Playbook - Fall 2022

National Headquarters 9624 Cincinnati Columbus Road, Suite 209 Cincinnati, OH 45241 Telephone (513) 281-3888

Website

Staff

Alan (Al) R. Kidd, President & CEO Janis Breedlove, CMP, STS, VP Events & Experiences

Meagan Grau, Director of Marketing and Communications

Michelle Wessels, Business Services Director Rebecca Myles, Sponsorship and Advertising Jennifer Stoll, Ph.D., STS, Research and Education

Board of Directors

Officers

Chair: Don Dukemineer, STS, CHSP, Director of Sports Development, Decatur Morgan County Tourism Vice Chair/Chair-Elect: Ray Palmer, President/CEO, Pensacola Sports

Treasurer: Frank Lett, Senior Associate Executive Director/Director of Sports Marketing, Visit Kingsport Secretary: John David, COO, USA BMX

Immediate Past Chair: Michael Price, STS, CTA, Executive Director, Greater Lansing Sports Authority

Directors

Ashleigh Bachert, Interim SrVP of Regional Tourism, Tulsa Sports Commission

Cindy Cowart, STS, President, Coward Sports Events

Chad Culver, Senior Director of Sports Commission, Visit Knoxville Sports Commission

Josh Dill, Director of Sports & Events, Visit Frisco Jason Gewirtz, Editor and Publisher/SportsTravel, SportsTravel Magazine

Pete Harvey, Director of Sports, Visit Sarasota County Jerrine Lee, STS, Vice President of Sales, Richmond Region Tourism

Matt Libber, Executive Director, Maryland SoccerPlex

Johnathan Paris, Executive Director of Sports Tourism, Myrtle Beach Area CVB

Clay Partain, STS, Executive Director, Sports Salt Lake Scott Powers, STS, Executive Director, Experience Columbia SC Sports

Melissa Thompson, Chief Community Officer, Indiana Sports Corp

Marissa Werner, STS, Director of Sports Milwaukee, Sports Milwaukee, Championed by VISIT Milwaukee

J.D. Wood, Director of Business Development, Dallas Sports Commission

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.

Letter from the President and CEO

As we approach the holiday season, the sports events and tourism industry has much to be thankful for as well as excited that Santa continues to bring the gift of sport events to our destinations. The terrific attendance and exuberance detected at the TEAMS Conference & Expo brings light to the key business catalyst position that we play in the tourism ecosystem. COVID driven changes in personnel were abundantly apparent at the event with many new faces, but the 1,100 attendees showed the importance of in-person events. A special note of appreciation to all the attendees at the STS class provided by Dr. Jennifer Stoll during the conference. The interactive 3-hour class whizzed by because of a very enthusiastic group of attendee’s discussing the wider value of sports and their impact on their community.

Jennifer and her team are very busy producing several new courses for our professional development course catalogue in the Sports Tourism Learning Institute (STLI). Expect a number of new and compelling courses in the first quarter of 2023, in addition to an entire new badging program that focuses on recognizing achievements from discipline specific topics.

In addition to our developed course expansion, you will begin to see the integration of course offerings from Destinations International and MPI in Q1. Our team continues to seek out meaningful and impactful content opportunities that will enrich your knowledge and value to your clients.

I was honored to be a part of 22 tourism industry CEO’s and leaders from around the world attending Puerto Rico’s Strategic Advisory Board meeting at the Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve outside of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Three days of great conversation on industry trends, red flags on the horizon, and major innovation taking place in the travel and tourism industry. Sport Tourism was represented for the first time as we play an important role as a vibrant channel partner to all of tourism.

A special shoutout to Brad Dean and his outstanding team as they served as great hosts, facilitators, and led a very important industry meeting. Thank you Brad and team, we look forward to seeing you at one of our future events spreading the good gospel of tourism, especially sport tourism.

We want to wish all of our members in the spirit of family camaraderie during Thanksgiving and sharing during the remainder of the holiday season. We are thankful for 2022 helping us remerge from the slumber of 2020 and 2021 and looking forward to a record setting 2023 year.

Al Kidd President and CEO

BIG!

Letter From Board Chair

What a start to our year! 116 members joined us in Sarasota for the 4S Summit in October and enjoyed a full schedule of educational opportunities. What was more encouraging was meeting so many new faces who participated in their first Sports ETA event. We are thankful you chose to attend, and hope that every attendee took home new ideas after two days of beneficial discussions on current and relevant topics.

This past summer, a lady by the name of “Miss Jackie” passed away in my hometown. While it won’t mean much to you, I knew Jackie my entire life as she was a staunch advocate for our community. She was faithful in attendance at every city council meeting, work session, community discussion or meeting held to support community development. You always knew where she stood on a topic, and you could always expect her name to be first on the list to speak. Every mayor and city council member could expect a fiery rebuke and she never held back on how she felt. No matter how angry she was, she always finished her comments by telling each public official that she loved them and was praying for them.

