Playbook - winter '22-'23

WINTER 2023

Sports ETA Chief Executive Summit

Sports ETA and Northstar Meetings Group

Expands Strategic Partnership

White Paper: The Strong Performance of the Sports Tourism Sector

Kansas City - The New Midwest

Tourism Improvement Districts

Your 2023 Sports ETA Road Map

Guide to State-level Event Procurement Funds

National Headquarters 9624 Cincinnati Columbus Road, Suite 209 Cincinnati, OH 45241

Telephone (513) 281-3888

Website

www.SportsETA.org

Staff

Alan (Al) R. Kidd, President & CEO

Janis Breedlove, CMP, STS, VP Events & Experiences

Meagan Grau, Director of Marketing and Communications

Michelle Wessels, Business Services Director Rebecca

Myles, Sponsorship and Advertising Jennifer Stoll, Ph.D., STS, Research and Education Carol Courtney, Special Projects Coordinator

Board of Directors

Officers

Chair: Don Dukemineer, STS, CHSP, Director of Sports Development, Decatur Morgan County Tourism Vice

Chair/Chair-Elect: Ray Palmer, President/CEO, Pensacola Sports

Treasurer: Frank Lett, Senior Associate Executive Director/Director of Sports Marketing, Visit Kingsport

Secretary: John David, COO, USA BMX

Immediate Past Chair: Michael Price, STS, CTA, Chief Sales & Operations Officer, Destination Ann Arbor

Directors

Ashleigh Bachert, Vice President Tourism Operations, Tulsa Sports Commission

Cindy Cowart, STS, President, Coward Sports Events

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

Jason Gewirtz, Editor and Publisher/SportsTravel, SportsTravel Magazine

Pete Harvey, Director of Sports, Visit Sarasota County

Jerrine Lee, STS, Vice President of Sales, Richmond Region Tourism

Matt Libber, Executive Director, Maryland SoccerPlex

Angel Natal, Senior Director, Perfect Game USA

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

Clay Partain, STS, Executive Director, Sports Salt Lake

Hank Pivarnik, STS, Global Account DirectorSSports, Sonesta International

Scott Powers, STS, Executive Director, Experience Columbia SC Sports

Melissa Thompson, Chief Community Officer, Indiana Sports Corp

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

Looking to share your expertise?

Information-sharing is a founding principle of Sports ETA, and the industry knowledge among the Sports ETA membership lends itself to unprecedented expertise.

Sports ETA encourages members to share information with your peers. Contact Meagan Grau, Director of Member Services and Engagement, at Meagan@SportsETA.org to learn more about how you can contribute to a future edition of the Sports ETA Playbook.

To include your news in the weekly Get in the Game eNews, send press releases and articles to info@sportseta.org

Distribution Date: Thursdays. Deadline for content: Wednesday at Noon ET before distribution date.

Letter from the President and CEO

2023 has gotten off to an excellent start for the overall tourism industry. National tourism association events have had solid attendance. Youth sports continue this quick start of the year. We are hearing more and more that traveling sports events are experiencing a couple of issues that we will continue to keep our eye on; fewer teams competing in events and shortened hotel stays from attendees. In addition, consumer confidence is showing strain with the continual drumbeat about recessions and inflation. Tell-tale signs to watch are consumer pricing increases and employment cutbacks, which will cause people to assess how they spend their money. These factors and others will be discussed more loudly during 2023, and we expect an impact on budgets, youth sports participation, and associated spending.

Our friends at Longwoods International expanded their 2022 National Resident Sentiment Study in order to determine how the general public perceived various factors related to sports events and tourism. Released today is the latest white paper co-published with our partners at Longwoods International, “The Strong Performance of the Sports Tourism Sector and Rising Resident Sentiment of Sport.” This white paper looks at the strength of sports tourism in this post-pandemic world and its support among communities, sports organizations and participants. Download and read HERE

We are very excited about a brand new member engagement program we will launch in Q1: Sports ETA Badging. Our new Badging Program will recognize you, our valued members, through all the ways you help the sports events and tourism industry thrive. Individual members and member organizations will earn digital badges by engaging with Sports ETA by speaking at events, sponsoring events, hosting events, completing education, and much, much more. Badges will appear in your member profile both privately and in the membership directory. They will also be downloadable as a social kit and a badging “resume” – all to highlight your active participation and leadership in the sports events and tourism industry. Stay tuned over the coming months for more Badging information as we prepare to roll out the program.

