorship fulfillment. Conferences and trade shows are a huge undertaking, and Thus far, in 2021, I have attended five conthey are a massive sales and marketing tool ferences on the State and national levels. on all sides of the sports tourism industry. At each conference, I have encountered colleagues who have no idea what lies ahead As they can be a game-changer for many during appointment sessions. They cannot of us in developing new business op- describe the next steps for bidding opportunities, they too can become a pit- portunities, future event development, or
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discuss growth opportunities at their organization. Maybe it is too early in our industry reboot, and their organization fell on hard times during the pandemic, so they are biding their time to wait and see. No harm in that approach if that is right for them. But then why attend a conference if you are not ready? This brings me to my next point.
tours, and more, it causes issues back home that can turn ugly and political.
Let’s remember, those on the destination side are paying conference registration fees with tourist development tax dollars, paying for travel to attend a conference on tourist development tax dollars, on a weekday while being paid a salary for that day with tourOur industry is starting to get up in its ist development tax dollars, to drink years. What happens as you get older? booze and sightsee on what, that’s Well, you begin to slow down. That is right...tourist development tax dollars! exactly what our conferences should do as the party must end. Those that can This is an accident waiting to happen. attend a conference without having to contribute financially...even if they are Now, I’m not saying remove it all. Creat a stage with nothing new to offer or ating and maintaining relationships have no events to bid out...still show up. are the name of the game. Though, Sure...networking by creating and main- we, as an industry, have to be smarttaining relationships is essential, but you er about optics. Is including a day with also have to contribute in some way. To no real content and only tours the wise be clear, we all have to contribute in some thing to do? Does a conference have to way. We must give back. Though attend- be four days long? Can it be two and a ing just for the party? Hmmmm. That’s half days and allow those that wish to where it becomes a challenge for the rest make plans with clients and colleagues of us—the rest of us, with quotas to meet. to come in early or stay later and build activities on their own? I think so. On the destination side, it can be common to adhere to a travel approval pro- The current buzz is that most who cess. Finance, Administration, even a have been traveling the conference cirmunicipal or County Clerk of the Court cus are exhausted. Work is piling up may need to review and approve travel with event planning, conference folrequests. Often it is required to include low up, not to mention local initiatives. the conference schedule. This is primarily due to double-checking per diem re- Our industry needs to be smarter about quests with meals that the conference optics and more strategic about netprovides as a portion of a registration fee. working opportunities that count and However, when a City or County Ad- can show a return on investment. Those ministration employee reviews confer- that do will have stability, longevity, and ence schedules that display parties, open a leg up on those that do not. days with activities like golf, spas, beer
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