Playbook - Winter 2020 - 2021

#SportsTourismStrong

Winter 2020 - 2021

PLAYBOOK Evaluating Resident Sentiment to Inform the Development of Sports Tourism Street Sweeper Running is Essential: Lessons learned in the #Return2Racing Add Something Extra to Your Symposium Experience Sports ETA Makes Strategic Shift During COVID-19 to Support Members, Industry

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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, CSEE, 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., CSEE, Research and Education Carol Courtney, Special Projects Russ Yurk, Special Projects

Letter From President and CEO................................................. 1-2 Member Services News ................................................................ 3 Evaluating Resident Sentiment to Inform the Development of Sports Tourism .............................................. 5-6 2021 Women’s Summit ................................................................. 7

Board of Directors Officers Chair: Janis Burke, CSEE, Chief Executive Officer, Harris County - Houston Sports Authority Vice Chair/Chair-Elect: Michael Price, CSEE, Executive Director, Greater Lansing Sports Authority Treasurer: Don Dukemineer, CSEE, CHSP, Director of Sports Development, Decatur Morgan County Tourism Past Chair & Secretary: Kindra Fry, CSEE, SMP, CDME, Senior Director, Visit College Station

Street Sweeper .............................................................................. 8 Sports ETA Community Groups ............................................. 9-10 2021 Sports Facilities Summit ............................................. 11-12 Running is Essential: Lessons learned in the #Return2Racing....................................................................... 13-14 Sports ETA Makes Strategic Shift during COVID-19 to Support Members, Industry.............................. 15-16

Directors Ashleigh Bachert, CSEE, Vice President of Sales, Tulsa Sports Commission Derek Bombeck, CSEE, Sales Development Manager, Lincoln CVB John David, CSEE, COO, USA BMX Josh Dill, CSEE, Director of Sports & Events, Visit Frisco Pete Harvey, Director of Sports Development, Buffalo Niagara Sports Commission Gen Howard, CSEE, Senior Sales Manager, Louisville Tourism Meaghan Hughes, CSEE, Associate Director, Ann Arbor Sports Commission Frank Lett, CSEE, Senior Associate Executive Director/ Director of Sports Marketing, Visit Kingsport Matt Libber, Executive Director, Maryland SoccerPlex Brent Nelson, Sr. VP of Business Development, Greater Orlando Sports Commission Ray Palmer, CSEE, President/CEO, Pensacola Sports Hank Pivarnik, CSEE, Event Solutions Advisor, EventConnect Daniel Rush, CMP, CASE, Vice President of Global Sports and Event Sales, MGM Resorts International Christine Strong Simmons, Senior Director of Sport Operations, USA Fencing Marissa Werner, CSEE, Director of Sports Development, VISIT Milwaukee J.D. Wood, CSEE, Director of Business Development and Events, Dallas Sports Commission

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Planning Your Personal Education Track for 2021................ 17-18 Add Something Extra to Your Symposium Experience........ 19-20

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.

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Letter from the President & CEO Our Sports ETA team thanks every member for their support during 2020. You significantly upped your engagement with our association – we saw outstanding participation in our pesky little research requests, though your participation allowed us to provide very important information and trends, so keep it up! We promise to continue producing helpful and timely data for you. You, our members, helped reshape our member discussions with the establishment and participation in the numerous member communities we assembled, attended SBX, our industry’s first regathering after months of isolation among our members, and are renewing memberships at a record pace.

Al Kidd

We will continue to develop and implement new and innovative member products and services. In fact, we have a couple of very big products we will bring to life in early 2021.

In December, I spoke as part of a panel hosted by the International Sports Convention along with Terry Hasseltine, Tim Ramsberger, and Liese Abili. Discussion took place on sports events and tourism and the American landscape during and after COVID-19. Visit our Sports Events & Entertainment Network to view the session recording.

One of the many outcomes from COVID is the fortification and expansion of e-commerce. Retailers’ bottom line margins are significantly increasing, all the while they add new staff to service their customers in large numbers. Nintendo (record sales and stock up 6.6%), Sony (stock above $97 per share for the first time since 2001), Adidas (online sales up 93% in Q2), and Microsoft (stock up 36% this year) are just a few of the winners among the online conversions.

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The seas are rough, and the storm clouds continue to gather for amateur sports governance. The USOPC is engaged in several initiatives to review how they operate, finance NGB’s, and establish youth feeder programs for individual sports, among many other initiatives. The NCAA has the full attention of the federal government and business and sports leaders. I have attached a link to the recently released Knight Report that calls for wide and deep changes to the amateur sports governance and playing field. The complete series can be accessed here.

The US Congress, led by Senator Corey Booker, ex-Stanford football player, is introducing a College Athlete Bill of Rights. The bill addresses athlete Name Image and Likeness regulations as well as long-term healthcare, immediate and non-penalty athlete transfer rights, revenue sharing and additional

scholarship benefits. This bill seems to be moving governance and oversight of the amateur athlete to federal legislation rather than solely the NCAA. This bill comes on top of numerous initiatives by states and other federal NIL legislation introduced this year. I cannot predict the outcome of this flurry of activity, but I do ascribe to the adage, “where there is smoke there is fire”. Our industry will have a front-row seat to this battle.