There will never be another Miss Jackie in our town. But what everyone admired about her more than the passion, was her engagement in our community. Even though you probably disagreed with her, you couldn’t disagree with her commitment to making everyone around her better.

As I reflect and share about Miss Jackie, I encourage you to be just as passionate and engaged in all you do, especially when it comes to Sports ETA. In the past few months, we’ve asked the membership questions and sought input for studies and reports we’ve published. Our goal is that the insights offered will assist in providing you recommendations on how to become better and “engaged” leaders within your organizations. But more importantly, that you engage in Sports ETA now more than ever. Join a community, attend an event, earn your STS designation or help a fellow member; no matter what the task, be engaged in our Association. This is your Sports ETA and it will only be as good as you make it!

So, as you think about your destination’s “Miss Jackie,” what stands out about them to you? As your current Chair, my focus is to make sure the Association and membership are put first in everything we strive to accomplish. We may not always agree, but no matter what, I want you to know that “I love you and that I’m praying for you!” Make it a goal to serve with the same passion as Miss Jackie and let’s make all of our communities a better place to live, work and play every day!

Don B. Dukemineer, STS, CHSP Sports ETA Board Chair

Member Services News & Updates

Special shout out

Destinations

• Brandon Parks and Recreation

• City of Birmingham (Office of Sports & Entertainment)

• City of Douglasville Parks and Recreation

• City of Fredericksburg, Economic Development and Tourism

• Clay County / Highlands County, FL Sports Commission

• Corpus Christi Sports Commission

• CSP SFM LLC

• David L Lawrence Convention Center

• Discover Davis

• Duplin County Tourism

• Economic Development & Tourism, City of Danville, VA

• Edwardsburg Sports Complex

• Experience Rochester

• Garden City Investments (Stone Creek Station)

• Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas

• Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority

• Legends Event Center

• SPIRE Institute and Academy

• Stevens Point Area Convention and Visitors Bureau

• Team Indiana

• The Greater Columbus Convention Center/ASM Global

• Victoria Parks & Recreation

• West Monroe Sports and Events

Rights Holder

• 3STEP Sports - Lacrosse

• Big Dreams Flag Football

• Bullpen Tournaments

• Crappie Expo

• DS Sports

• Gulf Coast Athletic Conference

• Lynn Lewis Foundation(Women’s Flag Football)United States Touch & Flag

• Made Hoops

• Main Attraction Recreational Sports LLC

• MMA Creative / World Food Championships

• Premier Ice Prospects

• Primetime Events

ETA

Industry Partners

• ASM Global

• Drury Hotels

• Earl Enterprises

• EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants (Sports & Entertainment Division)

• GroupBook

• Groups360

• M:7 Sports

• Raconteurs

• Stack Sports

• Texas A&M Athletics-Special Events

• The Collective Best

• Travel Desk Inc

It’s That Time of Year Again –Renew Your Membership for 2023

All of us here at Sports ETA thank you for your membership this past year! Without your loyalty and support, we would not be able to continue to grow, evolve, or provide quality business development and educational opportunities to you, our members.

A few years ago, we coined the term “EARN” to define the work of our association: Education, Advocacy, Resources, and Networking. As you know, all of these pillars have been re-imagined and activated throughout the pandemic. Take a look at the programs and services implemented for the sports events and tourism industry.

As a reminder, 2023 membership dues are listed below:

• Destinations – $1,195/organization

• Industry Partners - $1,195/organization

• Rights Holders - $250/organization

MEMBERS

2022 memberships are valid through December 31, 2022. We encourage you to continue taking full advantage of the benefits and resources available to you and your organization as a Sports ETA member by renewing today.

You can renew your membership one of three easy ways:

1. Pay online - Click here, then select your name from the drop-down menu, add 2023 dues to your shopping cart, and proceed to the final checkout stage.

2. Mail payment - Click here, then select your name from the drop-down menu, add 2023 dues to your shopping cart, and proceed to the final checkout stage. Print invoice and mail to address listed below.

3. Email our member services team at Info@SportsETA.org

We are thankful for your ongoing commitment and support and hope that you will continue your membership with us in 2023.

2022 4S & Rights Holder Summit Recap

BY: KATHRINE NERO

Sports ETA’s 4S Summit hit the beaches and banquet rooms of central Florida October 11-13, 2022, as Visit Sarasota hosted the annual event. Small group educational discussions, networking and off-site excursions focused, as always, on the 4S’s of sports events and tourism: strategies, services, sales and sponsorships.

