Playbook - Fall 2020

FALL 2020

PLAYBOOK The first-ever SportsBIZ XChange (SBX) is in the books!

Top 8 Take-Aways from the Sports ETA 2019 State of the Industry Report Congratulations Award Winners!

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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.

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 VBCVB_0048_WaterBreaks_SportsETA_Oct20_8.5x11.indd 1

9/28/20 11:24 AM

National Headquarters 9624 Cincinnati Columbus Road, Suite 209 Cincinnati, OH 45241 Telephone (513) 281-3888 Website www.SportsETA.org

contents

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

Letter From President and CEO.................................................... 1 Member Benefits and Discounts ................................................ 2 Member Services News ............................................................. 3-4

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

The first-ever SportsBIZ XChange (SBX) is in the books! ................................................................ 5-6 Top 8 Take-Aways from the Sports ETA 2019 State of the Industry Report ...........................................7-10 Award Winners ...................................................................... 11-23

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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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.

2020

Letter from the President & CEO Front Office Musings It is nice to see events taking place in states whose health guidelines allow for group gatherings and youth sports play. There are a few markets getting a tourism uplift, while others struggle.

The participants are more regional in nature and restricted due to their home state’s travel restrictions but are enough to provide the local economies with much-needed support. These are primarily outdoor sports activities. Additionally, the open states have picked-up events previously booked in other regions due to “being open.�

The early pattern seems established: Outdoor events where larger group gatherings are acceptable, the event competitors are local and regional, and the local supply chain support is open to accommodate economic needs. There is no doubt that youth sports will play a key role and be an early contributor to increasing economic value in communities across the country. Chances are it will look different as mentioned in the previous comments in this paragraph.

Al Kidd

Included in the data from the Aspen Institute on Youth Sports there has been a significant drop in youth sports participation and kids are losing interest (53% of parents expect their child to resume sports activity at the same or higher level when current restrictions are removed). Collectively, this association and its members need to do as much as possible in advocacy pressure to address this issue.

Making a Difference Last month, we made a $1,500 donation to the Kansas State School for the Blind. This organization was selected by the Sports ETA Legacy Committee as our 2020 Sports Legacy Fund beneficiary. Due to the pandemic, we were unable to host the Symposium in Kansas City this spring causing us to cancel the annual Sports Legacy raffle and silent auction.

While we still wanted to make every effort we could to help this wonderful organization, the committee donated using funds collected during 2020 membership renewals and the 2020 4S Summit. The donation we made truly made a difference for the school, take a look at the inclusive playground they were able to build.

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Last month, we made a $1,500 donation to the Kansas State School for the Blind.

“

Sports ETA listens

to its membership to provide the tools sport tourism professionals need.”

– Judi Hess, Visit Binghamton

Member Benefits and Discounts As a Sports ETA member, you have access to a variety of membership benefits and industry discounts. If you aren’t already taking advantage of these money-saving programs and member-only opportunities, take a look below and get started today!

COVID-19 Resource Hub

Member Directories

Check out the COVID-19 Resource Hub and Back To Play Resource Hub often as updates, free tools, and industry-wide surveys, reports and data are posted daily to help Sports ETA members navigate through COVID-19.

Networking is one of our four pillars in which Sports ETA was founded.

Members have access to our membership directories to stay in touch with industry colleagues, find contact information quickly and easily for business prospects, and more!

Career Center

Car Rental Discounts

Whether you are searching for a new job, looking for candidates to hire, or are simply curious what other organization’s job postings look like, check out the Sports ETA Career Center. Did you know that by posting a job to the career center, you also receive a free listing in the Sports ETA Get in the Game eNews?

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.

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SafeSport Discount Sports ETA considers safety in sport and abuse awareness and prevention a priority for all our member organizations and everyone who plays a role in sport. Enjoy a 10% discount on SafeSportTM Trained online course.

Shipping Discounts

We encourage you to share information with your peers. Contact Meagan Grau at Meagan@SportsETA. org to learn more about how you can contribute to a future edition of the Sports ETA Playbook, Get in the Game eNews, blog, webinar series, etc.

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Avis - Discount options vary depending on the selection you choose. Budget - Enjoy savings of up to 25% off.

Members save on domestic and international shipments through the Sports ETA Shipping Program, managed by PartnerShip®. You’ll benefit from exclusive discounts of up to 45% with FedEx, and competitive rates with many other carriers.

2020

Sports Business Journal Products Sports ETA members receive a discount on all their products which include a 10% discount off the current rate for Sports Business Journal or Daily subscriptions; 10% discount on 2020 Conferences & Events and a 10% discount on it’s newest data service, SportsAtlas.