A special thank you to Jason Gewirtz, who led a small team to dive in and reset our Member Awards program. Look for our new Member Awards recognition applications in February. We intend to recognize and award members and celebrate the addition of new members to our Hall of Fame during our Kansas City Symposium.

THINK BIG!

Al Kidd President and CEO

Letter From Board Chair

Dear Sports ETA Members:

As many people do at the start of a new year, they set resolutions to aspire to improve aspects of their personal life The same principle applies in their professional worlds as they inspire to achieve extraordinary goals that make a difference While I pray the best for every single one of you, I share this motivational quote that someone special shared with me: “believe in yourself that you can, set your mind to it and you got it!” My hope, both personally and professionally, is that all of your goals and aspirations will be successful in 2023!

As you’ve already heard, Al Kidd will be riding off into the sunset to enjoy “retirement” after spending the last six-plus years with Sports ETA. (We all know Al will truly never retire or stop being busy with projects). We are indebted to Al for his leadership to the Association in laying the groundwork for a successful path forward. We thank him for his dedication to the formation of new partnerships and programs that helped evolve the organization. Over the next few months, we will take opportunities to recognize and honor him for all of the accomplishments he’s been integral in for Sports ETA.

At the same time, we have new beginnings on the horizon as we look to discover our next President and CEO. As Chair of the Association and the Search Committee, I have assembled an amazing team that will support our efforts in conducting the search process. I, along with the Committee, have taken several opportunities to hear feedback from the membership regarding areas they see as future needs and direction for the Association. As I’ve mentioned several times, this is YOUR ASSOCIATION, and I’m confident in the team to find a proven leader to move us forward. That is our goal: how can we move forward and continue offering the best benefits possible to you?

We look forward to seeing many of you at our upcoming events, including the Chief Executive Summit and Women’s Summit. We also hope you are planning to be in Kansas City for Symposium May 8-11. As 2023 moves forward, we hope that you will invest more time and give more energy to Sports ETA than ever before. As the Association looks to an exciting year ahead, I hope that each member finds a new rejuvenation in every aspect of your world.

Remember, “you got this,” in all you put your mind to! Make today great for both you and everyone around you. As always, I’m here for every single one of our members, and available to take a call or email at any time to help. I personally thank you for your continued support and dedication to the best Association!

All the best,

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

March 29 - 31

Magnolia Hotel - Dallas, TX

Developed by top women leaders in the sports events and tourism industry, the annual Women’s Summit will inspire you to achieve your career goals. Attendees will be encouraged to learn how to strengthen their community relationships, advocate for themselves, and polish their leadership skills. You will gain access to tools and resources that will help you improve your personal brand and add value to your organization.

The 2023 Women’s Summit will feature top-notch education including a Dallas Sports Power Panel and presentations by ESPN and WNBA representatives. Attendees will have the opportunity to go behind the scenes at AT&T Discovery District, attend a Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame event, participate in Beyond the Baseline, and network with industry peers. As always, we will have a block of tickets available for the Friday night (March 31) Women’s Final Four games. Check out the full event schedule.

Top Industry Trends To Watch in 2023

1 4

2 3

Deeper emphasis is continuing to be placed on the value of sports events and tourism to the local community – not only economically, but also socially, environmentally, and beyond. Effectively measuring and communicating this value will continue to be vital for organizations.

There remains a shifting focus toward US-based opportunities among our international sport organizer counterparts. Now that the 2022 World Cup is in the rear view, eyes are focused on the broad spectrum of events coming stateside in the forthcoming years including the 2024 T20 World Cup (Cricket), 2026 FIFA World Cup, 2028 Olympic Games, the 2031 and 2033 Rugby World Cups, and many more. Opportunity exists not only for large markets hosting these events but surrounding communities and small/mid-markets to leverage their assets to an international audience.

A watchful eye on the economy will be prudent. Sports-related travel bounced back well from the pandemic as reported in Sports ETA’s 2021 State of the Industry Report; however, sports events and tourism

5

practitioners would be wise to keep a strong pulse on the impacts that other economic factors (i.e., inflation, consumer price index, job numbers, interest and mortgage rates, recession potential, etc.) may have on the literal playing field.

