NASC Playbook - Spring 2013

April 2013

Inside this issue: Spotlight on the Homes Away From Home: Sports Events and Housing When It Comes to Event Bids, Less Can Mean More For Your Sports Organization

Your Resource for the Sports Event Industry

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Websites

Industry Trends...................................................4

(513) 281-3888/(513) 281-1765 www.SportsCommissions.org www.NASCsymposium.com

Member Services Update.....................................4

Staff

Call for Volunteers..............................................5

Don Schumacher, CSEE, Executive Director Lori Gamble, Associate Executive Director Beth Hecquet, CMP, CMM, Director of Meetings & Events Elizabeth Chaney, Director of Member Services

Board of Directors Officers

Gary Alexander, Nashville Sports Council, Chair Terry Hasseltine, CSEE, Maryland Office of Sports, Vice Chair/Chair Elect Kevin Smith, CSEE, St. Petersburg/Clearwater Sports Commission, Treasurer Greg Ayers, CSEE, Discover Kalamazoo, Secretary Tara Green, CSEE, American Airlines Center, Immediate Past Chair

Directors

Mike Anderson, CSEE, Visit Charlotte Gary Beck, Killer ‘B’ Promotions John David, USA BMX Jim Dietz, Columbus Indiana Visitors Center Tammy Dunn, CSEE, Snohomish County Sports Commission Greg Fante, CSEE, Louisville Sports Commission Kindra Fry, CSEE, Bryan-College Station CVB Mike Guswiler, West Michigan Sports Commission Jennifer Hawkins, CSEE, VisitPittsburgh Jim Hilb, CSEE, Associated Premium Corporation Ed Hruska, CSEE, Rochester Amateur Sports Commission Mary Lee Malmberg, CSEE, Cedar Rapids Area CVB Lou Mengsol, Innovations Consulting Ralph Morton, CSEE, Seattle Sports Commission Nancy Yawn, CSEE, Round Rock CVB Marc Zimmerman, CSEE, Central Florida’s Polk County Sports Marketing

Media & Public Relations Advisers Jackie Reau, Game Day Communications Betsy Ross, Game Day Communications

www.SportsCommissions.org

Spotlight on the.............................................. 6-9 Homes Away From Home: Sports Events and Housing ............................................... 10-11 When It Comes to Event Bids, Less Can Mean More For Your Sports Organization.............. 12-13 Sports Legacy Fund..................................... 14-15 NASC Strategic Consulting Services.............. 16-17

INDUSTRY TRENDS The NASC invites you to the industry’s own conference, the 2013 NASC Sports Event Symposium, April 22-25 in Louisville. We anticipate the largest and most content filled event in our 21 year history. The symposium is the only industry conference where you can learn the latest in what to do, not to do, and what others have done to be successful.

Whether you are a destination, event owner or a supplier our symposium connects you with the information and the people you need. I have been active in the industry since 1981 and cannot imagine missing the chance to stay up on the latest industry best practices. There just is not another place to go to the get the best, from the best!

After every conference the Symposium Committee takes stock of the evaluations and begins the process of emphasizing what you tell us you are looking for. The 2013 NASC Symposium has been tailored to build on the great successes we enjoyed last year. Our Symposium Committee, the largest of all the NASC volunteer driven committees, works with staff to plan and execute the event.

If you are committed to success in your job, we know you will be in Louisville. All serious minded professionals will be there ready to share, learn, and write business!

This is your only 2013 opportunity to access the information you need and make the sales connections you want.

Sincerely,

Don Schumacher, CSEE Executive Director National Association of Sports Commissions

Member Services Update Volunteers provide exceptional experience and essential tools to our vibrant community and are the foundation of the National Association of Sports Commissions.

With the participation of more than 100 committee volunteers in the last year, the NASC created a number of new benefits to make your membership more valuable including: the development of the virtual event webinar series, new categories for the annual member awards, and the creation of content for the upcoming NASC Sports Event Symposium in Louisville.

We are excited to invite you to respond to this year’s call for volunteers. We need your skills, passion, and perspectives to build a vibrant, inclusive, and multicultural group of volunteer leaders throughout our committees. Additionally, your participation allows you to gain experience and better understand the inner-workings of your association, further your knowledge about the sports event industry, and develop new contacts within the NASC membership.

We welcome your expertise and enthusiasm in becoming a part of this active and talented group of volunteers.

We hope you will take the time to review the opportunities and discover a way to contribute. The deadline for responding to the call for volunteers varies depending on the committee.

If you are one of our members who has already realized the value of the volunteer experience with NASC, please remember that there is no automatic carryover of committee participation and you must notify the staff liaison(s) for the committee(s) on which you currently serve of your desire to continue participating.

We are thankful for the active participation of all of our committees over the past year and look forward to your participation as a committee volunteer in 2013-2014. If you have any questions, please contact Elizabeth Chaney, Director of Member Services, at (513) 281-3888 or Elizabeth@SportsCommissions.org.