SuperShuttle Discount Enjoy 10% off ExecuCar Sedan and SUV airport transfers, as well as SuperShuttle’s shared ride services.

For a full listing of member benefits and discounts, visit SportsETA.org/Membership/ Benefits.

Accessing Discounts To access these discounts, login to your membership account, and click MyAccount. From there, select the My Discounts link. Contact Member Services at info@SportsETA.org with any questions or trouble accessing these discounts.

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Member Services News & Updates We would like to thank all the organizations who have joined our growing list of members in 2020. Thank you for the privilege of serving you!

Destinations

Rights Holder

Industry Partners

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• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

• Ajwaa Alsaudia for Event Management • Destiny2Sport • Insane Impact • Jems Hospitality • Mid-America Sports Construction • NewGen Business Solutions, Inc. • NTM • Reigning Champs Experiences • Sonburst Communication, Inc • Sports Strategies • SportsEconomics, LLC • TEAM Solutions • The Express Conferences • The Montag Group • Threshold 360

• • • • • • • • •

Boone Area Sports Commission Cedar City Corporation Destin-Fort Walton Beach Florida Dubuque Regional Sports Commission Highlands Sports Complex HOF Village LLC McCracken County Sports Tourism Commission McKendree MetroRecPlex Shawnee Sports Complex Visit Corvallis Visit Jacksonville Visit Rio Rancho Visit St. Mary’s MD/TEAM Maryland

Membership Chart 670 TOTAL (as of 10/13/20)

American Cornhole League Big BAM FRESHJUNKIE Racing Grand Slam Sports Tournaments Jam On It Junior Volleyball Association Kings Hammer Soccer, LLC Midwest Sports Productions MYHockey Tournaments National Beep Baseball Assn.

Next Level 7on7 Football Perfect Game USA PGA TOUR T2 Sporting United States Specialty Sports Association • US CHEER Productions • WSL (World Sports League)

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Destinations

143

Event Owners

74

Industry Partners

We’ve Moved!

The Sports ETA national office is still located in Cincinnati, OH, but has moved to a new location. Our new address is 9624 Cincinnati Columbus Road, Suite 209 Cincinnati, OH 45241.

Our phone number is still 513-281-3888.

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2021 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 *Subject to change

It’s That Time of Year Again –

Renew Your Membership for 2021!

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. Thanks to members like you, we have accomplished and launched several new initiatives this year, including: 1 The first-ever SportsBIZ XChange: A virtual business development and networking event.

2 Online education opportunities: Women’s Summit, Facilities Summit, Innovation Certificate in partnership with 4FRONT, Sport Event Management CSEE course in partnership with University of FL, CSEE courses with Vision Pursue, Jon McGraw, and Culture Index, Chris Lundine.

3 Coronavirus Resource Hub: Free tools, resources, and updates to help Sports ETA members navigate through COVID-19: a. Economic Stimulus Resources b. Free weekly webinar offerings ranging from topics such as re-opening and operating facilities post-COVID to marketing and communications during a crisis c. Weekly reading recommendations to keep Sports ETA members up-to-date on the latest sports events and tourism industry news

4 2019 State of the Industry Report: Comprehensive and representative data quantifying the value of sports-related travel in the U.S.

5 Member Communities/Sub-Groups A place for Sports ETA members to stay connected to others in the industry and with similar interests.

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2020

2020 memberships are valid through December 31, 2020. 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 your membership. Beginning December 1, you can renew your membership one of three easy ways: 1. Pay online 2. Mail payment (please note our new address listed on page 3) 3. Call our member services department at 513-281-3888 We are thankful for your ongoing commitment and support, and hope that you will continue your membership with us in 2021.

Questions? Contact us at info@sportseta.org or call 513-281-3888

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The first-ever SportsBIZ XChange (SBX) is in the books!

Thank you to all our members who went along for the ride with us and made industry history.

We truly appreciate your support.

Here are a few key stats:

Total Meeting Requests:

13,799 5

Total Meetings:

5,000 +

Total Meeting Participants:

Total Time Spent in Marketplace

by Attendees:

Total Views in the Event Owner Locker Room

393

265,816

1,084

minutes (4430 hours)

(August 1- August 18)

Thank you to our 2020 Partners: • Greater Birmingham CVB • Visit KC • Myrtle Beach Area CVB • Conference Scheduling Solutions • Mobile Sports Authority • Play Tennessee • EventConnect • Sports Alabama

• Traveling Teams • Orlando North Seminole County Sports • TEAM Kentucky • Visit Tri-Cities Thank you to our keynote speakers, booth announcers, and table topic facilitators.