Just weeks before the Summit, Sarasota was hit by winds from Hurricane Ian. Though the brunt of the storm passed further south in Florida, damage was evident across the area, and even changed some of the plans for the Summit itself.

As a group focusing on the impact of tourism, Sports ETA put their money - and manpower - where their mission is. The 4S Summit went on as planned, and in addition to previously planned events, organizers and attendees also came together to give back to the area serving as host.

Those in attendance packed boxes and bags of items including toiletries, clothing, batteries, food, and other essentials and donated them to The United Way of South Sarasota County. Visit Salt Lake Sports also donated $200 to the Red Cross for the Hurricane Ian recovery efforts.

Learning and Leading

For the first time, the 4S Summit offered an additional educational track for rights holders, meant to provide attendees with key tools, resources and best practices from peers as well as experts in the sports events and tourism industry.

The Sports Tourism Strategist (STS) certificate course on the first day of the Summit featured speaker Julie C. Henry, a Sarasota native and president of Finish Line Leadership, a strategic facilitation and panel moderation services company. Henry led attendees through a three-step process to help them make the transition from simply managing to truly leading.

Photos courtesy of @still.silver

Photo courtesy of Visit Sarasota

Day 2 of the 4S Summit brought about a larger group, and many options for attendees to personalize their experience with breakout groups and education sessions. One of the highlights of the day came when more than a dozen rights holders got a glimpse of IMG Academy, billed as the world’s most prestigious sports, performance, and educational institution. Located in nearby Bradenton, FL, the Academy began as Nick Bolletieri Tennis Academy in the 70s but has morphed into an all-encompassing, multi-sport complex and boarding school with an inter national reputation.

Attendees received a guided tour of the IMG campus, taking a closer look at some of the premier facilities, such as the soccer stadium and the newly opened indoor tennis and basketball center.

IMG Academy prides itself on sports science and treating the whole athlete - and 4S Summit attendees got to experience it firsthand with an experiential activity in the Mind Gym lab.

The Mind Gym is a high-tech classroom with gadgets designed to challenge an athlete’s - and in this case, an attendee’s - mental and visual connection.

The tour ended with a reception at The Legacy Hotel at IMG Academy.

Breaking Out

Educational breakout sessions and meaningful group discussions marked Day 2 of the conference, tackling subjects such as how to get your story picked up by media, facility management, and building a volunteer database that lasts. Many attendees mentioned in the post-event survey how beneficial the opportunity for networking was over the course of the Summit, and how many genuine contacts were made for future endeavors.

“I enjoyed the intimate setting with our colleagues to learn and grow in the new world of sports tourism,” wrote one survey respondent. Another said, ”It makes me want to be more involved. I love this organization.”

Other responses praised the variety of subjects and speakers, the location and the facility itself, and the fully formed ideas and plans attendees were able to take back home.

The educational group sessions continued on Day 3, with multiple opportunities to learn about building a brand, destination partnerships, and more.

“Coming out of COVID… the landscape has changed,” pointed out one attendee. “We must adapt, and these meetings give us additional tools and insight.”

Photos courtesy of @still.silver

Special thanks to our 4S Summit Host.

New Faces, New Experiences

The 4S Summit brought 53 new attendees to the event, with many veterans remarking about the new faces at every turn. One first-time attendee said, “This was my first conference in the sports tourism industry and what a great one to start off with! I thought the content was great. I really enjoyed the small to mid-size market breakout on facility development … It was great to meet peers and be able to talk with them about the station of the industry.”

The 4S Summit is more education-focused than some of the other Sports ETA events and several in attendance mentioned they liked the change of pace. One attendee

enjoyed “catching up with and meeting new industry counterparts and discussing best practices without the expectation of being on the floor selling.”

Don’t miss your opportunity for education, networking, and genuine connection– join us for next year’s 4S Summit, October 23-25, 2023, in El Paso, TX.

And to our event sponsors, thank you.

Celebration of Title IX’s 50th Anniversary

BY: JACKIE REAU

A number of our Sports ETA partners have set aside special programming to mark the 50th anniversary of Title IX, helping female student-athletes have equal opportunities to participate in sports. Here’s how some of them celebrated:

Greater Columbus Sports Commission

The Greater Columbus Sports Commission and iHeart created the Starting IX-Up podcast to tell women’s sports stories with a local hook. The nine-episode series, hosted by Matt McCoy, looked at the people, moments and organizations that stand out in Columbus long history of women’s sports. Topics include women’s tackle football, the growth of volleyball and women in sports media.

Columbus also encouraged others to tell their Title IX stories, or highlight some of those leaders and coaches who made a difference in their sports careers. With the hashtag #TitleIXColumbus, participants also were asked to tell their own stories on how they are inspiring the female athletes of tomorrow.