States are getting in the game like never before! In an effort to capitalize on the incremental state sales tax revenue ROI, provide broad-based exposure, and align with other state objectives, more and more states are carving dedicated event procurement funding mechanisms. This trend will continue as we head into the meat of state legislative cycles.

Put on your futurist hat. It’s an exciting time in the sports events and tourism industry as innovation, shifts in consumer behavior, and burgeoning technology are transforming the industry before our very eyes. Let us not remain so comfortable in the present, that we find ourselves on our heels missing both opportunity and necessity related sports events and tourism’s future.

Trends provided by Dr. Jennifer Stoll, Principal, Stoll Strategies // Research & Education, Sports ETA. For more information, please contact Jennifer at Jennifer@SportsETA.org.

Sports ETA CEO Al Kidd announces retirement, set for June 2023

Al Kidd, who has served as the President & CEO of Sports ETA, the only trade association for the sports events and tourism industry, announced he will retire on June 30, 2023. Kidd joined Sports ETA in 2017 after a successful business career, which included serving as the CEO for the San Diego Sport Association for eight years. Searchwide Global has been retained to conduct the executive search for Sports ETA.

Sports ETA, which serves more than 600 member organizations and 2,400 sports event professionals, is widely known for its “State of the Industry” study, which reported $39.7 billion in 2021 in direct spending on amateur sporting events equating to $91.8 billion in economic impact across the United States.

During his tenure, Kidd led the brand name change from National Association of Sports Commissions to Sports Events & Tourism Association or Sports ETA to engage the growing industry in an inclusive manner.

“We thank Al Kidd for his dedication and leadership to Sports ETA, as well as his efforts to enhance our relevancy within the industry over the past six years,” said Don Dukemineer , STS, CHSP, Director of Sports Development, Decatur Morgan County Tourism & Board Chair of Sports ETA. “Al’s knowledge and experience led the Association to seek new heights and improve member benefits with a focus on advancing the membership with education, advocacy, research, and networking or the ‘EARN philosophy,’ a term he coined for Sports ETA.”

Education

Increasing continuing education among the membership was a key priority for Kidd and his leadership team, especially during the pandemic. Sports ETA revamped its entire website to improve access, including the development of a proprietary education Learning Management System (LMS), which delivers online educational content on a 24/7 basis. The association also introduced two new member benefits: Sports Events & Entertainment Network, which provides video features on members and their organizations, and the Sports Tourism Learning Institute, an entirely new educational program aimed at providing industry-leading content that features expert thought leaders.

“The launch of the new educational programs and opportunities for our members has made a significant impact on our sports events and tourism industry,” said Janis Burke, STS, CEO of Harris County – Houston Sports Authority & Past Board Chair of Sports ETA. “Al and his team have elevated our association’s educational experiences to new heights to ensure the next generation is prepared to lead our industry.”

Advocacy

Additionally, under Kidd’s leadership, Sports ETA developed a number of high-profile strategic industry partnerships including: 4FRONT, Destinations International, EventConnect, Life in the Front Office Podcast, Northstar Meeting Group, MPI, Ohio University’s Sports Gambling Education program, Playeasy, and Threshold 360, among others.

During the early months of the pandemic, Sports ETA created ten dedicated member communities to better connect members to topics of most interest based on research. These Community Groups include: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Facilities, Industry Partners, Large Market, L.E.A.D. (Leading, Engaging, And Developing), Rights Holders, Small to Mid-Market Destinations, State Association Leaders, Women’s, and Young Professionals. These groups continue to meet regularly to accomplish strategic initiatives to support the sports events and tourism industry.

“Over the last six years, Sports ETA has significantly increased our organization’s relevancy, both nationally and internationally, thanks in large part to Al Kidd’s leadership,” said Mike Price, STS, Executive Director, Greater Lansing Sports Authority & Past Board Chair of Sports ETA. “Al’s legacy for Sports ETA is one of inclusion and innovation, and we thank him for his stewardship.”