Annual Membership Benefits

The NASC continues to develop benefits and services to make your organization more efficient and effective in the sports event industry each year including: • Online Directories • Job and Internship Board • Event Marketplace Webinars • Online Event Database • Models and Samples • Market Segment Meetings • NASC Economic Impact Template • CSEE Program • Sports Event Symposium • Industry Research and Reports • Best Practices Webinars • Consulting Services

Visit www.SportsCommissions.org for a complete list of benefits and services.

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Call for Volunteers

2013-2014 committees and volunteer opportunities Awards Committee The Awards Committee is responsible for developing award categories and criteria for the annual NASC Member Awards. The committee also serves as judges for the various categories. Positions on the Awards committee will be assigned in May 2013. If you are interested in serving, contact Elizabeth Chaney at Elizabeth@ SportsCommissions.org.

Membership Committee The Membership Committee oversees membership retention and recruitment. The committee contacts inactive and cancelled members on behalf of the association to encourage them to renew. The committee also evaluates membership benefits and resources on an annual basis.

Positions on the Membership committee will be assigned in May 2013. If you are interested in serving, contact Elizabeth Chaney at Elizabeth@SportsCommissions.org.

Mentoring Committee The Mentoring Committee cultivates relationships with new members to help guide them through their first year of membership. The committee educates general members about benefits and resources that will help them make the most of their membership, primarily through their regular “Tips from the Mentoring Committee” blogs. The committee is also responsible for planning and hosting first time attendee activities at the annual Symposium.

Pre-requisites: Committee members must have a minimum of five years of industry experience and be actively involved in the NASC. Positions on the Mentoring committee will be assigned in May 2013. If you are interested in serving, contact Elizabeth Chaney at Elizabeth@ SportsCommissions.org.

Professional Development Committee The Professional Development Committee works with the NASC staff to develop and implement the Certified Sports Event Executive (CSEE) Program. Committee members are required to join and fully participate in monthly committee calls, assist in the development of modules and continually evaluate the program to strengthen the CSEE brand. Positions on the 2013-2014 Professional Development Committee will be assigned in June 2013 and members must be currently enrolled in the CSEE Program and have attended at least two modules to be considered.

If you are interested in serving, contact Beth Hecquet, CMP at Beth@SportsCommissions.org.

Sports Legacy Committee The Sports Legacy Committee manages the Sports Legacy Fund. The committee establishes the criteria and eligibility requirements for beneficiaries of the fund and selects the beneficiary each year. The committee also coordinates all aspects of the annual fundraiser, including promotion, solicitation of donation items, and ticket sales, as well as equipment donations. Positions on the Sports Legacy committee will be assigned in May 2013. If you are interested in serving, contact Elizabeth Chaney at Elizabeth@SportsCommissions.org.

Symposium Committee The Symposium Committee assists in the planning and execution of the annual NASC Sports Event Symposium.

Committee members are required to join and fully participate in monthly committee calls, recruit event owners for the NASC Sports Marketplace, write at least one blog post for the NASC Game Changers blog with tips, advice and guidance on the Symposium, actively spread the word about the symposium via social media, emails to peers, tweeting, etc., develop education sessions including review of topics, examination of proposals and selection of speakers. Positions on the 2014 Symposium Committee will be assigned in June 2013. If you are interested in being considered, contact Beth Hecquet, CMP at Beth@ SportsCommissions.org.

www.SportsCommissions.org 5

April 22-25, 2013

NASC Spor ts E vent Symposium

Louisville, KY EVENT MANAGEMENT TRACK

Engaging Education Sessions

Partnering with State High School Athletic Associations Mark Koski, National Federation of State High School Associations

FINANCIAL TRACK

Six Critical Drivers to Optimizing Sports Tourism Dev Pathik, The Sports Facilities Advisory; Kevin Smith CSEE & Angel Natal CSEE, St. Petersburg Clearwater Sports Commission This powerful session will highlight the Six Critical Drivers to optimizing your sports tourism efforts. Led by industry experts who have generated hundreds of millions of dollars in economic impact – the Optimizing Sports Tourism (“OST”) session will equip you with the tools, models, and proven methods that have been used by the session leaders to achieve these successes. The OST experience includes an introduction to the Six Drivers, as well as a discussion and open forum about these critical topics. The unique aspect of this session is that attendees will learn how to develop a strategic mindset and personal leadership approach to maximize economic impact through sports tourism. Participants will also depart the session with a proven outline and workbook style document that can be used to develop a powerful strategic plan for sports tourism in any marketplace.