The unprecedented length of time and depth of impact will undoubtedly give rise to many temporary and permanent changes to “business we knew in 2019.” Additionally, from reading experts across many business, scientific, and political fronts the lingering effects will last for many more months. Remember though, often through crisis comes innovation and new ways of looking at and solving matters of the day.

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One of the many outcomes from COVID is the fortification and expansion of e-commerce. Retailers’ bottom line margins are significantly increasing, all the while they add new staff to service their customers in large numbers.

Here are just a few of my Just Thinkin observations…

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Early research by experts in the field are projecting a significant drop off in youth sports participation and reentry into recreational play…if so, there will be long-term effects as that participation deficit works its way through the system for years.

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I get it, virtual meetings and video communications have finally taken hold (video conference in various forms has been trying to get a foothold in business since the ’90s) – how deep it goes and the financial impacts of fewer group meetings (people are clamoring for group meetings again) has yet to unveil its depth.

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Will the operational and financial impacts of new health regulations and concerns be the second major sea change in our events business to take place in the last twenty years? The first being an increase in safety costs and operational impact from 9/11.

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What will the changes and impacts on the travel and lodging industry look like in three years?

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Will this be the beginning of a cashless society – something first floated in the early ’90s?

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How long will strip malls grace our neighborhoods?

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These are just a few thoughts, there are many others…please send me your future predictions with your rationale and I just may include your comments in a future edition of Kidd’’s Komments.

Now is the time to innovate and integrate your solutions into the “new sports and tourism” way of doing business. Continue to seek out sunshine and silver linings in the cloudy sky.

Make a difference and THINK BIG!

Al Kidd President and CEO

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Member Services News & Updates We would like to thank all the organizations who have joined our growing list of members recently. Thank you for the privilege of serving you!

Destinations • Explore Elk Grove • Huntsville Sports Commission • Visit Garland

Rights Holder • Air Race E • Spikeball Inc.

Industry Partners • Gamechangers Consulting • Spotz • Rentyl Resorts

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Membership Chart 678 TOTAL (as of 12/31/2020)

456

Destinations

75

Rights Holders

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Industry Partners

Don’t forget to renew your Sports ETA membership for 2021!

We are constantly working to provide you with exceptional education, networking opportunities, and new benefits and resources to help you and your organization excel in the sports events and tourism industry. Renewal payments are due January 31, 2021.

If you’ve already renewed your organization’s membership, thank you. Without your loyalty and support, we would not be able to continue growing and evolving.

Renew Membership Online Now

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Sports ETA Event Calendar March 31 - April 2 | Women’s Summit | San Antonio, TX April 26 - 27 | Sports Facilities Summit | Birmingham, AL April 26 - 29 | Symposium | Birmingham, AL October 19 - 21 | 4S Summit | El Paso, TX

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Evaluating Resident Sentiment to Inform The Development of Sports Tourism B Y: A N D R I A N G O D F R E Y, V I C E P R E S I D E N T, L O N G W O O D S I N T E R N AT I O N A L A N D D R . J E N N I F E R S T O L L , R E S E A R C H A N D E D U C AT I O N , S P O R T S E TA

Sports events and tourism is an integral part of American life and economy. Before the pandemic, Sports ETA began looking into these impacts by partnering with Tourism Economics and Longwoods International. This year, as stadiums sat empty, kids’ lacrosse sticks laid unused, and Americans commiserated on missing their favorite pastimes, Longwoods International expanded upon its research to explore American sentiment toward sports events and tourism and its broader benefits to resident lives.

In 2020, Longwoods International, who first pioneered research looking at Resident Sentiment towards tourism in 2018, conducted the largest National Resident Sentiment study to date, using a national consumer research panel of 4,000 respondents, and in doing so, expanded the scope of study to capture American Resident Sentiment towards sports and sporting events.

With more than 180 million people traveling for sporting events in 2019, the economic benefits supported communities across the country, totaling $103.3B according to Tourism Economics. There is no denying that sports tourism is a valuable component of the economy with nearly 740,000 jobs created last year; however, the benefits of this industry span beyond economics to areas such as providing greater quality

Hosting youth and amateur sporting events improves the quality of life in my community

According to Longwoods’ 2020 National Resident Sentiment study, 51% of Americans agree that hosting youth and amateur sporting events improves the quality of life in their communities.

Agree

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Neutral

Disgree

of life for residents and increased destination brand perception and awareness. “The sports events and tourism industry is gaining more clarity on the widening role our work plays in the community,” commented Sports ETA President and CEO Al Kidd. “Gauging the sentiment of the local populous toward these efforts is an important way to ensure an expanded and aligned value proposition back to the destination.”