Research

Sports ETA also launched a strategic focus on research led by nationally-recognized sports business researcher Dr. Jennifer Stoll. With Kidd’s collaboration led by Dr. Stoll with industry partners, the annual “State of the Industry” report was revamped to be more inclusive of the total economic impact of the industry. The Sports Tourism Research Institute was also established to publish landmark research on a number of topics of interest to members.

”The new ‘State of the Industry’ report, along with the multitude of industry white papers, have elevated the research arm and expertise of Sports ETA on a national and international level,” said Kindra Fry, CDME, STS, SMP, TDM, Assistant Athletic Director for Special Event Services, Texas A&M University & Past Board Chair of Sports ETA. “The work of the Sports Tourism Research Institute will continue to strategically guide our membership for years to come.”

Networking

Sports ETA has held its Annual Symposium for more than 30 years. The event is one of the largest annual gatherings of the sports events and tourism industry to focus on educational programming and networking opportunities. Over the last six years, Sports ETA has expanded its networking events to include: a reimagined national symposium while adding four signature events, including the 4S Summit, Women’s Summit, Facilities Summit, and the Chief Executive Summit. Additionally, Sports ETA produced the first-ever virtual trade business event for the sports tourism industry in the early months of the pandemic.

The Sports ETA

Executive

Q&A with Clay Partain, STS Executive Director of Sports Salt Lake

Q.Tell us about Salt Lake City and its sports culture and scene.

Salt Lake is certainly not new to sports. We are widely known for hosting the 2002 Winter Olympic Games, which to this day was one of the most successful games ever hosted, in particular, from a financial perspective. We also showed the world that Utahans were remarkably industrious in preparations for the games, which included massive venue buildouts and infrastructure upgrades throughout the destination. Utah also set the bar on showing how Olympic venues can be sustainable, with all of our facilities still in use.

The years since the games have been good to us from a sports event perspective. Visit Salt Lake has been pursuing sporting events for well over three decades, and in January 2021 established Sports Salt Lake division to aggressively ramp up our sports tourism efforts. From a hosting standpoint, we are a clean and vibrant city, nestled in the Rocky Mountains. We are very much a city with a

mountain town vibe. Our location in the intermountain west is ideal for hosting national level events, as we can easily draw from western states, but still within reach from the east.

Q.For those attending the CE Summit, what are three things our Sports ETA members should do or see in Salt Lake City?

The CES attendees will have opportunities to catch a Jazz game on Tuesday night as they arrive. We will also have unique Olympic offsite activities that attendees will have a chance to try. And if you are coming to Salt Lake in the winter, and love to ski, this is your chance!

Q.Salt Lake City has a growing brewery scene, what are a few brewpubs not to miss?

Salt Lake has 14 breweries just waiting to be explored. Our Salt Lake Brewery Pass is the best way to explore them, if you are looking to hit as many as possible. Check out our brewery pass here: visitsaltlake.com

Photo courtesy of Visit Salt Lake

A

Chief

Summit will be held in Salt Lake City, Utah from March 1- March 2.

Registration is now open for all 2023 Sports ETA Events

Register Here

M ARCH 1-2, 2023

SALT LAKE CITY , U T

M ARCH 29-31, 2023

D ALLAS, T X

MAY 7-8, 2023

KANSAS CITY , M O

MAY 8-11, 2023

KANSAS CITY , M O

OCT OBER 23-25, 2023

EL PASO , T X

Sports ETA and Northstar Meetings Group Expands Strategic Partnership

Sports ETA, the only trade association for the sports events and tourism industry, announced today the expansion of its industry partnership with Northstar Meetings Group, the leading multi-platform brand for dedicated meeting and business planners and sports event organizers, to serve as presenting sponsor of the association’s key research products, including the State of the Industry research report.

Under terms of the extension, Northstar — the publisher of SportsTravel and organizers of the TEAMS Conference & Expo, TEAMS Europe and the EsportsTravel Summit — will continue to be the presenting sponsor of the State of the Industry report, as well as two new studies that will be released in 2023: The Sports ETA Salary Survey and the Sports ETA Facilities Study. Northstar will also continue to serve as the exclusive provider of content related to media and media relations for Sports ETA educational programming distributed by the association’s Sports Tourism Learning Institute. Northstar and Sports ETA will also collaborate on future international outreach.