Finally, the Columbus Sports Commission partnered with the Columbus Metropolitan Library to provide a list of books about girls and women in sports. The list includes:

Ages 2-5: Includes Sisters by Jeanette Winter and She’s Got This by Laurie Hernandez

Ages 6-8: Includes An Equal Shot by Helanie Becker and Run like a Girl by Danielle Brown

Ages 9-12: Includes Proud by Ibtihaj Muhammad and Let me Play by Karen Blumenthal

Ages 13-18: Includes 37 Words by Sherry Boschert and Fierce by Aly Raisman

Adults: Includes All In by Billie Jean King and Hail Mary by Britni De la Cretaz

Seattle Sports Commission

Kansas City Sports Commission

The Seattle Sports Commission (SSC) is committed to making Seattle a world class sports community by creating opportunities that bring the world to the Pacific Northwest. By fostering a strong sports culture, the SSC seeks to strengthen businesses, encourage generational engagement in athletics, and bolster pride in our communities. Go to seattlesports.org to learn more.

The Seattle Sports Commission unveiled its own custom logo for its Title IX celebration. The new logo is being used on scarves, t-shirts, across social media and at the Women’s Leadership Breakfast October 14 and this spring’s Sports Star of the Year Awards. The Seattle Storm also used the logo for its own Title IX celebration on June 23.

Column is a Seattle design studio who specializes in developing brand systems. They work with a range of diverse brands spanning a variety of categories from consumer packaged goods, to restaurants, to sports, to tech. Brands like The Seattle Sounders FC, Microsoft, Gordon Ramsay, RedBull, Salomon Sports, Darigold and Jones Soda among

WIN for KC, the Women’s Intersport Network for Kansas City, was established in 1994 to empower the lives of girls and women through advocating and promoting the lifetime value of sports and fitness, while providing opportunities for participation and leadership development. Included in its Title IX events are “Every Day Forward” panel discussion celebrating 50 years of Title IX, on November 3. Panelists include Allison Howard, president, Kansas City Current soccer team, KC Atchinson, director of the Office of Equity & Title IX at UMKC, and Marian Washington, former women’s athletic director and head women’s basketball coach at Kansas University.

A list of Title IX events will be added to the SSC website in the coming weeks. Anyone interested in joining the SSC and the sports community in celebrating Title IX can contact Mara Mote for the logo kit.

Photos courtesy of Kansas City Sports Commission

Big game? Bring it to The Beach.

The John T. Rhodes Myrtle Beach Sports Center opened in March 2015. This $12.4 million facility boasts over 100,000 square feet of event space, with the ability to host court sports including gymnastics, wrestling, pickleball, table tennis and more. The venue can also host trade shows. The team sports facility includes team rooms, an elevated mezzanine and an indoor/ outdoor café. With eight basketball courts, 16 volleyball courts, a large multiscreen video wall and the ability to seat up to 2,000 spectators on telescopic bleachers, it’s the perfect place to play at The Beach.

The Myrtle Beach area continues to be a lead destination within the regional and national sports tourism event industry. Combining our premier coastal location, hotels and attractions with world-class venues, the future remains bright for further growth in sports tourism.

Other Myrtle Beach area sports facilities include:

• Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium and Ashley Booth Field featuring an NCAA-certified lighted track, Daktronics video board, a FieldTurf field, and press box and concessions.

• Grand Park Athletic Complex featuring nine lighted multipurpose FieldTurf fields, two natural-turf youth fields, a six-lane batting tunnel, complimentary live streaming, free parking and more, all just 1 mile from the Atlantic Ocean.

• Myrtle Beach Convention Center with 100,800 square feet of exhibit space, 250,000 total square feet of flexible space, a 17,000-square-foot ballroom and more.

• The Ripken Experience™ Myrtle Beach with nine lighted, state-of-the-art, historic replicated pro FieldTurf fields, scoreboards, batting cages and more.

• TicketReturn.com Field at Pelicans Ballpark, which plays home to the Chicago Cubs’ Low-A East League Affiliate Myrtle Beach Pelicans, has 5,200 fixed seats, nine luxury suites, two clubhouses and was voted one of the top 10 minor league baseball stadium experiences for five straight years.

Last but not least, the Myrtle Beach Bowl returns for the third straight year to Brooks Stadium, home of the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers. The annual matchup of teams from Conference USA, the Mid-American Conference and the Sun Belt Conference will kick off at 2:30 p.m. EST on December 19.

To learn more about The Beach or start planning your next sporting event, visit MyrtleBeachSports.com.

ASPIRE.

Sports Tourism Learning Institute

The sports events and tourism industry’s education

and power your career.

Learn.sportseta.org

What’s YOUR Game Plan?