This sentiment is consistent across the country, and results reveal a somewhat stronger agreement among respondents that hosting these events benefit the local economy, 53% nationally. Further, when analyzed regionally, data suggest the agreement increase to 57% and 55% in the Midwest and South, respectively. This finding is logical as it corresponds with the areas of the country with the highest frequency of proactive sports tourism efforts, as reported by Stoll, et al. (2020).

Tourism Economics projects the COVID-19 pandemic results fewer people traveled to sports events compared to 2019

loss in direct spending in 2020

generations at regional and national levels, Generation Z (18-23 yr. old) tended to show significantly lower agreement on the benefits of hosting sporting events in their community. For example, when asked if hosting youth and amateur sporting events improves the quality of life in their communities, only 32% of Generation Z agreed in contrast to 51% of Americans overall.

Anecdotally, this sentiment may stem from fewer Generation Z members likely owning homes or with kids in the youth sports pipeline.

Sports EIC

Photo courtesy of Maryland SoccerPlex

While the fact that around half of Americans are in support of hosting events and see sporting events as valuable to their local economy is encouraging, it should not be taken for granted. An ongoing engagement of this young adult segment of potential advocates to educate them on the benefits of sports tourism and demonstrate the industry’s value proposition is warranted. With Generation Z entering the life stage of financial independence from their families, as well as approaching the time in which they are likely to have children participating in sports, education of the value to both their lives and their communities is key to growing engagement and support of sports tourism. This perspective is especially true as Generation Z grows in proportion of the American population (i.e. Baby Boomers passing away).

Longwoods International also asked Americans about their support of hosting college and professional sporting events, and the alignment was consistent, with half (51%) agreeing that they support hosting these events in their community.

Throughout the study, one outlier emerged, Generation Z. While general sentiment towards sports and sporting events aligned across

Hosting youth and amateur sporting events benefits the local economy

Agree

Neutral

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One other area of opportunity is the significant number of respondents who were neutral on these items related to sports tourism sentiment.

They represent a cohort that, with a little bit of education and information regarding value, could become advocates…but could also sway positive sentiment away from the sports tourism industry should the personal and community value of sports not become evident to them.

By evaluating and tracking the impacts and perceptions of local communities towards sports tourism and the economy, policymakers can inform decisions regarding funding and prioritization of the sector’s development over time. Monitoring sentiment can also help determine the engagement strategy for residents that is essential to garner support for initiatives that at their core are intended to improve the overall quality of life in the community.

“What we have learned through our research over the past several years is that Resident Sentiment is a vital insight to fully inform both advocacy and planning for any type of development, including sports,” says Amir Eylon, President and CEO of Longwoods International.

Tourism Economics projects the COVID-19 pandemic to result in a loss of $20B in direct spending in 2020 alone, and approximately 75 million fewer people will travel to sports events compared with 2019.

With projections for the sports tourism industry recovery lagging behind that of the U.S. economy’s recovery, leaning into understanding support and perceived value of this industry will help foster partner and community engagement as the sports tourism industry evolves into the “next normal”.

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March 31 - April 2, 2021 Sports ETA is committed to the safety of Women’s Summit attendees and plans include health and safety measures. We are monitoring travel and event requirements over the coming weeks. Please watch for future communications on guidelines and protocols.

Play Big!

Developed by top women leaders in the sports events and tourism industry, the annual Women’s Summit will inspire you to achieve your career goals. The Sports ETA Women’s Summit offers attendees solutions to build stronger bonds with their community, advocate for themselves, and hone their leadership skills. Attendees will takeaway tools and resources to elevate their personal brand and become more valuable to their organization after attending the Sports ETA Women’s Summit.

This year’s unique content delivery will offer education sessions followed by roundtable discussions. Networking and interactive activities will be part of the program.

Registration Member Rate:

$499

Register Now Did you register for the 2020 Women’s Summit and attend our Virtual Women’s Summit last summer? Don’t forget, you were provided a discount code for $200 off registration for 2021.

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Interested in sponsoring the 2021 Women’s Summit?

It’s not too late. Contact Rebecca Myles at Rebecca@SportsETA.org for sponsor packages and pricing.

Street Sweeper Jon McGraw Principal Vision Pursue, LLC

We’re often told that doing purposeful work that we love will bring us happiness and fulfillment. This is often summarized as “finding your why.” Is this message making people happier or more dissatisfied?

While trying to find enjoyable and meaningful work makes sense, the belief that it is necessary for happiness and fulfillment leads to dissatisfaction and hurts performance.

Many entertainers and athletes have a poor life experience even though they’re living their dream and using their wealth to help others. Many people who serve others like medical professionals, teachers, and stay-at-home parents are stressed out and unsatisfied.

There’s an even larger population who are dissatisfied because they aren’t living their dream or helping others.

Both groups keep searching and looking for the world and their work to fulfill them.

Vision Pursue has a different approach.