Sports ETA, which serves more than 600 member organizations and 2,400 sports event professionals, is widely known for its State of the Industry study, which reported $39.7 billion in 2021 in direct spending on amateur sporting events equating to $91.8 billion in economic impact across the United States.

The landmark study presented the most comprehensive and representative data quantifying the value of sports-related travel in the United States. Conducted by Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics company, the report incorporated original data from Sports ETA with Longwoods International Travel Survey Data, Bureau of Economic Analysis and Labor Statistics data, U.S. Travel Association data together with NCAA and annual sports attendance figures.

“Northstar Meetings Group and Sports ETA enjoy a long-time partnership in leading the sports events and tourism industry,” said Al Kidd, president and CEO of Sports ETA. “We are honored to renew this important partnership to serve our members and the industry.”

“Sports ETA continues to provide the sports tourism industry with valuable education and research, which we are proud not only to sponsor but to disseminate broadly through SportsTravel magazine and our many other travel media brands,” said David Blansfield, executive vice president of the Northstar Meetings Group. “We’re excited to extend our support to Sports ETA’s new initiatives and look forward to continuing to work together to advance our industry and to measure and promote the value of sports-related travel.”

We’re excited to extend our support to Sports ETA’s new initiatives and look forward to continuing to work together to advance our industry and to measure and promote the value of sports-related travel.

Sports ETA and Meeting Professionals International Announce Expanded Partnership

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

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

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

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

White Paper: The Strong Performance of the Sports Tourism Sector and Rising Resident Sentiment of Sport

BY: Jennifer Stoll, PhD, Principal, Stoll Strategies and Research Director for Sports ETA & Tammy Koerte, Senior Research Manager, Longwoods International

Co-published with our partners at Longwoods International, our latest white paper, “The Strong Performance of the Sports Tourism Sector and Rising Resident Sentiment of Sport,” looks at the strength of sports tourism in this post-pandemic world and its support among communities, sports organizations and participants.

First, let’s take a look back at sports tourism. As of 2021, sports events and tourism comprised $39.7 billion in direct spending, $12.9 billion in tax revenue and a total economic impact of $91.8 billion in the U.S., according to Sports ETA data. This bounce back from the pandemic outpaced many other industry sectors, including pharmaceuticals, oil and gas extraction, and others.

In 2021, more than 175 million Americans traveled for sports-related reasons, just 2.6% below the industry peak in 2019. And the resident sentiment study conducted by Longwoods in the summer of 2022 showed even stronger support of sports tourism than the last survey in 2020.

Photo courtesy of Chris Chow on Unsplash

For example, 60% of those responding to this most recent survey agreed that youth and amateur sporting events benefited their local economies, and more than half said these events improved the quality of life in their communities. The West and Northeast were very bullish on youth sports, as 60% of Western U.S. respondents recognized the economic benefits of youth and amateur events, an 11 point increase over the 2020 survey.

So what can communities do to strengthen their support and grow their sports tourism opportunities? Our report shows that it’s important to raise awareness for the events within the communities and prioritize local participation so residents feel they have a ‘stake’ in the events. This can be achieved by involving local residents as volunteers for the events and working with local media partners for PSA campaigns to promote the events.

Another suggestion is to develop events that are true assets for the community. Sports tourism should be able to use existing infrastructure, generate consistent visitor numbers and use the sporting events to improve the quality of life as well as the economic base of the host community.

In summary, the pandemic brought new opportunities for non-traditional, individual and outdoor sporting activities as Americans looked at health and wellness with a new perspective. As sports tourism continues to flourish, communities have the opportunity to maximize resources, enhance quality of life and add to the area’s economic bottom line.

For more information, connect with me at Jennifer@sportseta.org.

And support for sporting events among Generation Z (ages 18-25) has jumped over the last couple of years. While older Americans are generally supportive of sporting events, the support from Gen Z and Millennials jumped exponentially since the 2020 report. Three years ago, only 30% of Gen Z supported hosting college or professional events, and 28% were in favor of outdoor sporting events. In the latest survey, that support jumped to 45% and 49%, making it especially important to draw younger participants to these events.

