ANNUAL REPORT
20 23
USA Gymnastics Region 5 Regional Tournament
Dear friends of the West Michigan Sports Commission – Thank you for another year of supporting youth and amateur sports in West Michigan. We are proud to share that we closed out one of the best years in the West Michigan Sports Commission’s history for growing our region’s economy through sport. Direct visitor spending for the region came in at $88 million, the second highest year only to 2022. We also grew our year-over-year visitor spending for both the Meijer Sports Complex at $8.7 million and Meijer State Games of Michigan at $3 million. We hosted 121 events in 2023 including some prestigious national events in West Michigan for the first time such as the National Assn. of Women Gymnastic Judges 2023 Symposium in July, the Assn. of Chief Executives for Sport 2023 Symposium in August that attracted attendees from over 40 United States Olympic & Paralympic Committees, and the Spartan Race attracting over 4,000 participants in October. Our team also expanded important partnerships with regional and national organizations, including Phoenix-based sports tourism consulting firm Huddle Up Group who helped us embark on a strategic planning process, Meijer who gave a $1 million lead gift to the Meijer Sports Complex Winning Streak expansion campaign that spurred other gifts, helping us reach $6.3 million toward the $11 million goal, and the Great Lakes Sports Commission who will host our Meijer State Games Winter Games Marquette hub starting in 2024. We wouldn’t be able to name these accomplishments and others in this annual report without your support, along with our board, advisory council and volunteers – not to mention our incredible staff. Thank you for joining us in championing the growth of youth and adult amateur sports in West Michigan. We can’t wait to continue this momentum with you in 2024. Mike Guswiler
President, WMSC
Jim Horman
Board Chair, WMSC Principal, Progressive AE
Mission We foster economic development by attracting sporting events which improve our citizens' quality of life and elevates the brand of Grand Rapids.
Vision Enhancing greater Grand Rapids through sports.
About The West Michigan Sports Commission (WMSC), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, was established in 2007 to foster economic development by attracting sporting events that improve our citizens' quality of life and elevate the Grand Rapids brand. The WMSC secures and hosts youth and amateur sporting events to positively impact the region's economy and quality of life. In addition to bringing youth and amateur sporting events to West Michigan, the WMSC has two additional operating branches that contribute to its mission: the Meijer Sports Complex and the Meijer State Games of Michigan.
WMSC received the Innovative Tourism Collaboration Non-Traditional Partnership Award for the 2022 Junior Gold Bowling Championships at the Pure Michigan Governor’s Conference on Tourism.
Board of Directors and Advisory Council Board of Directors Jim Horman, Progressive AE, Board Chair Nick Davidson, NAIA, Vice Chair Deb Kay, Immediate Past Chair Tim Gortsema, Grand Rapids Griffins, Treasurer Emily Brieve, Kent County Commissioner, Secretary Johnny Brann Jr., Interphase Dave Hoogendoorn, Ernst & Young Jim Jarecki, West Michigan Whitecaps K V Lacks, Lacks Enterprises Chad LeRoux, AHC Hospitality Tom McCall, Meijer Bob Partridge, GRCC (retired) Doug Small, Experience Grand Rapids Lindsey Thiel, Kent County Commissioner Ed Wilson, Country Inn & Suites Advisory Council - Partner Level
Advisory Council - Supporter Level
Harold Burrell, Jr. Andrew DeVries Steve Doorn Karl Droppers Christopher Duba Jim Heglund Twayne Howard Ed Kornoelje Rich Meyers Sam Nichols Jim Scales Leanne Schaeffer Shain Showers Aaron Steele Mike Verhulst West MI Fencing Academy Matt Wikander John Whitten
Dawn Baker Randy Cleves Nate Golomb Scott Huckaby James Kuklewski Steve Prawdzik Justin Wolber Brian Zdanowski
West Michigan Sports Commission Staff
2023 Summer Interns
Team WMSC Staff Alyssa Bey, Event Coordinator Melissa Brink, Marketing Manager Julie Shields, Director - State Games of Michigan Mike Guswiler, President Conner Hicks, National Sales Manager Natalie Rose, Administrative Manager Katy Tigchelaar, Vice President of Operations Meijer Sports Complex Bryan Baar, Complex Manager Jill Kuzma, Concessions Manager Austen Reichhart, Grounds Supervisor 40+ temporary / seasonal staff 2023 Interns Alison Bishop, Aquinas College Mackenzie Fris, Grand Valley State University Will Healy, Davenport University Searrah Herendeen, Davenport University Sammie James, Grand Valley State University Nick Luther, Davenport University Case Medema, Calvin University Kateri Thibodeau, Grand Valley State University
Champion Cheer Force Invitational
2023 Strategic Plan In 2023, we worked with Huddle Up Group to create a 'playbook' for the future and evaluate how Grand Rapids ranks as a destination for sports tourism. The playbook includes: A SWOT analysis of our organization and Grand Rapids as a sports destination. An overview and evaluation of our venues. Benchmarking our organization's tourism efforts. Recommendations to enhance our destination for sports tourism. Huddle Up Group provided recommendations to help cement our position as one of the country's top sports tourism-driven organizations by implementing a focused, intentional, and collaborative growth plan. The three primary recommendations and three secondary recommendations in the 'playbook' are: Primary Recommendations - Organizational Strategies Create a permanent local bid committee Increase external awareness/community alignment Identify sustainable funding model(s) Secondary Recommendations - Facility “Tool Kit” Develop a regional sports tourism facility master plan Build flat field facility Enhance existing facilities
Interested in teaming up? Contact us at info@westmisports.com
Great Lakes Invitational
West Michigan Sports Commission 2023 Stats
121 events
43,775 hotel room nights
277,980
athletes
$87,961,073 estimated economic impact
Financials The following reflects expenses and revenue of the WMSC across the organization’s three operating branches: WMSC, Meijer Sports Complex and Meijer State Games of Michigan.