We suggest finding fulfillment and inspiration internally and then bringing that to what you do. With this approach, “what” you do is less important than “how” you do it. The starting point is changing your expectations.

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We suggest finding fulfillment and inspiration internally and then bringing that to what you do.

With this approach,

“what” you do is less important than

“how” you do it.

Not only do we want it to be purposeful work that we love, many of us expect work to be fun, flexible, high paying, low stress, and filled with great people. Are there any jobs like this? Are we expecting too much?

The talk was about vocation and was entitled, “What is your life’s blueprint?”

Dr. King did not emphasize finding the right vacation but rather bringing passion to one’s vocation. The following lines beautifully layout this approach.

We can take the best job available and avoid the dissatisfaction from wanting a perfect job. We can direct that energy toward excelling by connecting, contributing, and creating.

Right-sizing our expectations doesn’t mean we have to settle. Who will rise faster and enjoy their job more, a dissatisfied employee or an appreciative one who is about overcoming challenges and contributing?

“If it falls your lot to be a street sweeper, sweep streets like Michelangelo painted pictures, sweep streets like Shakespeare wrote poetry, like Beethoven composed music; sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will have to pause and say: ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who swept his job well.”

In 1967 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered a speech to students at Barratt Junior High School in Philadelphia.

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Bringing a “Street Sweeper” mentality to your work will improve your satisfaction, relationships, and performance.

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Sports ETA Community Groups In the spring of 2020, Sports ETA members indicated the importance of staying connected to others in the industry and with similar interests, goals, needs. To meet these needs, we launched dedicated member communities to better connect and resource Sports ETA members.

To better engage and communicate with our various stakeholders, we appointed leadership teams to convene and manage each sub-group. Take a look at the list of member communities below. If you want to join any of the committees, please reach out to the committee leadership.

Please note, some groups are invite only.

Large Market It is our goal to EARN your respect and membership every day through our 4 key pillars of excellence:

Leadership from Janis Burke, Harris County – Houston Sports Authority with staff support from Al Kidd

Education- Gain knowledge of industry trends and best practices.

Small to Mid-Market Destinations (SMID)

Advocacy- Representation on national issues and initiatives related to the sports events and tourism industry.

Resources- Access industry-leading information, analysis and trends you need to know to better conduct your business.

Networking- Reach a network of more than 2,500 sports events and tourism professionals.

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This group is open to all Sports ETA small to mid-market destination organizations.

Leadership from Frank Lett, Kingsport CVB; Ashleigh Bachert, Tulsa Sports Commission; and Derek Bombek, Lincoln CVB with staff support from Meagan Grau “The Small to Mid-Market (SMID) sub-group has been a constant source of information and idea sharing among peers from cities and destinations of similar size to Winston-Salem. The sports market has always been unique in that there’s an existing level of collaboration, but our membership has stepped up in a major way and taken it to a whole new level. From posting individual state guidelines for reopening to inviting rights holders and industry suppliers to our calls to talk about how we can all work together to overcome and thrive, has honestly been some of the most rewarding and inspiring conversations I’ve had throughout these past few months. I look forward to these conversations continuing well after we’ve returned to our “new normal.”

Bonny Bernat, Senior Sports & Events Sales Manager, Visit Winston-Salem

“Our affiliation with Sports ETA has added a credibility level to what MGM Resorts International is trying to achieve in this market. Our sports tourism program would not be where it is today without our alliance with Sports ETA.” Daniel J. Rush, CSEE, CMP, CASE Vice President of Global Sports and Events Sales MGM Resorts International

State Association Leaders

Rights Holders and Event Owners

This group is by invite only and consists of leaders for each state association or collaboration.

This group is open to all Sports ETA members who fall under the Rights Holder/Event Owner membership category.

Leadership from Bonny Bernat, Visit Winston-Salem; and Terry Hassletine, Maryland Sports Commission with staff support from Meagan Grau

Leadership from John David, USA BMX; and Christine Simmons, USA Fencing with staff support from Janis Ross

“Thank you for your leadership with this group and our industry as a whole. The state group has been one of the most beneficial groups to our association, and the group members involved. So much of Sports ETA future success and connectivity will come forward through this group.

Appreciate all your work.”

Mike Price, CSEE, CTA, Executive Director Greater Lansing Sports Authority

Women’s Leadership & Initiatives Leadership from Linda Logan, Greater Columbus Sports Commission; Bree Nidds, VP of Sales, Discover Lehigh Valley Sports; and Gray Workman Williams, STS, Executive Director, Visit Greenville NC with staff support from Michelle Wessels

Young Professionals

“The Sports ETA Rights Holder community actively engages in the sharing of best practices and collaborates on how to enrich Symposium, networking and the educational experience for Rights Holders. The unique camaraderie among the Rights Holders group provides the opportunity to develop meaningful professional contacts and relationships.”