Photo courtesy of Jeffrey F Lin on Unsplash

Read White Paper

From indoor to outdoor sports, and friendly games to massive tournaments, Virginia Beach is a prime setting for competition. In addition to modern complexes ready to host all types of sports and capacities, Virginia Beach offers a vibrant, diverse atmosphere that athletes and event attendees won’t forget.

In addition to its beautiful coastal setting, Virginia Beach ranks as one of the safest cities for its size and is also known for being one of the cleanest, making it simpler to host an event without worry.

Virginia Beach may be famous for its gorgeous outdoor spaces, but the city’s newest sports facility makes it a pleasure to be indoors. Having opened in October 2020, the Virginia Beach Sports Center is a state-of-the-art facility that’s ready to host a wide variety of indoor sports,

DANI TIMM, CSEE Sports Marketing National Sales Manager dtimm@visitvirginiabeach.com 757-385-6663

including basketball, volleyball, indoor track and field, and indoor field hockey. Its 285,000 square feet of convertible space can accommodate 12 basketball courts, 24 volleyball courts, nine field hockey courts, and a 200-meter hydraulically banked track—and it can hold up to 5,000 spectators to watch the action.

Hosting outdoor games like baseball, lacrosse, football, soccer, or softball? The Princess Anne Athletic Complex offers a field of dreams—16 Musco-lit fields, to be exact, eight of which are fully fenced and equipped with irrigation systems, electronic scoreboards, and shaded player benches. Depending on your event needs, you can also choose between four fullsized lighted synthetic fields, and four hybrid Bermuda fields. The complex also includes ample space for seating, areas for picnicking, and more than 800 onsite parking spaces.

Kansas City - The New Midwest

May 8-11, 2023

Kansas City has always found ways to keep moving forward because their momentum just won’t quit. There’s a irresistible, locally-inspired energy you can feel in every neighborhood and around every corner. With every new experience and person you meet, you’ll find more to love about the New Midwest.

Grow professionally, exchange ideas, and drive more business at one of the largest

NEW IN 2023 - The Sports ETA Awards Program Is Back!

Each year, Sports ETA honors organizations and individuals in the sports events and tourism industry to celebrate their accomplishments and achievements. After a deep-dive of the past awards program, a small committee of Sports ETA members have revamped our program to not only streamline the submission process, but include award categories that are relevant to all association members and the programs members want and should be recognized for.

Award Categories at 2023 Symposium

Sports Commission of the Year

Population: Under 500,000

Population: 500,000 and above

Who Can Submit: Destinations

Sports Tourism Organization of the Year

Population: Under 500,000

Population: 500,000 and above

Who Can Submit: Destinations

Hosted by Visit KC and Kansas City Sports Commission

2023 IMPORTANT DATES

Appointments cannot be guaranteed if not registered by April 19, 2023

One-on-one appointment portal opens March 20, 2023

One-on-one appointment portal closes April 19, 2023

Schedules distributed May 1, 2023

Learn more and register today

gatherings of top executives in the sports events and tourism industry.

Event Partnership of the Year

Population: Under 500,000

Population: 500,000 and above

Who Can Submit: Destinations, Rights Holders, Industry Partners

Event or Program Impact of the Year

Population: Under 500,000

Population: 500,000 and above

Who Can Submit: Destinations, Rights Holders, Industry Partners

Rising Star Award

Who Can Submit: Destinations, Rights Holders, Industry Partners

Superior Service Award

Who Can Submit: Industry Partners

More information on each award category and criteria the judges will look for will be available online HERE

Photo courtesy of Visit KC, Downtown Skyline by Jonathan Tasler

Tourism Improvement Districts: More Funding for Sports Tourism

BY JACKIE REAU, GAME DAY

At a time where communities, sports corporations and venues are looking for new sources of revenue for their projects, one method growing in popularity is the formation of Tourism Improvement Districts (TID) dedicated to sports tourism funding.

In a recent Sports ETA presentation, Roxanne Steinhoff, lead consultant for sports tourism for Civitas, explained the genesis of TIDs, beginning with how sports tourism traditionally gets its funding. For most, it means private sources such as memberships and partnerships, grants, event revenue, contract services and sponsorships, along with public sources like federal and state grants, tax allocations (both tethered and untethered), property tax increment financing, sales tax increment financing and assessments, which include TIDs.

