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TABLE OF CONTENTS / SPECIAL FEATURE DEPARTMENTS 2016 CHAMPIONS F ECONOMIC IMPACT IN SPORTS TOURISM AWARDS 4 EDITOR'S LETTER 84 Economic Impact of '14 :_, 6 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Sports Tourism 4� -- 44 ` : 10 FROM SPORTSDESTINATIONS.COM By Andrew Zimbalist 4 . 4' 12 CLIPBOARD x. - MOBILEINSPORTS 87 Recognizing Economic Impact EVENT PLANNING By Peter Francesconi Finding the Right Partner,A, 2016 Providing the Correct Information 88 2016 Champions of Economic . ° By Tobias Dengel Impact in Sports Tourism 18 BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MERCHANDISING Event Merchandising: Trends, Innovations and Predictions FEATURES By Thomas Bell and Sam Renouf - "754- 24 . SERVICE SOLUTIONS 42 SPORTS FACILITIES 4� I I WITHHOTELS :TENNIS The Cooperative (Not Competitive) Serving Up TennisProcess Results in a Win for Everyone By Tina Horn By Peter Francesconi f 30 SPORTS OUTLOOK ; A FITNESS TI I 52 SPORTS LANDSCAPE Fitness Competitions: How the VOLLEYBALL CrossFit Games Come Together Playing All the Angles on the Volleyball Court By Mary Helen Sprecher By Peter Francesconi 50 DESTINATION SPOTLIGHT LINCOLNNEBRASKA 62 MULTI-SPORT/MULTI-DISCIPLINE REVIEW ' Speedway Village Helps Lincoln SPECIAL DOUBLE FEATURE Diversify EQUESTRIAN By Michael Popke Equestrian: Saddle Up 72 LOCATION REVIEW Rodeo: Rodeo Days EDMOND, OKLAHOMA By Michael Popke 74 LOCATION REVIEW DESCHUTES FAIR COLUMNS EXPO CENTER 36 PERSPECTIVES 100 VENUES&SERVICES Best Practices for Recurring Events By Tammy Dunn,CSEE Sports 76 REGIONAL FOCUS ,,- MIDWEST Sports in America's Heartland a4, ON THE COVER: By Kathleen DeMarco 'fi At the Longines FEI World Cup TM EQtiE�STRIA- , Jumping-North American League IyPJ ODEO; : Bromont,Keean White(CAN) s . rsoNTHexooFx aboard Freedom Z was the 104 EXECUTIVE INSIGHTS , R N. I' .r .� coac highest-ranking Canadian rider, US FIGURE TING ,+ x+ placing seventh in the late July """"A'"° I�__ event. An Interview with Bob Dunlop,Senior Director of Events ;W rNAPPS (Photo courtesy of FEI/Debra Jamroz) 2 I SEIM I NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 -,,,,,-„714.4-4,,,,,,,,,,v, „.-!„,,,--'...'= - t 5 0 ,.,..„.„..,..„,„„:„.:„.,,,,,,,,,,,,,, . - }„...,,fm,,,,,,,s.„, .. : __,..„,...„-„,„5.-,,,,,,:k„..._, _ _ . ..,._,..„,„_...„...._._ „......,......,4-.. . ..,. ___,,,„_,,4,,,,„"„.„ a a 4 r' -. :11,4,1ks,, ' '1 I-I":..": - :'";-, ...„_,,':-.,5,''fir,-.'':'':,,,'1.--ic'r.'-'1'-'--'--- : ''' ' - t _4- :pl� q k. ^�da'e "a Ig % -- ,icea" ,, ; `w. t ' /, -- ,.j 40 e 5.:- 4 r ' Ii-..., S x k V ....._� _ eau.. -. r SURROUNDED BY INSPIRATION. ON AND OFF THE COURTS . With 28 new volleyball, 19 basketball,12 badminton& futsal courts,the Hawaii Convention Center is the perfect venue for sports tournaments of any size.All in a ` l convenient location near gorgeous it'aikiki that offers fun for the whole family. Whether it's time to compete,relax.or anything in between. CONVENTION CENTER Ti learn more about what the Ilawai'i convention center can of fey-for-otti- next sports tournament or event,call 8o8-943-35oo. Where Business and Aloha Meet " w.�,rpt`; ,. T ,,::. t yE �4 :_. - r A r j 'i .. 1, Nip -11,,,,, •\"1.111 lit _—. ‘ r► r i Y 0� f, 140 ,: 5 D '-ki EDITOR'S LETTER, sports DESTINATION MANAGEMENT Essential Planning&Location Strategies for Sports Event Organizers NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 EDITORIAL&ADVERTISING }_ • Managing Editor:Mary Helen Sprecher Recognizingt e Copy Editor:Linda Dobel Idobel@duenorthmedia.com Cont Patty Best in. Our Indust Publisher:Fng Editors:J:n Fra cess Peter Francesconi Fonda Johnson fjohnson@duenorthmedia.com Creative Director:Derek Gaylard WE'VE ALL SEEN PLENTY OF ARTICLES,blog posts and more try- dgaylard@duenorthmedia.com ing to help us figure out how to market to the various demographics:Baby Boomers, Director of Digital Publishing:Carl Benson Millennials,Gen Z,you name it.And depending on which article you're reading at the cbenson@duenorthmedia.com moment,that particular generation is the one and only group to pursue if you're look- Director of Circulation:Pam Fulmer ing for the best return on investment. pfulmer@duenorthmedia.com In our world,where travel,business and planning all intersect with sports,we know Account Executive:Kate Brandino there's no one generation that holds the magic wand when it comes to economic im- kbrandino@duenorthmedia.com pact. Success in any particular event really depends on the sport,the location and the Account Executive:Jane Leslie Speigner timing—and of course, on the hard work of the event planner. But there's one thing jspeigner@duenorthmedia.com everyone can agree on:the well-run event is the one that is going to send people home Account Executive:Paula Watts happy and bring people back year after year. pwatts@duenorthmedia.com In this issue,we celebrate some of the best events that have taken place in our in- DUE NORTH MEDIA dustry as we present the winners of our second annual Champions of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism awards program.What's especially interesting about these events is Sports Destination Management and Due North Media the fact that they represent a cross-section of sports as well as a wide variety of ath- divisions of Due North Consulting,Inc. letes.You won't find just one demographic or one generation showcased here;in fact, due you'd be hard-pressed to find two events with an identical population of athletes and North spectators.They're all part of the tapestry that makes up our industry,and it's a fabric that grows stronger and more complex with each passing year. media Judging this year's award winners was no easy process.There were a great many en 105 Owens Parkway,Suite C tries, and all of them had interesting stories attached. Some involved multiple event Birmingham,AL 35244 partners while others were largely independent. Some events were new and some had Phone: 205.989.9394 long histories.They varied in size,complexity and age group served but they all had Fax: 205.989.9384 the common denominator of contributing to their host communities. www.duenorthmedia.com I encourage you to read through this year's winners and to appreciate the diversity Sports Destination Management and Due North Media are and scope of all of them.And if you didn't enter this year,keep these awards in mind divisions of Due North Consulting,Inc.Sports Destination Man- as you go through the year ahead. Every event has the potential to contribute to the agement is published six times per year by Due North Media, community,the sport and even to the athletes who participate,and it's that combination a subsidiaryof Due North Consulting,Inc.,and distributed to that we honor in this issue. qualified subscribers. Non-qualified subscription rates are $57.00 per year within the US and Canada and$84.00 per Congratulations to all our winners.We are proud to recognize you. SDM year for foreign subscribers(surface mail). U.S.postage paid Q/1 at Birmingham,AL and additional mailing offices. 9 l A_ /j_ S v� Sports Destination Management is distributed to quali- fied y( I�I(��1, Y readers within the sports tourism/sports events industry. Publisher is not liable for all content(including copy and il- lustrations provided by advertisers)of advertisements pub- , lished and does not accept responsibility for any claims made against the publisher. It is the advertiser's or agency's re- sponsibility to obtain appropriate releases on any item or in- dividuals pictured in an advertisement. r,`1 MARY HELEN SPRECHER, managing editor of Sports Destination Reproduction ofthismagazine,inwholeorinpart,ispro- Management has been a technical writer for almost 30 years with the American hibited without prior written permission from the publisher. ,.,,,,.74 Sports Builders Association(ASBA),the national association of designers,builders us Postmaster: and suppliers of materials for athletic facilities.She has worked in meeting and con- Send change of address to vention planning for non-profit associations and previously was a staff writer for a Bal- PO Box 36154sports 36154fion Management 1 timore,Maryland, newspaper.She is a graduate of the Institute for Organization Birmingham,AL 35236-1541 Management,a professional development program of the U.S.Chamber of Commerce Canadian Publications: and has taught meeting planning and event management courses in the Agreement Number 40645002 continuing studies program at Goucher College, located in Towson,Maryland. Article Reprints and E-Prints: 1 Her freelance writing includes coverage of topics in the areas of fitness,health,sports To purchase repents,a-prints or license published content contact us at 205.989.9394 or email info@sportsdestinations.com medicine and special education. 4 I SDM I NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 '►.SmartWay- PRINTED WITH Transport Partnership SOY INK , , Jot . , ,, . . w .t } y ' ilr a a r -.1-.,:- ---.-'-''ill*, . ; S fi TJj : � a PLAY LIKE E Tll .PR Tournament Directors from the most prestigious including two championship f gilds with youth sporting events in the country are hailing synthetic'turf. Plus, all the things families the Elizabethtown Sports Park as the nation's need - concessions, restrooms, pavilions finest new facility. This championship complex and playgrounds are conveniently located would make the pros proud. 25 lighted throughout the park. Reward your teams with venues _- 12 ball diamonds, 1 ADA accessible a venue that says "this is as good as It gets" baseball complex and 12 multi-sport fields, Contact us today to book your tournament. Email or call Janna Clark at: 0 R TS sports@TourEtown.com � . .11 270-765-2175 EI,I AB TgTO N0 �$�.o) 1 ElizabethtownSportsPark.com •"-'� -1:hA R.' r ''''''''' - —-1 ''''''..— --------- — ' ,,,-- ,1 ,,, ,. V . lc_ ,� # .! {4:1110 . .,...„ , ,.aUi s-..^_'.�!?, Vii, at , oilit ,--"•'#' roma:um -, Att. ..v .. r, 4.400,1*-:„.,,,,_ te .,. lj CONTRIBUTING WRITERS / b f 1 q ANDREW ZIMBALIST is the Robert A.Woods Professor of Economics at Smith College,where he has been in the Economics Department • 4 sIvA ince 1974.He received his B.A.from the University of Wisconsin,Madison,in 1969 and his MA and Ph.D.from Harvard University in 1972 and e 1974 respectively.He has consulted in Latin America for the United Nations Development Program,the U.S.Agency for International Development, and numerous companies,and has consulted in the sports industry for players'associations,cities,companies and leagues.He has published , -4 several dozen articles and 25 books. azimbali@smith.edu ...), ,,,,, i TOBIAS DENGEL is CEO of WillowTree Apps.Previously,Tobias co-founded and was president of Leads.com,an early pioneer in packaging online search products to small businesses.Prior to that,Tobias was SVP&general manager of AOL Local&Yellow Pages and held a variety of roles in the AOL Business Affairs department.He began his career at the management consulting firm AT Kearney.He holds a BSE in finance A'''' u (Wharton)and a BSE in systems engineering,both from the University of Pennsylvania. www.willowtreeapps.com , ... „ _,. _ SAM RENOUF is general manager for ACTIVE's Sports market.Prior to this role,Sam was vice president of emerging markets and GM of Asia Pacific at ACTIVE.In this role,he was instrumental in the company's international expansion.Sam has spent over 15 years in the endurance sports industry,including representing Great Britain as an elite athlete for triathlon and as a commentator at the 2012 Olympic Games.Sam if,.'.. holds a BSc in politics and management from Loughborough University in England. '- www.ACTIVE.com THOMAS BELL is a professional marketer who co-founded Viralstyle in 2014.He is most recently notable for running campaigns for Rob Gronkowski,Ric"The Nature Boy"Flair,Waka Flocka Flame,Iman Shumpert,Ray Lewis,Steve Aoki and more.Thomas Bell has personally sold more the$4 million worth of merchandise online.He lives in Tampa,Florida. https://viralstyle.com/ CHRISTINE"TINA"HORN has worked with non-profit associations throughout her career.She holds the position of program director,data 10 analysis and management for Enterprise Community Partners in Columbia,Maryland.Her work has given her a strong background in events and in = r ` ,.. evaluating program effectiveness.She received a BA from the University of Detroit.She is an active community volunteer as well,including - working with her son's youth swim team. tinahorncae@hotmail.com 6 I SDM I NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 ID it r iir 1 _ TIMETO WICHITA, KANSAS * IIIIIiI ..i. h _z ' ' `' 'FSS Via#' . s �i ^` ;'kaxa r� t '"Yc 't.".; ""., , � Mare Than 100 Baseball and 0.# ... --at,-„L . _ y , Softball Fields Across the City . ,13, - ,,:,,,.„,,,,,,,,, ...,,,,,,,,,,77,7,4, ,i.....,:,,,,,:,7,3„ �. ,; a 8� ti : qiik ,§ .•. meq, ` � s I II Ir..;4. - 46'# °N4 ,-ia:?' :‘,. ''-';:. eiritr a x t j itp4 �9 ,liktia t •*., ,F. . '" i't lkith4;',4 *. t#4. i ' : i - Loretta Lynn North Central Area A Brand New 148,000-Square Foot Premier 12 Court Basketball Qualifier Held at Bar2Bar MX Park Multi-S.rts Facility for Your Event Facility of the Midwest (Iljalze )urXt .uririainMrzg ezlUichita U 151 T • Three sports arenas with capacity for 5,000-35,000 • Hundreds of courts for basketball and volleyball tournaments ft • Unmatched hospitality and support for your next sporting event It's time to explore your options. VISItWIChIta.COAm It's time to explore Wichita. 800.288.9424 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS / ba BOBf - DUNLOP is senior director of events for U.S.Figure Skating,which is based in Colorado Springs,Colorado.As such,he is the contact for lit'sall RFPs and site selection information requests.He has been with USFS since 1998.Previously,he was the communications coordinator for USA Y ;FWrestling. bdunlop@usfigureskating.org Itil '7....:' 1 TAMMY DUNN,CSEE,is the sports development director of the Snohomish County Sports Commission.She has worked in the sports tourism industry in Snohomish County,Washington for 11 years.Tammy is a NASC member. She is actively involved within her community by serving on many local organizing committees,parks&recreation boards,and Rotary International. tammy@snohomish.org , ,s., KATHLEEN A. DEMARCO is an association executive with Stringfellow Management Group,Inc.with over 25 years of experience in event planning and execution.DeMarco provides event,membership,operations and strategic management services to non-profit organizations,and is responsible for overseeing more than 20 events annually.DeMarco holds a degree in communications and public relations from Temple University, and is a Certified Association Executive(CAE). PETER FRANCESCONI has been in publishing for more than 25 years,working with newspapers,a wire service and magazines.He is the v €: editor of Tennis Industry,the world's largest tennis trade publication,and through his company,Ace Media Group,he works closely with the Tennis Industry Association and other groups in communications,marketing and public relations.He was managing editor of Tennis Magazine from 1990 to 1999 and editorial director of Tennis's custom publishing division from 1999 to 2009. a> ¶\ MICHAEL POPKE is an award-winning journalist with 25 years of professional experience in print and digital media.For 14 years, he was managing editor of Athletic Business,the leading business-to-business magazine and website for athletic,fitness and recreation professionals.He also has coached baseball,basketball and softball,worked as a USA Swimming stroke-and-turn official and is an avid high school sports and aquatics safety supporter.Michael owns Two Lakes Media Group and lives in the Madison,Wisconsin,area. 8 SDM NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 .. America's Sports & Family Fun Capital 5_,_., , ,. ,, D , 41,,,, _;,, ...0+ , , .. :1,,i, .. ,...... , , , A—. 4, .sem. 4 0 fro,'lk 1. ; ,- r , 5..000.,1115 I i 5.41004*,„ 'wer5 ' "' 5.• ,. 1,-5'''''' '''' -, ..'5,' r , , i-„,„ '-5-' r ‘,-',-;'''',rill ',-1404114, , , 't ter ; ,fir „ , ' ) ""'i ',..-5, ,.-„,-„. ,:if ;r", ' ' ,, --...55'.":5-.„, --5 I, 1 5 _ , ,, .. , _ 4 illAilb• , , ... •it. , -.,, _. •„,..— . ..*,-,if4.1.4.i.4,, _ ..„,..,_‘_-,,,,, -1.4.1t,„,.,_.:e _, _ . . . ..0b,„... tom'VIIIISil 1 k, ..... 4., - - -_ „,„.... .,,_ i-,„ . ., .....,_.. , - e�' :!, _„ c '- - r - ,,,,, % „,„ .=,..... .. ,, ..,==„%criv ,...^.. ... . , ,, . .) , . . , . , . , . ...„,. , _ ....„,,,,,,,.. = , ...,_ . o .. = ,... . , , . ,. 't4 . 4S4Neilltiltil it . . w • , ,, .,,,-- \ „ ne •,,, . Eak...... e 800-255-3743 Ohio 5�i®r'e &Islands groups.SHORESandISLANDS.com FROM SPORTSDESTINATIONS.COM/ WHAT'S NEW, WHAT'S TRENDING 50 4 Recent News on SportsDestinations.com . DE Turf Sports Complex USA Climbing National Invitationals will be host to the only Spartan Race in Already Spurring Announces 2016/2017 hosted by VisitGreenvilleSC in the state of Alabama and contin- Economic Growth Bouldering National Cup Greenville, South Carolina.The ues to be a game-changing loca- The Delaware-based DE Turf Series events will be played at Sirrine tion in the Spartan world. Sports Complex announced it has USA Climbing, the United Stadium from May 3-6. signed its first major tournament. States National Governing Body College Connection's Shooting for the sport of competition climb Star Field Hockey Tournament ing, announced four bouldering Showcase will take to the fields competitions across the country Easter Weekend 2017.A similar that are part of a nationwide se- After a summer of combines, The Palm Beach County Sports event in Virginia last year brought ries—culminating in the Boulder- push championships and training, Commission announced the cre- in more than 150 teams(each of ing Open National Championships the 2016-2017 season officially ation of the inaugural Holiday Bas- up to 20 players)and more than this year in Salt Lake City, Utah. commenced with USA Bobsled& ketball Classic of the Palm 175 college coaches. This series of five events(includ- Skeleton (USABS) National Team Beaches,which is slated to take ing the National Championships) Trials.Athletes took their first train- place from December 28-30. This will make up the National Cup ing runs of the season in Lake event,owned by the Palm Beach Series,and will award an overall Placid, New York, in October,and County Sports Commission, is A week after announcing its total of$50,000.00 to competi- in November in Park City,Utah. poised to become an annual tra- plans with Yahoo eSports to cre- tive climbers over the course of dition and a signature sports event ate a University League of Leg- the season.Sport climbing will be Mobile,Alabama, for Palm Beach County. The Holi- ends Rivalry Series, Riot Games featured in the 2020 Olympics in Announces the Return of day Basketball Classic of the Palm continues to double down on its Tokyo. Spartan Race Beaches is a national high school efforts to grow the game as a The Mobile Sports Authority invitational tournament and partic- whole.Riot Games and the Colle- (MSA),the City of Saraland, and ipating teams are selected from giate StarLeague featured 32 Visit Mobile announced the return across the nation. League of Legends teams across of the Spartan Race to Saraland, North America in its 2016 ULoL Alabama. On November 19, Note:Have news about upcom- Campus Series.The 2017 tour- The National Association of In- 2016,racers had the opportunity ing events or great accomplish- nament, which will begin Janu- tercollegiate Athletics(NAIA)an- to participate in a new and chal- ments?Send it to SDM for use on ary 14, will now be open to pounced that the 2017 NAIA lenging course. For the second our website! E-mail news to schools across the entire region. Men's and Women's Lacrosse year in a row, Saraland played msprecher@duenorthmedia.com LATEST SDM POLL. Paris Olympic Sites for 2026 73.81% With Rome out of the picture, three candidate Budapest cities are left. Which city do you think is L.A.'s 14.29% toughest competition? I don't know;either could be a tough opponent Vf 2.38% 1IoNeither—L.A.will win it without a problem 9.52% sports Find us on DESTINATION MANAGEMENT Facebook 10 1 SDM I NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 4 31111, fr" i - 0 ,' .'D ,---- fy a , , * 'a ..i/.......„\_.......,,j , , i-1- --\\/-, 1 1 .1 --..)r-lb - \--' • n ' A.I r- , , ....., - . t, 461 71 1.111k //',/)1,Y,i , ' L9 T � {F J i 11 6 4 M r fit° { 4 III 1 / y J n. K,. tlt, f ''''4.:,_'..- ' t' . �, t a. , t..` ' ,101,91f �,,. 'I- '' ': *t.',. ,:, -. %.,1‘..'...,',"7,.:. ''',' '',..,--'- kiirlf.,.; .,,.:4, -':', e ,• j AMATEUR I YOUTH COMPETITIVE INDIVIDI`JAL TEAM TraverseC City Contact: Sarah Barnard, Sports & Group Acct, Executive t sarah;a;traversecity.com 1 231-995-3910 TraverseCity.com 800-TRAVERSE CLIPBOARD / MANAGING AND COMMUNICATING WITH APPS 5 1 Mobile Apps in P;s Sports Event PlanningBy Tobias Dengel Finding the Right Partner, Providing the Correct Information IT SEEMS THAT DURING EVERY PRO SPORTS EVENT you attend, you're confronted wits a note on the JumboTron containing some variation on his message: "Download our app and keep up wits the team." At some point, you've probably won- the event itself(for example,direc- dered whether a mobile app would be tions,parking,policies presenting tick- useful to your own sports event.After all, ets,items you can and can't bring into you probably have a social media pres- the stadium and so on) ence,a website and an e-mail address.Is- •Helping gain the best possible experi- n't an app the next logical step? And ence for the event(for example,find- wouldn't it be a great amenity? ing seats,ordering food and beverage, Those are valid questions but the an- purchasing branded merchandise,etc.) swers aren't always as easy as we'd like. •Create the best post-event follow-up (And we,as mobile app designers,should (ordering apparel and other merchan- know,after all.)Here some starting points dise,learning about future events, in the form of Frequently Asked Ques- buying tickets to those events and so tions (or FAQs) about apps and sports on) events. •Athlete-specific apps(or aspects of an What can an app do for my app pertaining to athletes)may contain information such as the race route for event? AP° a marathon,notes about rest stops,a A well-designed app can accomplish a link to an evaluation of the event to be number of purposes, all relating to an- sent out later on,etc. swering questions and helping your event run more smoothly.Many of these func- What are my choices? tions pertain to services to athletes,spec- When it comes to mobile apps,two ba- tators, families and visitors to the sports sic options exist for development.One is event.For example,a good app can help to use a platform-based app. This is the people accomplish the following: less expensive of the two choices. Users •Getting information on the event can expect to put in about $5,000 to (when and where it's taking place,etc.) $10,000 to have an app created based on •Purchasing tickets to the event a platform.In this respect,a platform is a •Providing information on getting into bit like a template; (CONTINUED ON PAGE 14) 12 I SOM I NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 ,v 5 0 , 4 easy camera/Shutterstock.com .. .,„ ..... I , 4 ..... .. , . :;..., .„ .. ' i , .,-- , , . . .._ . .........._....,.........„,„„..„,.. ..,..„. . ........,..„., ., . -or . . . . ......,....: , . . ... ,, . ,. .,...., . ,,,.. ,, . . iii ...c .... .... ,,... ...„...„..__.,..„.........,, .,„.„„:„.„. _‘,..r... , --,-. . ........_ - ,.-_.„.„ , .._ ..,....r .,. ._ _ _. .......„......„,... ....... _,_ . . _ _ . r . :,.. ..,:., . . . ...,„,_, r,....,_ .. .., , .....,r,„,,..., .. „ ...,..rr ,.... . . ,. ....,.,....,.. „.„......,, . ..., . .... . . .. _.__ ..,: ,.. ... ' ,. SPORTSDESTINATIONS.COM 13 5D ; CLIPBOARD / MANAGING AND COMMUNICATING WITH APPS (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13) the bare bones exist, but it needs to be be aware that it is relevant to larger,more smaller event, a youth event or some- customized for the client. complex events. Examples might be the thing rather manageable in terms of Platforms can be used by an app de- U.S. Open or the Super Bowl—in other size, you'll generally find platform- • sign company, or users may want to try words, an event expected to draw thou- based apps more relevant to your needs. to make their own app by using software sands of attendees and to have multiple The advantage of a platform is that available on the market.Apps for Venues, activities going on at various times. A some of the work has already been a popular platform for facilities, is one custom app will cost no less than done, meaning the app will require example,and AppMakr is another. $100,000 and may well cost more. much less time to be developed than A custom app is the next option, but If, like most readers, yours is a would a custom app. However, the drawback is it might visually resemble another app on the market,since the de- sign is not exclusive. Kick It, Spike It I saw an ad for do-it-yourself apps. Is this a good option? Ir', Dayton You Will Like I t ! It is always a cost versus quality trade- off. The do-it-yourself platforms can de- liver a very basic presence at a very low cost,but will not be set up to allow you to • .._, - 4lt do any custom marketing,which in many A ..,. {{ ',4:#1, i cases is the primary driver of value. -, y d 4 . k _" 1 , �.4 ' • ' , ' What specific options do venues .. . ' t '' # 3tip.,..'>s. have for designin a s? .r, Venues in essence have two options: 4 * " • ,. '.4 " • ,,. they can roll their own custom apps to _ 1 *� n ."r ,' differentiate between various events, or f they can use venue focused platforms such as Venuenext or Yinzcam. Both are FREE Dayton Convention Center Space for excellent options, but ultimately, the . RFPs completed by 12-31-17* choice will depend upon budget(custom apps cost more) and timeline, as well as (Groups for'16 or ANY future year) *Certain restrictions may apply the level of complexity involved. We are not here to plug our own serv- ices, but no matter whether you're an �r ArNevent owner, a venue or anything else, consulting with a qualified appdesigner in advance can help address the questions on the front end, and give you a better sense of what is out there,and what your event(or venue)needs. 