Christine Simmons, Senior Director of Sport Operations USA Fencing

Event Impact Calculator & Resource Evaluation Tool Development Leadership from Gen Howard, Louisville CVB with staff support from Jen Stoll and & Elaine Rosquist from Destinations International

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Managed by staff support from Janis Ross

Leadership from Ariana Tyler, Greater Columbus Sports Commission; and Luchie Javelosa, Visit Tucson with staff support from Michelle Wessels “The Sports ETA Young Professional group provides the opportunity to connect and network through continuing education and fellowship with peers all around the country. This group has taken a huge industry and created an avenue to have one-on-one relationships with all the major stakeholders.”

Ryan Wolfe, Sports Sales Leader, Delaware Sports

Mentoring Leadership from Don Dukemineer, Decatur Morgan County Tourism with staff support from Meagan Grau

Suppliers/Industry Partners This group is open to all Sports ETA members who fall under the industry suppliers membership category.

Leadership from Hank Pivarnik, EventConnect, and Daniel Rush, MGM Resorts International, with staff support from Janis Ross.

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April 26-27, 2021 Birmingham, AL All events will take place at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex

Score Big With Sports Events Developed by industry leaders in sports facilities, events, and tourism, the Sports Facilities Summit provides education and networking to sports tourism professionals through expert presentations, facilitated discussions, case studies and networking. The Sports Facilities Summit is valuable content for facility developers, sports facilities personnel and vendors, destination professionals and sports event owners.

The 2021 Sports Facilities Summit provides targeted educational content on Monday, April 26, in addition to participation in the Sports ETA Annual Symposium with historical exposure to 1,000+ attendees on Tuesday, April 27.

Timely Content Session Topics: • Funding • Innovation • Operations • Safety and Preparedness • Sponsorship • Technology • Trends

You’ll Hear from Industry-Leading Experts Including: • 4FRONT • Pixellot • Spectra • Sports Facilities Management • Stark RFID

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Photos courtesy of Maryland SoccerPlex

schedule April 26 Events Include: • Optional Sports Tourism Strategist course in COVID Preparedness and Reopening Safely • Afternoon education sessions • Evening networking event with sponsors and vendors

April 27 Events Include: • Participation in Annual Symposium Opening Breakfast • Morning education session • Participation in Symposium Marketplace lunch stations, education and networking • Afternoon in Symposium Marketplace for education, sponsor/vendor visits and networking • Afternoon Industry Power Panel General Session at Annual Symposium

REGISTRATION $299 Member Rate

(Register by March 5, 2021)

$399 Non-Member Rate REGISTER NOW

Hotel View our host hotels, rates, and make your room reservation online.

View full schedule, sessions and speakers

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Running is Essential: Lessons Learned in the #Return2Racing Mike Wattigny Marketing & Communications Director FRESHJUNKIE Racing mike@freshjunkie.com #Return2Racing

The new year is finally here and with it hopefully a brighter future for sports, events, and tourism. While 2020 was tough on everyone, brutal in some cases, there are many lessons we learned last year that forced our event production company (FRESHJUNKIE Racing) to grow.

I will not bore you with the details of home improvement projects, bike rides, and binge-watching, but I will share some key learnings that came out of lots of hours of webinars & Zoom calls with event professionals from around the globe. These lessons became our opportunity. With these learnings, we built a COVID Mitigation & Safety Plan that we successfully implemented during 4 live & in-person running events during the fall/winter of 2020 for over 5000 runners from around the world.

These lessons became our opportunity. With these learnings, we b during 4 live & in-person running events during the fall/

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Take inventory.

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Develop your network.

Where are you as a company? Chances are there is a list of projects that you and your team have wanted to address. These are the ‘working ON the business’ as opposed to the day-to-day ‘working IN the business’. Use the down time to work on lots of tidying up, repairing, cleaning, etc. For as long as there is a shutdown, there are opportunities to improve your business. I personally used much of the newly found free time to attend webinars and started a Sports ETA curriculum to collaborate more with my tourism partners.

Prior to the pandemic shutdown applying for permits and checking in with those various agencies was a routine part of the business of event production. Now each of these agencies was being told by city, county, or state officials not to issue any permits. It placed them in limbo and likely in a position they had never been in. Unsure of how the agencies could move forward with permitting, we scoured our database for runners who worked for the Department of Health & Hospitals. We made contacts and scheduled Zoom calls. We talked to our sponsors in healthcare for points of contact. With so little known about what preventive measures looked like, it was easy to simply say ‘No’. In short, find the decision makers, find your advocates & supporters, and expand your network to include these influential people as you move forward.

Photos courtesy of FRESHJUNKIE Racing

built a COVID Mitigation & Safety Plan that we successfully implemented /winter of 2020 for over 5000 runners from around the world.

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Look everywhere for inspiration.

Where are people allowed to go in your community?

The grocery store or Lowes? What about the gym? Do they need to wear a mask and social distance? All these places are indoors, placing people at a higher risk for COVID. Most sporting events (particularly running races) are outdoors, making them inherently lower risk than most activities deemed ‘essential’. Develop a plan to host an outdoor event that is socially distanced, that requires masking when not actively participating/exercising, and you will be doing something that improves health (a key component to surviving if you should catch COVID).