Sports EIC

We hope you enjoyed hours of networking with friends and colleagues, engaging high-level table topic discussions, and intellectually stimulating speakers.

We are proud to be the first to market with a business-to-business marketplace meeting and provide much needed time and the platform to mingle and reconnect. We look forward to seeing all our members in person at the 2021 Symposium in Birmingham, AL April 26-29.

Andrew Hawkins - One of our virtual keynote speakers

Rohit Bargarva - One of our virtual keynote speakers

Seth Davis - One of our virtual keynote speakers

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Top 8 Take-Aways from the Sports ETA 2019 State of the Industry Report Dr. Jennifer Stoll, CSEE Sports ETA Research and Education Stoll Sports Strategies, LLC

You have likely received, and hopefully read, the recently released Sports ETA State of the Industry Report in partnership with our colleagues at Northstar Meetings Group and conducted by the leading experts at Tourism Economics. If you missed it, you can check it out here.

But have you taken the time to really think about what the report’s findings mean for the sports events and tourism industry?

Probably not.

And it’s okay, that’s why Sports ETA is here, to provide our members and constituents with a deeper dive into what the report means with the Top 8 Take-Aways from the 2019 State of the Industry Report. Let’s get started.

Summary Economic Impacts ($ billions) $32.8

$103.3

$45.1

Indirect sales

Source: Tourism Economics

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Direct, Indirect, and Induced Spending…Oh my!

Lets face it, most of us are not trained economists. We know enough to be dangerous about economic impact, and we can “fake-it-till-we-make-it”.

Heck, we might even be solid in our navigation of the Event Impact Calculator.

But when comes to understanding the main elements of direct, indirect, and induced impact, our eyes glaze over a bit.

$25.4

Direct sales

Number

Induced sales

Total sales

These are important elements to learn. Think of them this way: Direct impacts are those tied to the spending that occurs DURING the event. Indirect impacts are spending that occurs through the purchases that GO INTO THE EVENT. Induced impacts are when wages earned from direct and indirect spendings are, in turn, spent in the community. These are the foundational elements of economic impact that frame our understanding of the report’s key headlines forthcoming.

Number

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Oh Hi, Business Sales, I Hadn’t Thought About You

$103.3 Billion The impact among all the industries affected by the sports events and tourism industry.

So now that we’ve got direct, indirect, and induced impacts down, we see that the impacts of sports events and tourism have a large ripple effect in other industries. The impact among all the industries affected by our industry is a mind-boggling $103.3 Billion in total business sales. That is billion with a “B”. In other words, our work has a very real – and large – impact on a myriad of other industries, particularly the finance, insurance, and real estate industries. Sports events and tourism clearly do not operate in a silo.

Number

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The Rise of O/O E’s 30% of Destinations Owning and Operating Events (2017)

58% of Large Markets Owning and Operating Events (2019)

28% of Markets with budgets under $1M Owning and Operating Events (2019)

Lets set aside the economics of events for a moment. A trend we have been watching for the last handful of years is the rapid increase of destinations owning and operating events (I’ll call them O/O E’s). Sports ETA reported 30% of destinations were dabbling in O/O E’s in 2017’s edition of the report, and the 2019 edition revealed those numbers continue to be on the rise. Even pre-pandemic, I wrote about this trend in my “Top 10 Trends to Watch in 2020” blog (see #4). Sidenote: Boy, have things changed since I typed those words!

But one has not, and that is the increase in O/O E’s.

I see this trend continuing to increase as destinations try to score some wins with increased resource (time, people, and money) efficiencies. More than half (58%) of large markets are already in this space (turn no further to Kansas City, Louisville, and Richmond), and many more markets with budgets under $1M are starting to follow-suit with 28%. We will certainly be tracking this information over time.

Number Average Bid Fee Pool

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Ch- Ch- Ch- Changes the Game of Bid Fees Consolidation of budgets and increases in owned and operated events among destinations are setting the industry up for a change in recent bid fee trends.

The average destination bid fee pool in 2019 was $176k, and by market that average was up near $260k for large markets, and still nearly $70k for small markets…not too shabby! About 73% of markets paid bid fees in 2019.

All Destinations - $176k

Large Markets - $260k

These figures are going to play a part in the revamped strategies of destinations, and certainly among rights holders, as in many cases, these swelling pots of money have been severely cut, or quite frankly gone away completely. Naturally, based upon the business model of individual event organizations, the financial implications for event viability without these funds (even with reduced funds) will likely leave both sides of the transaction creatively rethinking terms out of necessity.