1How much time does it take to design an app? A Apps, like many other facets of plan- `�.. \ '-.0.40W1, .... ping for sports events,take time.Design- ing,testing and marketing are all aspects of the process, and they cannot (and DAyT ' N should not) rushed. In other words, right before the event is not a good time to start looking into it. CONVENTION&VISITORS BUREAU Once the event owner has nailed down the information the app should contain, daytoncvb.com at least 60 to 90 days should be allowed for development—and it's always better Cont:ct Ron today for a free gift! to build in more time,rather than less.In Ron Eifert I r-ifert@daytoncvb.net I 937.226.8284 addition, the app has to go through the approval process(such (CONTINUED UN PAGE 16) 14 I SSM I NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 "?4 West Michigan: the right venues, the right entertainment, the right details, exactly viesbnisports.com WEST MICHIGFIN 5I t3R1 S Co.,. "vAllSDN CUPBOARD / MANAGING AND COMMUNICATING WITH APPS (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14) 5 D ' as with Apple), so at least another few amenity by those in attendance.) it in all e-mails as well as on the website, weeks will be needed.Because of all this, While it's tempting to think you will e-mail blasts,etc. designers usually recommend people start recoup the design costs by using an app What can an app do after the • the process at least a full six months be- people have to pay to download,it's never fore their event.Custom applications are a good idea—and we can state that from event? still a three- to six-month endeavor (at experience. At least 50 percent of the While a native app(that is an app writ- least)and should be undertaken by those people using the Internet are accessing ten for a specific hardware platform)may who want a truly differentiated experi- websites and other information through contain follow-up information, such as ence because they believe they can drive their mobile devices.If they feel they can where and when the event will be held next real value through custom marketing pro- get their information without a charge, year,it cannot be used indefinitely.Apps, grams. they will do so.After all,if you have ever unlike websites,cannot be continually re- That's slot of time and money, so wanted to find an app that performed a freshed with new information.iPhones and specific function, we're pretty sure you Droids are subject to updates, and when how can I keep myself in the browsed the app store and bypassed the those occur,apps often are not compatible black? options available at a charge in favor of with the new system and are prone to Provided you're starting far enough the free ones. crash. In other words, you will need to in advance, you may wish to have de- How should I market the app so have apps developed for future events. velopment of the app sponsored by a Another key piece of advice: when company that is seeking visibility. The that people know about it? making arrangements for design and de- logo of the sponsoring company could As with the design phase, marketing velopment, ascertain the account for the be displayed at the bottom of the app of the app has to start in advance of the app is in your name, rather than that of , when it is opened. (After all,having ad- event.Remember that once people get in the company designing it. This may be- vertising on signs and tee-shirts is great, the gate and get busy with the sports come useful down the road, should you but people do enjoy sponsoring some- event, they may not want to wait for an decide to work with a different company thing they think will be viewed as an app to download on their phone.Mention for a future event. sono Dalton . R- the ball. ; Play Time! In a itki0k .1 i - '0 - Plan your tournament in one of 20 state-of-the-art facilities for softball,baseball ` .M. basketball,football,soccer, ".'" tennis,golf,and biking. Down Time! Because Dalton is '" ----,t,"- ,SONO conveniently located on 1-75, you'll have plenty of time to " If shop in our many boutiques, �" dine in one of our 100+ I_. . g A • . restaurants or explore "` — ^`r downtown Dalton and locales �� _ Civil War attractions. Steep Time! Dalton has more than 1,200 Www.visitDaltonGa.corn comfy hotel rooms just C waiting for you after a hard 706.876.1572 ' day of play. On. Visitors Bureau 16 I SDM I NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 , , , 7L' .. i GO 1, Ilic 't R . i ill i 4 .. * 0 R i , 0 rl.....414,1 -E11141:lik[ . sc,, . .... ., , .... iEXAS'RIseNsstaR r PORTS IN FRISCO GO ABOVE & BEYOND. "here youth teams can live out big dreams. • 3 professional sports venues: FC Dallas I alias Stars/Frisco RoughRiders I Texas Legends and coming soon The Ford Center at CONVENTION&VISITORS BUREA, ' A = he Star, the Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters & Training Facility • 35+ tournament -,-- -. --.. . . - - .,.,i -, ii fields • 2 aquatic centers • Plus a helpful CVB staff that's always on the ball! VisitFrisco.com/Sports • toll free 817.463.7472 • 1'1 IF Ini I BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT / MERCHANDISING 5 D 4 Event Merchandising: Trends, Innovations By Thomas Bell IIE and Predictions and Sam Renouf AS AN EVENT ORGANIZER, you've undoubtedly made ordering branded merchandise a regular part of your job. And let's face it, it's great to see people wearing your T-shirts (or hats, lanyards,jackets or ' socks, etc., or drinking out of your travel mugs or using your magnet- ?. ized bumper stickers or anything else) for years after the event has FORMULA t r7 UNITED STATES passed. It's great advertising that comes at an affordable price. €tANs!PRIX 4USr N But like all things, there are trends in breathable,thus making it more comfort- v merchandise, and those will impact what able in comparison to standard cotton- is offered.What are some of the new trends based products.Athletic dry sport product "" `' that will take effect in the coming years, lines are no longer just workout T-shirts; °j and how do those trends stand to change brands have brought to market new prod- 0. the way we develop and order merchan- ucts such as dry sport dress pants, casual dise?Sometimes,you have to ask the peo- shorts and even button-down shirts." P `,.xti 4• '3 ple who work in that industry,and who are Bell's company recently entered into an ' 7. affected by it. online merchandise ordering partnership "Athletic branded merchandise has re- with ACTIVE, whose name many event I, '' , mained an in-demand clothing segment as owners know from the online registration 4 high fashion trends have come and gone and event management market.ACTIVE, on an annual basis," states Thomas Bell, notes Bell, is one of the companies capi- . �;:' Viralstyle Co-Founder. talizing on the trend of offering a wider And,he notes,the trends affect not just variety of products online, "such as the ..a the cut of clothing but the fabric being very popular yoga leggings and other ' A F Vow used,as well as the offerings available. sport-specific garments. Offering dry- .. j,. __,_ 4"Athletic merchandise is continuing to sport products to ACTIVE'S athlete based _ T strengthen its market share by growing the community also offers the additional ben- amount of products offered in athletic dry- efit of increased UV-Ray sun protection fit material. This material is light and during outdoor activity." The fact that online registration of just ON about all sports events has led to online ordering of merchandise is not news; ---HOWDY--__. however,it has freed organizers from the HALF-MARATHON HOWDY-- AND 5K HOWDY HALF-MARATHON work of going through registration mate- HALF-MARATHON ---AND 3K rials and counting the number of orders AND sx for T-shirts in various sizes,as well as or- ders for other merchandise. And it's thinking outside the expected souvenir,insiders say,that can result in a much better bottom line. "The biggest mistake event owners make is not ordering more than just the common tee-shirt," notes Sam Renouf, 18 SSM i NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 1 I s' 513 Dana Gardner/Shutterstock.com Sart - ,--. 4.4.w-r.�;.`''r 1 v �� a �i � e , F,'-2 "mss z;. : yt t _. � "Il-a;r:14;1"''';:ikm::Irr:17'-----:--;'''''(l'''t'';'''I";:''f'-;;:' ''''''''''''''- ' '-'-' ...-„,--- .....:ooeo.__ I", , . .400. i..... iii ,T~E MERCHANDISE cIRc�,17-oF,. f OFFICIAL LICENSED . t Iliar k. 4 414i i#' \.,' '..,' '' I., .4' . ,-#. ‘,,,,lir �"` 1 6;6,- - (� 3 i , I , , 1 , • f e � 1 i b :_.:,,,F. 1 _ 0 '''. '' ' .._ ,,,..„"Hili,7N, ., Ik"- , ..!..tel-14:414:2., .ii 'lit Ss-- \ 1. '''..-7&-'-'4,.;; .'1, general manager of ACTIVE Sports. selves wearing them. That, in turn, can In Renouf's opinion, it's not that the "Merchandising is an opportunity to get bring in registrants in future years—the tee-shirt should be replaced; it's just that people engaged with the brand and to "free advertising" every event organizer the scope of offerings needs to be show they are proud of being involved." wants. widened with more customized options. Although, for example, the standard "The Color Run started releasing their After all, there are many athletes who tee-shirt will be worn after the event,Re- own branded sunglasses, arm warmers, have more than enough shirts,but might nouf notes, some organizers have begun socks,tutus and everything else,"he says. be interested in some other piece of gear. offering items participants will wear dur- "And those became really high-selling Offering an online store of various erod- ing the event. He cites The Color Run as items. Organizers are missing out on the ucts can help organizers please more peo- an excellent example, since it began of- potential of the event if they don't look at ple. And if some participants, for fering name-branded items like tutus and everything.When people canwear some- example, come to a marathon and see a socks. Such items, he notes, may have a thing they like,it shows they're proud of participant wearing branded shorts or a one-time use, but participants love them participating in the event and they're re- jacket, they might be willing to go back and will be glad to post photos of them- ally engaged with the brand." to the online store and (CONTINUED ON PAGE 20) `1 4R BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT / MERCHANDISING (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19) 5 L Mitch Gunn/Shutterstock.com order those later. It's all about creating a4. €< „ ,_ demand for the supply available. (And, ,,: let's face it, there are always going to be -., a^ ' plenty of impulse purchases—those never `- '' hurt the bottom line.) , � ' Y An advantage of being able to order S merchandise not just before but after the OFFICIAL event means an enhanced revenue """" adatts ad*alas stream,Bell adds.Reactive marketing is just as effective as proactive marketing. It also means the organizer avoids the 47 trap of having a pile of leftover mer chandise that needs to be given away, IllirlY ` V r donated or written off. °' '' i,1, �, "A common mistake we've found � 0 s amongst event organizers is the decision ", to invest in apparel inventory.Not all,but '1! :' w most event's apparel can be fulfilled in a ,, :04:*_-7:: r crowd-funded fashion.If organizers don't j 1 ' Ms F need to stock apparel,they shouldn't.It's r" i '' _ } , j , an expensive burden to carry. After all, r v•° event leaders aren't organizing events to `' launch clothing companies. We suggest That might be a paradigm shift for sports events grow in participation and producing apparel once it's been pur- some event orangizers, but in many as organizers increasingly outsource chased by the consumer." ways, it's the wave of the future. As their work to the (CONTINUED ON PAGE 22) I a rae a pwherelace bi 4 , fi you can be a bi s .,:tir., ...," „,.... in a little ndp _ .,11!, _ . , • • % .1 ,, , , ,, _,.. „it You've heard the saying,"a big fish in a 1' e pond, haven't you? Well,in the grand scheme of things Clinton County may be the little pond but you're our Ili ..7. VIP,our big fish if you will. You'll feel like a winner from , .;� , _ .'_ the moment you pull into town-a community of - '� ! �;.w,+t' '' 't ;�, g,, unspoiled natural beauty,uncommon hospitality,and {� j r4111" some of the finest sporting venues you'll find `> ✓ _ anywhere.Conveniently located between Columbus, r t } Dayton and Cincinnati,Ohio-just a day's drive for 60 it percent of the U.S.population-we can accommodate y. or almost any event with state-of-the-art facilities. Call us today and let's talk about your event. Or visit our web site to view our sports planner- r �5 a `,fhttp://www.clintoncountyohio.com/sports-planner.php. ..:44,- ,gym, S., ;e,=,,, OXN0 Clinton County Convention&Visitors Bureau CLI1`JTUIV 877-428-4748, info@clintoncountyohio.com CLINTON COUNTY clintoncountyohio.com •couNTY 20 I SOM I NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 , �; ,,,.,...,-„,:,..,:„,._:_ „ - '' ' ' - 5 4 i , ..:'. ,. -..."4-'''''''''' ; '''' k !!! '��s""''` � v a,'`" � '�. �" �,�� , �.. � y&�tx�mac,. Ti.... MY' E bEik CH , 800.488.8998 1 yrtl arts .c Grand Facilities I Diverse Accommodations I Exciting Attractions incredible Shopping ( Family Entertainment I Pristine Beaches morissiswt- 'Ito Ir i II visit 4 MYRTLE BEACH REGIONAL SPORTS ALLIANCE 50 BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT / MERCHANDISING (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20) various vendors who can streamline the that can result in better income from parel and footwear sales have jumped 42 supply of services and products,it's go- each event. percent to$270 billion over the past seven ing to be a trend that is seen more and "Personalization is the wave of the fu- years.The industry could add$83 billion , more. And as a side note, it doesn't ture," notes Renouf. "I think any race in sales by 2020,or more than 30 percent mean organizers have to stop working would want to offer this." growth. The U.S. is the world's biggest with their favorite vendors; it simply As proof of the viability of the market, market for activewear,currently account- means those vendors have the opportu- Bell offers Morgan Stanley's seven-year ing for$97 billion, or 36 percent, of all nity to work directly with athletes and growth and five-year forecast about ath- sportswear sales. It's certainly not sur- to offer a wider variety of merchandise letic wear.The study shows that sports ap- prising that sport event owners would want to get a piece of that pie. Most sports events, Renouf says, "are , w,.." about the experience.People like to have a memento,and a piece of clothing is a way ` to say"I ran the XYZ Race." But as the number of events prolifer- - ates, so do the number and types of par- }a ticipants.And that means the necessity to 4 . til i have merchandise not just in unisex cloth- ing " K ' but clothing that is available in kids' I `''` sizes, women's cuts, big-and-tall/plus �.. . _ -tie „ sizes, various colors and more. And of Itrifcourse, the non-sized items such as sun- glasses,lanyards and so forth will continue F - g . to be in demand.Having a widely diverse } 8 number of registrants is a good thing,and -` it does,and should,create a need for more te itto... ., rt: fi variety in apparel and other souvenirs. ,. - But for many organizers,it has become °,r�- an onerous task of designing and order- , ing merchandise and then trying to make sure enough sizes/colors are on hand throughout the day of the event. Online tii ordering,Renouf says,takes this task off the organizer's plate, particularly if the lit vendor can drop-ship directly to the ath- ' 0 Tete within a short rime of the order. "Organizers are outsourcing the entire merchandise experience,"he notes. And while it might seem a statement that contradicts this,outsourcing puts the organizers in the driver's seat of events. "If you have an e-commerce store and e II • an event director can find the things they 1011 111 1i ` like,and the things they think participants will be interested in, they can work out 4\ the branding and the end result is they ` "k ""'" BUTLER COUNTY, OHIO have three or four, or sometimes more, + YOUR EVENT. OUR PASSION. items at different price points, says Re- ;. nouf. We really believe event directors ,, The best venues fn the Midwest.Featuring the new.22 fie+d will want to have more varied merchan Voice of fiimerica Athletic Comptex,DI sports stadiums and dice—something beyond the standard T- Oxy venues and flexible&accessible parks.Butler County is your go-to sports destination.We don't just host your event; shirt,something a bit more unique." we stand by your side from start to finish. Watching the trends and capitalizing on what people want, which is a process, get to the START PLANNING TODAY! 4NASO rather than a one-time discovery,can lead ®� tea„«TM 888.462.2282 „;_' y. ;• to increased revenues and more satisfied �'„�.=S ec � WWW.GETTOTHEBC.COM/SP©RTS .„. g`'""" participants, as well as to souvenirs with real staying power. s„„ 22 I SDM I NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 d 24 SOFTBALL/BASEBALL FIELDS 45 SOCCER FIELDS 32 TENNIS COURTS 137,000 SQUARE FEET OF INDOOR SPACE jlip lir i'"-- _.++. R`iti,ay "" ,:ii'y*.' Beaumont,Texas is home to celebrated legends including the world's greatest ) female athlete, Babe Didrickson .4.401114011(1/14 ahariasaswellasJimmyJohnson,Bubba Smith and Bum Phillips!The Beaumont CVB would love to make our history { v of success, part of your event's story. BEAUMONT Freddie Willard, Director of Sales k . , .. ..,,,,,-, ,..„,„ ,,,,,,, ,.. . , , -..\ ,, , .,„, ,.. , ' ,,,.. ,Ntt Beaumont Convention&Visitors Bureau ; , Mti fwillardCbeaumonttexas.gov itbeaumcnttx.colsports e f `', . yjara 39.2 1 t \.. �,,of �� ., < .a.4,,,, ,,_ #, 7..._ , „..„7.1 ,..„7 " E S it .s 8 � f •s. it y VISITBEAUMONTTX.C8M,SPQRTS IS SERVICE SOLUTIONS / NEGOTIATING HOTEL CONTRACTS 5 I . , Negotiating . . ...__ _. . . ._ , ., . __ ..,.„,...,,,„„.,...,_i, , • With Hotels By Tina Horn The Cooperative (Not Competitive ' r Process Results in a Win i ON THE SURFACE, getting a contract with a hotel sounds like an easy thing: you find the place you want, you tell the hotel what you're looking for and you sign on the dotted line. ,,E__. "so 011 4} Ya _ .,-„ 24 i SOM i NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 50 ©2016 Hyatt Corporation ' ... - �.w ,k- r _ 1 a • �� { d lk �� x Ba.l .§ iira r�, ig a i y, .azo _ p atid$ a5' • � T m: < _ AF t� Y"f -be {dry S - :-*.sF'•'�'' x... e,.nomk. '` # y, ny € ' ? ":°".as' y is br;••,••'''''''`'.',..''',45..S11 llfF 0„' .F14 a £ 4 y a.IV v} { -fie ��` w. kWiii it ' _ ^ `c r ae< kii • qA, ri .i " ° " °sF~ ''' g1- I' 1, a ;:.i.,;„'-.--...- s 1a:t'i;r . s ' '#' .,• .litifs.I1 YF3. yrs"' ,�*) L E :'' I 0 SPOATSOESTINATIONS.00M I 25 51i , SERVICE SOLUTIONS / NEGOTIATING HOTEL CONTRACTS (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25) But then again, people outside the be and the more likely you will be able vide regarding whether you expect your sports business industry might think that to negotiate from a position of strength. participants to use in-house restaurants, putting on a swim meet(or anything else) Develop a prospectus for your event that bars, pools, fitness rooms, concierge is just as easy—and we all know it's not. includes the following information: services or other amenities if So what is it that sports event owners or •Move-in/move-out dates (or a window •Any catering needs you expect to have rights holders need to know about suc- of dates,if you're flexible) (box lunches,etc.) cessfully working with hotels? A few •The number of rooms needed,and how •Whether you expect to be using a tour things: many (approximately)will be used on bus,whether participants will arrive by It's Not a Competition: Unlike each night car,etc. sports, negotiations are not win/loss- •Types of rooms needed (singles, dou- based. They're win/win-based. But for bles,double/doubles,etc.) The more information you can provide many people who come into the business •Information on the demographics of to the hotel, the easier it is for them to from backgrounds that include sports, your athletes: the age of the partici- find out whether your event will be a suit- that can be a hard adjustment to make,at pants, whether they will be traveling able partner. Remember too that hotels least initially.A cooperative,rather than a with family,their schedules,etc. share information,and even if your event competitive mentality,is key. •Whether participants will be calling in is not right for the hotel you approach, The Goal is the Same:The hotel their own reservations and paying for that hotel may be able to refer you to a wants to fill its rooms (or in hospitality them individually or whether some different property,based on the informa- parlance,put heads in beds)and you want other arrangement will be made tion in your prospectus. to find a place to stay. So ultimately,both •Whether you will require any other Always Give History:One thing ho- of you want to sign a contract that allows space in the hotel(a ballroom for a clos- tels look for is what's known as history that to happen. ing banquet,meeting rooms for officials of your event, so another part of your Information is the Most Valuable or media,etc.)and projected number of prospectus should include this informa- Commodity:The more information you attendees for those events tion. Think of it as a résumé, showing can provide the hotel,the better off you'll •Any ancillary information you can pro- what your event has accomplished, in- lift - :"SSS. z �' 1 is __Ti. t17 ,,i ► ��„ ;�#.aR, 3, ♦f i')'eI''-- 7[,S I Z 7 L.F• =_ •k �"` .ti , '• 44 =_ TJr. • AA-t loa t -liii _ 41L„� fir, rt . .. <Iiai1 i'li IIIIV ! l#Mitt s . ,. . t #• 41110 4"' k s,, {ane, i A swimmingly succesful partnership Speedo 2016 Summer Sectionals California-Nevada Congratulations to California Capital Aquatics and City of Roseville for hosting an amazing event which brought in thousands of swimmers to compete at the Roseville Aquatics Complex.A special thank you to USA Swimming and Sierra Nevada Swimming for sponsoring such an impactful event! Thank you for making us a sports tourism champion of economic impact! \ti ADA ski •t cAP ROSEYtLLE PLACER VALLEY * 0 s CALIFORNIA Coti/ornio'ssports Oestinot,on O$� dM[fsYl��O 26 I SOM I NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 a 50 Photo courtesy of Birmingham CrossPlex . ,i_ _ .... ,... k . ...,. ‘1 .. *4 CROSSPLEX tCROSSPLEX ><C IOSSPLEX �%<C SSPL X 4 C 11 PL X r ry Nirlf 1, E< (I4 sE 41114 - IP . - a eluding where the event has been previ- list. However, it's not typical to get all you could possibly hold your event an- ously,rooms used each night,bar/restau- three of those things exactly as you have other time,such as during an off-peak pe- rant use, etc. If yours is a new event, asked for. To get one or more of them, riod at the hotel?Canyou work with more don't be afraid to say so.You may not you may need to compromise on the oth- than one hotel?Is it imperative to have a have as much negotiating clout the first ers.As an example,you might be able to specific hotel rate or canyour athletes and year, but in years to come, you'll build lock in the dates you want, but it might their families/spectators/etc.,afford to pay the history you need—just as a job seeker be that the room rate is a bit higher,par- a bit more?Evaluate your options and de- does,to go back to the resume analogy. ticularly if you're coming into the city tide which is most important. You'll Need to Give in Order to during a very busy season.Or you might Something else to remember (going Gain:In the negotiating process,the first get a great room rate over the dates you back to the win/win goal) is that the three things you will be seeking are the need, but not enough rooms, in which contract has to be mutually beneficial. most important(assuming you have set- case, you might have to work with an The hotel needs to make money too,af- tled on a hotel that you want): overflow or secondary propertynearby. ter all. Yours is not the only piece of •Specific dates to book rooms Event planners often say that it's good to business available and the hotel cer- •A specific room rate(or at least a gen- shoot for two out of three,and be willing tainly has the option of refusing to offer eral price point) to negotiate on the third point. a contract if a person refuses to budge •How much dace you need in total(this So assuming you can get two out of on every single point.Think about what can include sleeping rooms as well as three in terms of dates, rates and space, you are bringing to the table, and what any meeting or banquet facilities). you'll need to decide which two are your you can offer the hotel in return for the Dates,rates and space:that's your wish priority. Are your dates flexible, so that things you want. (CONTINUED ON PAGE 28) SPDRTSDESTINATIS I ti SERVICE SOLUTIONS / NEGOTIATING HOTEL CONTRACTS (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27) Reviewing a Contract Your first ex- •Whether room rates stated on the contract •Are there charges for Wi-Fi(and if so,are r perience looking at a hotel contract can be are inclusive or exclusive of taxes,etc. they per room,per guest or per device)? panic-inducing. Make it easy on yourself •Are there any other groups in-house by examining it for specific points: Additionally, you will want to make that would constitute a problem or a i •What charges will go on the event's sure your participants'best interests are distraction to your group? While you master account(for example, catering, covered by asking the following questions can't tell the hotel to kick out guests r banquet space rentals, etc.) and what (and having the answers reflected in the who are already contracted for the same guests are responsible for(nightly room contract): hotel,you can look for a different prop- charges,room service,etc). •What will happen if the hotel suddenly erty,if need be. •Cancellation penalties, particularly if finds itself unable to accommodate one you're negotiating a year or more in ad- or more of your participants,who then Many, if not all, points on a contract vance. needs to be moved to a different hotel? are negotiable, at least in part, but that •Room block release date (that is,when (This is called `walking,'in hospitality you'll need to work with the hotel on a the hotel stops holding hotel rooms ex- terminology.)What hotel will they be give-and-take basis. clusively for your group and makes those in?Will they have transportation to and It is always recommended that you rooms available to the public; usually, from all the sports events? How will have a contract reviewed by someone this is 30 days prior to the start of the they be compensated?What room rate with legal expertise,or at least by some- room block); check also to see whether will they be paying? one with experience in hotel negotiations, reservations from your group that arrive •If a participant has to leave suddenly in especially for first-timers who don't want past that date can receive the rate you ne- the middle of the tournament,does the to make a mistake. gotiated. It may be this is available,but hotel add penalties for early departure? Remember: it's not wrestling, where unless you ask,it won't be. •Does the hotel have construction you need to pin your opponent down to •Any language locking you into payment planned for that time or space, or even win. It's negotiation, where both parties 1 for the entire room block or penalizing nearby? For some events,this can be a meet in the middle and still come away you for shortfall. deal-killer. victorious. So,,,, {{ S\C)09 to. I 16eerli .. AR�� •• • yNe °e c° ; ,., ,,i‘• ri - 44*,t.;-," - ,,,, „, s a FpM ` Vi sots_ C. ' / . j� tO� i � ✓7 11q I 0 gest(3UCo�ts � 1 CA°G , OCtiv\t\es& ersNee`' pRON' \\y V\endt� es•t°f tot •5 Penta 0 tC)m Yr Cr ufseS .10'15 �Ge55 W:' Shin g0\t G C�0.1 G GOC(' • ° m9S0\ i\e\d ° cegr5b°TON\=,\\GSQ p .PGP cha ss vocv. tic ceder `Site w o\d"c\°\.,e-c0°Quo'e\copms V a3AA L' 1 t o of 00� ') .Sta qKe '•p teKr,�tdef \oo°\°` c 9 ° ct 28 I SDM I NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 50 2010 Arkansas Sports Facility 2011 Arkansas Sports Facilit () y off thethYear* Year* ....._-- ....-- ,...,. .2........„,...---- . , 7: -4' "1--IliraF7.2, ..--...461140#111111 ' , I 4,..:".,,,,,,,,,,, s's,,, - 110,,•-...?".. i 1 .s.,.• . ... ,,.,•...!;„."1---.'". ' .""s..z.''''''''':" '''''''-.• . .1). 2 gogo..,-...- d i ii_..--,..:-----1. '.2. ---- f: Ir000411 . einimiL740,b_ ,fik,upfailimr.„1 ' ' 14 101111P11.11.111101110 Ir ''1"1?" '' '''''''' '-' did ..-6 7.- ''"I'IT.— ' „„, ..-.•.4 '11:. , - „. _ _, , --"'""446 —rn'-' '..:' ' 'i4*'''r'—' -- --;.. - ' 1.1V- ...„--, --- - - -, -------- --i--,,, ..----,,,--.-t;..::1,-•:-'-'Vf__„,,,,oet:A..- '4,1=e..t:,-, -'14.' '--. :::.:- '.,,,-"!*"7-- 4, _f..„-..i-.f.,,- -' — -- ----_. -- i . ' 1111F1' .' - i ' 416, 1 '''‘ • 01, 44116.. -. =,' ie.,: 4 ... ‘---- 0.- For first-class facilities, aconvenieto e convenientlocation away from atdiononInterstate 40, and a clean and the field, Conway,Arkansassafecommunity is the perfect location for your organization's event. Conway regularly hosts large state-wide otes-wciddeer ur atnodrneagmioennatls, a youths baseball, volleyball, basketball and is well as, numerous cheer, dance and gymnastics events. n wcanay 1(:iiill For more information on contact neaxntd ,---- ,- --'-' ''---- ,, ' ConwayCt the wCaoy major event a success, Conventionniakeyour Convention&Visitors Bureau Visitors Bureau at 8 0 6 CV B@ConwayArkansas.or g I ConwayArk.com SMART City of Colleges n and Parks Association loon and Parks Association of the Year-Arkansas Recreation Baseball Park-2011 Facility o 'Conway Station Softball Park-2010 Facility of the Year-Arkansas Recreation 1. ,. . SPORTS OUTLOOK FITNESS COMPETITIONS50 ' '' `! a : N ?1, nI cx- ' 0 I • Fitness By Mary Helen Sprecher COMPETITIONS : How the CrossFit Games Come Together NA CROSSFIT, THE SPORT THAT COMBINES ELEMENTS of iigh-intensity interval training, weightlifting, power ifting, gymnastics, i calisthenics, Strongman and more, has been growing exponentially , since its introduction in 2000. It's notable not just for its prevalent 5 across tie J.S. and around the war d, but for its sense of community "valmilla among users. t a so has one of the strongest soda media presences : of any-orm of fitness.As a result, membersiip in, and numbers of, the CrossFit affi late community (which works out in Pranced gyms, Known t as boxes) are increasing, In addition, CrossFit is unique among out what is in store for them, and then ' sr other forms of fitness in that it incorpo- seeing how well they can rise to the oc- x, °�4, rates an element of the unknown. En- casion. 1 gaged athletes receive challenges, called The CrossFit Games, the competition -t_ I! Workouts of the Day(WOD),online.This to name those individuals and teams or . 7:1 ill s liot - differs from a predetermined workout and ganizers call"the fittest on Earth"among - ,, it has been extremely beneficial to the or- those affiliates,is offered each year and - ganization;in fact,athletes enjoy finding it too offers an element (CONTINUED UN PAGE 32) - .4 — 30 I SCAM I NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 4'u ,%« Photos courtesy of GrOSSFt,,r,_. ' a. ,: ••,_ •••:„ , _. 3ut;c :. 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The Open was created as an followed by a barbecue for all the ath- online format to facilitate participation , I "*.* -1 .; IIIIN letes, as well as any family and friends by athletes worldwide.During the Open, who were traveling with them. a new workout is released each week on f 3111 But nobody counted on the rise of so- Thursday night, and athletes have until cial media,and the corresponding expo- Monday evening(Pacific Time)to corn- nential growth of CrossFit. plete the workout and submit their scores "By 2010, the Games were forced to online,with either a video or with a vali- move to a larger venue to house more dation by a CrossFit affiliate. mss`` it competitors, equipment and spectators, Beginning in 2013,CrossFit began air- w�w. ift■ and so we moved operations to the Stub- ing live announcements for the Open a xHub Center in Carson,California,"notes workouts and past CrossFit Games ath- 11alir f Bergh.And now,in 2016,he adds,the or- letes could immediately complete the ganization is examining other venues– workout in a head-to-head competition. • 1 not because they don't enjoy the one Athletes are ranked worldwide and by re- t they're in,but because thegrowth has al- ion.The topCrossFit Open performers � yg� p . lowed the organization to explore other in each region advance to the regional options. events. From there,the top men,women and teams from each regional competi- of the unknown to its competitors (but The Process of Competition tion go to the CrossFit Games in Carson. more on that later.) As Bergh explains it, the CrossFit The competition began in 2007, ac- Games season involves three stages for The Event cording to Justin Bergh,general manager competitors. Since 2011, the CrossFit The Games include divisions for indi- of the CrossFit Games.The event started Open has been the first stage of the qual- viduals of each gender, for a number of small on a private property in Aromas, ification process to compete in the Cross- Masters age groups,and for co-ed teams. _ �. It . 