Communicate 3x.

First you must communicate your plan to the permitting agencies and health officials. Infographics and diagrams work best. They are all pre-occupied and when you get a chance you need to be able to summarize how you are keeping people safe quickly. Communicate with your attendees (runners). Manage expectations by over communicating. By thoroughly and repeatedly outlining how your event will look different can make your participants happy to have the chance to participate as

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opposed to disappointed that the event isn’t the same as pre-pandemic. Finally, communicate with the public.

If you host an event the media will be interested. It is newsworthy and you can use that to your advantage. Let the press know all the measures you are putting in place, how it is different from the mass starts of prior years, and the additional ways you have adapted to improve safety.

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Document for the future.

At our first post-pandemic race in October, we hired additional staff to document everything. Nothing helps to tell your story like video. There were shots of the socially distanced starting line from the ground, as well as from a drone. Footage that could be compiled with a voiceover that helped to explain to public health officials, permitting agencies, and future runners exactly what we did to keep them safe.

Hopefully, you find these tips helpful, but it doesn’t stop there. Keep learning, keep discovering, and keep looking for ways to get back to work. Find someone in your area who is making things happen and ask questions. Adapt & survive, until we can all thrive!

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Sports ETA Makes Strategic Shift During COVID-19 to Support Members, Industry At the very beginning of the COVID-19 crisis in mid-March, Sports ETA shifted quickly to create a rapid-response team to support and communicate to the sports events and travel tourism industry and its membership with a variety of advocacy and education efforts.

As we look back to March and this summer and fall, here is a quick snapshot of initiatives we accomplished with and for our members.

• Moved Women’s Summit, Facilities Summit and Annual Symposium to Virtual Events • Created a COVID-19 microsite that is updated and aggregated with government information, federal financial support, best practices • Launched hashtag: #SportsTourismStrong in use in social media activity • Established a website to display member responses to COVID-19 in support of #SportsTourismStrong

Additionally, Sports ETA has launched a rapid-response team to provide advocacy support to its membership and the industry.

The Pulse, a new micro-research platform led by Sports ETA and its members, serves as an advocacy tool to increase the thought leadership of the organization and its membership data collection.

• Added new and extensive Webinar Series programming focused on new revenue strategies, networking and trends • Kidd’s Komments moved to a regular email to all membership with updates and educational opportunities • Supported of SearchWide Global to share networking and employment opportunities to Sports ETA membership • Renewed focus and reporting on The Pulse amid the COVID-19 crisis • Launched the Vault – a new enriched web site • Produced a summary information resource called “Sports ETA Reading Reference” with links to recommended articles to members • Provided PR and marketing support for Sports Backers, Great American 5000 – the industry’s first Virtual Race and income producer • Participated in numerous board and regional meetings advocating for the industry.

• Provided numerous letters of support to law makers concerning federal and state funding for our industry

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A Shift to Digital Education Leveraging the COVID-19 crisis to increase engagement and industry leadership, Sports ETA has shifted its service model to a digital business serving its membership and the sports events and tourism industry with leading education and networking opportunities.

“Our evolution will continue to support the membership of Sports ETA with digital education opportunities during these economic conditions,” said Al Kidd, CEO & President of Sports ETA. “We see our digital platform being a constant value-added element of our organization into the future. We will continue to serve as a new business model for sustainability and innovation.”

Introducing the Sports Tourism Learning Institute The new hub for all education programs is called the Sports Tourism Learning Institute which offers a range of educational content for a variety of submarkets. This includes free webinars with content by subject-matter experts, modestly-priced certificates, and forthcoming Front Office Education that will provide advanced-level education opportunities.

We are rebranding CSEE to a richer, more robust Sports Tourism Strategist and will develop a catalogue of

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self-paced asynchronys learning certificates that will provide “learning on-demand”. These certificates cover topics relevant to both learners new to the industry, and seasoned professionals. We have expanded the pool of participants to include non-members at an increased price.

These products will be delivered on the new Learning Management System developed and owned by Sports ETA. The LMS provides Sports ETA complete control of pricing, distribution, programming and integration into the broader Sports ETA CRM. This will consolidate member information into one common source for the first time in the organization’s history.

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Planning Your Personal Education Track for 2021

BY J E N N I F E R S TO L L , P H D, S T S

With the launch of the Sports Tourism Learning Institute (STLI), Sports ETA offers industry-wide education in one place with a wider portfolio of educational offerings to better serve all members. Educational opportunities range from basic to advanced and will cater to both incoming and seasoned professionals in the industry.

Power Plays

Certificate Playbook

Power Plays are free, topical content for members in the form of webinars. Currently, there are 12 presentations ranging from sports tourism industry overview to industry leadership discussions. Additional Power Plays will be available on a regular basis providing continued opportunities to learn about the latest trends and topics impacting the industry.