Diversifying Funding for the Destination Sports Market Bill Geist, Zeitgeist Consulting With the increasing strain on both public and private sector funding of Destination Sports initiatives, it’s getting tougher and tougher to compete for events that are vital to our communities. DMO expert and author Bill Geist will share his research into the ways that DMOs and Sports Commissions are successfully diversifying their funding streams to avoid being caught short when one source begins to go dry. From private to public sector funding and from event revenues to unique sponsorship relations and everything in between, attendees will come away with a hit list of opportunities to try in the months ahead in their destinations.

The State of Sports Participation in America Keith Storey, Sports Marketing Surveys USA This session is designed to help sports event executives utilize sports participation data as part of their efforts to attract and develop new events. In addition, this presentation will also provide a data driven model to help CVB’s and sports commissions determine what sports of facilities they should be developing based on actual local sports participation data. Much of the presentation will incorporate real-life scenarios that can be easily modified and developed for all applications.

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This interactive presentation is geared for all attendees who are interested in hosting high school athletic/activity events in their city. NFHS staff will discuss the role of the organization and purpose of all 51 member state high school athletic/activity associations (all 50 states and the District of Columbia) and the best practices of working with each. Contact information will be distributed as well as ways to obtain state championship dates, locations and RFP and selection processes. The economic impact of various championships will be reviewed and a discussion will take place about the best ways to make the student-athlete experience a win-win for you and your city!

Communicating in a Crisis Anthony Huey, Reputation Management Associates

30 years of work destroyed in 30 seconds is what can happen if your company or organization mismanages a product recall, an explosion, a strike or a multitude of other crisis situations. Unfortunately, somewhere within every organization, a crisis is waiting to happen.

The purpose of this session is to provide information on how to deal with the media — and 11 other audiences — during a crisis.

The media, in particular, play an important role during any crisis and we teach session attendees exactly what the media need, and how the media can help you get information to the public quickly.

Attendees will learn how to respond to questions briefly and directly, with honesty and candor, and learn how to control the flow of information. This is needed preparation for any crisis, when time is critical and working with the media is a priority.

Winning Fans & Revenue with Research-Based Decisions Jackie Reau, Game Day Communications & Michael Farris, The Aspire Group Do you know the percentage of your population who will purchase tickets to sporting events or new sports equipment in the next six months? Have you secret shopped your event from street to seat to determine opportunities to improve your sports fan experience? The sport event marketplace is becoming a crowded space and marketers need to understand how to engage their prospective fan bases while creating new meaningful revenue opportunities. A foundation for accomplishing this need is developing a research culture at your sport organization. This presentation will discuss how to measure the motivation and spending power of your current and prospective fan base to create new revenue streams with experiential opportunities. This research can lead to new sponsorships, grants and/or event ticket sales. Case studies will include examples from the Indianapolis 500, Kentucky Derby, LPGA and Miami University and will include a discussion on conducting market research to better position your market to new events and launching a sports fan experience audit.

SALES & MARKETING TRACK

Sponsorship to Partnership: Cincinnati Regional Tourism Network & Cincinnati Reds Linda Antus, Cincinnati USA Regional Tourism Network; Heather Kessler, Cincinnati USA Regional Tourism Network; Karen Forgus, Cincinnati Reds Over the past six years, the Cincinnati USA Regional Tourism Network and the Cincinnati Reds have been partners in promoting Cincinnati USA as a leisure travel destination for fans and families alike. This presentation will discuss the four facets of how the two organizations turned a sponsorship by the RTN into a partnership with the Reds offering each a year-round marketing presence throughout “Reds Country,” including Louisville.

The panel discussion with the leadership of the Cincinnati Reds and Cincinnati USA Regional Tourism Network will feature ticketing partnerships to promote weekend travel, activation at annual fan events hosted by the Reds, promotion and content creation for the Reds Radio Network comprising 90 regional radio stations and outer market media FAM trips.

Interactive Case Studies in Sports Tourism Jon Schmieder CSEE, Huddle Up Group, LLC This session will be an interactive breakout between the presenter and audience. The presenter will lead the attendees through practical case studies from the sports tourism and events industry.

The case studies will arm the attendees with best practice concepts to take back to their markets for implementation. An outline of the session includes: Case Study #1 - “Platform for Promotion”; Case Study #2 - “Sticky Sports Tourism”; Case Study #3 - “Ducks on the Pond” (time permitting). Takeaways - The case studies are excerpts from a series of articles on key topics in the sports tourism industry that have been crafted by the Huddle Up Group. Each attendee will be given an eBook of the complete series of case studies for participating in the breakout session. The attendees will also be asked to suggest new topics for research and industry feedback for future case studies.

Why Sales & Service Are Just Like Dating & Relationships Andy Masters, M.A., Masters Performance Improvement Andy’s flagship keynote program is based on his award-winning book “Kiss Your Customer: 77 Reasons Why Sales & Service Are Just Like Dating & Relationships”. Andy’s “business humor with a purpose” philosophy provides the ultimate “learn through laughter” experience for attendees. Andy takes attendees on a journey through the highs-and-lows world of relationship-building, utilizing the clever irony between business and romance. His creative approaches to proven principles impact sales and improve customer loyalty immediately, while also leaving a mark on our personal lives. Enjoy this entertaining, inspirational, and impactful program!