Small Markets - $70k

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Number

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Coins in the Coffers

$14.6 Billion

Often when reporting event impact, we stop at economic impact. We have the EIC to help us measure this, and we announce expected and actual EI numbers with our heads held high. City council members across the country collectively roll their eyes. It might not be that they don’t believe the input data, or your presentation, but we often neglect to take those numbers to the next level for our elected officials, to demonstrate the dollar-for-dollar return to government coffers.

in tax revenues The State of the Industry report revealed sports-related travel spending resulted in a whopping $14.6B in tax revenues, $6.8B of which were at the state and local levels. These are dollars that – depending on the type of tax (i.e. sales vs. lodging) – the local or state government can then turn around and use to subsidize other city operations – paved streets, new parks, community assets that benefit the LOCAL populous.

Do not stop short of going all the way down the path of tax revenues. Elected officials often care predominantly about getting re-elected. The last time I checked, your non-local youth tournament participants are not voting for your community’s city council members. But those families who are utilizing the new park made possible by the subsidies provided through sports events and tourism? They sure are.

Number

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The “J” Word Jobs. Jobs. Jobs. While we are on the kick of elected officials. Lets pump the brakes and look at job creation through sports events and tourism efforts. The report finds our industry creates more than 410,000 full-time equivalent jobs across the nation directly, and another nearly 330,000 total jobs when including indirect and induced jobs. For those counting at home, that is just shy of 740,000 total jobs. The value back to your community in the supported job creation from sports and events tourism cannot be understated, especially during the current challenging market conditions.

410,000 Full Time Jobs

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330,000

740,000

Indirect and Induced Jobs

Total Jobs

$45.1B SPORTS RELATED TRAVEL SPENDING

Number

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$45.1B (I know you were waiting for this one) Jumping back to the economic picture, of that $103.3B in total impact (remember direct + indirect + induced), $45.1B comes just from the direct spending side of the equation. That is $12.5B from transportation, $9.2B from lodging, $8.6B from food and beverage, $5.7B in entertainment, $5.1B in retail, and $3.9B in tournament operations.

TRANSPORTATION

$12.5B

ENTERTAINMENT LODGING

$5.7B

$9.2B

RETAIL

$5.1B FOOD & BEVERAGE

TOURNAMENT OPERATIONS

$8.6B

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$3.9B

In 2019 the sports events and tourism industry was flying high, recording astonishing growth year-over-year. This number has obviously seen a scorching decline in 2020. But perhaps knowing the concrete 2019 number has never been as important as it is today. It now serves as a high-water mark, an industry-wide benchmark through which to measure recovery going forward… which takes me to my top take-away from the 2019 State of the Industry report.

Source: Tourism Economics

Number

“Never Let a Good Crisis Go to Waste” – Winston Churchill

The creative ways we have seen our colleagues respond to unprecedented circumstances is defining the future of the industry.

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It’s one thing to gather more information and cultivate a deeper understanding of it, such as the case with the State of the Industry report. It is entirely another thing to do something with the information learned.

The top take-away from the report is not a fact or figure on a certain page, or even on the insights I have provided here. The top take-away is what you – the boots on the ground – do with that information to drive sports events and tourism forward through innovation in the face of adversity.

Winston Churchill said, “Never let a good crisis go to waste.” I could not agree more. The creative ways we have seen our colleagues respond to unprecedented circumstances is defining the future of our industry. Continue to be bold, embrace failure as necessary learning, and keep pushing the industry to new heights…and that will be the best take-away of all.

2020

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Congratulations 2019 - 2020 Award Winners!

Each year, Sports ETA honors organizations and individuals in the sports events and tourism industry to celebrate their accomplishments and achievements. Award activities, events, marketing campaigns, web strategies, etc. must have occurred between January 1 and December 31, 2019.

An independent judging panel made up of leaders in the sports events and tourism industry reviews each award submission based on a point system determined by the Sports ETA awards committee. Each of our 2019-2020 winners rose to the top of the list, and we couldn’t be more proud of the work that was done in the continuing effort to better the sports events and tourism industry!

Congratulations to our winners: Sports Commission of the Year • Greater Cleveland Sports Commission – Population over 500,000 • Columbus, GA Sports Council – Population under 500,000

Sports Tourism Organization of the Year • Visit Baton Rouge – Population over 500,000 • Visit Knoxville Sports Commission – Population under 500,000

Event Marketing Campaign of the Year • Fort Worth Sports Commission - Population over 500,000 • Rockford Area CVB - Population under 500,000

Destination Branding & Marketing Campaign of the Year • Experience Florida’s Sports Coast - Population over 500,000 • Spokane Sports - Population under 500,000

Locally Created Event of the Year • Palm Beach County Sports Commission - Population over 500,000 • Rockford Area CVB - Population under 500,000

Game Changer Award • Patti Smith, Harris County - Houston Sports Authority

Superior Service/Industry Partner of the Year • Dale Neuburger, Burson Cohn & Wolfe Sports Practice - North America

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Over the next several pages, you’ll meet our 2019-2020 winners and get a glimpse into why they were chosen. Be sure to click the video links to watch Sports ETA president and CEO, Al Kidd, interview each of our winners and get a more in depth look into their award submission!