1 - i i 1.f � ;y, tki Mt AL4 14 $ -� s1— � i ••• ••i•• • ••••• .•• ••••• • • • • • • • • • • • • •• • • • # .t«• • • • • • i . •%•• • •• •• ••••• s••• • • ATHLETES EVERY YEAR. COUNTLESS WAYS TO PLAY. rr ° AilsFun on and off the field That's what we're all about in Wisconsin Dells.No matter your sport, r1a':. the Dells'numerous arenas.fieldhouses,and parks can fit your team and their fans too. :. k1 �xc },:4 And at the end of the day.keep the fun going in"The Waterpark Capital of the World?' " x+ '', TOURNAMENTS THAT CAN'T BE BEAT. PlaylnTheDells.com 1 sales@wisdells.com 1 (800)223-3557 32 I SDM I NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 50 4i Beginning in 2015, CrossFit added two age divisions at the Games for individual Strength and Flexibility: Teens: 14-15 and 16-17,to keep up with What It Takes to Host Fitness Competitions the demand from younger athletes. "Obviously, CrossFit is growing at all When it comes to strength and fitness competitions,it's important to be flexible when selecting a levels,"notes Bergh. host site.Learn what each sport requires,and make your venue work for them. And Bergh says that because perform- Look for indoor space that's accessible to travelers,and provides flexibility.For some sports,like ance is individual, athletes find partici- Powerlifting or Arm Wrestling,high energy is important,so small spaces are perfect.Other sports,like pation satisfying and they stick with it. Strongman or CrossFit,include several events,so it's more important to have large,open spaces for "People can participate at whatever lots of equipment with easy loading access. level they feel is appropriate.As a sport, Take flex space into consideration for athlete weigh-ins and drug testing.Some events also require it has lots of ways for people to compare space for athlete warm-ups,competition prep,and expo space for vendors to sell gear,supplements themselves with their peers,"he notes. and training programs. In fact, he adds, many people may Finally,it's important to consider the athlete experience,and offer many hotel,entertainment and never enter a competition, but they are dining options to athletes.After being on a strict diet and exercise regimen prior to competition,ath- still a part of the CrossFit community, letes will be looking for their favorite meal afterward.Offer athletes options for the whole family to en- and the growth numbers bear that out."In joy between events and when the competition is over. 2011, there were roughly 2,300 gyms. www.eriesportscommission.com This year, there are 13,000 CrossFit gyms. We think that shows tremendous challenges they will face is unique to Bergh notes, means a tremendous chal- growth of the brand." CrossFit. The athletes who compete in lenge to the organizers of the Games. Carson, California, know they will be "We have to be aware of how much What Makes CrossFit Unique facing a number of challenges, but they time certain challenges will take, and to As previously mentioned,the fact that do not know exactly what those chal- keep everything running on schedule athletes have to be ready for whatever lenges are until they get there.And that, during a nationally (CONTINUED ON PAGE 34) SS ow The destination.The facility.Your event. bli', SEVIERVILLE� � Ien l n enter r . u r r; iii ' :, *.. e f With available venues ranging from 6,000+seat stadiums and top quality municipal ball fields to championship golf courses and indoor sports facilities,Sevierville,Tennessee offers a variety of locations for your tournament or event. For more information or to book your sporting event, call (865)453-0001 or visit contact Tony Funderburg at 1-888-738-4378 or go SevierviUeConventionCenter_com online to Sports.VisitSevierville.com. to book your next spurnng even[in Sevierville, I,111k, SPORTSDESTINATIONS.COM I 33 I 5 0 SPORTS OUTLOOK FITNESS COMPETITIONS (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 33) televised event with a large number of moving parts. I don't know of any other event that is as technically complex as this one.Our fans,media and even judges Crib are in the same boat. We build a stronglwag ..,oiv- = �� communication system in advance so that = -- we can move quickly once events are an- ,° AP - nounced. But that's also part of what W't' makes the Games so awesome to expert- p i W e,,,.3 µ' ence in person.You can't feel that tension i % Wit` and release unless you're there." AOf course, he notes, the athletes, too, V �s � are exceptionally disciplined, and are 0 _ .,e - \J� willing to meet the challenges.And now, with television crews providing 10 hours of live coverage for ESPN, staying on -- schedule is just business as usual. The Facilities CrossFit competition takes place both 114 I r indoors and outdoors. Multiple arena ' and competition stadiums are needed for the events.In Carson,California,an out- since there is the potential for open wa- venues that work. door tennis stadium is used, as well as ter swims and other challenges, organ- "One day, we might be holding our soccer fields, tracks and more. And izers are constantly tasked with finding events in a tennis court; another day,we oftearlowiT * I i ,roll 7 , ,,,,,,,4 . , . fir . h -, ii ayr+ r . .�- _ • _ AND THEN THE GAME STAR ""� - With so much to offer,in such close proximity,you can do more in Columbia ,w than compete. From pre-game breakfasts to post-game celebrations,our staff will help you find what you need to make your event a success.Just because the game ends doesn't mean the fun has to. COLUM$IA, MO WHAT YOU UNEXPEC I" 34 SDM NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 5Li might be using a swimming facility or are CrossFit athletes,so we've pushed for percent of them have a household income military base,"Bergh says."We can have healthier food choices at our Games to above $100,000.One area in which we're between 14 and 20 different events or make sure our fans can enjoy being at a very fortunate is the fact that our atten- floor sets in just one day of competition. major sporting event without feeling like dees and our volunteer base travel very We're always looking at the proximity of they have to eat normal stadium food," well." arenas to one another and the ability for says Bergh. people to move between them" The CrossFit Games also includeda The Future Finding a city to host an event, how- vendor village of companies selling prod- CrossFit is an excellent contributor to ever,is an all-inclusive process. ucts that would appeal to the spectators the sports travel industry,notes Bergh. "For us, choosing locations for our as well as the athletes. "From a standpoint of a ticketing prod- events is not just about the facilities; it's uct, the Games are very marketable: we The Economics and about finding a community that welcomes mark our weekly attendance at 60,000. these Games and wants to be an active part Demographics of CrossFit We're bringing in 4,000 additional seats of them.We're looking for ways a city canAccording to Bergh,the CrossFit Games to the Stu Center each year, and really embrace a fitness culture and build are beneficial to the host community.Ohio about 30 percent of that population is more of a festival and community gather- University conducted an on-site and online from outside the U.S. It's a true.destina- ing around the event" economic impact study; its findings in tion event." cluded a raw figure of$17.5 million.It also Growing the spectator experence the The Growth provided some interesting demographics same way the organization has grown its Since its humble beginnings on a about the CrossFit crowd. athlete membership is the next challenge ranch,the CrossFit Games have grown in "We've seen that all of the top athletes to CrossFit. But then again, this is an or- size, and all that growth has created a come from CrossFit gyms around the ganization that thrives on unknown chal- new dynamic in what its on-site specta world,and that they're interested in tray- lenges, and this provides yet another tors are looking for. eling.A total of 84 percent of our athletes chance to rise to.yet another occasion.It's a "We know that a lot of our spectators have a four-year college degree, and 61 sure bet CrossFt will enjoy doing it. sono �: f .. �� , 4 .. 4.1 � - a fir .. 3 --zf-it,,,,_,„-°.-'...-.--.;4,---:--.It1‘•!T***-A-.-A! -'.,-;-,.4.-- WHERE CHAMPIONS ARE MADE. Convention & Visitors Bureau Sports Alliance•• 800.727.7704 •abilenevisitars.cam SPORTSDESTINATIONS.COM I 35 PERSPECTIVES BEST PRACTICES FOR RECURRING BestPractices for Recurring Erents By Tammy Dunn, CSEE RECURRING SPORTING EVENTS ARE BECOMING more and more common. Host cities are becoming interested in hosting a sport- ing event for more than one year, if possible. Sports rights holders are seeking host cities to host their sporting events year after year. Over the last 10 years,the Snohomish nity for a second or third year, or even County Sports Commission has been as- more. sisting sports organizations and sports One of our goals is to continually bring rights holders with keeping the sporting a sporting event back to our community event in our community.These annually year after year. Whether you're an event recurring sporting events can help make a owner or a destination,it's likely your goals community become a premier sports des- are similar to ours:have a positive expert- z tination. In addition, it's beneficial to ence that is good for all partners and build sports rights holders from both a finan- on that success the following year. cial and a logistical standpoint to have So, knowing that your goals are their sporting event return to the commu- aligned is half the (CONTINUED ON PAGE 38) fi e At • 36 I SOPA- I NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 5L1 Adam Hodges/Shutterstock.com • o , , mkt . . ik,..,. , ..... ... 400, - 10111 f W% SPORTSOESTINATIONS,COM 5 Li PERSPECTIVES BEST PRACTICES FOR CURRING EVENTS (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 37) a katz/Shutterstock.com battle,but you still want to work toward MIL. having your event return year after year— urE and be a success when it does.What are important key elements that sports rights holders should know about recurring .:<..=* J sporting events?Same with the host city: �� what important key elements should `° - `' = '' ` f$ sports commissions or CVBs know?Are - , JX they the same key elements as we think #a,a: a "" of when we consider the needs of the sports rights holders? • Here are the first three key elements . both the sports rights holder and the host city should think about in order to have a successful recurring sporting event. Partnerships ', Partnerships are one of the key ele- '` ments in the success of a sporting event. r .. In fact,this might be the single most im- , � _ ..,l` c i, ; , J portant element on both sides of the 0_077 ""` r . equation.Why?Because it allows you to create and maintain the network that will sports commission's community are vital sions need to have a working relationship keep your event flourishing. to working toward hosting a sporting with sports venues, hotels, and commu- From our side,partnerships within the event from year to year. Sports commis- nity businesses; in fact, rights holders E IS LIF ORT ..„ p (.. ... aHERE ,. iiir... tedITpLAy 1 ‘ iiik ,-. ilk, , ---,----- or \ t , - _ --„ Enitionor, .... . 1 f:-...isg . SPORTS COMMISSNtN OREGON - EugeneCascadesCoastSports.org/MVP _, 38 SDM NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 . 50 count on that.The abilityto establish and cessful recurring sporting events.In fact, another medium,but they should be held maintain partnerships within a commu- communication really is the currency of on a regular basis. The space between nity will demonstrate to the sports rights event planning and without it, the event meetings will necessarily become shorter holder that a community is involved with will flatline. as the event moves closer,and both sides sporting events being successful. Once a sporting event has been should keep good notes of the recom- In return,sports commissions are look- awarded to a host city, the sports corn- mendations, concerns and questions ing for event owners to work on creating mission and the event rights holder brought up in each meeting. partnerships with entities ranging from should be involved with regular meetings. One excellent practice is to follow up national governing bodies to local law en- These can be conference calls, Skype or each meeting with ,(CONTINUED CN PAGE 40) forcement(if necessary)to local or state associations and officials in the sports they'll be working with.If a rights holder .. . „, ,4, can demonstrate to a sports commission that they too are willing to reach out to GR the appropriate contacts in the area, the sports commission understands that they GREATER RALE { , have plans to create an event that be- SPORTS 'ALLIANCE comes ever more dependable and ever n more systematic,year after year. A good relationship will provide mo- mentum for both parties,the sports com- mission and the rights holder,to book the same sporting event the next year at the same time of the year.After all, people like knowing they've found a partner they p can depend on. (And let's face it,people , 'i s , do love dependability; it's the reason we __ return to our favorite restaurants, stores ntaw and more.) ,,,.0 Here is an example from our experi- ence of a recurring event that continues to go from strength to strength.For the lastst rooted LEADER AND LEGEND six years, the USA Triathlon Youth & GEORGE WILLIAMS Junior Elite Race Series has been held in in Greater the city of Monroe,Washington.The suc- RALEIGH Saint A u g u s t i n e's University cess of this event is the result of a great partnership with the City of Monroe,lo- He inspires greatness, coaching 39 cal businesses, Monroe Chamber of Olympic track and field athletes and 111 Commerce and hotels. 37 NCAA Championship teams. Locals With these partnerships that we have, �..k like Coach Williams help make Raleigh, USA Triathlon and Total Health Events ,� - N.C., a top destination for sports have been able to benefit,as have the ath- n / championships and events. Find out letes participating in the event series. how the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance Keepin mind that this is a youth-oriented , y can help simplify planning and stretch sports event; not only is it essential to - r budgets further, giving your event an make sure all the athletes are happy,it is added edge. essential to keep their parents and other family members happy.After all, it's all Put your roots down in Raleigh. those people who have the potential to Vir Y @raleighncsports Learn more at raleighsports.org create the financial impact, and having them go home satisfied enough to spread the word to others is something that can help you build on the success of your 2015 Sports Tourism Organization of the Year event year to year. --;`.ii ititl L1 Association of Sports Commissions Communicationyyo ;; Communication(and more communi- Gtrewelcotne A division of the Greater Raleigh Convention and V`eters Bureau • i e s....: cation) is another key element for suc- SPORTSDESTINATIONS.COM I 39 PERSPECTIVES / BEST PRACTICES FOR RECURRING EVETSN (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 39) 5 13 1 a list of tasks that need to be done by the next meeting, and by whom. This list should be circulated after every meeting to ascertain that nothing slips through the cracks. Currently, we are working with the Granite Curling Club to ensure proper ..,, planning for the 2017 USA Curling Men _-.--- — t .... ,r. & Women National Championship. For the last four months,we have been work- =_.. , ing with a member of the Local Organ- izing Committee(LOC)who is assisting "� � the Granite Curling Club with the prepa- _1111 M1 ration of the event. In our regular monthly meetings, we are ensuring that the LOC is accomplish- ing the tasks that need to be completed. Examples of tasks are marketing the event so people may purchase tickets,so- liciting sponsorships so the budget is sus- tainable,and planning the event logistics with the arena. Even after the event is over, there izing committee, city representative, involved. This meeting should include should be a debrief meeting.The debrief venue manager, event director, sports discussion on the successes of the event meeting should include the local organ- commission/CVBs and others who were including what worked well prior to the °' Ph t_r,• �•• R-: �rtr' Te;egiaPo visit '1'1IC��C� 11 . .. When you take ADVANTAG our world-class sports facilities, you will LOVE hosting your next tournament in Midland, Texas. t 40 g n ' - Contact us to � - see if your 4 a,,.h� event qualifies I \ fora grant. ,, www.VisitMidland.com I (800) 624-6435 ^.. 40 I BEIM%I NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 5LJ event and on event day, challenges that ma arose throughout the planning process, and recommendations on changes that should be made to improve the success of the event. Having a consistent level of communi- cation from start to finish is essential as it '3. _ - ' allows for constant updates among all parties. It also provides you with oppor- tunities to elevate the event to the next • 4 level, since there may be chances to im- ,rer prove upon various aspects,to learn about ap 1,141111 opportunities for sponsorship (more ons this in a minute)or to create more media opportunities(ditto). Coordination Among All Parties The third key to successful recurring may be able to help you identify some demonstrations of the sport with other event is coordination among all parties: companies that could benefit from the ex- athletes.It's also a good way to introduce host city, event rights holder and every- posure. newbies to a sport in a fun and informal one else involved.Our staff practices that Don't be afraid to think outside the way. If there are some well-known ath- coordination with a variety of sporting box. Sponsorship isn't just signage and letes, it's likely there will be plenty of events we host. advertising, although these are excellent people who want to meet with them, so While partnerships and communica- means to create additional income for the perhaps a Q&A session with that person tion lead to good coordination,there are event, and raise the profile of the busi- will be well-attended. Experiment with always other factors to consider. For ex- nesses. Local companies may want to various options and you may find some ample,coordination should include keep- sponsor Wi-Fi if it isn't provided,or may thing that is a winner; if so, you can re- ing the sports rights holder aware of any provide financial support for the design peat it the following year. other events that may be happening at the of the event app. These days, having a Media Coverage: Social media is same time as theirs. In some cases, this charging station for phones and other de- great(and largely free)but if you want to will result in considering whether to vices will be appreciated by athletes and really raise the profile of your event, move the date of the event for the follow- spectators, and if you can have sponsor- you'll need to reach out to the local tele- ing year. (Of course, some of the advan- ship support for it, even better. Remem- vision,radio and newspapers as well.The tages of keeping a sports event on the ber that anything viewed as an amenity sports commission will be familiar with same date, or at least in the same time will be received favorably by athletes and various media outlets in town, and may frame,are enhanced ability to recruit re- spectators,and create a very positive as- have contacts there. Use your imagina- peat volunteers, ease in marketing the sociation with the business. tion and see whether a sports anchor,for sporting event to the community,and the Expos:Does your event have an expo example,would like to try his or her hand ability to provide improved support each or trade show?If not,start thinking about at water polo (if that's the tournament year.) adding one that would be relevant to the you're putting on) or to attempt a gym- Having discussed the three key points, event and the people who are interested in nastics move,or anything else related to however, it is imperative to talk about it.If a sports event focuses on weightlift- your event.The visual element is always other factors that can help create events ing, for example, an expo or trade show appealing to viewers, or to readers of a that improve and grow each year. The could include vendors with everything newspaper that might send out a photog- sports commission/CVB and event rights from dietary supplements to training rapher along with the reporter.It also re- holder can work together on these,but it equipment to apparel to books and online sults in more eyes on your event, and is is the rights holder who must make the training tools. Remember that the more free advertising. decision to pursue them, and be willing you can `grow' your event from year to Recurring events that grow each year to take on some of the key tasks involved year,the better off you'll be,and the hap- in size,visibility and scope are the events with them. pier athletes(and spectators who have an that also grow in terms of economic im- Sponsorships: Having an event that interest in the sport)will be. Remember pact.And that's what everyone wants,af- returns each year means the local corn- too that success leads to success.A ven- ter all! When sports commissions/CVBs munity has become familiar with it.This dor area can increase in size each year if and event rights holders work together, includes local businesses.By working to there's good buzz about it. success is the result. The tools to create create a sponsorship program for your Clinics/Demos/Meet-and-Greets:A that success—partnerships,communica- event,you can help local businesses be- sports event can be a tremendous oppor- tion and coordination—are all available come stakeholders.The sports commis- tunity for athletes to talk about their sport and achievable so that both sides of the sion in the state you are working with and to provide beginner clinics, or table can benefit equally. BOM SPORTSDESTINATIONS.COM ! 41 SPORTS FACILITIES TENNIS Serving Up Tenn • By Peter Francesconi Everyonefor � .� . u-.„,. 3# 0 t : ki I IN AUGUST, TENNIS STEPPED ONTO THE BIG -- ---., of the US Open in New York City. Now, the sport is poised to-; _ step onto its next huge showcase: The 64-acre, 102-court USTA National Campus in Orlando, Florida, will officially open its doors on Jan. 2. r,oNTiPi,Eo,I,PAGE 441 42 I SDM NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 "1.7 3S$`t sa sem.i 3 . Y� _ Y..k -$ -4'-,'-'-' `v;F. _ z t ` ;, r M t t Y ` " .yr ar ,;,:4'r,'-.-1.'.14,-,;,2,0-.1.` t, ..: ,-A,.-,,:;.::..,,,'; Wiz >< 41 ` ,-..--r..7...:., ,5`,a�� q.- - r 4.T. 3- SPORTSDESTINATIONS COM 1 43 SPORTS FACILITIES / TENNIS (CONTINUED FROM PACE 43) 5D Photo courtesy of LACIE GRANT/BCVB 2016 Photo courtesy of Billie Wiess 1 v- .y ,*,!t- ,may -,� C The U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) an administration building with training about 600 players in the USTA Adult 55 says this"New Home for American Ten- room, officials'rooms, a stringing area, and Over Tournament. Since 2012, the nis,"the largest tennis facility in the U.S., restrooms, concessions and a viewing facility has been the home of a tennis and possibly the world, will be a place deck. There also is an indoor courts camp held by the Andy Roddick Founda- where tennis enthusiasts can come to building. tion each June. For larger events, says play,learn and watch the game.The cam- Of course, while not every venue can Willard, the city will also use the 16 pus will have cushioned acrylic hard be as grand as the USTA National Cam- courts at Lamar University, which also courts,European red clay courts,Har-Tru pus,there are plenty of great multi-court offers stadium seating. green clay courts,and more.Technology tennis facilities around the country suit- plays an important role, too—all courts able for all types of tennis events. Bentonville,Arkansas will have live streaming, and 32 courts "There's a big following for tennis in will be PlaySight "SmartCourts," with Beaumont, Texas Bentonville; we have lots of activity," permanently installed analytic cameras The newly expanded Beaumont Mu- says Luke Charpentier, the sports sales using 3D visual imaging. nicipal Tennis Center now has 24 hard manager for Visit Bentonville.That inter- Bringing tennis events to a central lo- courts, all with lights. Facility upgrades est in the sport translates to strong sup- cation "is one part of the business the included adding four outdoor courts and port for events coming into the area. USTA hasn't touched before," says Vir- four covered courts;the addition of a new "Tennis people here are very interested gil Christian,the USTA's senior director 4,500-square-foot clubhouse with pro in helping with tennis events and being a of market/facility development."We have shop,lounge,locker rooms and large coy- part of it all." 82 events on the books right now for the ered porch;and additional parking. One of the main places to play in Ben- National Campus, which will bring Freddie Willard, the sales director for tonville is Memorial Park,which has 12 100,000 people through the doors." the Beaumont CVB, says the Southeast lighted hard courts.This year,the city did The USTA National Campus, which Texas Tennis Association (SETTA) was some renovations that included adding features a 50,000-square-foot Welcome instrumental in getting the center up- permanent seats on all courts for players Center, will be the home for the USTA graded."They're just a great organization to utilize during changeovers. Memorial Player Development and Community to work with,"she says."We have a very Park also has hosted large events,includ- Tennis divisions.But the park-like setting active tennis community here and SETTA ing the Division II college champi- also will include a family tennis area with always assists the CVB when we're trying onships."We're looking to bring in more 16 Sport Court Power Game courts(eight to bring tennis events to Beaumont.They events,too,"adds Charpentier."We're do- 36-foot and eight 60-foot courts) to en- act as the local host,help get volunteers, ing some neat things that continue to able kids and adults to develop their plan opening ceremonies and so much make it a very attractive venue." In the games; a Collegiate Tennis Center, fea- more." fall, the park hosted a USTA Level 3 turing 12 Plexicushion courts, conces- The Municipal Tennis center hosts tournament, which also used courts at sions,locker rooms and elevated seating many tournaments, from city champi- other nearby venues. for 1,200; and a tournament and league onships to USTA Pro Futures events.For The Walton Life Fitness Center,for in- area that includes 52 clay and hard courts, the last two years, the venue has hosted stance, offers four indoor and four out- 44 I SDM I NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 50 courts(and 11 squash courts).Connecti- was upgraded a few years ago and now cut also has a very active partnership of has professional lighting on all courts, indoor clubs in the state. spectator seating, and shade shelters on each court and between courts. There's Grand Junction,n, Coioradoalso a large conference room for team The place to play in Grand Junction is meetings and men's and women's locker the Elliott Tennis Complex, on the cam- rooms. pus of Colorado Mesa University. The One of the largest tournaments at the complex,which features nine hard courts, Elliott Tennis Complex ,CONEINOED DN PAGE 46; « .t " "' 3 qk e -s: S �. - +f .