EXECUTIVE TRACK

Leadership through Developing, Empowering, and Delegating Andy Masters, M.A., Masters Performance Improvement This eye-opening, must-see program for all levels of leadership is based on the 2012 book “Things LEADERS Say: A Daily Guide to Help Every Leader Empower & Inspire”, from award-winning author and international speaker Andy Masters. Leaders now face new pressures to produce more with less, which unfortunately leads many to fall into the “do-it-all-myself ” trap. However, a “Control Freak” corporate culture is one of the most dangerous and damaging to any organization. Leaders who don’t effectively delegate certainly bring about stress, burnout, turnover, and rising health care costs--not to mention taking time and attention away from the most important projects and responsibilities. However, even deeper, a lack of leadership through empowering squelches employee development, negatively impacts succession planning, and even causes a direct “negative ROI” impact to each organization through an ineffective use of human resources. Enjoy this powerful program which illustrates what organizations should do to develop, empower, and delegate to its’ employees--and how to avoid the damaging impacts of organizations which don’t.

How To Build Winning Teams Scott Davenport, Bellarmine University & Howard Schnellenberger How do winning teams win? They have great players and a coach who knows how to make the sum greater than the parts. Sound simple? Listen to two masters of their trade – national championship coaches Howard Schnellenberger and Scott Davenport – as they share their distinct recipes for success, lessons on building winning teams and programs, and describe how their approach might work for you.

Risky Business: What You Don’t Know About Insurance Can Hurt You Janis Schmees Burke CSEE, Harris County – Houston Sports Authority; Peggy Henley, Lockton Companies, LLC Injuries can happen at any time. People fall off curbs, slip on icy sidewalks and some crash while texting and driving. But what would happen to your organization if a participant, volunteer or spectator was severely injured? An injury so severe it leads to changing their life forever. Would you be able to endure a lawsuit or would your organization be forced to close its doors? Do you know what is covered and what isn’t? Insurance and risk management specialists from Lockton will help you understand what those policies really say and how you can help manage the risks. In addition, do you really know your volunteers? Come learn what Houston has done to lower their risk with volunteers, safeguarding the public and their organization.

www.SportsCommissions.org 7

See What’s New in 2013: Game Changers

These 15 minute fast-paced presentations, facilitated by emcee extraordinaire Jon Petz, will touch on eight of the industry’s hottest topics.

Rapid RFP Review

Offers a structured opportunity to learn which future events are a potential for your city.

Game Changers Tuesday, April 23rd

Wednesday, April 24th

Go Live from Your Event with Social Media

Presentational Skills: Stand Up, Stand Out and Stand Apart

Jackie Reau, CEO, Game Day Communications In this Game Changer session, we discuss how to use social media to cover and share your event live with Twitter, Vine, Facebook and LiveStream. com. These ideas will help you increase overall awareness of your organization, provide increased sponsorship recognition and grow your grassroots audience (think grandparents who can’t attend your soccer tournament).

Building Partnerships Janis Schmees Burke, CEO, Harris County – Houston Sports Authority Cultivating effective alliances is an important aspect of sports event management from whatever side of the table you sit on. Don’t miss this “Game Changers” opportunity to learn how one community is forging strong partnerships to ensure goals are met for the rights-holder and sponsors, as well as the entity championing the event.

Maximizing Involvement by Sponsors Alex Alston, CSEE, Executive Director, Tulsa Sports Commission This session will focus on encouraging and promoting an atmosphere of involvement in the activation of a property’s sponsors. Topics will include approval programs, processes, staffing, and other methods for ensuring the highest level of activation for your event.

Creating Your Own Locally Owned Sports Tourism Events Jon Lugbill, Executive Director, Sports Backers Learn how your community can build a sustainable, locally grown sports tourism event industry. You can learn the opportunities, pitfalls and challenges of your organization or others in your community owning your own sports tourism events.

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Anthony Huey, President, Reputation Management Associates Presenting in front of an audience is the number one fear in America. Unfortunately, how you communicate in everything from casual conversations to formal speeches can mean success or disappointment throughout your career. This session shows you how to overcome nervousness and begin to take control of any audience.

Sports Tourism as Economic Development Bill Geist, Chief Instigator, Zeitgeist Consulting When the question of ROI emerges, Sports Commissions often quote DMO stats, such as Room Nights and Tax Generation. Bill Geist will challenge you to view ROI with an even larger lens…that of encouraging traditional economic development investment that is connected to our efforts.

Creative Servicing of Sporting Events Zack Davis, Convention Services Manager, Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau Unique ways that CVBs can market to and service sports groups while engaging city partners. From NCAA events to family oriented youth programs.