The Sports Tourism Learning Institute is here to help you strategize your plan for personal and professional growth within the sports events and tourism industry. If you’re ready to accelerate your industry learning and be more effective and efficient in your role, then let’s get started!

We can help customize an education plan for you, your staff, your board, or even your community stakeholders.

Whether it’s an online course or a live course at an industry event you’re attending, we have something for everyone. You’ll learn from the industry’s most highly regarded and experienced experts. Choose from a vast array of online courses ranging from quick, free power play offerings to a deeper and more complex understanding of essential industry topics while also earning credits towards a Sports Tourism Strategist (STS) designation

To learn more or get started, visit the Sports Tourism Learning Institute

We look forward to working with you to develop your winning game plan!

Sports ETA Annual Report

2022 was an important inflection point in the history of our association.

After two years of being unable to host live events, we experienced significant pressure on the sustainability of our event-driven revenue organization.

Sports ETA’s mission is to be the essential resource and leading advocate for the sports events and tourism industry. In FY ‘22, we did just that:

• Hosted six (6) live events

– Including two (2) Symposiums

• Unveiled the 2022 State of the Industry Report, which measured the 2020 and 2021 impact on the sports events and tourism industry and served as a benchmark for our 2019 study

• Launched Sports Tourism Learning Institute (STLI), the industry’s education engine to transform, enrich and power member’s careers

• Joined forces with industry partners to enhance advocacy and value for our members

• Supported national tourism relevancy

• Supported local and national youth sports initiatives to fuel participation

• Our staff wrote letters of support on tourism initiatives and spoke at member’s board meetings and conferences, state association meetings, national and international conventions, as well as multiple media interviews

• Released several industry reports, white papers, studies

• Amplified community group offerings

– Created two (2) new community groups

While the list above highlights the countless hours poured into supporting the sports events and tourism industry, there is much more to share.

Dive deeper into the FY’22 Annual Report.

A Look Ahead

A solid FY ‘22 gave us the resources to further invest in a number of important operational items in 2023.

This includes:

• New and improved content for events

• Additional new education courses in our online catalog

• Additional investment in research and data collection

• Efficiency and content enhancements to our website

• Major improvements to our accounting and financial systems

• Integration of all reporting systems into a cohesive full-service financial management capability

As 2023 unfolds, it is our goal to further support growth in member communities, both in size and engagement.

We look to invest in programming that is important to our communities, hit our financial landmarks, and continue to enhance the mission and vision of Sports ETA.

On behalf of the Sports ETA Board of Directors and the entire Sports ETA staff, I thank you for your continued support. Without it, we couldn’t keep our passion, helping sports events and tourism professionals achieve previously unimaginable levels of performance, alive. We’re able to do this by nurturing a diverse and inclusive community of smart, creative, and interesting people — you.

We’re keeping our promise to deliver quality education, ample networking opportunities, and to protect the integrity of the sports events and tourism industry.

We hope you’ll join us as we Think Bigger in 2023!

Shores & Islands Region Specializes in

BY: BETSY ROSS

Cody Carson, Sports Tourism Manager for Shores & Islands Ohio, tells us what makes this region of Ohio so special.

The region is essentially two counties, Erie County and Ottawa County. Together, this is one of the most visited leisure destinations in Ohio with estimated 11 million annual visitors. Less than an hour’s drive from both Cleveland and Toledo, and easily accessible via the Ohio Turnpike and other major state routes, Shores & Islands Ohio accommodates sports families with more than 8,000 sleeping rooms and 615,000+ square-feet of event space.

There are numerous entertainment options to enhance your experience including Cedar Point, the Lake Erie islands, and a variety of indoor waterpark resorts. Some of the new features planned in 2023 include Lakeside Chautauqua celebrating its 150th anniversary, while Cedar Point is adding a new roller coaster, the Wild Mouse, and is redesigning their Boardwalk.

Hundreds of indoor and outdoor sports events are held here year-round, and there’s plenty to keep athletes and spectators occupied between games. Plus, Shores & Islands provides planners with a convenient location and affordable places to stay, making it easy to accommodate teams from all over the country. The expert staff at Shores & Islands Ohio has all the resources you need to make planning your sports event a breeze. No matter the size or scope of your tournament, they make it easy to plan a winning event. When you pick this destination, you can rest easy, embrace the coastal life, and find your Lake Erie Love.

Summer is their busiest season with outdoor sports. With venues such as Sports Force Parks, there’s always a large baseball, softball, or soccer tournament at the venue ranging from 2-3 day to 4-5 day tournaments. Shores & Islands Ohio is also the new host for IRONMAN 70.3 Ohio. The triathlon was held for the first time this past July and the event will be returning in 2023 and 2024 in downtown Sandusky. It is also the only IRONMAN race that starts with athletes jumping off a boat. Summer is great for fishing and we bring in both regional and national tournaments for walleye, bass, and catfish.