^�n'1„„ p t door hard courts and also helps with large tennis events in Bentonville. One of the unique events held at Walton is the "Spam Slam,"sponsored by Hormel,the largest adult tennis tourney in the state. The 18th Spam Slam was held in June and brought in 420 entrants. c ' ." Connecticut The largest tennis venue in the state is , t.. r the Connecticut Tennis Center ataYale ` ,7, ," . University inNew Haven which hs 22 ..iip:- ,...:".: outdoor hard courts and i•s the site each r August of the Connecticut Open,a tune- '` ' up tournament for pros playing in the US i." 1ii ' . Open. The stadium court at the Con- a , �1' ati necticut Tennis Center is the third-largest in the U.S. The center is a part of the award-winning Cullman-Heyman Tennisiiy�� Center,which offers eight indoor courts. '° ' ° `� "The Connecticut Tennis Center really PRISTINE C O U RTS UPDATED ROOM is one of the gems of the state,"says Bob AMAZING St--0:\i = I ' i Murdock, director of marketing for theONt , r ' v ` Connecticut Convention & Sports Bu- reau. "Along with the Travelers Golf Our cutting-edge indoor and outdoor playing surfaces take your tennis game to Championship (near Hartford), it's part the next level.With 17 Indoor courts under two roofs,our spacious,multi-sport of our core sports events every summer." complexes can accommodate tournaments of any size. And our newly renovated In fact, the state's office of tourism is brand-name hotels will make you want to repeat your stay. r heavily involved in the CT Open as one of the sponsors. The site also hosts re- Book your next tennis tournament here,and find out what makes gional tennis events and tournaments. the Aurora Area one amazing sports destination. Other locations with multiple courts include the Four Seasons Racquet Club Contact:Pete Garlock,Director of Sales in Wilton, Connecticut, with 11 indoor ILLINOIS. _� and 12 outdoor courts,and Chelsea Piers 11.You or raft�7 630.256.3194 or Pete@EnjoyAurora.com 1"4111NG? +lV www.auroraareasportsaniance.com in Stamford, which has seven indoor SPORTSDESTINATIONS.COM I 45 SPORTS FACILITIES / TENNIS (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 45) 5 D . Photo courtesy of Lexington County Recreation&Aging Commission 'ilk y 3 F ' r , v # I nlillbl , is the Taco Bell Western Slope Open, over two weekends in October and brings _ - - "�� which was played for the 58th year in in nearly 900 players. All the courts at 7-7_._1 - July and is the biggest annual tennis tour- both sites are lined for 60-foot tennis,and nament on the western slope,bringing in the Cayce Center also has seven dedi- more than 300 players of all ages, in- cated 36-foot courts. eluding 10-and-under. The Cayce facility has a 2,500-square- "This is a very outdoor-centric corn- foot fitness center with all the latest -- munity," says Jennifer Stoll, the execu- equipment,and there's also a conference tive director of the Greater Grand room,small kitchen and a full pro shop. Junction Sports Commission."One of the great things is that we have 300-plus days of sunshine here on the western slope and The award-winning Mercer County warm up fast. We're capable of playing Tennis Facility in West Windsor,close to outdoor sports all year round." Princeton and Trenton,is run by the Mer- was named the Public Park of the Year by cer County Park Commission and con- Tennis Industry magazine,and it has won Lexington County,South Carolina sists of 22 lighted outdoor hard courts the USTA's National Facility Award three Lexington County, which forms the and six indoor.In 2014,the tennis facility times. western border of Columbia, South Car- olina, is a hotbed of tennis. For many years,most of the action has been at the world-class Lexington County Tennis Complex, which has 21 lighted hard courts. But a few years ago, the county responded to demand by opening a sec- ond large facility,Cayce Tennis&Fitness ' Center,with its 30 lighted hard courts. y, lx "We are very active. Some events are run at both; some at one or the other," r says Director of Operations Jorge An- drew,who is a former Venezuelan Davis Cup player and a master professional for the PTR and USPTA, the two profes- - sional tennis-teaching organizations in the U.S. One of the largest events Lexington hosts is the National Junior TeamTennis Championships, which typically runs Photo courtesy of Mercer County Park Commission 46 I S13M 'I NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 -. } 50 Photo courtesy of Visit OKC klk ..,gn„ — , - ..., :,,o, t i „, - f i _----- ..,..v,.,. 1 .._ter — -----------N "We have many special events and tour- and women's winners in Mercer County draws a lot of fans."The facility plays host naments, along with lesson programs for won the national event and played in the to more than 60 tournaments a year. all ages,and leagues,"says Marc Vecchi- Qualifying Tournament for the US Open. In 2015, the center saw a $3 million olla,the director of tennis operations for capital improvement that included adding Oklah the six climate-controlled indoor courts the park commission."All our courts have 60-foot `blended' lines for short-court Oklahoma City has a rich tennis history, and six dedicated youth tennis courts, play." including hosting Davis Cup match play making the OKC Tennis Center the largest While Vecchiolla says the somewhat in 2002.The premier facility is the Okla- public park tennis facility in the central mild winters mean nets can stay up year homa City Tennis Center at Will Rogers U.S. round,the major events generally start in Park,which offers a total of 36 courts— Breedlove says that for larger tourna- April with the Northeast Conference Col- including 24 of them with lights, six ments, such as the massive USTA Mis- lege Championships. "We have a lot of shorter courts for youth play, and six in- souri Valley Adult Sectionals,they'll also USTA tournaments here, too," he notes, door courts.The OKC Tennis Center has use the 12 outdoor courts at the Earlywine "along with the New Jersey State High won a number of awards, including the Tennis Center, which also is part of the School Championship in May. And we 2016 LISTA Outstanding Facility Award, park and rec system."Both facilities work hold the Special Olympics State Games, which was presented during this year's US hand in hand,"she says,and are managed which has been huge for us." Open in New York City. by Director of Recreational Programming The Mercer County Tennis Facility also "We host a lot of USTA national and Steve Henry,a USPTA Elite Teaching Pro- is the site for a US Open Sectional Quali- Missouri Valley sectional tournaments," fessional. fier,in which players compete for a spot in says Jennifer Breedlove,the manager of the actual Qualifying Tournament of the sports business development for Visit Tuscaloosa,Alabama US Open professional event."The road to OKC."Each year we host our State High The newest tennis feature in Tuscaloosa the US Open actually went through Mer- School Championship for boys and girls is the Center Court Tuscaloosa facility, cer County,"Vecchiolla says,as the men's —with 240 teams. It's a huge event that which opened last year (CONTINUED ON PAGE 48) SPORTSDESTINATIONS.COM i 47 SU SPORTS FACILITIES / TENNIS (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 47) Photo courtesy of Tuscaloosa Tourism&Sports and features six lighted clay courts, four hard courts and three indoor courts.The ',.:,=.Ifi:-I.:•,.- _,,,,E,-,,,,'.,-.. ,„:, .ru, facility, says Jay Kasten, director of ,r sports for Tuscaloosa Tourism& Sports, f ,'' is a public-private venture and has al- ready held events, including in conlunc- * tion with university courts in the city. �,,. } "We hold several LISTA events � � _- throughout our facilities, along with =° " " NCAA regionals," Kasten says. The �f • J University of Alabama—Tuscaloosa has 12 outdoor hard courts,and right across — =- .,,R the street is a rec center with 12 more outdoor hard courts.The university also s " - had five indoor hard courts. Other ven- $ "° i ues for tennis include the eight clay courts at the North River Yacht Club and the eight clay courts at Indian Hills Country Club. In early September, the University of Alabama's Tennis Stadium was the site of the Alabama Adapted Athletics' second The Tuscaloosa Tennis Association events come into town,they help provide annual Alabama Open,which is a Futures (TTA)is very active in supporting events, volunteers,"he notes."It's a big group ef- event on the International Tennis Federa- says Kasten. "The TTA raised a lot of fort between the TTA and our sports com- tion's Wheelchair Tennis Tour. money for the new center, and when mission." SOM 0111J Y `4` .4, ..,,,,,---. A , i :----- r, ' . 1 ,..... , . ,, i :::,_ , _. ., „,,,, ._,„ -,:i.„..-„. 1/4.r. ,,,,..„,„ Whether it's hitting a home run, breaking a speed record' .. or scoring the winning goal, Gulf Shores and Orange !,' Beach have the perfect venue for the ultimate sporting . experience. From NCAA championships to Alabama High School Athletic Association events, sports organizations won't find a more inspiring place to play. FGULF SHORES & , ug ORANGE BEACH Sports Commission 866-813-5795 GulfShoresOrangeBeachSports.com 48 I SGM I NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 s ..0.--,,,, , pi, I. o - It g 31. ', — , wru t 1. - j d , ..,..... .. Yg. .... 4� rce. It '' Ivii - i 8 HE UT Plan so hard it hurts in Lincoln, Nebraska. Sporting venues for any level of competition. Check. Centrally located and littered with friendly faces. Bonus. A shockingly affordable Location outfitted with various hotels, restaurants, and enoughBooyah!shopping and entertainment to transform your event into amini-vacation. INCOLNm Play to win at lincoln.org/compORNs ete, B � 50 DESTINATION SPOTLIGHT / LINCOLN, NEBRASKA Photos courtesy of Lincoln Convention&Visitors Bureau 1 L- lir r n • s * is ♦ s r ♦ a.s em r e +r# 9 ; • , w + ,,,�_* s . w y ,,.. .. " A Facility that can Host Just .. About Anything Speedway Village, a privately owned and operated multi-purpose indoor/out- door facility,offers nine full-size outdoor sports fields,a 100,000-square-foot field- house with synthetic turf that can be cov- ered with a subfloor and then a wood SpeedwayVi surface, plus a dual sound system and a e noise-insulating curtains. There's also a 10,000-square-foot medical, rehabilita- tion and sports performance institute,and Helps plans call for the eventual addition of 75,000-square-feet for eight basketball courts that can be converted to 12 volley- ball courts. Diversify The indoor portion opened in fall 2015, with the outdoor fields making their official debut over the summer. / Speedway Village also houses Defy City Officials Hope to Host More By Michael Gravity,an indoor trampoline park. PO Speedway Village is located less than Olympic, Non-Traditional Events pke three miles away from downtown Lin- coln,and there's plenty of free parking. The month-long USARS National THE FIRST NON-LOCAL EVENT held at the new Speedway Village Championships —which also featured sports complex in Lincoln, Nebraska, was the 2016 USA Roller Sports National the inaugural Roller Derby Junior Championships — which brought together five disciplines for the largest roller Olympic Games(organized in collabora- with thesports event in the country. More than 4,000 athletes, coaches and officials par rand the Junior RolleruDerbylAssociaUnition ticipated over a span of 35 days.They competed on almost 50,000 square feet of National Championship—will be back indoor skating surface with a large mezzanine overlooking the action. again next year,Bombeck says. Many people don't realize that Lincoln Not only was it the first time figure Bombeck, sports sales and development actually is a roller Mecca. The city is skating, rink hockey, roller derby, speed manager for the Lincoln Convention and home to USA Roller Sports and the Na- skating and slalom championships were Visitors Bureau. "It's really broadened tional Museum of Roller Skating,which held under the same roof, but the event our reach." contains the world's largest collection of also signaled the beginning of a new era Already a national destination for the historical roller skates dating to 1819,as for sports tourism in Nebraska's capital 2015 State Games of America,the World well as patents,medals,trophies,photos, city. Tenpin Bowling Youth Championships art,film,costumes,archival materials and "Now that Speedway Village is open, this past summer and the annual Good skating memorabilia. I'm pitching everything from dog agility Life Halfsy in November,which has been events to horseshoe championships, as called the "most entertaining half- Olympic-Caliber Venues well as the obvious soccer,volleyball and marathon in the nation,"Lincoln is about Speedway Village may be Lincoln's basketball tournaments," says Derek to become even more popular. newest sports destination, but it's far t `; I N 0VEMBER/QECEMBER 2016 Li from the city's only venue.In fact,there The natatorium's 10-lane, 25-meter Bombeck says, giving credit to Losito is a well-stacked deck of facilities just pool has hosted Nebraska School Activ- for using his industrywide connections waiting to host any number of events. ities Association state meets and Big 12 to keep Lincoln in the bowling spot- The Lancaster Event Center, a championships, and it features two 1- light. 400,000-square-foot facility with five meter spring diving boards,two 3-meter interconnected buildings on 160 acres, boards and one 5-meter board, as well Racing In (and Off) the Streets is the site of rodeos, equestrian events, as plenty of spectator seating. Lincoln prides itself on a central lo- trade expositions, concerts and more. cation that is less than a day's drive Lincoln recently was named a finalist Bowling Bringing in the Dollars from such major Midwestern cities as to host the 2020 National High School With such massive facilities available Denver, Omaha, Minneapolis, Des Rodeo Finals—an event that has never in Lincoln, it may seem odd to follow Moines, Kansas City, St. Louis and been held in that city. up those details with information about Chicago. Pinnacle Bank Arena,a$179 million a bowling alley.But Sun Valley Lanes is Maybe that's one reason why Lincoln state-of-the-art multi-purpose center much more than just"a bowling alley." also has established itself as a destina- that opened in late 2013,hosted several Owner John Losito received the 2013 tion for sports car enthusiasts.The 2016 events at the 2015 State Games of Lincoln Chamber of Commerce's Cele- Tire Rack Lincoln Spring Nationals America (which Lincoln is in the run- brate Business Tourism Award for bring- Championship Tour — part of the ning to host again). The facility also ing bowlers from all over the world to Sports Car Club of America Solo® welcomed the North, Central America Lincoln. The city's bowling credits in- Championship Tour Road—was held and Caribbean(NORCECA)Volleyball elude the 2010 National Special Olympic in May at the Lincoln Airpark, an in- Confederation Women's Olympic Qual- Games, the 2012 and 2013 Intercolle- dustrial park spanning more than 1,000 ification Tournament in January. The giate Team and Singles Championships, acres with plenty of room for racing. U.S. women's national volleyball team the 2015 State Games of America bowl- The tour culminated back in Lincoln qualified for the Rio Games in front of ing event, the annual Nebraska High in September with the Tire Rack Solo a packed house that Bombeck says cre- School Bowling State Championships, Nationals presented by Garmin VIRB, ated a "dynamic atmosphere" for both the Big Red Collegiate Invite and the with more than 1,200 competitors. players and fans. Star City High School Open. In racing of another kind, Lincoln Lincoln officials would love to bring Among the most recent events was also is the original city in the Market to more U.S.Olympic trials to the city,too. the World Tenpin Bowling Youth Cham- Market running relay series,a day-long In addition to the facilities already men- pionships, which attracted more than relay race sponsored by Lincoln-based tioned, the renovated Bob Devaney 400 competitors between the ages of 16 Pink Gorilla Events that takes runners Sports Center(which originally opened and 21 from 45 countries.Previous host (in Lincoln's case) on a 78-mile scenic in 1976)has proven to be a big draw for cities for this championship event in- route from Omaha to Lincoln. Relay a variety of sports events. elude Bangkok, Hong Kong and teams consist of six to eight runners Located on the University of Nebraska Helsinki. With a history dating back to each, who individually run two to six campus, that facility houses many uni- 1977, the 32-lane Sun Valley facility is miles per stage. With more than 4,500 versity events and is considered one of among the smallest on the international runners signing up for the annual Octo- the premier volleyball facilities in the bowling circuit,Bombeck says. ber event, Lincoln's Market to Market country. It also offers swimming and Lincoln also will host the Intercolle- run is the largest day-long relay in the track and field amenities — including giate Team and Singles Championships country. one of only four hydraulically banked (part of the United States Bowling Con- "These events help add to our resume," tracks in the United States.The 200-me- gress)at Sun Valley Lanes again in 2018. Bombeck says."Lincoln has the facilities ter track has the largest radius (67 feet) Plus,the city is a regular stop on the Pro- to host more traditional events.But now, of any indoor track in the world. Several fessional Women's Bowling Association the sky's the limit for the variety of events University of Nebraska, Big 12 and circuit. that our community can host by thinking NCAA events have been held there. "It all goes back to relationships," beyond the traditional." SOM SPORTSDESTINATIONS.COM I,51 SPORTS LANDSCAPE VOLLEYBALL ,, ,I , _„,„__ ill /i ..,,,,.. k„,„: „.!..,,, ,. .. v . .. .4 / ,,,,, litillio44, . , _ ,,,„........„:„.... , __ ,,, , , _No, n n_ a u z:. , __ f ' 11 _ .. ' ¢ _,...,., :,,_„ ..,,.,1,.., • -4,4._,,,,,,..,„,,,,ii. :.. iiiLlik.:_ ,.._ . ... _ . -illoici.,,,,, ‘ ---#,A;.:,=.,:ti-:_,;-..-:-._ ._:-..., . ..._. ,_ ,__.:_....... y ,,,.. .. _.;...,-.,....iit„.-...,....,..5..._:„....ti,.._,,, ,._,;„..._ ,_ __..,..... _ ..,.... . N' .44i.. _to, .. ..,...,,,, -:-... . ' \ ik . ,,_ ._ a 52 I SDM I NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 Photo courtesy of Birmingham CrossPlex {b , i i e (19,.. ,. .,1 , . lay e L P t Angle 1" son , ,f,, it , ... ° VO td , -i-i:„. ,y , ,..„., 1001-, By Peter Francesconi ..„ ,... ,--:_,.. : _,. ,.., , . , ' _ : .... .., , , iii.,,,. ...., .„.._ :- ., 1, . . ' ' i .„,,J- ,, oilk., ,... ,. , , . , ....,....., k .. , I 1 .„, - - - 4,,,,,, ), ,4, .,„, , EYE' geI ts a big boost every four years as , 5 millions of Americans follow both the "court" version and the "beach" 10 0 __ '',...,..: ,-,:.-'''.. '' . '_''')''!;:il-P io,-:::110-i'lLi- ---i'L',Ll' .,--- ill *4!..-`4,4,#0,7,4,. ' - - ...,,,,,-41,14-1,-- .,---ti-:,.,,, '-.7-'::: - -,-,',i--.:-...:'"''':-- . i .1,- „. ,..., . .., „..,..„ , ,., . , .„.„ version'during the Olympics. And the Summer Games in Rio were no 4..kr.° 0 ,,,, , , # . „„,......,...,.. - exception. C;rxlr��Fo o rA E 4; E If i fr .....:to:, , - .'-'1-,....i-Altrf,4,011?*;:4-').,!"1.5".',.,..-ii -,.-----,i ar,« SPORTSDESTINATIONS.COM 1 53 SPORTS LANDSCAPE / VOLLEYBALL (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 53) 5 Photos courtesy of Birmingham CrossPlex 11111 Ask ' lii >r a dir O. • 1.. e -y -St 0a ss.,, i-'- aeon iiii.eSt1i -, z... _.. .. k 'pe..,1,,',...- Aliti ' s gi, . ,r,-, ...1, ,' : ' , . .-- ---1- , - : ' A ., ,I' Z. y,i� l it . s •4 i 4 "We're already seeing the impact from pionship was held in May 2016 in Gulf 111111 1! the Olympics,as more kids are trying the Shores,Alabama. For 2015-2016, more sport," says John Kessel, the director of than 60 four-year colleges, including all sports development for USA Volleyball, three NCAA divisions and several NAIA just weeks after the Games ended.In part, schools, and over 30 two-year colleges I s that's because USA Volleyball debuted are sponsoring varsity beach volleyball - I the nationwide"Open Court"program at programs.Nearly 50 percent of collegiate 1 ` , the end of August in 48 markets, which beach programs have scholarship support, encourages potential new players to try separate from the money dedicated to I >:# ., . ' the sport for free.USA Volleyball,which their court volleyball teams. f e r. has about 384,000 members, also is Whether indoors,on sand or on grass, , i reaching out to schools with its STEM volleyball tournaments and events are be- _ program,an educational enrichment pro- coming increasingly popular across the gram that includes curriculum modules country,for all ages.Across the country, 1 in education,athletics and exercise. cities are playing the angles and finding a .t" oil 4 Overall, U.S. participation has in- the strengths that help them achieve suc- 0 creased slightly for court volleyball (to cess in hosting the sport. ..J 4 6.42 million players, according to 2016 Hosting Championships,Camps g data from the Physical Activity Council) and for beach volleyball(to 4.79 million), and More in Birmingham, �} E while dipping slightly for grass volley- Alabama !� ball(to 3.89 million). "Volleyball has been a growing sport [1, r In January 2015,beach volleyball(for- for us," says Faye Oates, the director of merly called sand volleyball),became the the Birmingham CrossPlex,a multi-sport -�t( 90th NCAA Championship Sport, and facility that can accommodate up to 14 t!" the first NCAA Beach Volleyball Cham- volleyball courts.As an example, Oates 54 SDM NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 59 points to the growth of the AHSAA High Capitalizing on Indoor Courts in "Volleyball is our No. 1 youth sport," School Volleyball State Championships. Eugene/Cascades, Oregon says Joey Jewell,director of sports sales "This will be our fifth year hosting the and development for Eugene, Cascades event, and it's grown tremendously,"she The Eugene,Cascades&Coast region & Coast Sports. "We have a very well- notes."In 2012,we sold$61,000 in tick- has hosted big volleyball events, includ- developed system here, with many op- ets.Last year we did$119,000 in tickets, ing the 3A/4A State High School Cham- portunities to play,and it's continuing to and had about 17,000 spectators." pionships, the Matt Hartner Memorial grow." The venue hosts club and high school Classic, and the CEVA President's Day The area does get rain, so Jewell says tournaments throughout the year, in- Tournament. there's an emphasis on (CONTINUED ON PAGE 56) eluding weeklong summer camps for middle and high school athletes.A key partnership is with the NCAA, and Oates is hoping Birmingham CrossPlex, with its 75,000 square feet of competi- tion floor space (and 750,000 square feet of overall space) will in the future be the site of the Division II volleyball championships. For volleyball, the CrossPlex can ac- commodate 4,000 spectators,and also of- fers seven VIP suites overlooking the action, with hospitality capabilities and private box seating. While city-owned, the CrossPlex "is a competition facility, not a park and rec and not open to the community," Oates says. "It's important that we keep high-quality competition here." >v444 Birmingham, she adds, "doesn't have 4 Zi professional sports, so when you come here to play,you're a big deal to us." 0 1. = r, ; . . OUTSTANDING FACIL�T� � � WORLD-CLASS ATTRACTO o We've hosted some of the largest camps,clinics,and tournaments in the Midwest. r Our volleyball facility provides one of the softest,most player-friendly surfaces in the world.And after the final whistle blows you can enjoy some of the best night- life and outlet shopping in America. Find out what makes the Aurora Area an amazing sports destination. �l1�N01$ Contact:Pete Garlock,Director of Soles AOF YOU OP FOR MAZING? 630.256,3194 or Pete@EnjoyAurora.com www.auroraareasportsalliance.conar41 SPORTSDESTINATIONS.COM I 55 SPORTS LANDSCAPE / VOLLEYBALL (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 55) Photo courtesy of Eugene,Cascades&Coast Sports Photo courtesy of Eugene,Cascades&Coast Sports '',',. -;I , 4° ....., _, ../4:,lior__ 5,4,44,13, .., V . . L.,* - . U Sj. 3 a y . { - etsiti=" ak'^ - — `:R -ate i T ________________ a N IIR 40. indoor sports like volleyball.Top venues . 4 4 ~ + .' include the Willamalane Center for Sports&Recreation with 12 courts,Uni- .'; versity of Oregon Student Recreation . '"4. Center with 14 courts,Moshofsky Center4 with 16 courts and the Lane Events Cen- t '.: ter, also with 16 courts. In August, the - •' Willamalane center hosted the Northwest Athletic Conference Sports Festival, 1 which featured 96 volleyball matches and "` about 1,800 student-athletes. Adding to • the appeal is the support the sport gets •- - - from the local club, the Columbia Em- pire Volleyball Association,which helps U run many of the events. On the radar is developing beach vol ;k; leyball. "The Oregon Dunes Recre- ational Area has over 40 miles of sand dunes," says Angie Riley of Eugene, it7 Vs- Cascades & Coast Sports. "We feel it r will be the perfect spot for a beach vol- 0 leyball tournament." o Fayetteville, North Carolina: ilies into our community,"he says. sessions.Fayetteville also has the Crown Competition is Already Built-In So for events such as volleyball, that Center,a complex of four buildings,three One of the unique aspects of Fayet- means sports venues that can handle large of which can be used for multiple courts teville, says John Meroski, CEO of the tournaments, along with area volleyball for volleyball.The largest building in the Fayetteville Area Sports Commission,is clubs that help provide support and vol- Crown Center can seat 8,000 spectators. the competitive environment when it unteers for events coming into the corn- Other venues include Methodist Univer- comes to participating in sports. munity. sity and Fayetteville State. Meroski attributes this to the fact that One of the newest venues is the Free- Beach volleyball also is coming on Fayetteville is a military community, dom Courts Sportsplex,which can be set strong. "We have a few parks and lakes , and the competition helps to bring fam- up for up to 10 volleyball courts."We do that have sand volleyball,"Meroski says. ilies together,particularly military fam- a lot of regional, state and local tourna- "And if we wanted to do large outdoor ilies that tend to move frequently. ments at Freedom Courts,"Meroski says. beach volleyball events,we can set it up "Sports and competition integrates fam- The facility also holds camps and training at the Fayetteville Motor Speedway." 56 SOM I NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 5QV Photo courtesy of Spokane Convention Center/Spokane Public Facilities District An Unexpected Strength in Myrtle t Ilw41 %IR k III Beach, South Carolina "We have an interesting dynamic with 't " volleyball,"says Mike Anderson,the ex- ' ._"`' _ "1 ecutive director of sports tourism for the Myrtle Beach Regional Sports Alliance. "We're on the beach, but indoor volley- ball is stronger than beach volleyball." In part, that's because of the Myrtle Beach Sports Center, which opened in March 2015 and can accommodate 16 courts. "Volleyball has been in our mar- ket for many years, but we're seeing an /w� explosion now."The new sports center adds to the existing 16 volleyball courts at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. anything competitive on our beaches dur- sports facility that would include beach "Since volleyball is a winter sport, it's ing the summer,"Anderson says. volleyball.All of this is good news for the rt: great for our destination when the hotel But that thinking might be changing. sport,which receives strong local support market here is a bit softer." Recently, Coastal Carolina University with the Grand Strand Volleyball Club. Myrtle Beach, of course, is a strong added a women's beach volleyball team S okane Washington: Strong summer destination, and most of the fa- and is building a three-court beach volley- p ' cilities on the beach don't want to block ball facility.And Anderson says there is Ties to USA Volleyball off sand volleyball courts during the tourist interest in exploring the opportunities that Spokane has been hosting volleyball season. "That's why we really don't do might come with building an outdoor sand events for about 15 (CONTINUED ON PAGE 58 Encompassing the G ' IT the GLORY of the rodeo p , { 0, °: since 1932 t /• rir. .10*-4" n ; tv 4. iir... .... ,,, ' I r �_ < • ' ' ft. 1 ' _ f i 0 t s ,- , . 0 #, '.4 u .s. '> :_---,.-4--, ,A,;.4,---;.2—, -, .` * "" ',,.+. ra t t 0,,p.,,,if . 7 ,,..,..,,,,,,„:,,,,,,..,;,,.4.:;,..,Itylik;S: ',';'._.4.. .- . .4:4'▪i;4*--2.7.7',,"1.- ''‘'..:'4.'47'''''.-*Ir''';,:'''''" c:m . , ue"aaav.o..a,.—▪ . . , . fil SPORTSDESTINATIONS.COM ' 57 SPORTS LANDSCAPE / VOLLEYBALL (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 57) Li .Y Photo courtesy of Wilmington and Beaches CVB Photo courtesy of Wilmington and Beaches CVB years. "When USA Volleyball imple- f,r.. rs` mented a qualifier system, Spokane was one of the initial venues," says Kevin ..