New methods of servicing the sports market that differ from traditional conventions and conference events.

The Top Technology Mistakes Florence May, President, TRS The latest Pew Research points to 10 common technology mistakes made by organizations. Join this fast paced guided tour through our changing marketing & communications environment. Take away a check list to help evaluate if your organization is spending technology resources effectively.

Rapid RFP Review Host organization attendees and participating event owners are invited to spend a few minutes with each other in small groups to receive details about events currently up for bid and/or their sport(s).

These sessions are not meant to be a conversation between the host organization and the event owner. They are the opportunity for host organization attendees to listen and learn only. Follow up conversations are encouraged if you are interested in sharing information about your city with the event owner.

Five Simple Steps to Success in Rapid RFP Review Step 1: Review the list of participating event owners

on the right Step 2: Decide which event owners you want to hear

from and make note of their locations

(room number and table number) Step 3: On any of the “10’s” (for example 10:30am,

10:40am, 10:50am, etc.) go to the tables you

noted in step 2 Step 4: After seven minutes, exchange business cards,

say thank you, stand up and move to another

table (or check out a Game Changer session

going on just down the hall) Step 5: Repeat as needed

Tuesday, April 23rd R00m 112 Table 1 Table 2 Table 3 Table 4 Table 5 Table 6 Table 7 Table 8 Table 9 Table 10

Aloha Tournaments Atlantic Corporate Games B.A.S.S Color Vibe Corporate Games & Events UK LTD CSTT Sports Management International GWN Dragon Boat International Distance Skateboard Association International Senior Softball Association National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)

R00m 108 Table 11 Table 12 Table 13 Table 14 Table 15 Table 16 Table 17 Table 18 Table 19 Table 20

National Congress of State Games National Fastpitch Coaches Association National Senior Games Association Pinnacle Sports (3 v 3 Live Soccer Tour) Ride 2 Recovery Sommer Sports - Xtreme Obstacle Challenge The Biggest Loser RunWalk Transplant Games of America Triple Crown Sports United States Olympic Committee

Room 104 Table 21 Table 22 Table 23 Table 24 Table 25 Table 26 Table 27 Table 28 Table 29 Table 30

US Lacrosse USA BMX USA Curling USA Cycling USA Racquetball USA Synchro USA Ultimate USA Volleyball USA Badminton USRA Half Marathon Series

Wednesday, April 24th R00m 112 Table 1 Table 2 Table 3 Table 4 Table 5 Table 6 Table 7 Table 8 Table 9 Table 10

Atlantic Corporate Games B.A.S.S Corporate Games & Events UK LTD CSTT Sports Management International Divas Half Marathon & 5K International Distance Skateboard Association International Senior Softball Association National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) National Fastpitch Coaches Association Pinnacle Sports (3 v 3 Live Soccer Tour)

R00m 108 Table 11 Table 12 Table 13 Table 14 Table 15 Table 16 Table 17 Table 18 Table 19 Table 20

Ride 2 Recovery Sommer Sports - Xtreme Obstacle Challenge The Biggest Loser RunWalk Transplant Games of America USA BMX USA Curling USA Cycling USA Racquetball USA Synchro USA Badminton

www.SportsCommissions.org 9

Homes Away From Home: Sports Events and Housing

By Betsy Ross, Game Day Communications

The lifeblood of most CVBs and sports corporations centers around overnight stays for your events. But how do you get the best deals for your event guests, while making sure your group gets the credit for those stays?

It’s an exercise in relationship building that sports corporations are always perfecting.

“I would say housing is in the top two or three items that events rights holders ask about,” according to Frank Lett, associate executive director at the Kingsport (TN) Convention and Visitors Bureau. “However, it is important for the host to know how many room nights an event brings, before pursuing it.”

With the growth of family sports events and special needs participant events, housing needs may adjust as well.

“Since we represent all bed tax properties, we send out leads on events and “Since we are a CVB, our that lead will include budget is 100% bed tax,” any and all special said Richard Sanders, vice requests that the event president of sports marketrightsholder is looking ing for the Panama City for,” said Sanders. “An Beach Convention and example of special – Frank Lett, Associate Executive Director, Kingsport (TN) Visitors Bureau. “We keep needs that we have Convention and Visitors Bureau our housing in touch with made possible is a sports by doing an annual property that was able sports workshop with the events rights holders (80% to provide handicap needs for the Wounded Warrior of the events are represented) and quarterly roundtable Amputee Softball Team.” discussions with properties.”

I would say housing is in the top two or three items that events rights holders ask about.

Courtesy of Paralyzed Veterans of America

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Courtesy of Fleet Feet Kingsport

One thing an area like Panama City Beach also has to take into consideration is properties that are vacation rentals by owners (VRBO). “To receive assistance from us,” Sanders said, “a lead must go out from our office to all theindustry partners. If an event rights holder decides to negotiate his own terms, they’re usually on their own.