Operating Revenue $2.4 million Special Events (Annual Luncheon, Annual Golf Outing) 5.3%
Convention & Arena Authority 2% Business & Charitable Donations 1%
Meijer State Games of Michigan (registration, sponsors) 18.1% EXGR (Hotel Assessement/ Lodging tax) 44.8%
Meijer Sports Complex (rental, concessions, parking) 28.7%
Operating Expenses $2.1 million Administration 9.4% Meijer Sports Complex Operations 28.7%
Marketing 8.4%
Event Services 12%
Meijer State Games of Michigan Operations 22.2%
Sales 10.7%
Fundraising 8.6%
ACES Annual Symposium
Events Significant Events Among the 121 events held in 2023, the following are noteworthy due to size, prestige, national caliber and/or impact. Spartan Race ACES Annual Conference USA Gymnastics Region 5 Regional Championships Beer City Open Pickleball Tournament Great Lakes Invitational MJVBA State Championships Lakeshore Volleyfest Champion Force Michigan Invitational Cheer Event
Looking to 2024 The following are noteworthy events coming to Grand Rapids in 2024. Michigan State USBC Annual Women’s State Tournament, 2/17-5/6 Star Spirit Nationals 3/15-17 Nuway Nationals, 4/4-7 NXTPro Michigan, 4/5-7 Major League Pickleball Mid-Season Championship, 7/11-14 Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) Amateur World Championships, 8/6-10 USA Softball Men’s Majors National Championship, 8/1-4 USA Softball Men’s Slow Pitch Class D Northern Nationals, 9/6-8 108th Professional Golfer’s Association (PGA) Annual Meeting, 11/4-8
Annual Fundraisers
Annual Golf Outing The fourth annual WMSC Golf Outing, presented by the Hotel DIstrict and AHC Hospitality, took place June 12. Twenty-five foursomes joined us at Stonewater Country Club for a beautiful spring day of golfing. The event raised $32,886.
Primary Sponsors
Join us at our 2024 Golf outing on September 27 at Thornapple Pointe Golf Club
Annual Luncheon As a non-profit, this fundraiser helps raise funds that allow us to bring quality sporting events to the West Michigan area. The economic and social benefits of these events are enjoyed by the Greater Grand Rapids area as well as all the residents and businesses in the region. The 16th Annual Luncheon featured Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman as the guest speaker. Yzerman spoke about his journey in the NHL, from his early days as a player to his current role as general manager. The event raised $37,824. Gold Sponsors
Twayne Howard receiving the Peter F. Secchia Founder’s Award
Flexworks Kirk Cousins Football Camp
Mary Free Bed Wheelchair Softball Tournament
Victory Lap Community Fund The Victory Lap Community Fund was established by the West Michigan Sports Commission to enhance our community through support of local sports programming. This fund focuses on community projects or programs that feature equality, equity, and diversity and ensures access to sport for all. Organizations supported in 2023 Mary Free Bed Wheelchair and Adaptive Sports Mary Free Bed Sports helps connect over 2,800 people with disabilities to recreational programs and offers 40+ classes, clinics, events, and teams to participate in. Urban Youth Summer Basketball League (UYSBL) The UYSBL has welcomed kids ages 11 to 14 to play for two decades. The league aims to help mold the community's youth into better athletes and people while helping make the community safer. Southern Little League Serving the southeast side of Grand Rapids, the Southern Little League provides baseball and softball programming for kids 6 to 16. Jump Ahead NBA 2K Esports Tournament The competition brought underserved and low-income communities together at the Four Star Theatre for a free esports competition. Michigan Golden Gloves The Michigan Golden Gloves sponsors and promotes amateur boxing for young people from all walks of life. Their objective is to build champions in the ring and good citizens outside the ring. Whitecaps Community Foundation The foundation enriches the lives of youth and their families by providing them with access to fun, baseball, team dynamics, leadership, education, and recreational opportunities. Flexworks Kirk Cousins Football Camp The West Michigan Sports Commission's support of this camp helped 20 athletes from Grand Rapids Public Schools, Northview Public Schools, and Godwin Heights attend at no cost.