„, r , Twohig,the CEO of the Spokane Public -x 4 `r'` Facilities District. � + The Pacific Northwest Qualifier, .,m which fills more hotel rooms in the city _.:-...'1/4.4::‘,..,4,„ ��' t., p `,i "" '; than any other sporting event, is one of ; ilikkit at least four events held each year at the z� Spokane Convention Center, which can ;, . � `4: ': put 18 volleyball courts on the floor.The wt-7.,:4-,-...,:74:17-:-. ' ' Qualifier brings in about 650 teams and - ° - takes about 10 days to play. junior program started getting very strong1) 4 a Other events at the Spokane Conven- about 30 years ago, and continues to tion Center,including a regional cham- grow." . pionship with about 300 teams, are put Beach Volleyball: Coming on on by the Evergreen Region Volleyball Association. Another tournament, the Strong in Wilmington, North " "Sizzler" in January, is a "really fun Carolina ' 4 adult event that attracts nearly 70 teams Beach volleyball is "the most preva- C4A from all over the Northwest," Twohig lent" form of the sport in the Wilming- r .. says. ton area,says Bree Nidds,the sports sales "We have a lot of local support," he manager for the Wilmington and Beaches versity of North Carolina-Wilmington adds. "We've had a very strong volley- CVB. "And I see it growing, especially added a beach volleyball team. ball community here for 30 years. Our with junior volleyball."Recently,the Uni- The premier beach volleyball venue in No ifiatter w sport... R ' 43 . --1 ', :-3:3i1'4'' -: -______'—b- — 7*-(3- _ n r ,F i r f f 0 t SAuhl ANGELO TEXAS is the place for you! wr- VisitSanAngeloorg or 1-800-375-1206 58 9DM I NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 51.1 Photo courtesy of Sports Wisconsin t. nament to the area, which could be ac- commodated at parks in New Hanover and Wilmington. ! StIn Wisconsin,a Booming Volleyball ' Scene Brings in Tournaments on .: h , All Surfaces ' With its location on Lake Michigan, "We have a very robust beach volleyball hitit environment in Wisconsin," says Carla Minsky,who assists the state's Department 4 which offers nine outdoor sand courts.Plus of Tourism with its sports marketing ef- there are other beach volleyball facilities forts.In Racine,in the southern part of the in the area. state (and an easy trek from Chicago), Nkt-ie "Beyond that,we have natural beaches North Beach Park offers more than 50 N �. that can host volleyball tournaments," acres of groomed sand and hosts frequent - 1 Nidds says. In 2015, EVP Beach Volley- pro volleyball events. -• ball held an event at Carolina Beach,and in Milwaukee also hosts a number of beach 4 R. $' 2016,the organization hosted a tourney at volleyball tournaments,including last year ',, `fthe Dig&Dive. the USA Volleyball 18's Girls'Junior Na- „ Indoor volleyball also can be played at tional Championships and USA Volleyball - ` `�} '''�' '''" the Wilmington Convention Center, Cape Junior Beach Championships. Farther Eastern North Carolina is at Capt'n Bill's Fear College Sports Center and the UNC- north,Two Rivers hosted the EVP Coolest Backyard Grill, which has 11 courts. Wilmington.And Nidds says there's been Coast Pro-Am beach volleyball tourney at Wilmington also has the Dig & Dive, interest in bringing a grass volleyball tour- Neshotah Beach. (CONTINUED ON PAGE GO) . ' ` �.wCONGRATULATIONS trs . In addition fo world-class indoor and outdoor athletic , t `l facilities,Owensboro offers more than 1,000 affordable rteCr'" ,– i"—"'- ,- ' K<, rooms,along with museums and other attractions :including an award-winning downtown ark and !� 'i r playground on the banks of the Ohio River a �,,,..•.'. , E .v.,.. , _ ...... Sh.00tis "Kentucky's #1 Spor#s#own iis: -Sports Illustrated Magazine 2016 r .. ACO Cornhole Regionals Champion of WWA Live Professional Wrestling ATA Taekwondo Regionals Impact mpact L ,.. NGA Western Kentucky Natural Classic in Sports Tourism USTA Junior Tennis Open LISTA Adult 55+State Championship From Your Fr'ends, ,;,, NSA Class BFastpitchWorld Series o rie :. NSA dens W�1or"fef'Senes BPA Baseball World Series ,,. KHSAA Fastpitch State Championship AJGA Junior Golf Championship SPO TS4. r ALLIA CE PoweredAkron/Summit CVB ;- nx- rQs :Trp n rlwk,,,,,,,, ; kron,r , - WWW.ViSltOwe 1S 7orQ cC?ill SPORTSDESTINATIONS.COM I 59 5u I, SPORTS LANDSCAPE / VOLLEYBALL (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 59) Photo courtesy of Sports Wisconsin Oshkosh is home to the massive Wau- Dells," says Minsky. Known as the"wa- paca Boatride Volleyball Tournament, terpark capital of the world,"Wisconsin also known as the US Open of Grass Vol- Dells has both attractions and hotels. �� leyball.The event,held in July,has both Most popular for volleyball is the Wood- grass and beach volleyball in many age side Wisconsin Dells Center Dome, �� divisions, and this year surpassed 1,300 which has a showcase volleyball tourna- ' registered teams. ment in February with 300 teams from "One of the most popular places for across the U.S. "When tournament and tournaments or camps is Wisconsin event organizers choose Wisconsin Dells, -. 77 . , # _ '''''',11D4 (111in#t ' 4 4 1#1,.:, , LA �= �" �' � f �rttt t„„.......... ,1tit�fiCn .ni RASSMASTERt _- - f ' it's it's very common for attendance to go up for their events,"Minsky says. BASS LAKES Festivals and Championships on the Courts of Yakima,Washington Constructed in 1989, then renovated ' yr" in 2002,the Yakima Valley SunDome is ' ; ._ `- ? a flexible multi-purpose facility that has K o '� _ hosted many volleyball events, includ- el�ieSSee S - ing the SunDome Volleyball Festival in p September,which brings in a total of 80 I a r�a to 0 U 1 R B C B r y _ school teams,and the High School State „ Volleyball Championships, with 48 (� f { . . teams. The SunDome can have up to �� C l a Weight eight volleyball courts playing at the •, same time, offering great viewing for Jusspectators, says Rich Austin,the direc- �_ for of sports development for the <; Yakima Valley Sports Commission. Caught by Gabe Keen "The Yakima Valley has a long bis- on Lake Chickamauga . ,' tory in volleyball," he says. "Club vol- leyball is very big in our community, with the largest organization being Team Yakima. And now we're getting more volleyball clubs popping up."The Yakima Valley extends about 30 miles -`t ,- 4`4) to te north and 4 miles to the south 4,-m' ,A_ 0 of the city. AA3 -- "The biggest th ng for us is develop- , < ing good relations ips with our venues," \-.: he notes. "We also develop great rela- Book your next tournament or just relax on your tionships with th officials' organiza- tion. Plus, we'r fortunate here in next family vacation with us at FishDayton.com Yakimaon to have a rest ith us ith any tion that will w rk with us with any events we bring i ." 5DM 60 I SGM i NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 - - - AN L. 0Nut, 1 ,3i ,1 bc,,,,i ,, , , 50 Ck M Ax t Mu S AN ECONOMIST ANDREW ZIMBALIST _ , BEST BOOK OF --.7 - - 201.6 _VI Eu B04 r A-p„ii,v 6b Ez; *44. INA% Setttl, It is an essential text for any riactiar.4% s u ierboef4i, politician who is even remotely >r • LI=W .at a If.1 al. tempted. THE ECONOMIC GAMBLE BEHIND HOSTING , AND -The Financial Times A remarkable study that exposes the extraordinary chicanery and dodgy dealing behind staging the Olympics and the World Cup -The Guardian Anyone in our broad metropolitan region who worries about the development binge that treats our unique area as a mega-mall for paving over, or who worries about the corrupting influence that commercialization has brought to all amateur sports should , I read this book. -The Washington Times A slim yet persuasive book that seeks to set out the "economic gamble behind hosting the Olympics and the World Cup."And it succeeds;indeed,it succeeds to such an extent that the reader can't help but wonder why on earth any vaguely sensible city or country would want to play any part in such an expensive business. -SB Nation "Circus Maximus"ought to be required reading for the city and state officials anxious to bring the Olympics to Boston. -The Boston Globe B, rookings Institution Press MULTI-SPORT/MULTI-DISCIPLINE REVIEW EQUESTRIAN & RODEO 50 p \ Equestrian Centers Making Facility45 Improvements and Organizational Byis el Popke Changes to Attract Top Events .",..44. EVERY FOUR YEARS, equestrian sports are spotlighted in the Olympics, and the Rio Games were no exception. But over the past few years, horse-related sports have made it a point to up their game, delving into social media and working to livestream their competiow - tions, all in the name of becoming more visible and more relevant to today's spectators. wii, I And look what else has been happening:rodeo is growing.With competition at all levels of the sport youth,high school,college and professional—rodeo is grooming its new generation and moving into the future. Professional bull riding has been re- `"" branded as an extreme sport,leaving behind its county fair roots and moving into the big arenas. With so much to keep up with and look forward to,SDM is pleased to present a spe- , cial two-part feature highlighting both equestrian and rodeo—as well as all the great des- , tinations that are serving as home to its events. Saddle up and get ready for a great ride. When the Federation Equestre Inter- Maryland's Rich Horse History nationale(or FEI),the international gov- Helping to Recruit Events erning body of equestrian sport, created Horse history in Maryland,which hosts its campaign to publicize what made rid- the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race ing unique among other Olympic events, Course in Baltimore (the second race of ,..., .„.] it didn't need to look far. In fact, it the Triple Crown) dates back to the 17th I 4,4.1 wi looked within. The #TwoHearts cam- Century. ir paign caught fire before, during and af- "We've come to the realization that our ter the Rio Games,with plenty of social entire state is a horse park,"says Ross Ped- media impressions.And with the Games dicord,executive director of the three-year- ,1 now in the rear-view, it's time for the old Maryland Horse Industry Board, a sport to look ahead to events held program of the state's Department ofAgri- „ 7 „ i throughout the U.S. culture. "Maryland is an amazing horse The bounty of venues coast to coast re- state. It's a horse Mecca.And until now, flects the sport's variety,with riding,jump- everybody has been in their own little silos. - ing,reining, driving and more. Here are Now, we've all come together to create a some of the cities welcoming equine ath- system to market and package what we letes and their human partners—and how have to offer." _k " they're doing it. One of the goals of the (CONTINUED ON PAGE 64) 62 I SDM I NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 5 13 Photo courtesy of Ocala/Marion County Visitors and Convention Bureau ...„,„t, , , , ... , e i '''''' ' - ' ' ' 4 .,- ,, a . ,,,,,,,_, „.,,,,.,., : m lir ,,. - ..„- , ,.r*olici. I" Am it 4 P1111' I • 4, ,, ,_, .....,..,;, i„..... ...,.,,,, lit 'l� ENDURANC A f% cue f � eve one- a. a, ' .: f y `/ - *11' "� " ;z ,�*: SPDRTSDESTINATIONS.CDM 1 63 MULTI-SPORT/MULTI-DISCIPLINE REVIEW / EQUESTRIAN & RODEO (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 63) Photo courtesy of Maryland Horse Industry Board Additionally,the Virginia uginia Gold Cup caps " the season at Great Meadow,where races °r . . run the first Saturday in May and draw "° 55,000 fans. Plus,Twilight Polo at Great 'i - ,.4. Tl, .. r,-, - Meadow showcases that sport under the a" '� lights for as many as 2,000 fans on 18 con- f secutive Saturday nights. ", ,�„ r 4 ^,� ,s.=, Great Meadow's newest facility is the ,• _„� M1.v._....-..- arena,which features a large water com- plex and warm-up ring with clear views of the action for spectators. ' c "Equestrian facilities [are at] their best 1 when they cater to both the spectator and --- exhibitor,"Banner says. "It is imperative �, , OUT i,,,,,— hat all enjoy a good view of the competi- s CORPGDRP � r ,-7-7.677`. tion,so the best events are surrounded by berms and viewing hills where everyone kiir jo La :` 7' from general admission to VIP can see the ..� ::,,,:::,-,7„:7,--:::".,--*; z,. <.. action>' The 2017 Land Rover Great Meadow International will bring teams from Ger- many, France, Ireland, England, Canada Maryland Horse Board is to further raise know Most other spectators want to meet and the United States to Great Meadow the visibility of Maryland's horses as a you and are happy to explain the rules if next year for what Banner is calling a strong industry through economic feasibil- you don't understand. Besides, what is "mini-Olympics." ity studies and tourism opportunities.To more beautiful than watching a fit,athletic that end,Peddicord and his team have a lot horse in action?" Indoor and Outdoor Facilities Draw to work with. Great Meadow offers 374 acres just 50 Events to Kentucky Horse Country The state's offerings include two harness miles from Washington, D.C., in an area Kentucky is another state with a variety tracks(Ocean Downs in Berlin and Rose- recognized for equestrianism for more than of equestrian venues, including the Ken- croft Raceway in Fort Washington, eight 200 years.The facility hosts at least 40 tacky Horse Park. steeplechase courses(including the presti- events annually—including steeplechase, One of the most popular annual events gious Maryland Hunt Club in Glyndon), polo,show jumping and now international there is the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Fair Hill International in Elkton,The Show eventing(which includes dressage,cross- Event, which is held the last weekend of Place Arena and Prince George's Eques- country and show jumping)—that cumu- April and averages 80,000 spectators.One trian Center, and Loch Moy Farm in latively attract more than 200,000 of only six three-day events in the world Adamstown. Plus,Timonium's Maryland spectators,according to Banner. that are ranked at the (CONTINUED ON PAGE 66) State Fair is the only fair east of the Mis- l- sissippi to include thoroughbred racing, , � - ' Peddicord says. In Virginia, Creating Spectator- Friendly Events _ I ' "Many consider equestrian sports too V .- __ .., , , drF, elite for them,but I disagree,"says Robert ,,, , Banner Jr.,president of the Great Meadow t , . . Foundation in The Plains,Virginia.In July, , h , The Plains hosted the first FEI Nations ;., Cup of Eventing held in America. Great ' - w . 0 �,--' 'y , n -�,r Meadow's new $1.2 million indoor all- ,. weather arena served as the venue and drew more than 15,000 spectators over three days. "The ticket prices can be very afford- able ($30 per carload),which is cheaper than dinner and a movie," says Banner. ' "You would be surprised that at most ' -747.y•, Iequestrian events, you see someone you Photo courtesy of James Shambhu 64 9DM NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 Explorer,. �,,.'"i, �r� Qi Qi � MARION COUNT1f,FLORIDA I. 44;,,,,t•'-±,*-14.' ,,,,,,4y, rt. 1.,t,ier,„„toz,, ,,.„,., .. .,,,i.:: ,„,. .,..... ,, ,,8 _,._ , .,, . , . . .; 10Qiaa Eviii- . DoDrvtr°�., � r 11 ""' Play your greatest game in world-class facilities that ' '‘'''''''''''''s:714r-'4'..?,:i't-'''.'' 7. transform every tournament into one for the record ' ' -4,1:..'4''t'*'* ' : ' '-' '''''' books. Hit it out of the park with your next sports event, explore nature's wildest attractions and do ;iii p more of what you love in Ocala/Marion County. Whether it's a thrilling zipline tour of the area's -.. _ .- 5 unique beauty, or charting your own course as `` you kayak on crystal clear springs, the adventures �• - a r ,` {. - you'll find here are truly one-in-a-million. Take Advantage of our Play & Save Program for your next sports event. Contact our event - experts at Sales@MarionCountyFLorg 6 3;. or 888-FL-OCALA . . . � x ,.. ocalamarion@ocalamarion @ocalamarion MULTI-SPORT/MULTI-DISCIPLINE REVIEW / EQUESTRIAN & RODEO (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 64) 5 Li i d Photo courtesy of Ocala/Marion County Visitors and Convention Bureau highest four-star level (CCI****), the Rolex Kentucky is the first three-day event- ing competition of the year on the interna- tional calendar. "Fresh country air and wide-open green space for horses to roam and graze are two of the most desirable elements that attract competitors to the park," says Laura Pre- - witt,who was named executive director of - the Kentucky Horse Park earlier this year. r --v- "If horses are happy,then their people will , i, be,too." ' ‘ .44k, The 1,224-acre park features the cli- mate-controlled Alltech Arena,Rolex Sta- __ _ - dium,permanent stabling for 1,400 with _ `" icitl capacity for about 600 more temporary sta- � i bles,a full-service campground,the Inter- 4 t, --, i .} national Museum of the Horse and even f _ ' horse-drawn trolley rides. <a, Road to the Horse,held annually in the park's Alltech Arena in March,boasts sell- & _ - out crowds of about 6,000 during each of its three days,and the park hosts nearly 200 The 2017 United States Eventing Asso- other county in the United States. other horse shows and special events ciation's American Eventing Champi- "A study performed in 2015 showed that throughout the year. To accommodate onships are slated for Tryon in late August the equine industry represents a$2.62 bil- more, the facility recently added 1,200 and early September. lion annual economic impact on Ocala/ parking spaces at Alltech Arena and a per- "This facility was built to showcase Marion County each year," says Corry vious-pavement parking lot near Rolex Sta- equestrian in a number of disciplines;'says Locke,sports marketing specialist with the dium for both vehicles and temporary Mark Bellissimo, a managing partner of Ocala/Marion County Visitors and Con- stables. Tryon Equestrian Partners."These animals vention Bureau."Thirty percent of our lo- 4 "The industry is a diverse and varied are important and special, and we hold cal economy is driven by the horse industry one,with enthusiasts of each breed and dis- their welfare to the highest level.For those —feed producers,tack shops,ferries,barn cipline often not that familiar with the oth- coming to watch,we have ample parking, builders,waste pick-up,breeding,tempo- ers,much like football enthusiasts are not an easy-to-navigate facility,fantastic food rary stabling.Any possible resource that a familiar with swimming," Prewitt says. and drink options,and great stadium seat- horse enthusiast would ever need is in "People are very passionate about their ing.There's not a bad seat in the house." Ocala." own breed and discipline and it has led to The center also recently completed a Among the county's equestrian venues so many shows, as enthusiasts gather to new cross-country course designed by is the HITS(Horse Shows in The Sun)Post celebrate and compete within their own Mark Phillips,a decorated Olympic event- Time Farm,a 450-acre property operated breed and discipline." ing rider and U.S. team coach.Addition- by the HITS special events management Jumping onto the Equestrian ally, there is a new grass riding field for company headquartered in Saugerties, special events and more permanent sta- New York.HITS Post Time Farm includes Radar:Mill Spring,North Carolina bling,parking areas and on-site restaurants 27 permanent barns and 540 permanent An example of an equestrian facility that and bars. stalls, and it hosts the annual 12-week opened and immediately became success- The"Horse Capital of the World:" HITS Ocala Winter Circuit. In 2013, the ful can be found in Mill Spring,North Car- Ocala Horse Properties Stadium was built, olina.The Tryon International Equestrian Ocala/Marion County, Florida giving HITS Ocala a new state-of-the-art Center opened in 2014 with a few small Considering the level of equestrian ac- competition ring. events but quickly expanded the following tivity in such states as Maryland, Ken- Additionally, the Florida Horse Park year by hosting FEI-rated show jumping tucky, Virginia and North Carolina, it opened in 2014 and is operated by the events.This year,the anchor development might be surprising that the official Florida Agriculture Center and Horse Park of the 1,400-acre Tryon Resort added in- "Horse Capital of the World"—as de- Authority.It comprises 500 acres of green ternationally rated hunter/jumper and dres- Glared by the Florida Thoroughbred space,offers 156 stalls and provides multi- sage shows,as well as hosted the U.S.Pony Breeders and Owners Association—is purpose facilities that host everything from Club Championships East and the 2016 Marion County in central Florida. That hunter/jumper and dressage competitions American Eventing Championships. In designation came in 2007 after a National to professional bull riding. 2018,it will host the FEI World Equestrian Horse Council survey showed there were In November, the Ocala Jockey Club Games. more horses and ponies there than in any —a 950-acre eventing center designated 66 SDM NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 510 . Photo courtesy of Visit Huntington Beach ing to increase its equestrian offerings. The Longines Masters Series—known as the "Grand Slam Indoor of Show Jumping" with two other prestigious l competitions in Paris and Hong Kong— entered the U.S. market in 2014 at the - ([}*O ON 4 ., ' `` Los Angeles Convention Center. This *fr = 1, September,however,the event moved to '' the Long Beach Convention Center, ' _ ; which was repurposed with stables un- - demeath the facility,an indoor warm-up ti. , . -- � m paddock and a pop-up kitchen to create r t ,.� . - , ,„ cuisine for guests. Prior to the arrival of the Longines ` Masters of Los Angeles,elite show jump- ' 1 ing of this caliber had not been available on the West Coast since the 1984 t'r ;' * Olympics. American riders travel ..» j throughout Europe to compete, but this • '" - event offers the opportunity for U.S.rid- ers to participate in their own backyard and attracts top-ranked riders from for international competition,training and acres of public trails,and it's available for around the world. teaching—hosts the inaugural Three-Day horse shows,clinics and other events.One Sports Destination Management caught Eventing Series over Thanksgiving week- of the center's most popular events is Derby up with Christophe Ameeuw,chief execu- end. It awards $100,000 in prize money Day,a festival-type event that takes place tive officer and founder of Belgium-based across the CICS*,CCI2*and CCI*divi- every year and coincides with the Ken- EEM World(which created the Longines sions, and will reportedly be the richest tacky Derby.It is hosted by the Therapeu- Masters international series) on the first purse at a recognized horse trials below tic Riding Center of Huntington Beach. day of competition at the Long Beach the four-star level in North America. Convention Center. Long Beach,California:Offering Horses by the Sea in Huntington West Coast Equestrians Increased "Today was the kickoff of the 2016 Q Longines Masters Series and we have hit Beach,California Options the ground running," Ameeuw said, As mentioned previously,a desirable set- Less than an hour's drive north from thrilled with the facilities at the center. ting is important to both event planners and Huntington Beach,Long Beach is aspir- "[And]it's only just the beginning."sono horse enthusiasts.The Huntington Central Park Equestrian Center sits two miles from .�$ .> the beach and promotes the slogan"By the sea"—making it attractive to people who r ru . "it also want to experience activities for which �£" i Huntington Beach is more famous. "Huntington Beach has a natural incor- g:F. poration of action sports within its culture," says Jennifer Tong, communication coor- j 4, dinator for Visit Huntington Beach."Typi- ) 0 V cally, activities along our ocean strand1 * N... come to mind first— such as surfing, PI' beach volleyball and stand-up paddle- •. '._. boarding.But our destination has evolved while still maintaining its core identity.Vis- O itors today look for their own tailored ex- / S perience that aligns with their interests, -, * ANGELES ' ". which is where the equestrian center comes r •: -' kx& . ,0 ' ,* A into play.We want to showcase that there , ' `t e ., P� are other sport attractions." ,. G The 25-acre Huntington Central Parkfi Equestrian Center is home to nearly 400 • horses,multiple arenas and more than 150 `"%"" "" Photo courtesy of McCool Photography SPORTSDESTINATIONS.COM I 67 #r' v t a ... $ }..y .,-*-7 �± MULTI-SPORT/MULTI-DISCIPLINE REVIEW / EQUESTRIAN RODEO 50 . 1,800 stalls housed livestock—plus, an estimated 5,700 spectators per day at- tended events for nine consecutive days. The venue became its own village, with e security crews,food vendors and a neigh- _ borly family atmosphere. "We've been told to plan on an increase in camping and stalls next year,"Wall says. "We stretched everything on the property that we * could, and we handled it a'�. S , By Michael Popke really well. We provided the experience people were hoping for, and you can bet they're talking about it." With PRCA-Sanctioned Events in 38 States, the Proud Tradition of Western Ridingand Roping Continues t It's not an Olympic sport,but that has- July. Additionally, the University of # n't stopped it from being the quintessen- Wyoming's rodeo team competes at its w- tial American one. There isn't anything own 47,500-square-foot facility,the Cliff that screams USA quite like the image of and Martha Hansen Teaching Arena, t # + ' a rodeo cowboy. which also hosts the National Intercolle- Governed by the Professional Rodeo giate Rodeo Association's Laramie River '� mom;>.; q Cowboys Association(PRCA),the sport Rendezvous every spring. r '' ranks seventh in overall attendance r ' 1,-',amon ma'or s ortin events. Not ba Rodeo with a Festival -; a LL , considering the PRCA sanctions its 600 AtmosphereI. ' or so annual events in just 38 states. And Creating the right atmosphere is key x with bull riding being rebranded as an ex- to rodeo event success. Dan Wall will '1 ,: '" ., i treme sport, we can expect to see even never forget the first time the Lazy E ;., , 'e.14 t _ more action in unexpected destinations. Arena in Guthrie,Oklahoma,hosted the i= The call of cowboy culture still res- National Little Britches Rodeo Finals `, onates throughout the country,and rodeos in early July. offer fans and newcomers alike the op- "Mother Nature threw every- , . portunity to witness human-vs.-animal thing she had at us,"says Wall, skills that can be traced back decades to Lazy E's vice president and t Ar the working practices of cattle herding. general manager. "We had a ,< ; ti. tornado pass over nearby, a grass .,. ,,T -, �' Rodeo:The Real Thing fire two miles away, a hail storm and a ' . v«A, , "I ran into some people from Florida significant amount of rain. But if I had } who told me they wanted to see a real to sum up the event in one word,it would ‘$„S cowboy,”says Mike Gray,assistant direc- still be `fantastic.'" r for of the Laramie Area(Wyoming)Visitor Easily the largest event ever hosted by ,, Center. "I smiled and told them, 'Go out the Lazy E Arena—itself the largest in- and � � see them.'They asked, 'Oh, are they door rodeo arena in the world — the doing a reenactment?'I said, 'No,they're NLB Rodeo Finals moved from Pueblo, ' actually working and moving cattle.' Colorado, and settled into Guthrie this ' -�`. Laramie's Jubilee Days event offers summer for a five-year agreement.More eight days of local and PRCA-sanctioned than 1,200 competitors between the ages rodeo action,bringing top riders and avid of five and 18 competed in 31 events in �a, ?. . spectators from all over the country to three age divisions. About 700 families % the Albany County Fairgrounds every camped on the Lazy E grounds, and ,` Photo courtesy of the San Angelo Stock Show '" and Rodeo Association 68" I SOM ! NOVEMBER/DECEMBER2016 :`5'``,. ,','",!,:',4-11_: ''�': 4, Photo courtesy of Lazy E Arena Photo courtesy of Lazy E Arena . .." x, 1$11% le_ /` , id : N c ice. •i* , ' , ,t /4 �E � , youth bull-riding events. "Rodeo is in our blood,and like lots of towns,we love and support the military, Hancock says."It's a time honored trade ;* _ tion here.I can take my grandmother and When rodeo pops up in new and unex- steeped in western culture that will wel- my two-year-old niece, and they each pected destinations,you can count on the come the 2016 Professional Armed have a lot of fun.It's family-friendly and "" paradigm to shift a bit. National Finals Forces Rodeo Association (PAFRA) I don't worry about what they're going to Rodeo(NRF),the premier championship World Finals in November. see." event organized byPRCA comes to,yes, "Ifyou talk to rodeo people.,they'll tell Ifyou look hard enou ou mi t see g � P P ��Y � Las Vegas this December."All rodeo ac- you we know dirt," proclaims Crissy a rodeo of some type in nearly every z tt.tivities will takeplace at Thomas and Hancock,director of servicin and com Texas communit . But Abilene, which "`'' g Yr, .a Mack Center. munication for VisitMidland. "It sounds completes a Texas triangle with San An s xa funny,but this is a serious thing" gelo and Midland at the other two points ,',",*,;.7.,,,:, The Valuable Commodity Midland has hosted the PAFRA World hosts two of the state's largest rodeos.The tr of Rodeo Knowledge Finals, which feature both active-duty Texas High School Rodeo Association In the early 1930s,people in San An- personnel and retired veterans,.since State Finals happens everyJune,followed gelo,Texas—in an effort to pull local 2011 at the air-conditioned Mdland by the Texas State 4-H Horse Show and *: residents out of the funk of the Great De- Horseshoe Arena.That facility also hosts Rodeo in July. pression developed— a"fat"stock show 10 to 12 other rodeo events per year, in- Both sponsoring organizations are to showcase plump livestock ready for cluding major youth calf-roping and longtime tenants of the (CONTINUED ON PAGE 70) '# market. A few years later, in 1934, the ; first San Angelo Rodeo was held. And _ ` this year,the San Angelo Stock Show& � ° Rodeo at the San Angelo Fairgrounds is a first-time nominee for PRCA's"Large In- ..., ,_- .0-,i'"...,-..,*„.„--„vc,,ax,.. ' :4' door Rodeo of the Year." _ . "It's a pretty big accolade for us,"says Justin Jonas, executive director of the event,acknowledging the presence on the ballot of rodeo venues in much larger ^ ' xi cities such as Denver and San Antonio. "But we have a lot of knowledge of rodeos°' Of the 12 San Angelo Stock Show & Rodeo performances, held every Febru- ary in the 5,000-seat Foster Communica- �r tions Coliseum, 11 of them sell out every year. "That's very unusual," Jonas says. "We're preserving western heritage:' Less than two hours west of San An gelo is Midland, Texas, another city Photo courtesy of Barb Page Ali: 44";"., l-SPORT/MULTI-DISCIPLINE REVIEW / I RODEO (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 69) . Photo courtesy of ERA Rodeo and Impulse Photography Photo courtesy of Abilene Convention&Visitors Bureau ( as 4. 