So what is a TID assessment and how is it different from a tax?

“Taxes of course are, by nature, public funding sources,” according to Steinhoff, “so they’re imposed by governments, mandated by government, they have no defined term, typically there’s no requirement that they have to benefit those businesses that are paying the tax, and then of course the biggest problem we always have, funds can be diverted by government.

“An assessment, on the other hand, is a bit different. An assessment at its core is a business model, it is a public-private model. The assessed businesses vote to self-assess, the government collects the funding, then those businesses govern how that assessment is spent. There is a specific term and plan, usually with TIDs it depends on how long you want them to run for, but they have terms that must be renewed, there is legal accountability to the district plan.

“What that means is if the assessment is not benefiting those businesses that are paying it, then the assessment can no longer be levied. It has to benefit the tourism

business and the most important thing, funds cannot be diverted for general government programs. Assessments may only be used for tourism purposes.”

A Tourism Improvement District model could include hotels in the district paying an assessment, that assessment is collected by the local government, then those funds are managed by the destination management organization (DMO). “There are some sports commissions that do have a TID, but usually the way this is set up is the DMO manages those funds,” said Steinhoff.

“What’s great about the TID model,” she continued, “is that not only does it get us dedicated funding, but it also helps us to build partnerships within our business community, something as sports commissions we’re already good at but this adds another layer.

“When a TID is formed, it creates a non-profit board, which the assessed businesses will sit on that board. That in turn creates a forum where the businesses at a minimum get to direct how those funds are spent, and allows them to have a significant voice while the DMO or sports commission gets a reliable, dedicated source of funding.”

“Not only are we seeing an increase in destinations implementing TIDs to support tourism promotion in general, but we’ve seen a substantial increase in interest for using TIDs to fund sports event and facilities,” said Roxanne Steinhoff, Legal Analyst & Sports Consultant for Civitas. “In a survey we conducted in partnership with Travel Analytics Group in late 2021 and early 2022, 50% of the respondent destinations considered improving their capital tourism assets a top priority, and 33% were prioritizing an increase in hosting sports events. The interest in sports events and facilities is only continuing to grow, and we expect to see more existing and new TIDs serve as key funding tools for sports-focused destinations.”

Tourism Improvement District (TID) Business Model

A Non-Profit Board is Created

• made up of the assesed businessses

The TID impact is that it also helps the sports entities build community. “We all know that sports already is a bridge between our community and tourism, and a TID just elevates that,” said Steinhoff. “TID funds, depending on your plan, can be used for bid fees, host costs, event marketing and/ or grants to rights holders. What that means is if you have a model where your rights holders come in and maybe your DMO is smaller, you don’t have as much of a big sports team, you can give them a grant to host their event.

A

Forum is Created

•businesses direct how the funds are spent

•Gives the businesses a voice

• DMO and/or sports commission get reliable, dedicated source of funds

“Funds can also be used to finance capital improvements such as sports facilities and event centers, not only is that good for tourism, it’s good for communities. And then funds can also be allocated to grant programs to support special initiatives or community-based events. There are a few existing markets that actually use part of their TIDs to have community members come to them and ask for grant money to host local events, which is a pretty cool benefit.”

At the time of this presentation, there were 192 TIDs in place across 18 U.S. states. At least that many states have either introduced legislation or are considering legislation to allow formation of TIDs. The amounts raised range from $10,000 on the low side to $120,000,000 at the highest. Currently, as of February 1, 2023, there are 201 TIDs in place across 20 U.S. states.

BENEFITS

• dedicated funding

•build partnerships within our business community

201

place across 20

•bid fees,

•host costs

•event marketing

• grants to rights holders

•finance capital improvements such as sports facilities and event centers

•grant programs to support special initiatives or community-based events

Most TIDs, according to the Civitas, promote sports tourism either through direct grants to the DMOs, direct grants to rights holders to host events, or combination of both.

To start your research on setting up a TID: Know your state’s statute governing TIDs to know how your organization or sports commission could benefit from the funds generated by your own Tourism Improvement District.