New certificates will be added regularly to the Certificate Playbook with a selection of courses debuting early in 2021. The current certificate, “Sports Tourism Analytics Certificate,” is offered in partnership with 4FRONT, a leading sports innovation consultancy. The “Sports Tourism Analytics Certificate” will take a deep dive into utilizing analytics to solve challenges and develop strategies in 2021 and beyond.

Pro Tip for Planning: Mark your calendar on a recurring date/time to listen to one Power Play per month in 2021.

Each Power Play is about one hour in length, perfect to check-off during a learning lunch.

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Pro Tip for Planning: Register for the “Sports Tourism Analytics Certificate” to test drive the Certificate Playbook offering and to start, continue, or return to compliance with your Sports Tourism Strategist designation.

With the launch of the Sports Tourism Learning Institute (STLI), Sports ETA offers industry-wide education in one place with a wider portfolio of educational offerings to better serve all members.

CSEE to STS Transition:

What it Means No Matter Where You Are in the Process ...

CSEE STATUS

CURRENT

FUTURE

Completed CSEE

Designation changes from CSEE to Sports Tourism Strategist (STS)

Maintain STS compliance by taking certificate course(s), same as CSEE

CSEE In-Progress

Continue earning STS designation by taking required number of certificate courses

Maintain STS compliance by taking certificate course(s), same as CSEE

Join the STS program by taking certificate courses at any time

Earn Sports Tourism Strategist designation; Maintain STS compliance by taking certificate course(s), same as CSEE

CSEE Not Yet Started

Pro Tip for Planning: Make the most out of current market conditions by planning and achieving your professional development goals. With more Certificate Playbook topics rolling out in early 2021, begin to frame your monthly, quarterly, and annual goals to acquire new knowledge and skill.

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April 26 - 29, 2021 Birmingham, AL

Add Something Extra to Your Symposium Experience Make the most of your time in Birmingham by taking in all that the city has to offer. We’ve got a great line-up of add-on activities that come highly recommended by the locals. Take a look and start planning your trip today!

You will be randomly paired with a foursome*. Great way to network and meet new people. Includes transportation to and from the course, green fees, cart, warm-up bucket of balls, breakfast, and lunch. Enjoy the beautiful RTJ Golf Trail at Oxmoor Valley in Birmingham. *You can choose to register as a foursome, if you’d prefer to select your group.

Civil Rights/Birmingham History Tour Thursday, April 29, 2021 1:30-5:00 PM CT Visit the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, part of the Birmingham Civil Rights Monument. We will follow a series of galleries that tell the stories of a people and a movement from the 1800’s to the present. Then across 19

the street we will visit the city’s most famous Civil Rights landmark, the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, bombed

by Klansmen in 1963 killing four African American schoolgirls. This was the turning point in race relations in the country. The tour will finish in Kelly Ingram Park, appreciating the park’s emotionally powerful sculptures depicting the Civil Rights struggle in Birmingham. *Due to current COVID-19 restrictions, the tour is only open to 25 people.

Registration is $50/person.

Photo courtesy of Ted Tucker

Golf Outing Monday, April 26, 2021 7:00 AM -12:30 PM CT

Hosted by

Photo courtesy of ArikSokol

Brewery Tour Thursday, April 29, 2021 1:30-5:00 PM CT

Photo courtesy of ArtMeripol

Get to know craft beer in the greater Birmingham area.

Savor a range of IPA’s, porters, lagers, stouts, ales and ambers. You are sure to find something you like. You will have the opportunity to grab a bite at one stop. Snacks and water will be provided on the bus.

Baseball History Tour Thursday, April 29, 2021 1:30-5:00 PM CT Visit historic Rickwood Field, the oldest professional baseball park in the United States. It was built for the Birmingham Barons in 1910 by industrialist and team-owner Rick Woodward and has served as the home park for the Birmingham Barons and the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro Leagues. Next visit the Negro Southern League Museum that tells the story of African American baseball in Birmingham. The museum features the largest collection of original Negro Southern League baseball artifacts in the country. We will end the tour with a visit to Regions Field, the new home of the Birmingham Barons and the 2013 Ballpark of the Year. *Due to current COVID-19 restrictions, the tour is only open to 25 people.

*Due to current COVID-19 restrictions, the tour is only open to 15 people.

Registration is $65/person.

Taste of Birmingham Tour Thursday, April 29, 2021 1:30-5:00 PM CT Birmingham is often referred to as the “dinner table of the South,” and you will find out why on this tour. Participants will sample a variety of special flavors that are integral to the city’s booming food scene. Open yourself to new gastronomic adventures with Comedienne Joy on her Eat.Drink.Ride food tour. *Due to current COVID-19 restrictions, the tour is only open to 25 people.

Registration is $80/person.

**All tours are subject to change in availability and pricing.

Registration for add-on activities is available online.

Register Now If you have any questions or trouble registering, please contact Sports ETA Member Services at info@SportsETA.org.

Registration is $55/person.