1.41 c `" ,� i X h ��p :_,,,i_ IL. , a 'yj5'�� L :,,," 1"' e.:_i'; ppiortJ xs 1,'l 1 , tit: t kE t; i""'� = Taylor County Expo Center,which offers , a 5,000-seat coliseum, an 1,800-seat t horse barn and other smaller venues. #' ' - During one of the high school rodeo . 1 .�. days,a group of volunteers partners with °€., the local restaurant association to provide Rodeo Association,and organizers at the Another rodeo destination out west is lunch for up to 1,000 people. "We just Deschutes County Fairgrounds and Expo the Butte(Montana)Civic Center,which want to make them feel special," says Center hope they can keep that streak go- in October hosted the Northern Rodeo '. Debi Schultz, director of sales for the ing until at least 2019, when the event Association Finals. Prior to that event's Abilene Convention &Visitors Bureau. will celebrate its 100-year anniversary. move from Billings to Butte six years -' "These are huge groups for us,and when "We're in an area where cowboys and ago, rodeos didn't happen in Butte, ac- -._ -i they're competing at this level, they de- rodeos are still alive," says Dan Despo- cording to Bill Melvin,general manager serve a free lunch." topulos,director of the facility."It's easy of the civic center. "It's become a rodeo r Proving the Tradition of Cowboys for us to keep the attraction of that here, town,"he says. and the cowboys keep coming back." The same can be said of rodeos and -, and Rodeos Is Still Alive and The expo center offers four indoor are- equestrian events that come to the T.Ed Bucking nas and hosts a PRCA rodeo every summer, Garrison Arena in Pendleton, South For 14 consecutive years, the De- as well as special rodeo events throughout Carolina. Operated through Clemson -t*-' schutes schutes County Fair Rodeo in Redmond, the year. In March,the venue also was the University's Cooperative Extension and Oregon,has been named Regional Rodeo first facility to welcome the inaugural Elite located five miles from the heart of ' of the Year bythe Northwest Professional Rodeo Athletes Premier Tour. campus,the 90 000-s-square-foot com e p q p - tition arena typically hosts four rodeos ` -,." per year and seats 3,200.It's undergone ;4 '4 R5* numerous renovations and expansions R .. „ , since opening in 1991, with more planned soon— including the conver- e . " ' , . a sion of an outdoor arena to an all- ft �,. , ' 4.. fi a weather facility. = �„� ;�" �. ., - "We have clients who have been here .a �; I '----7,- ��►� since we opened in 1991 and return an- ; t nually,"says Charles Williams,arena di U. . ...1 rector. "We like to make long-lasting --- - ' , relationships." € Some rodeo venues have learned to � _•• "- . ; seek out new affiliations with other rodeo groups in order to keep growing. The Lazy E, for example, created the JR. Ironman Championship for cowboys be- tween the ages of 15 and 20. The event is set to debut in March 2017 in conjunc- tion with the prestigious Cinch Timed Event Championship.p soo -- , Photo courtesy of Deschutes County Fair&Expo Center 70 I SOM I NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 � � � � Y=a:';' .. � 4,»: < _ ,P. r ' 5 P -you ;, `/ / m _, ., .,,,. ,,,,,,,,, ,„ , „ ,,, , ..‘ , „_. _ _ __ . , , , . ,,, , „ , , , , .„, v. .,_. 1 . _ . , „...,,,. .... ...4 . / „,, , ,, , YOUR G r X - - . W Es Li Lity. E L p y - ' - , s ,,. ' ,,,,,._. , , „iv\ , ,,,.. ,„ } _ ...„,„ LEAVE A LEGACY • , , _ ,474,0 .., _ _ , . . ,... ,. . ,.A. . - , it „,,. 1 ',. . ,arat :iii /It �Pr Ta )t. ..„.....005^ 1.1.11L I 1 f ' - '''''.--'%P'--1,6, ' 0 LEGACY EVENTS C E N T E R If your next sporting event is looking to take it's game to the next level,our staff is ready to help make it succeed. The Legacy Events Center, located in Farmington,Utah,is just 15 minutes north of Salt Lake City and conveniently located across the street from Station Park shopping plaza and the FrontRunner commuter rail system.The Legacy Events Center boasts breathtaking mountain a tgadaj -801-451-4080 views and excellent service. Amenities include a multi-use event center, L E G A CY E V E N TS C E NT E R.C O M adaptable exhibit building,15 acres of playable grass and plenty of parking for any type of event. Come create your legacy at the Legacy Events Center. 151 SOUTH 1100 WEST FARMINGTON,UT 84025 1 4 ur _ i .L . .. LOCATION REVIEW > Edmond O< AHOVAe rows Jewel , ,,, _ „. .9,,, , . 4, of ..... .. Want your next event to shine?Consider Edmond,Oklahoma.Known as the"crown jewel" of Oklahoma, this suburb puts the polish on sports events of all shapes and - sizes.Located on I-35,convenient to north Oklahoma City,Edmond offers more than „...., 170 pieces of public art scattered throughout the city,waiting to surprise you with un- f expected beauty. With a history of hosting several southern regional soccer tournaments,golf's USGA Senior Open,the PGA's Senior Championship and many Triple Crown softball tour- .: naments, successful competition is in Edmond's DNA.A point of pride is the UCO I;., , .,,iiiiiiftiii Endeavor Games, an annual multi-sport event for athletes with physical disabilities. The Endeavor Games were key to Edmond's University of Central Oklahoma becom- ing a"Rings of Gold"USOC Paralympic Training site.UCO is the home of the Team USA Men's and Women's sitting volleyball teams and US Paralympic powerliffing. Oklahoma is in the heart of America and Edmond is in the heart of Oklahoma. Horses and equestrian events have a special home there at the fabulous Lazy E Arena. The Lazy E is located just minutes north of Edmond between Edmond and Guthrie.The III, h=_• _. - R" z.,,; Lazy E serves the cowboy population with more than 40 unique events a year.Among -` the biggest is the National Little Britches Finals Rodeo in July.Besides the main indoor ftp A climate-controlled arena, which seats 7,200, the 900-acre site has a covered outdoor arena,a breeding facility housing some of the top names in the racing Quarter Horse ,, stud books,and a track training facility.Home to the prestigious Timed Event Cham- pionship of the World in March, the Lazy E is both where legends begin and where rodeo history is made. When you're thinking of where to place your next event,think of Edmond,Oklahoma! { For more information,visit www.VisitEdmondOk.com. soon g q- ' .1 s •Accommodations:Hotels and B&Bs;over- I ff flow available in OkC and Guthrie hotels re ,k ;;: •Arcadia Lake:fishing,water sports and , " ,* camping • Edmond Soccer Complex:16 full-size fields(10 lighted) - -#. _ j< •200-plus holes of golf on public and pri- i /_.; les t i vate courses,including the Pete Dye- Vit'• v designed Oak Tree National i •Edmond YMCA Recreation&Aquatic Center Mitch Park:natatorium with .0 Olympic-size pool ) " •Lazy E Arena:Full-service,climate-con trolled lighted arena,adjacent outdoor covered arena. • Lazy E Arena has 584 permanent stalls; portable stalls can be added. 72 I SDM NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 Y-4" 11 HE ART_. F OKLAHOMA F:„.,•• ,) ., r., • k • a• y • • •,,:,...•• .,-:„...,....,••••,:„+„_,• , , ...;-•• •••,---, ,•••••••.-•-•- ‘,06 '., ..,;.„.„„:..,,...:„,„!„.%,,...._. ,-,,, , ...„,,,", '..„,,,,- .., '4\,- --; 45 '. i&4M ,,rA��e' / - - .#,.••: .,...... .•',;?-";•':'-' ..V...,,,,''• k!1:,:::....--i-L.,....7 fi' 44,----------'. '"'-^'...".".. } r ister „ • • • • iii, . . , ..,,,„." ,,, ., , .„. . ... ,. ,,,, ,, . - kam'. -... -•. iv r , . ,_._ . ,•__ , „.. :,.,.....„ ,...,..._,_, ...,,,, ..11' .;•,--7 ; f - ix/ �'q � " . ( , , , I . Y {, . !' "1: , y .. 4 • t£ . ... . 3I ; � u ;,,,T7 elf ..�r .. w �..,t li,..f: t i+ ,i - - $ y,y� i, .e` k { IgM :::1:!':is''''. .-.C.',—;,:40.1:.71,..,-.. „ -f. „ ,,.,. ,,,f.„. ,,,..f..,. ,t,,.., .„, $,,E,,,?„koleittr.„5,,,,,:,„. . ‘,111,71,J.:,1,„Atiti 4,,.,. :4,.,tr , t t e•r -f tl i f.+ ii a Welcome to Edmond,Oklahoma,located on historic Rt.66 and just 10 minutes south of the world famous Lazy E. World-class n sculptures are scattered like jewels throughout the city- dozens of them,lining the streets and tucked into corners,waiting to surprise you with unexpected beauty.A city unmatched in the heartland with fine dining,luxurious lodging,championship golf, outdoor adventure at nearby Arcadia Lake,shopping and 'r. family-friendly events&attractions. }i • ' -Call for Free VisitorG d i x . w �' : Edmond Convention & Visitors Bureau Toll Free (866) 341-4344 .. (405) 341-4344 .. VisitEdmondOK.com . 5 ti.,,,,, . , ..t. . r „..„ •,, .. .,,,,, „,.., ..£. t -k` _ -..4„u<zs.[4-444-14.44444;”' fie.... ... .,-,»,. 444,-4 ,. ,r"€s z----4€' *4 ` .4. 4 444444444 -- 44 _-..4..- t ,_ -: *,4 .::'t.' ...-,,.", *4A1-�..';. LOCATION REVIEW > Redmond OREGON Deschutes Fair & { a4 Expo Center A Location That Really Can Do It All! -. Deschutes Fair&Expo Center, located in the heart of beautiful, sunny Redmond, F Oregon, might be the destination you've been looking for all along. Our facilities, ,---- whether you need space for sports,spectators,livestock,parking or anything else,are without equal. Rodeo or equestrian events?We can do that! Basketball?We can do that too,along with off-road racing for motorsports and much,much more.And if you want space for + _ any other indoor event, we have that—200,000 flexible square feet of it, in fact. We have onsite catering and concessions so your dining needs can be easily taken care of. n ;;, _ Redmond is known as the "playground of the Pacific Northwest," and once you ;, . ' visit here,you'll understand why.We have 300 days of high desert sunshine per year, • * �- �, ' and you can take advantage of it when you're not on the field of competition.There are • � 14 ' ' < < ample recreation options,including,championship golf,world-class skiing and plenty of outdoor fun. You'll find Deschutes Fair&Expo to be easily accessible,with a nearby regional air- 4. _.• t' port and plenty of lodging accommodations. If you bring your own RV,the Expo RV *4 !; .._ ! • Park can accommodate that too—we have a full-service parking facility. You'll enjoy . ♦ y the 7 peaks view of the Cascade mountain range from our 75-plus acres of beautifully •4,•4, °'° ' landscaped lawns. 1 4 Come to Deschutes County and bring your expectations. Our staff will be.glad to -«., , exceed them.We really can do it all, and we can't wait to prove it to you.Visit us at A'! 4,1 www.expo.deschutes.org. SDM • 200,000 square-foot flexible indoor event space = �. t a� 4 k •4,000-10,000 stadium seating _ ° +i. • NBA regulation basketball court and _141_ , scoreboard -” • Off-road race track for motorsports • Four arenas for equestrian and livestock events •400 horse stall barn complex • Full-service RV park • Onsite catering&concessions 74 1 SDM 1 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 :1,.. t *MI 411 iv, 7. IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIr , _„, °ESC Uti TES COUNTY FAIRGRouNDs . , Vi iV _ilj k CENTER ,, ..-..- .,-,.,... 13 ....... 0. "We Really Can Do It All!" Deschutes Expo is the perfect location for virtually any kind of Sporting event. The 320 acre event site is located in beautiful sunny Redmond. Oregon.The Expo complex includes: 4.000 stadium — 10,000 seat capacity— Bank of the -,– -,e, • - . ,,-;..,.:k:. .. -.- Cascades Center, NBA Regulation Basketball court&scoreboard, 200,000 sq.ft. ,, . _ flexible indoor event space, 1 indoor, 2 covered & 1 outdoor Livestock Arenas, 14""oliakiritilitliNger,f'--% Off Road Road Race Track for motorsports, 75 plus acres of beautifully landscaped lawns. ...,...,...„.„.., a full service Expo RV park with 200 acres of parking. .." •-n-s--,"".:*"...4.AL.: • • On-site Catering & Concessions are provided to ensure exceptional quality and a s. 1. .. dedication to excellence for all events. -.... , . ....... . •,,e, - .4. .-' -..., Redmond is located at the Heart of Oregon and is home to the regional airport, - . . ,... -.. ... as well as, an outstanding variety of lodging accommodations. Redmond enjoys over 300 days annually of high desert sunshine. Known as the playgroundo . . . , the Pacific Northwest with abundant four-season recreation, championship ._ - .,...-.....1...„,,„„n„, golf,world world class skiing and limitless diversity to offer. ,.,.___.,- -....... .,.. ,....-----7.-,-;.c...,• "We Really Can Do ft All",and are eager to share what we know will exceed your expectations. Madras --,...--, . - 1 — -----\ ,fiteLi;, Prineville (- — * — '— Redmond — •- - a, „ .--- Sisters* Nsli Bend ..— , ^ ,, m _ _ ._. ..,..._ . .... FOR MORE INFORMATION.CONTACT Roxia Thornton Todoroff Director of Sales Roxiat@deschutes.org 3800 SW Airport Way • Redmond, OR 97756 541-548-2711 • Fax 541-923-1652 www.expo.deschutes.org 50 REGIONAL FOCUS MIDWEST a, 11 Iii- Sports , i - - 1,,A *it ear an _ - H in America s . , ..... , Midwestern Destinations Offer By Kathleen 3 ... . Natural and Man-Made Venues DeMarco0.0.—. ,..ir a tt. x MENTION THE MIDWEST and you get an image of all that is American and traditional. But tie area is also home to some of the most cutting-edge sports venues, both indoor and outdoor. Discover (orIS rediscover) wiat this area las to offer. -.; 4 ,N. 17 ,_ , South Sioux City, Nebraska Indoor sports are not the only attrac- In the heart of "Siouand" where tion in South Sioux City; Klasey Park- xlthree states come together is South Sioux Voss Field is home to South Sioux City City,Nebraska,the 20-year host of NAIA Legion Baseball and the South SiouxPr\ . . Division II Women's Basketball Champi- City Cardinal Baseball,and hosts multi- onship Tournament and host of the NAIA pie tournaments each summer including Volleyball Championships. Both events District and State Tournaments. "We are are held at the 7,500-seat Tyson Events eager to host more regional baseball and Center which also hosts Sioux City Mus- softball tournaments," said Jim Steele, keteers Junior Hockey and the Sioux City president of the South Sioux City Areaii " Bandits, 2015 Champions Indoor Foot- Chamber&CVB."Siouxland has a num- ball League title holder. ber of baseball complexes (CONTINUED ON PAGE 78) I fi "----- 4, i rl Jr.— 's - ;- -f-i''Tr:---, , x77 1 M . " ' - 'W.4".01,00"0"0". Photo courtesy of South Sioux City Area Chamber of Commerce&CVB 76 I $DM I NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 d 50 Photo courtesy of Steve Diamond Elements , e • :. 111. , 'ill . . . . . . . .:. . -. ik. '441444 • "..,.. ' * 40* ' AiSiiiii op: ' _ . 4k- it lb. 4i.,7;111 t *- 411 '., iv , 1010* Air ''' I( - - 2,.. -! * '''''4* ' - ''''• - '-,...7.-,, -.... -‘„ , i'-..-,--,:,,,„.i,",.t.--''"'", -!,`-,"- --e, ''''bi ' , ' , ... .. , .7-..,, '-ib .*"••////iti.;Arno , .. . :„.... . - ,. .....,........ --- --„, ,... ._,, . ..:. ., „,,,.... ,...,. --.-..,-,-. --- .,--,- . . ' — aXX ,.._ .., . .. . .. ,.. , .....,...... . , . ,, . _.•, _ itOtlif PA I .,,....,.„‘,.... , .:., ...„.., ... . . 1 .......... ' . .. , .......„.. . .. . .. . ..... ......____. .... ....„--. , .. . , ..,. _ . i... ..... ... ..,. _ . - - ............ . .....„. --:'',.1 - .,..... .., .......:,,f".;:;''17J-!"!'',f1" "' .''--"•-,-'''''' • .:,.,,,... .i-''::;-,"--'''"'',-11-..?!;;;„,,-1---'"'''-' „ .„...Ai :7---ftett"4 --,,, -f'''''''''' '''''''''''' --::-.:., ,44.i.:,,::: -.1-,..f.,,,...,- ---:w-......"-.7"'----'''''''''':''' *,,,,..,'-'- *4--'"'' ,,,. - "" '--1.3E,":41-11,":" ,--.,'.-----'-''''""-''---:'"-'': '• Al .... . .. ,.,, ,. . m .,. --,-,......, '-'-..'''-'''',''!-L':','':,-'.--''-''":...,„'-.'„.,-.r':fr..:''',.'"'"'-',''.-,„":4"!:.11.',.*..-''' .',..""'-'--:r!"''''-''''''''`''''.;.---'' ::'''''''-'4''' ' ' '-':''.• ' SPLIRTSDESTINATI°NS.Ca '-'-.'•"'",z,':.:"''ilialit.'i' 2,'•-•_':=• - - '' '''''''''''''''''''''''.'''''''''''''''7'1,-'„„.. .,--- ,•,,,..,..„,„„,".„ .„, 77 5 ci REGIONAL FOCUS MIDWEST (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17) Photo courtesy of City of Westwood—Grand Park with lighted fields, an important factor for selecting tournament sites." South Sioux City's Jeffrey C.Dible Soc- cer Complex,home to the Diablos youth indoor and outdoor soccer teams, offers 12 fields for indoor and outdoor play. The Chamber, CVB and Siouxland , to schools partner during the school year to offer school facilities for basketball tour- �' naments.Incentives to groups include ho- _ 4.1.4, „ : tel room rebates of up to 10 percent to the organizing body. ro ty Hamilton County, Indiana : ti, l► One of the fastest-growing counties in. <, �" the country,Hamilton County,Indiana,is ,✓ just north of Indianapolis and offers a va- ii, �,, �` ♦. riety of state-of-the-art venues sports ven- ues, making it an easily-accessible and increasingly popular destination. At the center of it all, the 400-acre Grand Park Sports Campus features 26 baseball and softball diamonds,three of 41111 which are full synthetic turf, and 31 multi-purpose fields for soccer, football and lacrosse. The Grand Park Events Center adds three full-size indoor soccer - IF fields, and The Jonathan Byrd's Field- house completes the destination witht eight courts for indoor basketball and vol- leyball. National events hosted there include the US Lacrosse National Championships and US Youth Soccer Regionals. Grand s" Park will also host the best men's colle- giate soccer players in the nation, serv- ' ing as a first-ever neutral site for the Big - Ten Men's Soccer Tournaments for the ,,,, 2016 and 2017 seasons. William Knox, director of the Hamilit - ton County Tourism Office's Sports Au ",4- - thority, credits the Authority's sports development grants for bringing new and repeating sports events to Hamilton County. "Our grant program, which has been in place for about 10 years, has awarded an average of$70,000 a year to non-profit events rights holders and gov- erning bodies who in turn generate posi- tive economic impact in Hamilton County." St. Cloud, Minnesota variety of activities. Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. Located just an hour north of the twin "We work closely with local colleges "St. Cloud State University offers cities of Minneapolis-St.Paul,St.Cloud, and universities in partnerships that Halenbeck Hall,Husky Stadium and the Minnesota is more than just ice hockey. make available excellent facilities for Herb Brooks National Hockey Center. • Outdoor sports in all four seasons makes larger events," said Dana Randt, sports St. John's University's 7,500-seat St.Cloud a sought-after destination for a & special events manager at St. Cloud Clemens Stadium (CONTINUED ON PAGE 80) 78 SDM NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 LZii- hamilton :-.., -... . ..., . county - - , -r' ''''''''''' ''''''5 ..,.•`''. ''.' '''''';''.. .;:.''.!:..:.:,..:'',.':'7'..7':'''''''?''''7'.*' ::'.., . _y , , sports ...... _ . authority .....,. , • ''' . .. , , ,,...... . .. ". . ... .... .0, a* • O. ... .1. ..• .... .... .... . ... ... ..., ... ... .., ..., .". '• „„,_ .,„„,„„,,- ,,,,....-- -,,,....'-.,-- : Lt- /". It.' (-.':'1'., ''',.. i:..-..,-.1 1, ..it..—' t 747`.c.-"'`'`,""'-'.---%..."- •`'`' '' ' ' • . . * . r• -,, 4 ,.,..,."' ,4::- . .,. ' ,.... ,,• . ,-.. ' -- ' ' ``.":-.--.' . ..i..- . * * • • * t .. .. . ... . .. .. . .. . * • II Where Champions Play One grand facility in a community filled with championship-caliber venues. Grand Park includes: Hamilton County,Indiana boasts: • 400+acre multi-sport complex • 30+competition-ready venues • 31 multi-purpose fields • 150+multi-purpose fields D 7 synthetic turf,8 lighted • 80+baseball/diamonds • 26 diamonds • 30 modern and affordable hotels D 8 synthetic turf,all lighted • Unique dining options • 10+miles of trails • All within a days drive of 50%of the U.S. • 7 concession stands population • State of the art irrigation and drainage • Ultimately making Hamilton County the • Grand Park Events Center best location to host your next sporting » 3 multi-purpose helds measuring 115 x 75 yards event. • Jonathan Byrd's Fieldhouse s> 8 hardwood courts ..:::,1i.,,,,- 0,Iif,.....;i.A' '40,44.-*----.7., Visit HamiitonCountySports.com to learn more. - " To schedule a site visit,contact Scott Spillman at sspillmanthamiltoncountysports.com or 317.660.4040 Just North of Indy Grand Park-Westfield, IN a REGIONAL FOCUS / MIDWEST (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 78) 5 U Photo courtesy of Steve Diamond Elements can be used for football, soccer and ver medalist Alise Post, a St. Cloud na- track and field events, and the College tive. Pineview Park annually hosts the of St.Benedict provides spaces for soc- Alise Post MS Race for a Cure and USA cer,volleyball and softball events." BMX-sanctioned races. BMX is big in the St. Cloud area. In 2016, the fifth installment of the Pineview Park BMX helped transform a Kill Cliffs Granite Games took place in . , vandalized city park into one of the top September with approximately 1,500 ath- „°e` BMX facilities in the country, and is letes from around the globe competing in ,. ,, �' home track to 2016 Olympic Cycling sil- the three-day world class fitness compe- ' t ,'' p .-;,... f T : Ili A p .. dir I. Y `...44, _, 1.i11.` . BRING Yo a ROW c WITH THE PEORIA AREAp tition across multiple facilities at St. Cloud State University. MOSSVILLE SOCCER COMPLEX PEORIA CIVIC CENTER Effingham, Illinois Located in central Illinois at the inter- section of major Interstates 57 and 70,the . .i -,� City of Effingham is establishing itself - ; 1 as a well-rounded destination for sports imp � , �: ., events. , -/ t '• Spurring this effort along is the fall -- < A in I` 2016 opening of The Richard E.Work- man Sports and Wellness Center, a sports complex comprising a 15,500- •Multi-Purpose Facility Located on Over • Largest Exhibdton Facissty in Central IL square-foot maple court surface that can 68 Acres • 11.330 Seat Arena •25 Outdoor Soccer Fields • 2.200 Seat Theater be configured for regulation basketball •2 Indoor Soccer Fields with FIFA • 1 10000 sq ft of Continuous Exhibit Space or AAU volleyball courts,plus a 25-me- Endorsed Turf(Used by All Professional • 27.000 sq ft Ballroom ter, eight-lane competitive lap pool, a Teams in the EPL). • 17,000 sq ft of Additional Break Out Rooms •Ample Parkingzero-entry recreational pool with a • On-site Catering by SAVOR . •Locker Rooms and Restrooms Connected a 402 Hotel Room Complex lazy river"float attraction,an elevated ••Concessions and Full Kitchenby aClimate-Controlled Skywalk indoor running track, a 7,000-square- foot indoor fitness facility and four out- door tennis courts. rT, "Sports is really new to Effingham, 11"—ek. For additional venues 0;767, and the addition of the Workman Center and information contact: Browse our �� rt� will expand our city's capability to host me Sports Facility tf cr �', a number of sports events," said Jodi " Cory Hatfield Guide online: :.f'r'Sk; p Director of Sales 0. 4 f"... Thoele, director of tourism for City of 309-282-3283 Effingham Convention &Visitors Bu- chatfield@peoria.org EnjoyPeoria.comtguides reau. "We can now offer facilities to host basketball and volleyball tourna- ments and swim meets all under one f roof." eoria o ILLINOIS, The Workman Center recently hosted _.,,'4,1-/f--.q' IRE YIN IIP FP AMAthe Junior NBA Youth Basketball League with over 200 participating athletes and Peoria Area'_onventianand Visitors Bureau p p g the University of Illinois alumni "Illini 80 I SDM I NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 5 D / Photo courtesy of City of Effingham Convention&Visitors Bureau 4 ' ' , , ,rip 1„iiir li ,,,,,: .,,,. a y } i { riik .,...,,x __ _,,,;._, .. .. ]ij r I Y :_ ,_ . Pte. fie .--- ._ ..' reg t i Legends Charity Game"basketball exhi- include Evergreen Hollow Park, which tennis courts, plus soccer and cross bition. includes two lighted softball fields, a country facilities. Community Park also Other venues in the Effingham area lighted baseball field and four lighted offers lighted baseball (CONTINUED ON PAGE 82) leen . ♦ • S. '. e ..,,,. ,. ., _ ... , ......., ....,,,, , . eNercized -' -. = ' - �., , __ , 440flit ..' - -,... ,... , ar f �: Nit ''-' - , " . LET US ENERGIZE YOUR NEXT SPORTING EVENT in . a(i BLOOMINGTON-NORMAL 800 433,8226/ VtsftBN.org f L PEANCNG GUIDE _ 4 'ze=, .-.7:,-der our Porn_ , Guide€ �iir�e ? .c -, tt�w4�s �lisitBN BNlS f ' 1lih 44# LOlNOONOGTOM^HINORMVAL F3ARBEAAl i ' yy SPOPTSDESTINATIONS.COM 81 5 } 0 REGIONAL FOCUS / MIDWEST (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 81) Photo courtesy of Columbia Convention&Visitors Bureau dry 'Ik ro and softball facilities, plus disc golf, from youth through senior. volleyball."Tournaments hosted here are sand volleyball and tennis and basket- New to Columbia is Harmony Bends successful because of our top-notch fa- ball facilities. Championship Disc Golf Course at Strawn cilities that are extremely well-run,"said Park, designed by renowned disc golf Darin Rahm, director of the Marshall Columbia, Missouri course designer John Houck and featuring Convention&Visitors Bureau. Columbia,Missouri,has both public and big hills,wide meandering creeks and tallLockwood Rink in Red Baron Arena& private venues ready to host a wide range trees—everything needed to accommodate Expo Center is a new,year-round hockey of sports events,accessible from major in- a world-class destination event. facility that during its first summer of op- terstates with access to thousands of hotel Columbia has hosted numerous events eration hosted a hockey camp, a 3-on-3 rooms and attractions. Columbia is cen- including Special Olympics Summer camp and boys high school hockey tally located in the heart of mid-Missouri Games,Missouri Grand Prix Swimming league. It will behome to the Marshall with Interstate 70 providing an easy route Championships, Little League Baseball Tiger high school and youth teams.Rein- to both Kansas City and St.Louis. Senior League Regional Tournament,the hart Rink supplements the inventory with "Our Parks and Recreation Department Go Girl Run Half Marathon & 5K, the six months of on-demand ice. is a great partner," said Megan Mc- USSSA All Star State Softball Tourna- Volleyball is one ofathe best-attended Conachie, marketing and communica- ment,USSSA Baseball 14&Under AA sports in the Southwest region. Teams tions manager for Columbia Convention State Championships,the PGA Missouri from all over the Midwest come to Mar- &Visitors Bureau. "With more than 70 Open,NAIA Volleyball National Cham- shall for not only the great venue but city parks, we host numerous youth pionship, USTA youth tennis tourna- the level of competition. Marshall also through adult amateur soccer and base- ments and Hockman's ATA Martial Arts hosts the "Pursuit of. Excellence" ball events throughout the year." Tournament. marching band competition, an event Columbia is home to the Olympic- comprising over 20 high school march- style Show-Me State Games,held on the Marshall, Minnesota ing bands from four states to perform campus of the University of Missouri an- Known as the"Headquarters of south- on Make Field at Southwest Minnesota nually over three summer weekends and west Minnesota,"the Marshall area prides State University.The event is one of the comprising more than three dozen sports itself in offering the best facilities in the largest marching band competitions in events for thousands of athletes ranging state for tournaments for ice hockey and the state. 5DM 82 SDM NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 50 M O N U M E N T A L 1IsWRISijili‘ttil l i.,.., , ' , .. .. N-44'- - ,.. , t,... r,, ° 1616 , EXT EVE _ — 4 ,_, . , -..-- , ..,, .... , ._. ,,, , , , ,„ : ii„ , _ 44,... ,4 . a., { .... .„ 4. ,2„4 .4., ,,,,,,,,,,„,,,_,„, , .. .„ ,„t...,„„„,,,,..