MEMBE R AWA R D S

Sports Commission of the Year Population over 500,000

Greater Cleveland Sports Commission Greater Cleveland Sports Commission was honored with the Sports ETA’s 2019 “Sports Commission of the Year, Population over 500,000” Award.

This award is given to a Destination member who has had the most exceptional impact on their local community through sports events and visitor spending during the 2019 calendar year. This organization should also show a commitment to Sports ETA and its mission.

In 2019, Greater Cleveland Sports Commission boasted the most successful year in its 20-year history by hosting 13 national and international competitive events, being awarded with 10 additional events, and a year-long fundraising campaign which generated $14.5 million to help with community obligations related to MLB, NFL, NBA and NCAA events.

Check out this video interview with Al Kidd, Sports ETA President & CEO, and David Gilbert, President and CEO, Greater Cleveland Sports Commission.

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“It’s great affirmation. We all work really hard for our community. We certainly don’t do it for the affirmation, but when it comes, it is really meaningful,” said David Gilbert, President and CEO of Greater Cleveland Sports Commission.

“I appreciate it very much, especially because it comes from our peers.

Knowing that this award comes from Sports ETA is very meaningful.”

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MEMBE R AWA R D S

Sports Commission of the Year Population under 500,000

Columbus, GA Sports Council Columbus, Georgia Sports Council was honored with the Sports ETA’s 2019 “Sports Commission of the Year, Population under 500,000” Award.

generated an estimated $16,062,880 in economic impact for Columbus, Georgia, engaging 45,975 participants and 171,648 spectators.

This award is given to a Destination member who has had the most exceptional impact on their local community through sports events and visitor spending during the 2019 calendar year. This organization should also show a commitment to Sports ETA and its mission.

“We are absolutely honored to be recognized as the Sports Commission of the Year. This is a dream come true,” said Merri Sherman, Executive Director at Columbus, Georgia Sports Council. “We worked really hard in 2018-2019. We completed extensive renovations to our softball complex and hosted the U.S. Softball International Cup as well as many other events that we’re so proud to bring to our community. We love servicing our community.”

Led by only three staff members and supported by a team of community partners and loyal volunteers, the Sports Council events in 2019

Check out this video interview with Al Kidd, Sports ETA President & CEO, and Merri Sherman, Executive Director, and David Boyd, Event Manager, Columbus, GA Sports Council.

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Visit Baton Rouge MEMB E R AWA R D S

Sports Tourism Organization of the Year Population over 500,000

Visit Baton Rouge was honored with the Sports ETA’s 2019 “Sport Tourism Organization of the Year, Population over 500,000” Award.

This award is given to a Destination member who has had the most exceptional impact on their local community through sports events and visitor spending in the 2019 calendar year. This organization should also show a commitment to Sports ETA and its mission.

Visit Baton Rouge fits that description, hosting a total of 48 sporting events in 2019 including 33 regional, 10 national and five international. Those events generated more than $26 million in economic impact to the Baton Rouge region.

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“We work with our local host organizations to bring events to the city. Oftentimes, when an event comes here once, they want to return multiple times,” said Zach Ebarb, National Sports and Convention Sales Manager with Visit Baton Rouge. “Our team here at Visit Baton Rouge was on board to assist in various ways, everything from setting up hotel room blocks to establishing websites with event and visitor information to assisting with local media even social media influencers to get the word out locally.”

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Check out this video interview with Al Kidd, Sports ETA President & CEO, and Zach Ebarb, National Sports and Convention Sales Manager, Visit Baton Rouge.

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MEMB E R AWA R D S

Sports Tourism Organization of the Year Population under 500,000

Visit Knoxville Sports Commission was honored with the Sports ETA’s 2019 “Sport Tourism Organization of the Year, Population under 500,000” Award.

This award is given to a Destination member who has had the most exceptional impact on their local community through sports events and visitor spending in the 2019 calendar year. This organization should also show a commitment to Sports ETA and its mission.

Visit Knoxville Sports Commission was founded in 2016. In three short years, the organization has grown tremendously. In 2019, events the sports commission hosted generated 15

Visit Knoxville Sports Commission

more than $83.8 million dollars, including the 2019 Sports ETA Symposium.