Game Day USA Baseball Tournament and Meijer State Games of Michigan Opening Ceremony
Meijer Sports Complex 2023 Stats
21
tournaments
4,450 hotel room nights
$8,734,848 estimated economic impact
20,930
spectators
8,372
athletes
644
teams
Meijer Regional Vice President Shawn Buckner (top left), Congresswoman Hillary Scholten (top right), former Detroit Tiger Lance Parrish (bottom right). Dinah and Wayman Britt (bottom left)
Meijer Sports Complex The Meijer Sports Complex continued to have another busy year, serving as a champion-caliber complex for travel tournaments, local leagues and teams, state and national championships, and other sporting events. The season started with Aquinas College hosting twelve home games on the Championship field. Game Day USA, USSSA BATL, and Michigan BPA combined to host 17 baseball tournaments from April to July. Softball took over at the end of the season, with Blue Chip Softball holding its Fall Classic II Tournament, the 2023 USA Softball of Michigan Men's Fast Pitch State Tournament, and the 2023 Men's Class D Slow Pitch Northern National Championship. The Meijer State Games of Michigan held their Opening Ceremony on the championship field for the third year, bringing athletes and spectators from 30+ sports to celebrate the start of the Summer Games. A press conference was held on the concourse of the championship field to announce Meijer's $1 million lead gift to the Winning Streak campaign. Speakers at the press conference included Meijer Regional Vice President Shawn Buckner, National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Vice President and Winning Streak Campaign CoChair Nick Davidson, Congresswoman Hillary Scholten, Campaign Ambassador of Baseball and former Detroit Tiger Lance Parrish, Progressive AE Principal and WMSC Board Chair Jim Horman, and Campaign Co-Chair Deb Kay. Preceding the press conference, Wayman Britt, former WMSC board member, was recognized with a tree dedication for his years of service to the West Michigan Sports Commission.
Winning Streak Campaign
$6.3 million raised to date
The $11 million campaign to expand the Meijer Sports Complex will bring gender parity to the complex with the addition of a championship softball field, continue to promote inclusivity with the resurfacing of the Nata Hurwitz Miracle Field, and bring an estimated $1 million in additional visitor spending per year. The campaign's first phase started once play concluded for the 2023 season when work began to turf the championship baseball field. The turf will extend the playing season and be ready for Aquinas College to start its season in March 2024. Following the West Michigan Miracle League 2024 spring season, work will begin to resurface the Nate Hurwitz Miracle Field, allowing 10 more years of play on the field. The West Michigan Miracle League gives over 130 kids with physical and cognitive disabilities an opportunity to play baseball every year. Construction will start in August 2024 on the championship softball field and additional quad of fields. Expansion includes: Championship softball field Flexible-use field for baseball and softball with synthetic turf, grandstands, lighting, covered dugouts, and a press box Synthetic turf installed on the championship baseball field (started Fall 2023) New concessions buildings Three flexible-use diamond fields for youth and amateur baseball and softball, each with covered dugouts and bleachers 20 pickleball courts
2023 Summer Games Events (basketball, tae kwon do, Opening Ceremony, hockey and girls fast pitch softball
Meijer State Games of Michigan In its 14th year, the Meijer State Games of Michigan continued to grow the Winter and Summer Games. Athletes of all ages and abilities showcased their athletic talent and built lifelong memories. Families competed and won medals together - highlighted this year with the track event concluding with a grandfather, son, and two grandsons running a relay together. After a second successful year with the Marquette hub of the Winter Games, the Meijer State Games has partnered with the Great Lakes Sports Commission to act as the official host of the Winter Games in Marquette, starting with the 2024 Games.
2023 Stats
60
Sporting Events
80
of Michigan’s 83 counties represented
8,700 Athletes
$3,063,220 estimated economic impact
Events 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0
2019
2020
2021
2023
2022
Hotel Room Nights 70,000 60,000 50,000 40,000 30,000 20,000 10,000 0
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
Estimated Economic Impact $100,000,000 $80,000,000 $60,000,000 $40,000,000 $20,000,000 $0
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
Sports Tourism Impact
1,216
total events (2007-2023)
530,901
total hotel room nights (2007-2023)
$649 million
total estimated economic impact 2007-2023
As an economic development nonprofit, the West Michigan Sports Commission exists to harness some of the $39.7 billion national youth and amateur sports industry for West Michigan. This past year was characterized by stability and growth for the organization, with estimated economic impact in 2023 at $87.9 million – the second highest year in the organization’s 16-year history. This represents only a 2.8 percent drop from 2022 yet a 60 percent gain from five years ago in 2019. The organization also saw year-over-year increases (and five-year highs) in athletes/visitors at 277,980 (up 9.2 percent from 2022 and 21 percent from 2019) and events hosted at 121 events (up 7.1 percent from 2022 and 22 percent from 2019). The Meijer Sports Complex generated $8.7 million in estimated economic impact in 2023 – up 8.3 percent from 2022 and 43 percent from five years ago. The Meijer State Games of Michigan also saw year-over-year and five-year gains, generating $3.1 million in 2023 (up 75 percent from 2022 and 51 percent from 2019).
www.westmisports.com 616-608-1850 info@westmisports.com