‹..,,,,,.. .,, , t , A . + ' \ �- t ; a OUTSTANDING VENUES 1 MP ABLE LCC t it DAUV DENVER t SLC SITE TOURS AVAILABLE INDOOR OUTDOOR ARCHERY ARCHERY BASKETBALL PICKLEBALL BASEBALL CLIMBING RODEO DISC GOLF CURLING SWIMMING & DIVING EQUESTRIAN EQUESTRIAN TENNIS FOOTBALL FIGURE SKATING TRACK GOLF FITNESS VOLLEYBALL RODEO HOCKEY WEIGHT LIFTING SOCCER MARTIAL ARTS WRESTLING SOFTBALL fi a 9A"' See C °s +f'� _' Moue use u E "b , {llina ate c�ta� u�c .0040 . ._ ..V$ SITGILLETTEWRIGHT.COM307b$b T e¢ a t uwdicefow,Cort�'-a.CtSa& t fla44 e—re4w `J' . - SPECIAL FEATURE UNDERSTANDING AND MEASURING ECONOMIC IMPACT OPO t our focus to a micro view of the tremendous results that VPOSSE , can be seen when event organizers and host cities come a wealth of knowledge about the intricacies of together to execute successful events. choosing a destination, and the caveats of hosting certain We begin with the macro perspective of Andrew Zim- types of events are well-known by the host cities, looking balist, chair, Robert A. Woods professor of economics at through a wider lens can help broaden one's perspective. Smith College. Dr. Zimbalist is an expert in economics With that in mind, we lead into this special annual awards who has published several articles and 25 books, focus- issue by delving into the essentials of destination selection ing primarily on comparative economic systems, economic with an article that takes a macro view, before narrowing development and sports economics. With wide acclaim, Economic Sports To What is the economic impact of sports the disadvantage of the host city or coun- This dynamic may also help to explain tourism?Unfortunately,there are no easy try. Smaller market-to-market events are why the advertised costs often bear little answers. One-off sports events come in not put at the same disadvantage. resemblance to the final cost of hosting. many dimensions(size,time of year,pop- The private interests promoting the event ularity, fan culture), as do the host cities are motivated to present a scaled-down (location, population, economic and de- This is roughly how it works.The IOC budget to ease the proposal's way through mographic characteristics). In what fol- and FIFA auction off the right to host the the necessary political bodies. Once lows,I write about general tendencies,not Winter and Summer Games and the passed at this level, the bid committee inevitable outcomes. World Cup.Prospective host cities/coun- then, and particularly under competitive The core issues are: (1) how does the tries bid against each other.The competi- pressure during the bidding process,finds sports event affect the economic activity tive bidding,in theory,leads the would-be new facilities to be built or new bells and in the host city,both in the short and long hosts to bid up to the point where the ex- whistles to be added. runs,and(2)how much does it cost to put pected marginal incremental benefit from Typically,organizers fall behind in their on the event. the Games equals the expected incremen- timetable and, ultimately, must pay pre Because they are prototypes and the tal cost;or worse,if the winner,due to im- miums and/or even bribes to get the work same basic factors operative for the perfect information, bids beyond the done.According to a recent study out of Olympics and the World Cup also impact benefit. This is known as the Winner's the University of Oxford,the average cost all market-to-market sports events, we'll Curse. overruns at the Summer Olympics since start with the world's two largest sport Or worse still, the bidding committee 1976 is 252 percent. Cost overruns (and mega-events and work our way down. may be dominated by interests in the pri- revenue shortfalls) are the responsibility The first thing to observe about the vate sector(such as construction or hos- of the host city and,hence,its taxpayers. Olympics and the World Cup is that they pitality sector companies and unions)that The seemingly inevitable outcome of are governed by unregulated global mo- expect to gain financially from hosting the the competitive bidding process is the pro- nopolies,the IOC and FIFA.The IOC and event.Because of their anticipated private duction of white elephants.The competi- FIFA are able to exercise an enormous gain, they push the bid well beyond any tion to win the bidding process for host amount of market power which works to level that would make sense for the city. selection often leaves in the dust rational Dr. Zimbalist has been lauded as "the top sports econo- As you will see, we did not enlist Dr.Zimbalist to provide mist in the country"by Paul Weiler, Henry J. Friendly Pro- a "feel good"piece; we retained that pleasure for our- fessor of Law, Emeritus,, expert in sports law, Harvard selves. Instead, we tasked Dr. Zimbalist with a broad per- University; "One of the best writers among economists spective on the economic impact of sports tourism. As working today,"by Lesley Visser, CBS Sportscaster, and expected, he pulled no punches. Every event is not a fit "a hall-of-famer in the economic analysis of sport,"by for every destination, and he unapologetically drives that Frank Deford, Sports Illustrated. Zimbalist's book, Circus point home. Success is only achieved when both sides Maximus, was selected by The Economist as one of the win, as a result of the event and host destination coming best books of 2016. together to form a true partnership. pact of By Andrew Zimbalist . • urism city planning for long-term land use and cilities sit idle,half of the 10,000 apart- increase tourism,trade and foreign invest- financial prudence.Olympic stadiums are ments in Athens' Olympic Village are ment. proposed with seating capacities of some unoccupied, a majority of the 27 com- Of course,many host cities(e.g.,Lon- 80,000 that will be too large for any regu- mercial properties on the site have don,Vancouver,Beijing,Athens,etc.)are lar future use. closed and promised schools were never already well-known, and, not infre- Athlete villages, velodromes, oversize finished.The white elephant list goes on quently,a city's or country's image is tar- stadiums,bobsled tracks,elaborate,over- and on. nished rather than burnished by the size soccer facilities in South Africa Post-9/11 security expenses run in the additional publicity.The notion that suc- where rugby is the leading sport, surplus $1.5 billion to$2.5 billion range. cessful businesses decide to trade with or hotel construction and so on seem to be Summing up: these days, hosting the invest in a city because it has hosted a telltale characteristics in a city that the Summer Games costs between$15 billion sport mega event is far-fetched.There is Olympics or the World Cup has been and $25 billion, the Winter Games virtually no empirical evidence to sup- there.The notorious Birds'Nest Olympic roughly half that(though Sochi spent be- port such an effect. Stadium in Beijing serves as an infre- tween$50 and$70 billion)and the World What about tourism?It depends.Again, quently visited Olympic museum. Many Cup between$10 billion and$20 billion let's start with the Olympics and World of the sporting edifices from the Olympic (though Qatar is reportedly on track to Cup.Travelers to London fell five percent Stadium in Sydney,Green Point Stadium spend over$200 billion). in August 2012 and to Beijing they fell in Cape Town,or the immense soccer sta- over 20 percent in August 2008. Other diums in Manaus and Brasilia go unused - cities have either seen no significant or underutilized for most or all of the year, The perennial claim is that hosting the change or a small uptick. Sydney saw while they require millions of dollars of Olympics or World Cup "puts a city (or tourism increase modestly from 2.5 mil- maintenance and operations expense,and country) on the map."The implication is lion in 1999 to 2.7 million in 2000, the they occupy valuable urban land. that the city was not on the map before- year the city hosted the Summer Games. Athens, host of the 2004 Olympic hand,that the television and media public- The more troubling news was that the city Summer Games, is particularly tragic. ity it receives from hosting will be anticipated a tourism surge of 27 percent While most of the Olympics sports fa- positive,and that the positive branding will more than it received and (CONTINUED ON PAGE 66) SPORTSDESTINATIONS COM ! 85 SPECIAL FEATURE i UNDERSTANDING AND MEASURING ECONOMIC IMPACT overbuilt hotel rooms. The number of car racing, track and field, biking, box- ter months, it is likely that the Super tourists to Sydney then fell steadily over ing, bowl games, March Madness, re- Bowl visitors will displace normal tourist the next three years, to 2.3 million in gional soccer championships, bowling, traffic. If, however, the game is held in 2003. and so on.What can be said about the im- Indianapolis or another city where hotel The problem in each of these cases is pact of sport tourism connected to these capacity utilization is low in February, that regular tourists,concerned with con- events? then the Super Bowl may bring an appre- gestion,high prices and possible security The good news is that these events do ciable net increase in tourism. incidents, decide to stay away. (And of- not require the construction or renovation Another feature of Super Bowl eco- ten local residents decide to skip town as of 35 sport venues,an athletes'village,a nomics is that hotels often require cus- well for the same reasons.) Even when media and broadcasting center, a media tomers to stay for a minimum of three or the increase in Olympic or World Cup village and hundreds of acres of ceremo- five days. Many visitors,then, will sign tourism fully replaces the reduction in nial green space. As such, the costs of up for the required number of days(and normal tourism,it can still negatively im- preparation and the complexities of plan- pay the bill), but will only stay in the pact a city's tourist fortunes. ning are diminutive relative to the room for one or two days. The European Tour Operators Associa- Olympics or World Cup. In such cases,the auxiliary business in tion claims that word of mouth is the best It is also good news that,unlike the sit- restaurants,taxis or rental cars,and other way to promote tourism.A regular tourist uation with team sports leagues, a sub- retail will be reduced. An important cau- returns from London and tells her friends, stantial share of the attendees at one-off tion is that when hotel occupancy and neighbors and relatives about the glorious sporting events come from outside the room prices do rise, the incremental English theatre,the Tate Galleries,Hyde area and,hence,bring new money to the profit is typically repatriated to the home Park and more.The Olympic tourist re- local economy, rather than recirculate office rather than remaining in the local gales her friends with tales of economy.It is noteworthy that, the gymnasts' floor exercises =:pt- ._ ..r. on average,independent schol- or sprinters'100-meter dash— The lessons from past experience arship on the economic impact exciting events that are no on the Super Bowl finds it to longer available on a trip to are clear. The devil is in the details. be minimal. London. For market-to-market sports Of course,there is an occa- Any event must be planned with a events of lesser magnitude,the sional exception. Barcelona knowledge of a city's economic displacement effect is less transformed itself from an un- and demographic characteristics, likely to be a factor. In such popular tourist destination cases, the question is the net into one of Europe's most = SPECIAL FEATURE CHAMPIONS OF ECONOMIC IMPACT IN SPORTS TOURISM By Peter Francesconi om r Imnact Our Annual Awards Honor the Events and Destinations Scoring Big in the Sports Tourism Industry SPORTS DESTINATION MANAGEMENT CREATED THE annual "Champions of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism" awards to recognize players in the sports tourism industry that are making big gains when it comes to r driving revenue into host cities. u While methodologies may differ when from a study by Sports Marketing Surveys it comes to calculating the bottom line USA(SMS), which shows that in 2014, '.> 2Q" impact of specific events,host cities gen- there were 34.9 million people who tray- 7 .,a erally can come up with a measure of the eled with an overnight stay, a figure that economic impact.A bigger challenge is has remained fairly consistent going back trying to determine the size of the total to 2008.About 18 percent were ages six to tournament that they run year after year, sports travel market economy in the U.S. 17 and 51 percent were ages 25 to 54,fur- with the goal to attract athletes and teams —our industry lacks a comprehensive ther evidence that families are accompa- from out of town. national survey to determine this key nying their young players to sports events. Another factor boosting this industry is number. The SMS study also indicates that in that families tend to travel together to at- But we still have good reason to cele- 2014,sports travelers spent an average of tend tournaments and events in support of brate the sports travel industry.The data $256 per person per year, a figure that at their young athletes.This quality"family that are available—along with anecdotal first glance may seem low,but is consis- time"continues to be important,and often evidence from CVBs and sports commis- tent with other data,especially when con- turns a trip to participate in a sports event sions around the country,together with ob- sidering spending one or two nights at an into a mini-vacation. servations from industry experts — event,sharing rooms,etc. NASC research indicates that sports continue to point to growth in this industry The good news continues when it comes venues continue to be built and renovated at all levels. to sports participation.According to the lat- in large numbers in the U.S. —another est participation report from the Sports& positive sign for both sports travel and Upward Trend in Visitor Spending Fitness Industry Association(SFIA),based sports in general.These new and improved In fact,according to the National Asso- on data from 2015, "Team sports experi- facilities not only attract sports events and ciation of Sports Commissions (NASC), enced the most upbeat marks,including in- bring in out-of-town visitors,but they also estimated visitor spending associated with creases of at least four percent in baseball, become available to local residents, too. amateur sports events in the U.S. in 2015 cheerleading, ice hockey, lacrosse, rugby, (To be most cost- and use-effective,new was$9.45 billion,which is up 5.47 percent indoor soccer,team swimming as well as sports facility development should in fact from$8.96 billion in 2014(based on a sur- flag and tackle football." first meet local needs,to be assured of cov- vey of NASC members, including CVBs ering operating costs.)This local use helps and sports commissions in markets of un- Bringing in Athletes and Families to increase the number of overall athletes in der 100,000 population to more than a mil- The sports event industry often is said the U.S.—and that helps to perpetuate this lion).Importantly,this continues an upward to be"recession-resistant,"and there are a industry. trend from the last few years; since 2012, number of reasons for this. For example, Every day, we see how sports have total estimated visitor spending has in- many events,whether for youth,adult,am- positive effects on communities and ath- creased$1.15 billion,or 13.9 percent,ac- ateur, college or professional,must take letes across the U.S. Our Champions of cording to NASC data. place every year, so the demand for tour- Economic Impact in Sports Tourism As far as the number of people who nament venues remains high.In fact,in the awards celebrate all that sports travel can travel to play in or watch an amateur sports last few years,many host organizations bring to communities, athletes, families event,the most recent data available are have developed their own sports event or and spectators. soM SPORTSDESTINATIONS COM 87 0 SPECIAL FEATURE/CHAMPIONS OF ECONOMIC IMPACT IN SPORTS TOURISM 5 2016 CHAMPIONS OF ECONOMIC IMPACT IN SPORTS TOURISM Sports Destination Management is proud to announce the 2016"Champions of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism"award winners;they are responsible for driving over$800 million into the North American economy last year. An overwhelming number of nominations was received.While a wide variety of sports was represented,all had the common factor of having played a vital role in the local economies where the events were hosted.These winners represent the most notable success stories and illustrate quantifiable results from each of the event-destina- tion partnerships.Working together,these event organizers and host destinations achieved outstanding eco- -7 impact,an exceptional experience for athletes and spectators,media attention to the destination and much more. u Recognition of the economic impact from our industry continues to build on the Sports Destination Management mission: dedication to the advancement in understanding the distinctions of planning, implementing and managing sports events and travel, particularly the event-destination relation- ` ,!°L 2018 ship. As the cornerstone for successful events, the relationship between the event organizer and host city is a frequent topic throughout the pages.It is our pleasure to honor the most outstanding of those relationships nominated,and to recognize each of the partnering organizations involved. Mid- to Large Market Champions Photo courtesy of Dallas Sports Commission CHAMPIONS Dallas Sports Festival con�eTs ErF =.' oa�uweits svoa .'.-.. t + Dallas Sports Commission ,< LOCATION Dallas, Texas = . ,za x a Total Room Nights: 26,975 t Total Economic Impact:$52,772,403 This first-time multi-sport event,held at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Center Dallas in late June and early July,marked one of the last times the public would be able to see competitions sanctioned by USA Boxing,USA Volleyball and USA Fencing,before many of those athletes headed off to the Olympics in Rio.The event was a win for the Dallas Sports Commission,with a total attendance of 32,269 and an average per-guest spend of$667.34. CHAMPIONS Photo courtesy of 43rd AAU Girls Junior National Volleyball Championships Welcome to the 43rd AAU Girls Junior National Volleyball Championships AAU Volleyball Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), ESPN Wide World of Sports, - _ Visit Orlando Championships — — LOCATION - -_ - - __ - - Orlando, Florida __ -- --__ Total Room Nights:80,000 � it Total Economic Impact:$52,000,000 40i ettilw-\'` This event,held over 12 days in mid-to late June of 2016,involved not only the AAU but ESPN Wide World of Sports and Visit Orlando. In total, it brought in 50,000 spectators to both the ESPN Wide World of Sports and the Orange County Convention Center,with more than 40,000 tourists from outside the area.The championships used a total of 525 volunteer referees,plus an additional 500-plus volunteers who helped with set-up and tear-down of courts. 88 I SDM I NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018 Photo courtesy of 2016 18U Atlanta Legacy Showcase Champions Birmingham Thunderbolts 98 CHAMPIONS j~ Atlanta Legacy Showcase Cobb Travel &Tourism A LOCATION . Woodstock, Georgia Total Room Nights: 1 0,325 jf . Total Economic Impact:$28,350,000 This event,a women's college softball showcase,has experienced 25 percent year-over-year growth.In 2016,it drew 25,000 spec- tators and 18,500 tourists from outside the immediate area.Partnering to produce the event in the host destination were Chero- kee County Parks&Recreation Department,Cobb County Parks&Recreation Department and the City of Kennesaw Parks& Recreation Department.The average visitor spend was $750,which organizers note is a higher figure than would be found at a men's event. Photo courtesy of Athletic CHAMPIONS Youth Baseball and Softball Nationals presented by Athletic Sports Group, LLC City of Myrtle Beach " asx e LOCATION Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Total Room Nights: 1 2,000 " Total Economic Impact:$9,100,000 This event, a three-week tournament in June and July, included a variety of events, from opening ceremonies to championship games,skills contest and all-star games for all age groups involved.The schedule allowed each team to stay a full seven nights at the destination,and included an off-day to encourage all 6,000 athletes and families to experience Myrtle Beach.The event has ex- perienced excellent growth,making an economic impact of$4,000,000 in 2014 and$6,900,000 in 2015.Per-day visitor spending was estimated at$140. CHAMPIONS `'"' ® Sin City Shootout Sports Festival T . Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority 4 -t y LOCATION Las Vegas, Nevada Total Room Nights: 5,000 Total Economic Impact:$7,200,000 This event,which began in 2007 as an LGBT softball tournament,has grown over the years and become a multi-sport event with more than 8,500 athletes and guests,and more than two dozen different sports competitions.Now using the Tropicana Hotel as its headquarters property,it is presently the City of Las Vegas'largest LGBT sporting event and the largest LGBT tourist event.The event is also the largest annual LGBT sporting event in the entire world.Average visitor spend is estimated at$1,500.00 SPIRTSDESTINATIONS.CUM I 89 50 SPECIAL FEATURE/CHAMPIONS OF ECONOMIC IMPACT IN SPORTS TOURISM c CHAMPIONS lb _ii,..no, ,� The 5th Quarter Classic Powered by the Mobile Sports Authority .� :- . Mobile Sports Authority #' :77_,..\_...., LOCATION kv- i"z Mobile,Alabama T Total Room Nights 33,818 lti...,,il-4411, -: ". .,-..-, , Total Economic Impact:$6,500,000 $ i.v.4.,,i,- Mobile Sports Authority stated it was impressed by the support received for this first-time event,a Historically Black Colleges and Universities(HBCU)football game.Over a five day period,FAMU,Tuskegee and other universities offered local Mobile area youth over$2,000,000 in scholarship opportunities,as well as other activities to encourage children to pursue higher education.More than 27,000 tickets were sold to the football game,which included a battle of the bands, and a total of 19,323 attended all the events hosted.An average visitor spend of$208 was estimated. Photo courtesy of USA Volleyball/Bill Kauffman CHAMPIONS USA Volleyball Girls 18s Junior National Championships ; VISIT Milwaukee { LOCATION 'vim Milwaukee, Wisconsin , k 4 Total Room Nights:3,6 6 `° ::. 1 Total Economic Impact: 3,846,33$ This first-time event,held in late April and early May,surpassed all expectations for VISIT Milwaukee.The three-day championships brought 161 teams to the city,with an estimated spend of$400 per visitor.The event was able to reach capacity for accepted teams,bringing VISIT Milwaukee to the conclusion that its facility needs will only in crease in years to come.A total of 3,100 spectators attended the event,which created excellent economic impact throughout the city. CHAMPIONS The Youth Baseball Nationals presented by Athletx Sports ' ,. ' Reno Tahoe USA LOCATION Reno, Nevada � ��t Total Room Nights:5 446 ` Total Economic Impact:$3,321 ,362 In its first year in Reno,the Youth Baseball Nationals contributed a previously unheard-of economic impact to the region,with a visitor spend of$177 per person.The group has committed to the destination for two additional years and is poised to grow in years two and three.A total of 2,750 spectators attended;a total of 2,500 tourists came from outside the area.Reno Tahoe USA noted that the event focuses on creating an atmosphere for youth athletes that is fun,rewarding and positive. 90 I SDM I NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 50 Photo courtesy of Department of Veterans Affairs CHAMPIONS WELCOME 2016 National Veterans Golden Age Gamest • Detroit Sports Commission, John D. Dingell VA Medical Center . 3' YETp1N5! and Department of Veterans Affairs LOCATION t Detroit, Michigan g 4,500 f , . . Total Room Ni hts: Total Economic Impact:$3,000,000 The event,new this year,met with uniformly positive results not simply in terms of economic impact but in the way it was received and embraced by local media, citizens and the business community.At least 3,000 spectators attended the event; a total of 2,500 attended from outside the Detroit area.Each visitor was estimated to spend at least$180 per day.In addition,organizers praised the sheer inspiration the athletes provided for all those who came to watch. Photo courtesy of US OPEN PICKLEBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS CHAMPIONS MINTO US OPEN PICKLEBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS �� Collier County Convention and Visitors Bureau , ' LOCATIONtf4 , ` /1 1µ l Naples, Florida ` :�. Total Room Nights: 1 ,500+ Total Economic Impact:$2,500,000 ' _ Spirit Promotions,which organized the brand-new event, originally estimated a crowd of 600 participants and 2,000 spectators. Over the five days, the event hosted 800 participants and 10,000 spectators.The county was expecting closer to$500,000 in local impact—another figure that had to be adjusted upward to reflect a$2,500,000 total. MINTO Communities,lead sponsor of the championships,noted that they sold four homes during the event and generated 100-plus qualified leads. The event is already taking registrations for next year. CHAMPIONS r The National Softball Association Girls Fast Pitch 'B'World Series l� •- The Evansville Sports Corporation in partnership with the Evansville s &Owensboro Convention&Visitors Bureaus - t LOCATION ~'f' a, : ra,.,,i17 ; , ' '� ,Evansville, Indiana,Owensboro, Kentucky �; s�� ssemQ. ,4- ��1. Total Room Nights: 3,749 Total Economic Impact:$2,100,000 • With 221 girls'softball teams(ranging in age from eight to 18)from 13 different states,this was the largest single sporting event the region had ever hosted. Four different tournament sites with 28 fields were used across three counties and two states, as well as a 10,000 seat arena for the opening ceremonies.The event drew 5,000 spectators and 8,000 tourists from outside the region,and with an average per-visitor spend of$176,made a lasting impact on all communities involved. SPORTSDESTINATIONS.CQM 1 91 50 SPECIAL FEATURE/CHAMPIONS OF ECONOMIC IMPACT IN SPORTS TOURISM Photo courtesy of TEXPIX.com CHAMPIONS - Texas West State Little League Tournament Att •- 41:a.. Abilene Convention and Visitors Bureau +- i;. LOCATION ,ag 1, 2016 LITTLE LEAGUE Abilene, Texas ' �a TEXAS WEST �",i �,„__ STATE CHAMP�ow6 Total Room Nights: 3,1 97 , 1 67 500 - sat E Impact:act. 5 f,: s.,- i _. 4 4 � ' Total Economic p , , , The Abilene Convention and Visitors Bureau was able to convince organizers,who had previously hosted the state softball and base- ball tournaments separately, and occasionally in different cities, to. bring everything together in Abilene in order to create one large five-day event.This generated enormous economic impact while minimizing the resources of the city and the Texas West Lit- tle League Association.The event drew 1,691 spectators(most from outside the area)and 3,448 tourists.It also resulted in an av- erage spend per visitor of$110. Photo courtesy of Visit Lubbock Marketing CHAMPIONS + ` <,. � National Junior College Athletic Association Division I Women's ti , ,-,0:-14'.4, p* s`* 4. 3 Basketball National Championship 1� ::::,-::::. Lubbock Sports ;} �• } LOCATION Lubbock, Texas ' , :` , W Total Room Nights: 3,989 ; Total Economic Impact:$1 ,248,158 �tx °' T i Bringing in 10,000 spectators and 4,500 non-local tourists(not to mention an average per-tourist spend of$277.37 per day),this event has been going strong for 10 years now. Lubbock Sports has noted that it will remain the host of the event(held at the Rip Griffin Center in late March)for the next two years,and that it intends to continue providing athletes and their families with the hos- pitality they have come to expect. CHAMPIONS "1111-1171/4.-- c o 2016 USA Track and Field Masters Outdoor Championships ' West Michigan Sports Commission = i - - -� _-� LOCATION — Grand Rapids, Michigan `` ,y. '''`' _.,_ �, v 000 2 Total Room Nights: , • -2 Total Economic Impact:$1 ,150,000 0 0 a This mid-July event was the first national masters outdoor track&field event to come to the state of Michigan,and it brought with it more than 1,100 elite athletes from 48 states and four Canadian provinces-many of whom had never traveled to Michigan or competed at Grand Valley State University.Athletes stayed an average of two to three nights,resulting in an estimated spend per visitor of$527.An additional benefit to the area was realized due to increased media coverage. 92 I $DM I NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 50 Brett Morgan photograph courtesy of the Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival CHAMPIONS I Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival Cable Area and Hayward Area Chambers of Commerce r #° ' LOCATION Hayward and Cable, Wisconsin 1„ s,F_ -„.....c„,,,,,,;,---$7, ' Total Room Nights: 6,435 ,.: ?” st Total Economic Impact:$1 ,100,000 ...ri The Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival is the classic example of an event that grew organically to become a regional force.The first event,held in 1983,attracted 27 riders.It has since increased to become the nation's largest mass start point-to-point off-road bi- cycle event;in fact,registration is now limited to 3,100 riders and the event sells out each year,with sign-ups available on a first- come,first-served basis.It brings in about 5,000 spectators,with an average visitor spend estimated at$150. Small Market Champions Photo courtesy of Bristol Motor Speedway CHAMPIONS Pilot Flying J Battle at Bristol: College Football's Biggest Ever ' p Kingsport Convention dr Visitors Bureau, Bristol Convention & - -.- k.- - _11/1.4 4 ` � Visitors Bureau and Johnson City Convention &Visitors Bureau .rum LOCATION y... i.....„:„ ..z., Bristol, Tennessee �" Total Room Nights: 18,000+ Total Economic Impact: $500,000,000 The Battle at Bristol was the first college football game ever held at Bristol Motor Speedway,located in Bristol,Tennessee.In ad- dition to being a source of significant economic impact for the area, it earned a designation from the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest attended football game with 170,000-plus packing the stands.In addition to filling every hotel room in a 90- mile radius of the stadium,visitors brought 2,000 campers into the area and parked around the venue. Photo courtesy of Ocala/Marion County Visitors and Convention Bureau CHAMPIONS ,a 1 k .. 