Spring is a transition from indoor sports to outdoor sports. At the Cedar Point Sports Cen ter, while the club volleyball season is starting to end in late-spring, the venue will then start holding basketball tournaments. Sports Force Parks will usually kick off their outdoor season with lacrosse tournaments, followed by baseball and softball tournaments. Spring is the prime time for walleye in Lake Erie so they often will have large national fishing tournaments.

In the Fall, they hold large soccer tournaments through the end of October. Sports Force Parks is the host of the Special Olympics State Softball Tournament. In early November, the venue will host a state youth football tournament. Put-in-Bay, one of our islands, also holds an annual vintage sport car racing event that attracts hundreds. And Kalahari Resorts & Conventions brings in

Family Fun

Riptide, an esports competition that attracts between 2,000-3,000 participants for the past two years.

Winter has started to become one of the busiest seasons for sports. The Cedar Point Sports Center is filled with volleyball tournaments (100-160 teams) every weekend from January through April. Kalahari Resorts & Conventions will also hold a variety of indoor events such as cheer and dance competitions.

Shores & Islands Ohio has a long list of amenities to host sport ing events, but they also have world-class attractions that have been drawing visitors here for decades. Known as the roller coaster capital of the world, Cedar Point Amusement Parks is the place to go for adrenaline-soaked thrills. For more than 150 years, families have chosen the Lake Erie resort as their destination to connect with each other and create new memories. Cedar Point is home to 70 rides, including exhilarating roller

coasters, Cedar Point Shores Waterpark, signature events and festivals, spectacular live shows, three large kids’ areas, and diverse overnight accommodations.

Outdoor enthusiasts will feel at home on Lake Erie Islands. On Kelleys Island, visitors can hike the coastal trails, kayak near the cliffs, or visit the Glacial Grooves State Memorial. Put-in-Bay is an iconic place to explore from standing inside Crystal Cave (world’s largest geode) to climbing 317-feet in the sky to the top of Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial.

Love animals? Don’t miss the African Safari Wildlife Park, the Midwest’s only drive-thru safari. Visitors can feed exotic animals from their cars, letting giraffes and zebras munch straight from the food cup.

The Marblehead Lighthouse is the oldest continually-operating lighthouse on the Great Lakes. No matter the season, the Marblehead Lighthouse is a much-loved location to photograph. In fact, it’s the most photographed lighthouse on Lake Erie. No wonder, as this welcoming beacon also features a fantastic park area and rocky shoreline for viewing other area sites such as Cedar Point and the islands. During the summer and early fall visit the lighthouse and climb the 77 steps to the top for sweeping panoramic views.

Shores & Islands Ohio is America’s Sports & Family Fun Capital®. The destination firmly believes in this title because they strive to make every tournament or event into a vacation. The region offers world-class sports facilities, exciting attractions, convenient lodging, and arguably the best venue for water sports: Lake Erie.

IRONMAN in Downtown Sandusky

May

The 2023 Symposium in Kanas City, MO is going to be BIGGER than ever before and we invite you to join us!

Click

watch a video from Visit KC!

Hosted by Visit KC and Kansas City Sports Commission

In 2022 we encouraged the sports events and tourism industry to think big – think outside the box, try new things, make mistakes, learn and try again, go out of your comfort zone… you get the idea. As we near the end of the calendar year, it’s safe to say you all did that and more! That’s why in 2023 we’re challenging our members to think BIGGER . Don’t settle for good, let’s achieve greatness!

SCHEDULE

Monday, May 8

Facilities Summit

STS Course: Advanced & Intro Courses

First Timer Informational Session

Event Owner Hosted Function

Opening Party

Extra Innings

Bigger

City, MO

Tuesday, May 9

Wednesday, May 10

Activity (5K/Yoga)

REGISTRATION

*Prices increase after March 20

Destination

1st Attendee - $1,395

2nd Attendee - $995

Additional Attendees - $895

Industry Partner

Preferred Exhibitor Booth - $5,495 Exhibitor Booth - $3,295 Exhibitor - Additional Attendee - $895

Attendee Only - $1,895

Rights Holder

$250 membership fee - Complimentary

registration

Register by March 20 to lock in early bird pricing!

First

Thursday, May 11

Community Group Interest Discussion

Appointments

Luncheon

Education

Party

The Sports ETA Sports Legacy Fund awards an annual grant and sports equipment donation to an organization in need in the host city of the Symposium. We are proud to announce we have donated over $200,000 to programs in need, since the Sports Legacy Fund was established in 2009.