We do have a combination of both in our program.”

And, those relationships extend to the families who are in town for the sports events. “Remember, this is a vacation for the parents who are paying for the room,” said Lett. “(CVBs need to) help make them feel like they are on vacation by providing them as much assistance with directions, attractions and restaurants as possible.”

“We have participants book hotels direct, this way the hotels deal directly with their customers,” according to Lett. “Who’s better at selling a hotel than their own staff??”

As for advice in cultivating the event and housing partnership, Sanders said that it’s important to keep the communication open between the sports corporation or CVB and the housing industry. “Communication and constantly educating them to the difference of a sports traveler and their needs, compared to other travelers such as a vacation traveler,” said Sanders. “Management at properties sometimes changes regularly so you have to stay on top of what is happening within the local housing industry.”

www.SportsCommissions.org 11

When It Comes to Event Bids, Less Can Mean More For Your Sports Organization

by Betsy Ross, Game Day Communications

group rates, providing goodie bags with visitor information and coupons, helping with bid preparations and presentations and media relations.

With sports tourism growing as an economic impact driver, just about every sports corporation or CVB wants to bring in the largest sporting events that their areas can support. But do you need a large tourism budget to bring in a large event? Not necessarily. Sports commissions and sports authorities are learning to use the resources they have and relationships they’ve made with specific goals in mind, so their money is spent wisely on events they know will offer their regions the biggest tourism payoff.

Both sports professionals have seen an increase in cities and regions entering the sports tourism market, many within the small to mid-market CVBs. “What we’re seeing more recently is that more and more communities are building new sports facilities (or at least upgrading existing venues), especially for youth soccer and youth baseball,” said Corte. “Even the so-called ‘small’ communities are investing in sports venue, as they see what we all see—the continuing growth of sports event tourism.

You HAVE to commit some amount of capital to sports, if a community wants to ‘get in the show’ and there has to be a consistent and organized plan to do it.

But above all, BE POSITIVE.

“To make the most “And we in Mobile of what you have, are also drawing up you have to partner plans to build new – Danny Corte, Executive Director, Mobile Sports Authority with various other sports facilities in groups who are the near future,” also interested in bringing visiting sports competitions to Corte continued, “especially as it relates to youth soccer, town,” said Danny Corte, executive director of the Mobile youth baseball, swimming and youth lacrosse. We have to Sports Authority. “Such as, the local CVB, local colleges, do that to keep up with our competition.” local city parks and rec department or a sports specific support group. Those partnerships are very important to Sports tourism is so important to the Mobile economy, the success of a sports commission if you have limited it was the subject of a community forum last fall. “Out dollars, which we really all have.” of that strategic planning process, we targeted a national bowling tournament for the future (and recently learned Tammy Dunn, CSEE, Sports we got it!), so there already has been some ‘buy-in’ to Marketing Manager at the Snohomish County (Washington) Sports Commission, uses a similar partnership strategy to attract events to the Pacific Northwest. “Ways that we have learned to stretch our dollars are: Find out what the event needs and seek in-kind sponsorships; find local partnerships within the community; have the local sports organizations be involved with the bid preparation process, and provide information on available grant funds that the sports events owner may apply for—for example the Tourism Promotion Area Grant Fund.

“Local sports organizations can benefit when a CVB or sports commission is interested in assisting them with their current sports event or hosting their first sports event,” said Dunn, including offering help with hotels to get

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Courtesy of Mobile Sports Authority

the process,” Corte said. “But in my opinion, in order to be really successful, the main buy-in has to eventually come from the locally elected officials. We as a sports commission, the CVB, or even the hoteliers can push all we want to explain how important those sports tourism strategies are, but the main impetus has to come from the power of the local government.

“If you can get the locally elected officials to understand and also be willing to fund these strategies, then you have a good chance of success. Fortunately, in Mobile, we’ve had some success at getting local ‘buy-in’ from our local elected leaders on certain sports events.

And something is better than nothing.”

For Snohomish County, winning a bid means rising above other potential hosts. “To make the Snohomish County Sports Commission stand out above the rest, we do the following,” said Dunn. “First, build a relationship with the rights holder. We do this by scheduling an appointment at a sports conference such as the NASC Sports Event Sympoisum.

“We become knowledgeable about the sport event we are interested in hosting. One way is to attend the sport event so we may learn about the operations of the event.

We know what sports we can host and we focus on those sports; we build relationships with our community partners, from parks and recreation to sports organizations, from business leaders to city officials; and we market what we can do for the sports rights holder on their event.”

For like-sized regions looking to expand their sports tourism potential and bring in more sports events, Corte says look at what you have available. “If a community wants to be in the sports travel business, then new sports facilities have to be built or old facilities upgraded. The saying ‘Facilities First’ has been true for a long time in this business, and that’s not going to change anytime soon, in my opinion.