You can watch the presentation, and panel discussion afterwards, here

WELCOME TO

Kansas City is in the midst of a major winning streak. Home to championship teams, diehard fans, top-tier venues and an impressive roster of athletic events, the Heart of America has everything you need for a standout sports event. Experience it all firsthand during the Sports ETA Symposium, May 8 -11. VISITKC.COM

MIDWEST MOMENTUM

Preview the upcoming milestones making headlines and elevating KC’s sports experience to the next level

• March 2023: New single terminal at Kansas City International Airport opens

• April 2023: Kansas City hosts the 2023 NFL Draft

• 2024: NWSL’s Kansas City Current opens 11,500-seat stadium

• 2025: KC Streetcar expansion begins service to additional area venues

• 2026: Kansas City hosts matches during FIFA World Cup 2026

Your Sports ETA 2023 Road Map

Take advantage of the resources that are right in front of you! As a Sports ETA member, you can access dozens of resources developed to make your job easier. If you’re not utilizing these resources, now is the time!

Education

Whether you want to earn your Sports Tourism Strategist (STS) designation or simply take a certificate course that interests you, look no further. The Sports Tourism Learning Institute is home to educational offerings for everyone at any stage in their career. You’ll find topical content that is short enough to digest in 30 minutes, deep dives into content that is self-paced and earns you credit towards your STS, and everything in between!

Network and Build Relationships

Sports ETA hosts five events each year that range in size from 50 all the way to 1,000. Each event is tailored to you, our members, to foster business development, networking, and education. Not only will you do business, learn, and meet new friends and colleagues, but you’ll also have fun at Sports ETA.

Communities

There is a community for everyone (and if not, let us know!). Sports ETA communities allow members to build their networks, discuss best practices, challenges and successes with their peers, and so much more! These groups meet regularly and do not require signups or applications. Find more information on Sports ETA Communities here

Career Center

Whether you are looking for a new job, or you are hiring, look no further than our career center. Any Sports ETA member who posts a listing on our career center, will also see that listing appear in our Get in the Game eNews.

Get in the Game eNews

Subscribe to our weekly eNewsletter, free. Tons of industry articles with the latest news and updates delivered right to your inbox every Thursday. Did you know Sports ETA members are encouraged to share news, press releases, and articles for inclusion? Just add info@SportsETA.org to your media distribution list.

While this is just a short list of the benefits and resources available to Sports ETA members, you can find a full list here

New Landmark Report Provides Guide

to State-level Event Procurement Funds

22 U.S. states are leading the way with $233 million in funds to attract sporting events across America

The first-of-its-kind comprehensive tool analyzing state-level funding mechanisms for the entire sports events and tourism industry in America was released today revealing hundreds of millions of dollars available in funding for sports events aimed at creating direct economic impact for destinations.

“The Stoll Report on State Event Funds,” researched and published by Stoll Strategies, led by Dr. Jennifer Stoll, the company’s founder, and colleague, Dr. Blake Price, concludes that 11 states have an event procurement fund and 12 states have grant programs (Arizona has both) totaling in $233.9 million dollars in total available funds to support U.S. sporting events.

“The Stoll Report on State Event Funds,” is now available at stollstrategies.com/research.

The report was published in partnership with Sports ETA, the only trade association for the sports events and tourism industry, who annually releases the State of the Industry report, which sat at $39.7 billion in 2021 in direct spending on amateur sporting events equating to $91.8 billion in economic impact across the U.S.

“Many states are now realizing the importance of establishing dedicated funding mechanisms for the recruitment and support of sporting events to create new channels of economic and community impact,” said Dr. Stoll. “Our report will help states benchmark their state funding against their competitive sets and serve as an advocacy tool as they develop their strategic sports events and tourism plans.”

The report, which will be updated regularly, provides a snapshot of each of the 22 U.S. states and their allocation amounts and funding parameters. For instance, individual state funding sources range in size from tens of millions to hundreds of thousands of dollars and may be funded annually or biannually according to state budgets. In addition, some states have recurring funding sources, while others have dedicated one-time dollars with or without ARPA funds.

The report will be valuable to those leading organizations in the sports events tourism industry and U.S. destinations along with sporting events rights holders who are looking for new host city partners. It also provides a roadmap for states looking to add or update event procurement funds or grant programs.

... 11 states have an event procurement fund and 12 states have grant programs (Arizona has both) totaling in $233.9 million dollars in total available funds to support U.S. sporting events.