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Option 3 Event Owner Sponsored Mailer: $5,000 per mailer Periodically throughout the year, the Sports ETA will offer the opportunity for sponsors to plan a mailer to our member list of almost 200 event owners. Sponsor has the option to create a piece to be mailed to up to 50 event owners in our database. The investment cost above covers up to $400 in postage. Any costs above that amount would be covered by the sponsor.

Sports ETA General Advertising Options Option 1 Boosted Social Content through Sports ETA Social Pages: $1000 investment per boost

Option 4

Users are spending more and more time on social platforms for the content that they are looking for.

Bring your brand in front of users who have identified Sports ETA General Options as being interested in the Sports ETAAdvertising and their offerings as a low cost per engagement amount.

- Includes $350 boost to be split between Facebook Option 1- Boosted Social Content through Sports ETA Social Pages: $1000 investment and Instagram over a 3 month timeframe per boost Users are spending more and more time on for the content that they are looking - Expected reach ofsocial thatplatforms spend can range for. Bring your brand in front of users who have identified as being interested in the Sports ETA anywhere from 95-250 views per day and and their offerings as a low cost per engagement amount.

- Includes $350 boost splitcan between Facebook and Instagram over a 3 month clicks perto be day range from 4-17 depending timeframe on targeting. Based on your desired target - Expected reach of that spend can range anywhere from 95-250 views per day and clicks day can rangewe from can 4-17 depending targeting. Based on your for the per campaign furtheron refine those desired target for the campaign we can further refine those numbers further. numbers further.

Website Display Ads: Prices Vary

With over 500,000 views on a yearly basis of the Sports ETA website, take the opportunity to be in line with the content they are reading with a display ad. See pricing options here .

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Option 3- Event Owner Sponsored Mailer: $5, Periodically throughout the year, the Sports ETA mailer to our member list of almost 200 event ow to be mailed to up to 50 event owners in our data $400 in postage. Any costs above that amount w

Option 4- Website Display Ads: Prices Vary With over 500,000 views on a yearly basis of the Sports ETA website, take the opportunity to be in line with the content they are reading with a display ad. See pricing options ​here​.

Option 5 Sports ETA Playbook Ad: Prices Vary

Option 2 Sponsored Email Content: $2,500

- Sponsored Email Content: $2,500 d in getting right into the inbox of an Sports ETA Member? Sports ETA can spend d email content to the current member database promoting your destination. Open our email range between 30%-40% and trackable links can be included to track ent.

Example Sponsored Email

Interested in getting right into the inbox of an Sports ETA Member? Sports ETA can spend sponsored email content to the current member database promoting your destination.

Open rates for our email range between 30%-40% and trackable links can be included to track engagement.

1,000 printed copies; 3,000+ digital copies of the Sports ETA Playbook are distributed quarterly to all Sports ETA Members. Content in the issues centers around association updates as well as the 4 S’s of sports events and tourism; sponsorship, sales, strategies and services. See pricing options here.

Contact Rebecca Myles today about your advertising opportunities.

Rebecca@SportsETA.org 513.205.0907 21

Option 5- S 1,000 printe ETA Playbo Members. C updates as sponsorship options ​here

*All options in this p

BEST IN^CLASS. l a u t vir

Join us for Analytics & Innovation Certificates Presented by 4FRONT + Sports ETA 5-Part Sports Tourism Analytics Certificate

4-Part Sports Tourism Innovation Certificate

A virtual learning opportunity to take a deep dive into utilizing analytics to solve challenges and develop strategies in 2020 and beyond.

A virtual learning opportunity for participants to think strategically, boldly, creatively and differently about their organization’s business.

Sign up at: https://www.sportseta.org/education.

HI, WE’RE 4FRONT. We are innovators, strategists, creatives, and sports enthusiasts who inspire our partners in the sports & entertainment industry to think differently and go BIG. We use our core solutions to help our partners redefine possible & create long lasting, authentic connections around the globe.

ANALYTICS

DIGITAL MEDIA

INNOVATION

PARTNERSHIPS

TECHNOLOGIES

Contact Us to Get Started!

4FRONT • Chicago, Dallas & Denver • Info@Team4FRONT.com • Team4FRONT.com • @Team_4FRONT

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unlimited

water breaks The brand new Sports Center boasts 285,000 square feet, 12 basketball courts, 24 volleyball courts, 200 meter hydraulically banked track and seating for 5,000 screaming fans. Awaken to a sunrise over the ocean, and walk or bike to a tournament at the Sports Center. Take in any number of outdoor adventure and unique dining experiences just blocks away — now this is what we call a sportscation.

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DANI TIMM, CSEE

BILL KELLY, CSEE

SPORTS MARKETING NATIONAL SALES MANAGER DTIMM@VISITVIRGINIABEACH.COM 757-373-6804

SPORTS MARKETING SALES MANAGER WJKELLY@VISITVIRGINIABEACH.COM 757-385-6651

VBsports.com