“The locally elected officials have to be on board with this thinking or your chances of success are reduced dramatically. If you’re a small to mid-size city/county, then you’re generally not going to have the deep private resources to completely finance such a building process through private donors.

Courtesy of Snohomish County Tourism Bureau

strategy of some type and have a sports commission or CVB go out and ‘tell your story’ about your new or upgraded fields.”

Dunn recommends a similar commitment from the community to grow a sports tourism plan. “Educate your community the impact sports tourism has on the economy,” she said. “Also, assisting the local sports organizations with their sports events will help the organizations to be successful with an increase in teams, community support and community awareness. This develops an actual example of investing in sports tourism.

“In addition, build relationships with parks & recreation, facility owners, government officials, business leaders, and hoteliers. A partnership with these organizations will help bring more sports events to the community. Facilities need to be available for sports tournaments.

“Do not overpromise. For example, if a signed contract is required, don’t state that XYZ Organization will sign the contract without their approval. Finally, market what you can do, rather than what you have done.”

And for Corte, the community’s investment will deliver the payoff that local leaders are looking for. “You have to commit some amount of capital to sports, if a community wants to ‘get in the show’ and there has to be a consistent and organized plan to do it. But above all, be positive.”

“If you have a limited public budget, which we all do, then one suggestion would be to start small, making sure you build certain sports-specific facilities which have the most local support first, such as soccer and/or baseball fields,” he said. “Then you have to have a marketing

www.SportsCommissions.org 13

Louisville YMCA Courtesy of Greater

Like our member organizations, the NASC strives to make a positive impact on the community in which our events are held. Each year the NASC partners with the host city of the NASC Sports Event Symposium to donate the proceeds from the Sports Legacy Fund to a worthy organization in the community.

The Sports Legacy Fund, originally developed by the St. Petersburg/ Clearwater Sports Commission as an equipment donation program, is a way for members of the sports tourism community to make a personal and lasting impact on the lives of underprivileged youth in the host communities of the Symposium each year.

Since its inception, the Fund has made sporting goods contributions and monetary donations to the youth sports programs in Lexington, KY, Dallas, TX, Omaha, NE, Denver, CO, Columbus, OH, Greensboro, NC and Hartford, CT. For more information, contact Elizabeth Chaney, Director of Member Services, at (513) 281-3888 or Elizabeth@SportsCommissions.org.

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2013 Beneficiary The 2013 beneficiary is Run. Louisville, Run! (RLR). RLR is a program that challenges youth to train for and complete The Triple Crown of Running. Designed for kids ages 12 to 18, RLR will provide youth the chance to complete increasingly challenging races building up to a 10 mile race in the spring. The program is made possible through a partnership with the YMCA and Jefferson County Public Schools.

The program emphasizes self-esteem building, academic performance and improved physical fitness. The schools selected have the highest rates of students on free and reduced lunch, and almost all of them have never completed more than a mile run/walk. Recruitment also focuses on students that are not the typical team sports participants.

RLR provides 25 hours of interaction with mentors and other peers that are working together to accomplish the same goal.

There are many ways to contribute to the Sports Legacy Fund: 1. Bid on silent auction items.

2. Purchase raffle tickets.

3. Make a cash donation.

4. Think about ways you can contribute to the fund in 2014!

This year’s fundraising efforts will consist of a silent auction and raffle.

The Sports Legacy Fund Raffle and Silent Auction will be held in Louisville, KY April 23 and 24th in conjunction with the NASC Sports Event Symposium. Symposium attendees may bid on silent auction items or purchase raffle tickets (five tickets for $20) during Sports Marketplace booth hours. Raffle tickets may also be purchased during the Welcome Reception. Items will be on display in the Sports Marketplace on Tuesday and Wednesday, and the winners will be announced during the Networking Reception.