“When we started the sports commission in 2016, we pointed to 2019 as being our year. That was the year we felt we would have everything going in the right direction. So for us to be able to get this award for the work we did that year is huge,” said Chad Culver, Senior Director of Visit Knoxville Sports Commission. “We had some of the biggest events for a lot of large groups. It was a very solid year for us.”

Check out this video interview with Al Kidd, Sports ETA President & CEO, and Chad Culver, Senior Director, and Parker Medley, Director of Sports Sales, Visit Knoxville Sports Commission.

visitknoxsports.com Sports ETA - VKCS Ad - Full Page.indd 1

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Patti Smith MEMBE R AWA R D S Game Changer Award

Patti Smith, Vice President of Communications at Harris County Houston Sports Authority was honored with the Sports ETA’s 2019 “Game Changer” Award.

The Game Changer Award recognizes the invaluable contributions made by a staff member of a Sports ETA member organization who is vital to the success of their organization’s efforts in the sports events and tourism industry. These individuals distinguish themselves every day and deserve an honor for exceptional contributions to their organization as well as our entire profession.

In 2018, Patti Smith did something that had never been done: She brought together Hall of Famers Earl Campbell, Nolan Ryan and Hakeem Olajuwon into the same room. The three were honored at the first-ever Houston Sports Awards. Since then, Smith has helped make the awards banquet a must-attend event, among many other major accomplishments.

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“It’s an honor for me, but it’s also an award for our entire team. We have such a great staff, such a great team,” Smith said. “Everybody not only works together to help each other, but to make these events great for Houston.”

“One of our cultural statements at the Sports Authority is to try to emulate pioneers and great innovators. We work hard for it every single day in every element of the work that we

do,” said Janis Burke, CEO of Harris County - Houston Sports Authority and Board President of Sports ETA. “Through sporting events and through what we do, we are able to link that to our community. One of the great things about this is Patti has taken that element of connecting to our community and not just put on a great Sports Awards, but she’s started the Brothers in Arms scholarship program. She took the event and went way further with it.”

Check out this video interview with Al Kidd, Sports ETA President & CEO, and Patti Smith, Vice President of Communications, Harris County - Houston Sports Authority.

Dale Neuburger MEMBE R AWA R D S

Superior Service/Industry Partner of the Year Award Dale Neuburger of Burson Cohn & Wolfe Sports Practice - North America was honored with the Sports ETA’s 2019 “Superior Service” Award.

This award is given to a Industry Partner member organization whose business model demonstrates exemplary support of the sports events and tourism industry and has made outstanding contributions to the advancement of the profession through innovative ideas, admirable customer service, and/or new technology during the 2019 calendar year.

“It has been such a fantastic opportunity to work with Dale over the last nine years,” said Michelle Perry, Senior Consultant at Burson Cohn & Wolfe Sports Practice (North America). “I don’t think there is anyone better in the business. His breath of work over his many, many years has really been transformative for the industry.”

Burson Cohn & Wolfe Sports Practice assists cities that seek to attract major events to provide optimal community benefit as well as providing strategic advice and support for good governance within sport-related organizations. BCW Sports prioritizes services to the sports tourism industry, including assisting Sports ETA in its transition to a new brand and expanded footprint.

“It’s been a pleasure working with Sports ETA,” said Dale Nueburger, Director at Burson Cohn & Wolfe Sports Practice (North America).

“What’s been really rewarding is to be able to see small CVBs and large sports commissions have equally been able to benefit from the services and programs of Sports ETA. We continue to participate in those programs to listen to the heartbeat of the industry.”

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Check out this video interview with Al Kidd, Sports ETA President & CEO, Dale Nueburger, Director, and Michelle Perry, Senior Consultant, Burson Cohn & Wolfe Sports Practice (North America).

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MEMB E R AWA R D S

Event Marketing Campaign of the Year Population over 500,000

Fort Worth Sports Commission Fort Worth Sports Commission was honored with the Sports ETA’s 2019 “Event Marketing Campaign of the Year, Population over 500,000” Award.

This award is given to a Destination member with the most outstanding comprehensive marketing campaign for an event that occurred in the 2019 calendar year. This can include a variety of types of marketing: print ads, newsletters, email blasts, digital marketing (including websites, social media components, etc.), press releases, media coverage or any other promotional program.

Fort Worth Sports Commission hosted the widely successful 2019 NCAA Women’s National Collegiate Gymnastics Championships at the Fort Worth Convention Center Arena.

After securing the event, the team went to work to make sure everyone in the community was aware of this event and how they could participate and support it.

Check out this video interview with Al Kidd, Sports ETA President & CEO, Jason Sands, Director of Sports Marketing, and Cassie Poss, Sports Events Manager, Fort Worth Sports Commission.