The program was originally developed by the St. Petersburg/ Clearwater Sports Commission as an equipment donation program. The Sports Legacy Fund is a way for members of the sports events and tourism industry to make a personal and lasting impact on the lives of underprivileged youth sports programs throughout the country.

An emphasis is placed on donations to not-for profit organizations that provide individuals, particularly at-risk youth, veterans, or physically or intellectually disabled individuals, opportunities to participate in sport and encourage healthy lifestyles. This contribution is part of the legacy the Sports ETA leaves in each host city.

The Sports Legacy Committee will be organizing a silent auction and raffle at the upcoming Sports ETA Symposium to raise money for the Sports Legacy Fund. Proceeds from the silent auction and raffle support the 2023 beneficiary.

2023 BENEFICIARY: WIN for KC

WIN for KC envisions a community where sport ignites the life of every woman and girl. The Women’s Intersport Network for Kansas City (WIN for KC) was established in 1994 to empower the lives of girls and women through advocating and promoting the lifetime value of sports, while providing opportunities for participation, leadership development and recognition.

Click here to watch a video from Win for KC!

Where The Funds Raised Will Go Scholarships to offset registration costs to provide greater access to underserved communities and increase diversi ty, equity and inclusion.

About Camp Win

Camp WIN is a week long sports day camp for girls ages 6-12. Throughout the week campers are introduced to 12-15 different sports and fitness activities along with life skills training with WIN for KC’s custom curriculum, Live Active. Campers learn about effort, resilience, belief and teamwork as they work through their lessons and push themselves to learn new sports.

Camp WIN believes involvement in various types of sports and fitness activities improves girls’ physical and emotional well-being. They learn how to take feedback, how to set goals and build a plan to achieve them, how to build relationships, and how to be part of a team. These skills will stay with them for a lifetime.

Ways To Donate

• Through your 2023 membership renewal

• Purchasing raffle at the Symposium in Kansas City, MO May 8-11, 2023

• Bidding on silent auction items at the Symposium in Kansas City, MO May 8-11, 2023

• Contacting info@sportseta.org

*Please note, all donations require a donor commitment form to be completed before an item can be submitted in the Sports Legacy Fund Auction and Raffle. You can view and complete the donor commitment form here

Questions?

Contact Matt Prewitt, Committee Chair, matt@travelbutlercounty.com

MPI Partnership

Sports ETA, the only trade association for the sports events and tourism industry, announced a new partnership with Meeting Professionals International (MPI), the largest meeting planner and event planner industry association worldwide, to share industry events and educational programs for their respective industry members.

Under terms of the new agreement, Sports ETA and MPI will share thought leadership and content at each of their respective annual conferences (Sports ETA’s Annual Symposium, Women’s Summit, Chief Executive Summit and 4S Summit and MPI’s World Education Conference and GMID). Additionally, both organizations will share and cross promote each other’s educational courses and curriculum.

“Sports ETA has long been a leader in sports events tourism education and research and this alliance compliments the global resources that MPI has offered for 50 years,” said Paul Van Deventer, MPI president and CEO. “Collaborating together, our partnership facilitates development of new networking and educational programming experiences that will advance and benefit the global events community and our members.”

MPI is a long-time partner of Sports ETA and our sports events and tourism industry,” said Al Kidd, president and CEO of Sports ETA. “We are honored to have such a dedicated partner included in our work to serve our members and the industry.

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Harris County-Houston Sports Authority Celebrates 25 Years

When the Houston Oilers packed up for Tennessee in 1996 to become the Tennessee Titans, a lot of people in football-crazy Texas were not happy with the city or the team ownership. Add to that the fact that the Houston Astros baseball team was being courted to leave the Astrodome for new stadiums in new cities, and the sports landscape was not very bright for Houston.

Out of that necessity, the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority was born. “There were a lot of angry citizens, a lot of people were upset about it. It meant we would have to go and try to get another NFL team, but an NFL team was not going to come if we didn’t build a stadium,” said Janis Burke, CEO of the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority.

“So we created this sports venue district that collected taxes, and through the projection of taxes that would be collected, we were able to issue bonds and our organization burst into existence.”

Those bonds were able to build three stadiums all told, for baseball, football and for pro soccer, behind the Sports Authority’s structure of both city and county oversight.

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Those bonds were able to build three stadiums all told, for baseball, football and for pro soccer, behind the Sports Authority’s structure of both city and county oversight.

“The mayor and city council appoints half of my board, the county commissioners appoint the other half, and together, the city and county appoint our chairman,” said Burke.

“And also the local citizens have a say. So we couldn’t spend any of those tax dollars we were collecting, unless the citizens voted yes. It’s a very unique situation but it’s worked very well, and I really think that the rebirth of our downtown area started with those stadiums.”