Raffle Items American Volleyball Coaches Association - AVCA Apparel Ann Arbor Area CVB - University of Michigan Team 133 Banner signed by football coach Brady Hoke ASA Softball - 2012 USA Softball National Team Memorabilia Associated Premium Corp. - Cutter & Buck Computer Bag Associated Premium Corp. - Kenneth Cole Manhattan Leather Case Bloomington MN CVB - Two “The Big Ticket” Attraction Passes Bryan-College Station CVB - Taste of Bryan-College Station Buffalo Sports Commission - Buffalo Bills Autographed Jersey Buffalo Sports Commission - Weekend Getaway to Buffalo Cedar Rapids Area CVB - Golf Shoe/Accessory Bag & Titleist Pro V1 Golf Balls Cincinnati USA Regional Tourism Network - 2013 Cincinnati Reds Weekend Getaway Package Clermont County CVB - iTunes Gift Cards Destination Toledo - Toledo Gift Basket FOX Sports Ohio - Jay Bruce Autographed Baseball Greater Cleveland Sports Commission - “Always By My Side – A Father’s Grace and a Sports Journey Unlike Any Other” Jim Nantz/autographed book Greater Cleveland Sports Commission - “Best Seat In The House – A Father, A Daughter, A Journey Through Sports” Christine Brennan/autographed book Greater Lansing Sports Authority - Michigan State University Autographed Football Lafayette Convention & Visitors Commission - Cajun Country Gift Basket Lagardere Unlimited - Autograph Golf Pictures Las Cruces CVB - Austin “No Doubt” Trout Memorabilia Louisville CVB - One of A Kind Bourbon Experience Basket Louisville Slugger - Personalized Louisville Slugger Bat Lycoming County Visitors Bureau - Steve Carlton Hall of Fame 1994 Signed Baseball NC Sports Association (Sports NC) - Flip Video Camera (8 GB) OKC Barons - AHL OKC Signed Barons Jersey Oklahoma City CVB - Made In Oklahoma Gift Basket Orienteering USA - Orienteering USA Running Gear Outdoor Promotions - Insulated Cabela Winter Jacket Rochester Amateur Sports Commission - Matt Forte Autographed Football Jersey Rochester Amateur Sports Commission - Gene Autry Autographed Baseball Sioux City Sports Commission - Grand Fundo and Ragbrai Jerseys, Grand Fundo 2013 Entry & One Night Stay in Sioux City, Iowa Sports Wisconsin - Sports Wisconsin Cornhole Set Strider Sports - Strider Bike and One Free Entry Registration to the Strider US Championship Titanic Attraction - Two Family Passes for the Titanic Museum in Branson, MO or Pigeon Forge, TN United States Olympic Committee - USOC 2012 Olympic Team Gift Pack Valley Forge PA CVB - Valley Forge Basket with Casino Stay Visit Monroeville - Dick’s Sporting Goods Gift Card WEM, Inc./Run Crazy Horse - Run Crazy Horse Half or Full Marathon Entries Alden Suites - Two Night Stay in a Nassau Courtyard Suite

Auction Items Branson CVB & Hiltons of Branson - Get away and play in Branson Central Florida Sports Marketing - Central Florida Family Vacation Package Central Florida Sports Marketing - Detroit Tigers Spring Training Package (2014) Galt House Hotel - Galt House Hotel’s Weekend Under the Louisville Lights Hyatt Regency Clearwater - Suite at the Hyatt Regency Clearwater National Association of Sports Commissions - 2014 NASC Active membership National Association of Sports Commissions - 2014 NASC Allied membership National Association of Sports Commissions - 2014 NASC Sports Event Symposium Registration OKC Thunder - OKC Team Signed Basketball Oklahoma City CVB - Women’s College World Series Getaway Schneider Publishing Company, Inc. - SportsTravel Magazine Discount Certificate Sheraton Sand Key Resort - Three night getaway package at the Sheraton Sand Key Resort USA BMX - Two 20” BMX Race Bikes

Special thanks to

for their equipment donation.

www.SportsCommissions.org 15

NASC Strategic Consulting Services

Recent Clients

Bryan-College Station CVB Buffalo Niagara Sports Commission Chester County Conference and Visitors Bureau City of Myrtle Beach Cobb County CVB Explore Minnesota Johnstown/Cambria County CVB Kingsport City Schools Lake Erie Shores and Islands Welcome Center Panama City CVB Peachtree City, GA CVB Rapid City CVB Santa Rosa CVB Springfield, MO Sports Commission Tupelo CVB Virginia Tourism Conference 16

The NASC offers custom consulting services designed to help our members make better business decisions.

Types of projects and services include: • facilities audit • market analysis • economic impact • feasibility study • strategic plan If you have an RFP, RFQ, or simply want to discuss what would be involved in assisting you on a project, please call Don Schumacher at (513) 281-3888.

The University at Buffalo Natatorium – Buffalo, NY 50 meters by 25 yards, 8 lanes World-class diving well Ultraviolet filtration system

Ice Line – Chester County, PA Four rinks Exceptional condition Ice hockey, figure skating

Grand Park – Myrtle Beach, SC Baseball, softball 9 field complex Soccer in outfields Artificial turf

Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium – Bryan-College Station, TX 6 lane track with hydraulic turns and 8 lanes for 100 meter dash and 100 hundreds

www.SportsCommissions.org 17

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• National Field Archery Association • National Intramural Recreation Sports Association • National Rifle Association • National Senior Games Association • National Sports Forum • National Wheelchair Basketball Association • NIRSA • Orienteering USA • PGA of America • Primetime Tournaments • Professional Disc Golf Association • Sommer Sports Event Group • TEAMS Conference and Expo • The Color Run • Transplant Games of America • US Figure Skating

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