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“For events to be successful, we need to really engage the entire community and get them excited about these events,” said Jason Sands, Director of Sports Marketing at Fort Worth Sports Commission. “We really made an effort to do everything we could to get the community engaged from partnering with the Fort Worth School district and the majority of our local gym clubs.”

Rockford Area CVB MEMBE R AWA R D S

Event Marketing Campaign of the Year Population under 500,000

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Locally Created Event of the Year Population under 500,000

Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau was honored with two 2019 Sports ETA awards: “Event Marketing Campaign of the Year, Population under 500,000” and “Locally Created Event of the Year, Population under 500,000” awards.

The Event Marketing Campaign of the Year award is given to a Destination member with the most outstanding comprehensive marketing campaign for an event that occurred in the 2019 calendar year.

This can include a variety of types of marketing: print ads, newsletters, email blasts, digital marketing, press releases, media coverage or any other promotional program.

The Locally Created Event of the Year award is given to a Destination member with the most outstanding locally created event or program for the 2019 calendar year. This event can be newly created or a long-standing event, but must be created by the submitting organization to serve the local community or an organizational need.

As part of an ongoing multi-year partnership with Rockford native, NBA champion and city ambassador Fred VanVleet, RACVB created Jurassic Park RKFD + Fred Comes Home as a three-part holistic community and

brand awareness event series. By all accounts, Jurassic Park RKFD + Fred Comes Home was a success.

“It’s a huge honor to be recognized by our peers at Sports ETA. It’s a great industry to be a part of,” said Nick Povalitis, Vice President of Marketing and Sports Development at Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.

“We’re trying to be agile and creative and these two marketing efforts and event creation efforts are different, but they embody creative and doing more with less. We’re excited and motivated to do even more.”

Check out this video interview with Al Kidd, Sports ETA President & CEO, Nick Povalitis, Vice President of Marketing and Sports Development, and Lindsay Arellano, Vice President of Sales & Service, Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.

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MEMBE R AWA R D S

Destination Branding & Marketing Campaign of the Year Population over 500,000

Experience Florida’s Sports Coast Watch the live video feed of the construction & development of the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Complex at FLSportsCoast.com/Sports

FLSportsCoast.com

Opening Spring 2020, Wiregrass Ranch Sports Complex will be an unbeatable destination for cheer, wrestling, volleyball, basketball, martial arts and other sporting events. With stateof-the-art amenities and plenty of courts to choose from, this winning sports complex will be the perfect place to tackle your next BIG tournament or team training event.

FLSportsCoast.com

Experience Florida’s Sports Coast was honored with the Sports ETA’s 2019 “Destination Branding & Marketing Campaign of the Year, Population over 500,000” Award.

This award is given to a Destination member with the most outstanding comprehensive marketing campaign for its organization during the 2019 calendar year. This can include a variety of types of marketing: print ads, newsletters, email blasts, digital marketing, press releases, media coverage or any other promotional program. The campaign should promote the sports destination.

To update their brand and grow awareness of its destination, Pasco County chose to rebrand as 21

Experience Florida’s Sports Coast. The new name and campaign showcases not only sport tourism activities, but consumer experiences in the area. The campaign included a new innovative website, which gives viewers a look at the state-of-the-art facilities, winning attractions and experiences that can be enjoyed in Pasco County.

“We are extremely honored and grateful to even be included in the conversation for a branding and marketing award from Sports ETA,” said Adam Thomas, Tourism Director at Experience Florida’s Sports Coast.

“The Florida Sports team has been working hard on promoting the destination and really creating that brand awareness in the marketplace for our visitors.”

On Florida’s Sports Coast, our beautifully manicured soccer and lacrosse fields are just the beginning. With 13 one-of-a-kind attractions, 5 unique cities and 35 beautiful parks, your athletes will discover the perfect place to train, compete and enjoy life.

Check out this video interview with Al Kidd, Sports ETA President & CEO, Adam Thomas, Tourism Director, and Consuelo Sanchez, Sports Development & Tourism Manager, Experience Florida’s Sports Coast.

Spokane Sports MEMB E R AWA R D S

Sports Tourism Organization of the Year Population over 500,000

Spokane Sports was honored with the Sports ETA’s 2019 “Destination Branding & Marketing Campaign of the Year, Population under 500,000” Award.

This award is given to a Destination member who has had the most exceptional impact on their local community through sports events and visitor spending during the 2019 calendar year. This organization should also show a commitment to Sports ETA and its mission.

“We wanted a brand that’s really true to our identity and our city,” said Ashley Blake, Director of Sports Development for Spokane Sports.