The return on those investments has been impressive for the city and county. “If you count the events that the Sports Authority has hosted, and you count the mega events like the All Star games and things that we’ve been able to attract because of the new buildings, it’s over $6 billion. And that doesn’t count World Series or concerts or any of the things that our teams are putting on in those buildings.

“If you look at it, we put $1.2 billion in those buildings, but the return has been really worth it.”

With all the events that the Sports Authority has helped attract, Burke says a couple stand out, including the Transplant Games in 2014. “Texas was second to last on the donor registry list, even though we’re this really big state, and right here in Houston we have the world’s largest medical center,” she said. “By hosting the Transplant Games and using that as a platform, we were able to go from about 2 million donors to over 12 million donors in the registry today. That was through the messaging, and sporting events give us that avenue.”

The second event is the NCAA Final Four, for which Houston is again the host in 2023, the fourth time the city has welcomed the Final Four. But earlier in the process, the Sports Authority was looking at ways to partner with the community through the Final Four.

“That started with a conversation with our Houston Independent School District, which is one of the largest in the country, and we said you have all these kids, how do we connect with you and what would be meaningful?

And they said right now, we’re struggling with reading. Our kids come from single family homes, a lot of them don’t have access to books, they’re not read to, so we’re struggling with our reading scores.”

Through that need, the Sports Authority came up with “Read to the Final Four,” with elementary school students logging their reading minutes throughout March Madness. “That was 2016,” Burke said, “we threw it together, we were in one school district. Now, that ‘Read to the Final Four’ program had gone all over the country with host cities. We have a full-time person and 11 school districts involved with millions of minutes logged.”

Next on the horizon for Houston is serving as one of the US host cities for the FIFA World Cup in 2026. “The strategy to win the bid started about 10 years ago, because if you look back at 1994 when the United States last hosted a FIFA World Cup, Houston wasn’t even a thought. We weren’t at the table, Dallas was, they were a host city and we were not.

“So at the time, we knew that the USA would be bidding again. We knew that they wanted it. And so we felt like, we needed to host every international soccer event we

could, whether it’s a friendly or whatever, let’s do everything we possibly can to show the world that we deserve a seat at the table. So that’s what we did. We hosted many, many soccer events over those 10 years,

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probably more than any other city in the United States during that time, and it was very strategic, it was on purpose, we spent our dollars there, our focus there, and it worked.”

With a quarter century of sports history and development in the Houston area, what do the next 25 years look like for the Sports Authority? “People say ‘Wow you’re hosting the world’s largest sporting event, is that the end of your career?’ For me, I think we’re always pushing ourselves to be innovative, to think what else can we do,” Burke said.

“Right now, we’ve created a Walk of Fame and we’ve unveiled a fountain, creating a visitors destination. It’s a couple of blocks from where our conventions take place, so people can walk over there. We want to continue down that path of creating what we can do through sports, for our community. We really believe sports can change lives, much like Nelson Mandela believed that sports was this unifying factor and could do things the government couldn’t do. We believe that, and we take it to heart.”

We really believe sports can change lives, much like Nelson Mandela believed that sports was this unifying factor and could do things the government couldn’t do. We believe that, and we take it to heart.

Watch full video interview here

Stoll Strategies Report On State-Level Funding

The Stoll Report on State-Level Event Funding was designed with you in mind. This debut report serves to bring you up to speed on everything you need to know about the rapidly evolving landscape of state-level event procurement funds while simultaneously serving as an advocacy tool for your organization.

Dr. Stoll and her team have gathered all the current and relevant information on this topic and put it all in one place, with easy-to-understand insights and expert analysis. The report covers such information as types of event funds, recent fund activity, parameters, types of events for which funds are used, measuring ROI, and much more. It also serves as a benchmark through which future report editions and updates will be measured.

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Buy Report

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5. Gain awareness of the vast array of fundings sources and parameters at play in this space.

Stoll Strategies conducts event fund evaluation, consulting, presentations to community and state leaders and stakeholders, competitive analyses, state-level event fund program strategy, event procurement assistance, market optimization analyses, feasibility reports, and more.

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Visit StollStrategies.com Connect with Stoll Strategies on linkedin.com/company/stoll-strategies/

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Photo courtesy of Carlos Alfonso on Unsplash

Photo courtesy of Brent Pace on Unsplash

Salt Lake

KANSAS CITY, MO

Hosted by Visit KC and the Kansas City Sports Commission & Foundation

May 7-8,

El Paso, TX

Hosted by Visit El

May

KANSAS CITY, MO

Hosted by Visit KC and the Kansas City Sports Commission & Foundation

Photo courtesy of Visit KC

Photo courtesy of Visit KC

Photo courtesy of Visit El Paso