“As an organization, we want to be known as someone who is genuine, authentic. We want to be a trusted partner. We want to be pioneers in the industry. So we took those attributes and really incorporated those into the brand. Our updated brand helps us step apart from the competition and ultimately helps us win some future events.”

Spokane Sports launched its new brand ahead of the groundbreaking of the region’s brand new $52 million dollar sports facility. The new logo for the organization gives a subtle nod to the new hydraulic-banked 200 meter indoor track.

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Check out this video interview with Al Kidd, Sports ETA President & CEO, and Ashley Blake, Director of Sports Development, Spokane Sports.

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MEMBE R AWA R D S

Locally Created Event of the Year Population over 500,000

Palm Beach County Sports Commission Palm Beach County Sports Commission was honored with the Sports ETA’s 2019 “Locally Created Event of the Year, Population over 500,000” Award.

This award is given to a Destination member with the most outstanding locally created event or program for the 2019 calendar year. This event can be newly created or a long-standing event, but must be created by the submitting organization to serve the local community or an organizational need.

After creating the Holiday Basketball Classic in 2015, the Palm Beach County Sports Commission exceeded their goal in 2019 by generating an economic impact of more than $747,000. The 2019 Classic featured 32 top boys and girls basketball programs from nine different states.

Check out this video interview with Al Kidd, Sports ETA President & CEO, George Linley, Executive Director, Michael Zeff, Director of Marketing & Business Development, and Khoury Smith, Sports Marketing & Development Coordinator, Palm Beach County Sports Commission.

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These awards from our national association, Sports ETA, mean more than any other type of recognition we get because this is the body that directly represents us,” said George Linley, Executive Director at Palm Beach County Sports Commission. “We are very grateful. We will use the award to help educate our local stakeholders of what we are doing and the value a sports commission brings. We also use it as a recruiting tool. We are grateful for the recognition and can’t tell you how honored we are to be fortunate enough for the recognition.”

Enjoy even better savings Members now save 45% on FedEx Express and 25% on FedEx Ground with the Sports ETA Shipping Program.

PartnerShip.com/SportsETA

800-599-2902 • sales@PartnerShip.com

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This is the place for sports.

Spectacular, Spacious, Safe and Ready for Your Event Salt Lake offers world-class facilities, both indoor and outdoor, all under the jaw-dropping backdrop of the towering Wasatch Mountains. Utah’s capital city welcomed the world for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games and continues to host every level of competition, from World Championships to age-group tournaments and everything in between at venues as diverse as the area’s four distinct seasons. Salt Lake features professional stadiums and arenas, athletic complexes for soccer and softball, ice sheets and an equestrian center, volleyball courts and an archery center, the expansive Real Salt Lake Training Facility and, yes, Olympic venues.

Getting Here, Being Here and Competing Here Long known as one of the most accessible destinations to host an event, the recent opening of Salt Lake City’s new $4 billion international airport makes it even more so, with non-stop flights from nearly 100 U.S. cities and just 10 minutes from downtown. Once in Salt Lake, the area’s 20,000 hotel rooms, variety of restaurants and endless list of sites and activities are perfect for all ages, groups, budgets and interests.

As the region’s full-service sports authority, the experienced team at Visit Salt Lake ensures each aspect of every event is handled safely, smoothly and professionally. From developing dynamic bid packages, to partnering with local clubs, to executing powerful presentations, we’ll do what it takes to win your business.

Once selected, we’ll provide you with a full range of support services, including housing and registration, assistance in securing event volunteers, community awareness campaigns and more.

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Four Season Fun Salt Lake’s four distinct seasons each feature temperatures to match, making spring, summer and fall ideal for outdoor events while winter welcomes temperatures ideally suited for indoor tournaments and events or on-mountain races or competitions. Regardless, Salt Lake’s dry, comfortable climate makes for ideal conditions throughout the year.

Connect with Clay Partain today at 801-534-4923 or email him at cpartain@visitsaltlake.com and see how we can make Salt Lake the place for your sporting event.

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BEST IN^CLASS. l a u t vir

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Play it Safe in M y r t l e B e a c h

MyrtleBeachSports.com 800.488.8998

Contact Jonathan Paris at jonathan.paris@visitmyrtlebeach.com

It’s time to get back to The Beach! Our sports venues are ready to host your next event with enhanced safety measures in place. Let our award-winning CVB staff help you plan your next sporting event with safety and social distancing in mind. Together, we’ll make your event a win!

Contact Jonathan Paris at jonathan.paris@visitmyrtlebeach.com

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20-0106 Sports ETA Playbook 1/4 page Play of the Day.indd 1

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