71HITS Ocala Winter Circuit Ocala/Marion County Visitors and Convention Bureau °' - " ,- ' ' 4 m,: 3.. LOCATION -4 Ocala, Florida td? : ' ti°CALA Total Room Nights: 84,165 =WINTER CIRCUIT' Total Economic Impact:$94,035,933 Halfway through the season,HITS(Horse Shows In The Sun)hosts this event,a qualifier for the FEI Nations Cup,one of the most prestigious events in horse show jumping each year.An.estimated 80,000 spectators came to this event between January 19-March 27,2016,along with 64,320 non-local tourists,including those who came from outside the country.During the event,the average visitor spending was$1,531.99,leading to the overall economic impact of just under$95 million. SPORTSDESTINATIONS.COM I 93 SPECIAL FEATURE/CHAMPIONS OF ECONOMIC IMPACT IN SPORTS TOURISM 50 Photo courtesy of American Birkebeiner and taken by Bob Pearl CHAMPIONS American Birkebeiner X4,. } s i Hayward Lakes Visitors and Convention Bureau � *+ LOCATION bo ". �, Hayward, Wisconsin iqtt ,tt ,. t ; Total Room Nights:4,100 Total Economic Impact:$20,000,000 ' . Hayward,a community of approximately 2,300,pulls together each February to welcome this Nordic ski festival that commemo- rates the 1206 rescue of the Norwegian prince, carried out by Birkebeiner warriors. Over 10,000 skiers, from Olympians to novices,attend the event annually.The 2016"Birkie"welcomed skiers from 22 countries and 46 states,who took part in the race that traveled through the north woods of Wisconsin on the more than 100-kilometer-long Birkie Trail. Photo by Chris O'Brien CHAMPIONS 2016 United States Fastpitch Association World Series Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau LOCATION Panama City Beach, Florida Total Room Nights: 21 ,798 Total Economic Impact:$11 ,978,790 Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau and the City of Panama City Beach Parks and Recreation Department work together to host this event,which takes place over two weeks in July.More than 99 percent of all registrants come from outside the Panama City Beach area,and average visitor spending was listed at just over$1,000.00.USFA lists the event as a"playcation"and offers a golf tournament for parents and coaches,all of which feeds into the event's success. CHAMPIONS 2016 National High School Finals Rodeo 1.,1 * ' Campbell County Convention &Visitors Bureau, CAM-PLEX Multi Event Facilities LOCATION : opz- Gillette, Wyoming Total Room Nights: 9,094 ��*�` � - ;o Total Economic Impact:$1 0,1 09,303 The National High School Finals Rodeo is a seven-day event,and is one of the largest rodeo events offered annually in the coun- try.This year,a record 1,628 contestants participated,coming from every state,many Canadian provinces and even from Australia. In addition to the contestants,there were 842 judges,contractors,medical professionals,media,state directors and guests,result- ing in 2,470 show participants.Organizers state there was a record-high 147 vendor booths this year as well.Over the course of the event, 11,933 visitors per day resulted in a total of 90,931 visitors. 94 I SCM I NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 50 Photo courtesy of Eldon Lindsay Photography ,< re CHAMPIONS 2016 U.S.Youth Soccer Midwest Regional Championships r F i �.. _ Hamilton County Sports Authorityc 7 LOCATION Westfield, Indiana / r r Total Room Nights: 11 ,000 ' Total Economic Impact: 9,500,000 + Grand Park was chosen to host this event in 2013.This was well before all the fields in the venue were completed and opened for play in the spring of 2014.The event organizers had a high level of trust in the facility and in the local organizing committee,and as it turned out,that trust was well-placed.The event was so successful,it was awarded to Grand Park once again in 2018 and the LOC has been encouraged to bid on hosting the 2019 event as well. Photo courtesy of Dave Eggen CHAMPIONS 2016 Summit League Men's and Women's Basketball Championships 4 Sioux Falls Sports Authority * 41 ..w 401100 LOCATION _ z Sioux Falls, South Dakota -- _ Total Room Nights: 1 2,453f 774020Total Economic Impact: 7, , t s ® t tHI The Summit League Basketball Championships,known by some as"March's best kept secret,"has become a Sioux Falls tradition, breaking attendance records annually.In 2016,the eighth championships brought more than 65,000 fans into the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center.The tradition will stay intact,according to the Sioux Falls Sports Authority,which notes that a total of 4,000 all- session tickets have been sold for 2017.The event has grown year-over-year in economic impact,recording$2,000,000 in 2013, $8,500,000 in 2014 and$11,500,000 in 2015. Photo courtesy of NEOBA CHAMPIONS ,° 2016 King James Shooting Stars Classic Sports Alliance of Greater Akron-powered by:Akron/Summit 'l Convention &Visitors Bureau LOCATION N1*SIt .tt ' :' ,1 ` ,'1i. °, -A;' Akron, Ohio Total Room Nights: 8,900 1" .-4, - _ Total Economic Impact:$4,718,750 _ This youth basketball event,hosted by Akron,Ohio's native son,LeBron James,allows the area to leverage its sports facility as- sets as well as to showcase its hospitality.The Shooting Stars Classic brings in more than 37,750 individuals(including 14,500 youth athletes).While the number of teams participating varies each year,the event consistently generates nearly$5,000,000 in economic impact,made even more meaningful by the fact that it is held in late April,which is shoulder season for Akron. SPORTSDESTINATfONS,COM I 95 SPECIAL FEATURE/CHAMPIONS OF ECONOMIC IMPACT IN SPORTS TOURISM 5 Photo courtesy of Tammy Dunn,Snohomish County Sports Commission CHAMPIONS 2016 Washington Rush Cup Washington Rush Soccer Club, Snohomish County Sports Commission LOCATION Snohomish, Washington Total Room Nights: 6,000 Total Economic Impact:$4,584,105 n. This youth soccer tournament,after being held in Skagit County,Washington,for many years,met with outstanding success once it moved to Snohomish County.The event,which included boys'and girls'teams in.age groups ranging from U9 to U19,was held at Meadow Wood Equestrian Center,which was configured to accommodate 40 fields.To date,this event is the largest three-day soccer tournament held in Snohomish County,with 10,176 spectators in attendance.A total of 7,500 tourists came from outside the immediate area. CHAMPIONS `:. 2016 Forrest Wood Cup • Huntsville/Madison County Convention &Visitors Bureau LOCATION 7, Ca Huntsville,Alabama Total Room Nights: 2,500 Total Economic Impact:$3,000,000 T This event was a double first for Huntsville,being not only the first time the area had ever hosted the Cup,but the first time it had ever hosted a fishing tournament of this scope.A total of 53,000 spectators attended the four day weigh-ins and the three-day fish- ing expo.Economic impact was enjoyed in Huntsville and in three surrounding counties that partnered to promote and host addi- tional events.As a result of the positive media attention generated, Huntsville/Madison County looks forward to hosting future events at Ditto Landing. CHAMPIONS NCAA National Collegiate Beach Volleyball Championship Gulf Shores&Orange Beach Sports Commission; University of Alabama at Birmingham and the City of Gulf Shores • LOCATION Gulf Shores,Alabama �" "' F , 47.:7. Total Room Nights: 1 ,108 7 Total Economic Impact:$1 ,200,000 ♦ Y ay :�i�I This was the first year the NCAA offered beach volleyball as a championship sport,and with Gulf t '1' Shores'help,it made an excellent first impression.The economic impact of the tournament and its '� ' tea► ' �' `a 5,915 fans increased 246 percent over 2015,when the event was offered by the American Volleyball 2 M°^u' Coaches Association. Gulf Shores also enjoyed the exposure of three days of national television _ o coverage,and is looking forward to hosting the event once again in 2017. 96 I SSM I NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 . , 50 CHAMPIONS * it Stars and Stripes Gymnastics Invitational Erie Sports Commission and Erie Gymnastics M1 ' LOCATION Erie, Pennsylvania • Total Room Nights: 1 ,000 '‘ 0 Total Economic Impact:$977,500 ip `° Y q>, = The Stars and Stripes Gymnastics Invitational has experienced year-over-year growth.Fifteen years ago,the event was a one-day competition for 250 athletes;it now extends over four days and features nearly 1,700 of the region's best athletes.In 2011,the event partnered with the newly formed Erie Sports Commission and moved to the Bayfront Convention Center. It is now the second-largest r gymnastics competition in Pennsylvania and additionally offers free admission to members of the military,veterans and first responders,and donates funds to military-related charities. ... r CHAMPIONS Photo courtesy of NAIA National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics 2016 Men's , &Women's Lacrosse National Invitational Championship VisitGreenvilleSC, Greenville High School $A�+vts, . LOCATION Greenville, South CarolinaV l Atf Total Room Nights: 1 ,475 - * Total Economic Impact:$882,000 The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics(NAIA)chose to host its inaugural lacrosse tournament in Greenville, South Carolinain early May.More than 1,000 spectators attended,as did 800 tourists from outside the area,and organizers noted an av- erage visitor spend of$385.VisitGreenvilleSC partnered with Greenville County Parks,Recreation&Tourism and with Greenville County Schools to host the event.The city intends to repeat its success and build upon it when it hosts the event again in 2017. CHAMPIONS 2016 ASA 14U Class A Girls Fast Pitch Eastern Championship Prince George County,Virginia lui R LOCATION Prince George County, Virginia ,t,.A A„ a \ N Total Room Nights: 1 ,350 Total Economic Impact:$842,400 zV N Prince George County,a community of 36,000,has been striving to expand its sports tourism,ands g with this,its first major national tournament,it saw widespread success.The event,held in late July i � s and early August,put all four of the area's hotels at or near capacity.A total of 1,200 spectators at- tended and organizers recorded 810 tourists from outside the region.The per-visitor-per-night spend was calculated at$208.The county notes that the per capita tax revenue raised will help keep local tax levels stable and provide funding for future improvements. SPORTSDESTINATIDNS GDM I 97 50 .. SPECIAL FEATURE/CHAMPIONS OF ECONOMIC IMPACT IN SPORTS TOURISM Photo courtesy of Lang Lew CHAMPIONS Speedo 2016 Summer Sectionals California-Nevada Placer Valley Tourism -"":,_. ,,.....: 1.., - ,-. `. ..\7:-.11',.1,--1' . . t; LOCATION ' [ Roseville, California Total Room Nights: 1 ,052 :te,f ��, �:,: Total Economic Impact:$226,088+ The USA Swimming Speedo Summer Sectionals,a four-day event held in late July,drew over 2,000 spectators to the area and produced more room nights than any other aquatic competition the destination has ever hosted.It also attracted 1,000 tourists from outside the area. Placer Valley Tourism worked with the City of Roseville,as well as with regional affiliate,Sierra Nevada Swimming,and local California Capital Aquatics tos produce the event,which exceeded the expectations for both room nights and economic impact. I Innovations in Sports Tourism Photo courtesy of FLWOutdoors;Curtis Niedermier CHAMPIONS Fish Dayton Rhea Economic&Tourism Council, Inc. LOCATION _ Dayton, Tennessee Total Room Nights: 39,8463, E Total Economic Impact:$14,000,000 Dayton,Tennessee,a small town with a population of only 7,100,was identified by the Appalachian Region as an"Economically Distressed" area. It decided to parlay its natural resource to bring in fishing related sports tourism.As a result,it attracted tour- naments from,among others,Bassmasters,FLW,Cabela's and more.The county's recruiting efforts has caused the construction of two hotels,four restaurants and a number of associated jobs and spurred$10,000,000 in new private investments. Photo courtesy of Sgt Chris Stone,Marine Corps Installations Eat Combat Camera CHAMPIONS Red Bull Global RallyCross A +f Marine Corps Air Station New River,Jacksonville, North Carolina, and the Jacksonville-Onslow Sports Commission ...,�.. - -- .LOCATION Jacksonville, North Carolina Total Room Nights:450 Total Economic Impact:$1 ,800,960 cx :a This second-year event is unique in that it is held aboard a Marine Corps air station with the track built on the airstrip and an at- tendance of 15,000 spectators(many of whom are family and friends of competitors).The event is also televised on NBC Sports, providing further exposure to the destination.An average visitor spend of$650 during the event boosted the economic impact,as did large amounts of sponsorship investment,which helped keep the RallyCross open to the general public as a military appreci ation event. 98 I SCAM I NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 5Lj Photo courtesy of Grace Trowbridge CHAMPIONS /il I 1 ' •,', I _,. 1 The Miramichi Striper Cup The City of Miramichi 7' ,t.,` LOCATION ss , j`,. ` Miramichi, New Brunswick, Canada l :-.3 p 5'‘0,.. ; Total Room Nights:465Yt_ Total Economic Impact:$795,000 '` t l' ._. ate. ' ,: Event owners noted the city of Miramichi is constantly examining ways to expand the tourism season,and the presence of a large number of striped bass was seen as a potential boon during a traditionally slower economic period(May).The event was a huge suc- cess,and calculations for its economic impact do not even reflect the approximately 30 days of overnight stays from numerous an- glers who were attracted to the region due to the overwhelming publicity from the 2015 event;in fact,there was economic growth of 106.5 percent since that year. Photo courtesy of Linda Parker CHAMPIONS 71st NFAA Outdoor Field Archery Championship i lc Darrington Archers; Darrington,Washington LOCATION t Barrington, Washington - Total Room Nights: 609 t " ' n:; Total Economic Impact:$368,715 --., Darrington,a small town in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains,had been devastated by the 2014 Oso Mudslides on Highway 530. The opportunity for the Darrington Archers to host the Field Archery Championship created a welcome influx of visitor spending in the town.The event brought more than 400 archers from across the United States to compete in Junior,Amateur,Senior or Professional divisions f during the five-day competition,with 200 spectators and 500 non-local tourists. Photo courtesy of Nick Smirnoff • CHAMPIONS t Tehachapi GranFondo, Presented by Kaiser Permanente City of Tehachapi is �� LOCATION n ', � t ' .' ' , Tehachapi, California 'f . Total Room Nights: 629f i �; Total Economic Impact:$390,699 k i if;fi Working with its tourism commission and the Kern County Board of Trade,the city of Tehachapi hosted the award winning GranFondo(it was named Cycle California Magazine's Best Century),an event that showcased the destination to thousands of visitors, both cyclists and others. It has grown 40 percent since last year's edition, bringing in 500 spectators and 2,000 tourists,with an average visitor spend of$350.Organizers note that during the event,hotels are at 85 percent occupancy,whereas in a normal weekend,occupancy might be 30 percent. som I SPDRTSDESTINATIONS':COM I 99 VENUES & SERVICES / 5 ii,_ o - H I I We I c o m e Gulf Shores&Orange Beach Conway Convention&Visitors Bureau i to the Venues&Services section of Sports Commission 3> Rachel Shaw Sports Destination Management Beth Gendler T Director of Destination Marketing p g Vice President of Sales 900 Oak Street where you'll find an extensive guide to sports P.O.Drawer 457 cn Conway,Arkansas 72032 commissions,convention and visitors bureaus and Gulf Shores,Alabama 36547 c➢n Phone: 501-932-5409 corporate service providers that are actively looking Phone: 251-974-4620 Fax: 501-327-7790 BGendler@GulfShores.com 866-726-6329 to service sports event organizers.The following www.GulfShoresOrangeBeachSrorts.com Rachel@ConwayArkansas.org list can also be found on our website at www.ConwayArk.com sportsdestinations.com/venues. Placer Valley Tourism Ocala/Marion County Visitors Dalton Convention&Visitors Bureau Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau David Attaway &Convention Bureau Grant Shell 2270 Kalakaua Avenue President Corry Locke Sports Sales Manager Suite 801 2204 Plaza Drivejj Suite 110 Sports Sales Manager P.O.Box 6177 Honolulu,Hawaii 96815 0 112 North Magnolia Avenue Dalton,Georgia 30722 Phone: 808-923-1811 Rocklin,California 95765 > Ocala,Florida 34475 D Phone: 706-270-9960 Fax: 808-924-0293 Phone: 916-773-5400 Phone: 352-438-2800 Fax: 706-876-1561 meetings@hvcb.org Fax: 916-773-5403 Fax: 352-438-2801 GShell@VisitDaltonGA.com Meetinqs.MeetHawaii.com/ DAttaway@PlacerTourism.com Corry.Locke@MarionCountyFL.org w ww VisitDaltonGA.com www.PlacerTourism.com i www.OcalaMarion.com Aurora Area Convention Bloomington-Normal Convention Peoria Area Sports CommissionVisit Hendricks County &Visitors Bureau &Visitors Bureau Cory Hatfield Becky Harris Pete Garlock Matt Hawkins National Sales Manager - Director of Sales Director of Sales Sports Marketing Manager 456 Fulton Street 8 West Main Street 43 West Galena Boulevard 3201 CIRA Drive,Suite 201 Suite 300 Danville,Indiana 46122 Aurora,Illinois 60506 Bloomington,Illinois 61704 Peoria,Illinois 61602-1220 Phone: 800-321-9666 Phone: 630-256-3194 Phone: 309-665-0033 Phone: 309-282-3283 Becky@VisitHendricksCounty.com Fax: 630-256-3199 Fax: 309-661-0743 Fax: 309-676-8470 www.VisitHendricksCounty.com Pete@EnjoyAurora.com 800-433-8226 800-747-0302 www.EnjoyAurora.com Matt@VisitBN.org CHatfield@Peoria.org www.VisitBN.orq www.Peona.org Hamilton County Sports Authority Visit Wichita Owensboro-Daviess Convention West Michigan Sports Commission William R.Knox,CSEE Maureen Hofrenning &Visitors Bureau Mike Guswiler Director Vice President Jared Bratcher President 37 East Main Street 515 South Main Sports Director 171 Monroe Avenue Northwest Carmel,Indiana 46032 Suite 115 215 East Second Street Suite 545 Phone: 317-848-3181 Wichita,Kansas 67202 Owensboro,Kentucky 42303 Grand Rapids,Michigan 49503 Fax: 317-848-3191 Phone: 316-265-2800 Phone: 270-926-1100 Phone: 616-233-3561 WKnox@HamiltonCountySports.com Fax: 316-265-0162 270-316-3226 Fax: 616-459-0562 www.HamittonCountySnorts.com 316-660-6308 JBratcher@VisitOwensboro.com MGuswiler@WestMlSports.com MHofrenning@VisitWichita.com 1 www.VisitOwensboro.com www.WestMichiganSportsCommission.com www.VisitWichita.com 100 I SGM 1 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 1 Traverse City Tourism Columbia Convention&Visitors Bureau Lincoln Convention&Visitors Bureau South Sioux City Convention Mary Winowiecki Taylor Dalton z Derek Bombeck &Visitors Bureau Marketing Manager Sports Sales Manager omo Sales Development Manager Jim Steele 101 West Grandview Parkway • 300 South Providence Road y 1128 Lincoln Mall President • Traverse City,Michigan 49684 Columbia,Missouri 65203 Suite 100 4401 Dakota Avenue Phone: 800-940-1120 ' Phone: 573-874-7684 D Lincoln,Nebraska 68508 South Sioux City,Nebraska 68776 Fax: 231-995-3916 Fax: 573-443-3986 Phone: 402-436-2354 Phone: 402-494-1626 Mary@TraverseCity.com 800-652-0987 Fax: 402-436-2360 Fax: 402-494-5010 www.TraverseCitv.com Taylor.Dalton@CoMo.gov 800-423-8212 JSteele@southsiouxchamber.org www.VisitColumbiaMO.com DBombeck@Lincoln.org www.VisitSouthSiouxCitv.com www.Lincoln.org/compete Wildwoods Convention Center p Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance Greensboro Area Convention Dayton Convention&Visitors Bureau John Lynch Scott Dupree &Visitors Bureau Bev Rose Director of Sales and Entertainment = Executive Director Brian Ambuehl • Director of Marketing 4501 Boardwalk D 421 Fayetteville Street Sports Sales Manager &Communications ' Wildwood,New Jersey 08260 II Suite 1505 2411 West Gate City Boulevard • 1 Chamber Plaza Phone: 609-729-9000 o Raleigh,North Carolina 27601 Greensboro,North Carolina 27403 Suite A Fax: 609-846-2710 z Phone: 919-645-2657 Phone: 336-335-1581 Dayton,Ohio 45402 800-992-9732 D Fax: 919-834-5900 Fax: 336-230-1183 Phone: 937-226-8226 JLynch@WildwoodsNJ.com 800-849-8499 800-344-2282 Fax: 937-226-8294 www.WildwoodsNJ.com SDupree@RaleighSports.org BAmbuehl@VisitGreensboroNC.com BRose@DaytonCVB.net www.RaleighSports.orq www.VisitGreensboroNC.com www.DaytonCVB.com Butler County Visitors Bureau Sports Alliance of Greater Akron Clinton County Convention Lake Erie Shores and Islands Joshua Stephens Mary Tricaso &Visitors Bureau Amanda Smith-Rasnick • Senior Sales Manager- Director of Sales Debbie Stamper Director of Group Sales • Sports&Events 77 East Mill Street Executive Director 4424 Milan Road • 8756 Union Centre Boulevard Akron,Ohio 44308 13 North South Street Suite A West Chester,Ohio 45069-4876 Phone:800-374-7626 Wilmington,Ohio 45177 Sandusky,Ohio 44870 Phone: 513-860-4194 Fax:330-374-7626 Phone: 877-428-4748 Phone: 419-625-2984 • Fax: 513-860-4195 MTricaso@VisitAkron-Summit.org Fax: 937-382-1738 Fax: 419-625-5009 JStephens@GetToTheBC.com www.VisitAkron-Summit.orq DStamper@ClintonCounty0hio.com 800-255-3743 www.GetToTheBC.com www.ClintonCountv0hin.com Amanda@ShoresAndlslands.com www.ShoresAndIslands.com Edmond Convention&Visitors Bureau Lawton Fort Sill Convention Eugene,Cascades&Coast Sports Deschutes County Fair and Expo Center • Cathy Williams-White &Visitors Bureau Joey Jewell Roxia Thornton Todoroff Executive Director Taylor Burgess io Director of Sports Sales Expo Sales&Marketing Coordinator P.O.Box 2970 Tourism Director 0 &Development 3800 SW Airport Way • Edmond,Oklahoma 73083 302 West Gore Boulevard o P.O.Box 10286 Redmond,Oregon 97756 Phone: 405-341-4344 Lawton,Oklahoma 73501 z Eugene,Oregon 97440-2286 Phone: 541-548-2711 Fax: 405-216-7783 Phone: 580-355-3541 Phone: 541-484-5307 Fax: 541-923-1652 866-341-4344 Fax: 580-357-3642 Joey@EugeneCascadesCoast.org RoxiaT@Deschutes.org CWWhite@VisitEdmondOK.com 800-872-4540 www.EugeneCascadesCoastSoorts.orq www.Expo.Deschutes.orq www.VisitEdmondOK.com tburgess@VisitLawtonOK.com www.VisitLawtonOK.com Cl) Myrtle Beach Regional Sports Alliance VisitGreenvilleSC Sevierville Convention&Visitors Bureau Sevierville Convention Center Mike Anderson Robin Wright Tony Funderburg Martha Norris = Executive Director Sports Tourism Senior Sales Manager Director of Sales and Advertising Facilities Manager • D 1200 North Oak Street 148 River Street 110 Gary Wade Boulevard 202 Gists Creek Road Red-Light 17.4 'J Myrtle Beach,South Carolina 29577 Suite 222 Sevierville,Tennessee 37862 Sevierville,Tennessee 37876 1- Phone: 843-916-7264 Greenville,South Carolina 29601 Phone: 865-453-6411 Phone: 865-453-0001 z Fax: 843-916-7216 Phone: 864-421-0000 Fax: 865-453-9649 Fax: 865-868-1567 800-488-8998 Fax: 861-421-0005 1 888-889-7415 MNorris@SeviervilleTN.org Mike.Anderson@VisitMyrtleBeach.com 800-351-7180 TFunderburg@scoc.org www.SeviervilleConventionCenter.corn www.MvrtleBeachSeorts.com RWright@VisitGreenvilleSC.com www.scoc.orq www.VisitGreenvilleSC.com SPORTSDESTINATIONS.COM I 101 LiVENUES & SERVICES 5 1 Rhea Economic&Tourism Lubbock Sports Midland Convention&Visitors Bureau Round Rock Convention Dennis Tumlin Cris Rohrer Stephanie Martin &Visitors Bureau Executive Director 107 Main Street Sports Sales Manager Sports Manager Nancy Yawn,CDME,CSEE 1500 Broadway 109 North Main Director Dayton,Tennessee 37321 6th Floor Midland,Texas 79701 231 East Main Street Phone: 423-775-6171 Lubbock,Texas 79401 Phone: 432-686-3561 Suite 150 Fax: 423-775-7653 Phone: 806-747-5232 Fax: 432-686-3556 Round Rock,Texas 78664 DennisTumlinC�RheaCountyETC.com 800-692-4035 800-624-6435 Phone: 512-218-7094 www.FishDayton.com Cris@LubbockSports.org Stephanie@VisitMidlandTexas.com Fax: 512-341-3153 www.LubbockSports.org www.VisitMidlandTexas.com NYawn@RoundRockTexas.gov www.SportsCaoitalOfTexas.com Frisco Convention&Visitors Bureau City of Beaumont Convention Big Spring Convention&Visitors Bureau Odessa Convention&Visitors Bureau Ryan Callison,CTA &Visitors Bureau Terri Telchick Lawanna Lambert Marketing&PR Manager Stephanie Molina Facilities Coordinator Director 6801 Gaylord Parkway Suite 401 Director of Marketing 115 E.3rd Street P.O.Box 3626 P.O.Box 3827 Big Spring,Texas 79720 Odessa,Texas 79760 Frisco,Texas 75034 Beaumont,Texas 77701 Phone: 432-264-2323 Phone: 432-333-7871 Phone: 972-292-5256 Phone: 409-880-3749 TTelchick@MyBigSpring.com SportSales@OdessaCVB.com Fax: 972-292-5251 Fax: 409-880-3750 www.VisitBigSoring.com www.OdessaCVB.com RCallison@VisitFrisco.com 866-822-0245 www.VisitFrisco.com SMolina@BeaumontTexas.gov . www.BeaumontCVB.com i Woods. aters. OSHKOSH PSin 4 E c:t1 lAlorld Class Events. when you bring your sporting event to Oshkosh! it-. . theWorldRecord ATTENDEES me of the Record Musky WAUPACA BOATRIDE c , O 0 0 VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT1 5 H j o" i Location: Brighton Acrest ail: i i'.� 20t7 BATTLE ON BAGO 1 0 , 0 0 0 Vacation.Gu e Location: Lake Winnebago I ,,.... :+!. WIFCA ALL-STAR GAME 1 0 0 0 0 its IR ,„ t Location:J.J. Keller Field '- ,, i- 1 " ARC GUS MACKER 12 fru, .. Location: Downtown Oshkosh I ......44'� • OSHKOSH MARATHON 50 0 0 ---- . ,-.F Location:Downtown Oshkosh r . a , � .,_ v_; !1AYW 1 3A r S Wf5C ON5��• I'I1W I`4a'frrc. 114;11:23/1,L/?M(:. ,Contact us at(920)303-9200 or VisitOshkosh.com/Sports -.day to get the ball rolling! We'll cover all your bases! www.haywardiahes.com-715-634-4801 - 102 SDM NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 t t 50 EXECUTIVE INSIGHTS / US FIGURE SKATING US Figure Skating / VISFIGURE - SlGT/NG. An Interview with Bob Dunlop, Senior Director of Events WWW.USFSA.ORG US FIGURE competitors will come and populate the or ' SKATING is the stands. . national governing SDM:What are you looking for when :„`' body for the sport of you bid out events?Obviously,you need Y / * '' figure skating in the the right facilities. '' Ilk United States and a Dunlop:Almost every community has member of the In- a venue that could probably work,so one ternational Skating of the things we look for beyond that is 13k .I willik Union(ISU),the in- an understanding of our event.That's one Bob Dunlop ternational federa- of the biggest pieces in our review. If tion for figure you've been to one of our events before, I 11111 I skating.It is also a member of the USOC. even one not in your area, it's easier to 1;„ US Figure Skating is composed of understand what we need.We also need a member clubs, collegiate clubs, school- host community that is passionate about affiliated clubs,individual members and the sport and will help develop a game Friends of Figure Skating.It is one of the plan to have successful ticket sales. strongest and largest governing bodies SDM:Are you also looking for ties to within the Winter Olympic Movement, a local organizing committee, with fig- with more than 178,000 members in ure skating clubs that can help support member clubs, collegiate clubs and the event? school-affiliated clubs.To date,US Fig- Dunlop:At national and international **11 ure Skating has almost 700 member events, we've more often than not had clubs. club involvement in a lot of ways. Some - . Sports Destination Management: clubs will help us lead the charge, some -' Figure skating is always a showcase sport will provide volunteer services. It's al- in the Winter Olympics and people be- ways helpful to have a local team of ex- la% -" ..! 44 ?may come interested in it at that time.Are you perts who can help answer questions seeing growth even now, in a non- about the sport's demographic in that Olympic season? area. Bob Dunlop:We're definitely trend- SDM: How many volunteers are ing up. needed for your events? V 6 SDM:Everyone sees individual and Dunlop: In some venues, we are pairs skating at the Olympics, but what spread out over two to three different else is growing? sheets of ice,so the number can actually ent, and to provide more information to Dunlop: Synchronized skating is a fluctuate.Generally,it's in the hundreds. potential hosts.We share past financials large discipline and it has been growing SDM:Obviously, your events are in and we encourage communities to ask year over year. It dates back to the year demand. questions.We take the bids and we give 2000 and although it's not currently an Dunlop:We like to think we offer a them feedback,so it's a learning process Olympic event,we'd certainly like to see great event for any community to host. for everyone.We need to learn about their that happen. Synchronized skating is They bring in a lot of people and they community and they need to learn about something we really encourage commu- create economic impact.We have a lot of our event.There's a lot of competition for nities to look at and bid on. It's a team communities interested in repeatedly these events, and they do have a lot of sport and has sectional, national and hosting our national championships, moving parts.The more people can learn world championships.The World Cham- which to us is good news. about our events in advance, the more pionships are being hosted in Colorado SDM:What is the bidding process they have a leg up on the process.We also Springs next year and will bring in 26 like? never want to close the door on anyone. teams from around the world.The envi- Dunlop:We send out the RFP and we Sometimes, a community will be inter- ronment at these competitions is really have a timeline like most groups, but in ested in a particular event but through electric.There is a huge fan base,and on the 2005-2006 season, we changed the conversations, we find a different one the final day of competition,the younger process to become much more transpar- might be a great fit for them. SDM 104 I SDM 1 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 50 1 San Angelo Convention&Visitors Bureau Abilene Convention&Visitors Bureau Legacy Events Center Jenni Hutcheson Director of Sales&Marketing Charleston Convention&Visitors Bureau Debi Schultz Mike Moake Samantha Carney Sports Sales Director Marketing&Event Coordinator Sports Sales Manager 418 West Avenue B 1101 North 1st P.O.Box 618 601 Morris Street San Angelo,Texas 76903 Abilene,Texas 79601 Farmington,UT 84025 Suite 204 Phone: 325-655-4136 Phone: 325-676-2556 801-451-4091 Charleston,West Virginia 25301 Fax: 325-658-1110 Fax: 325-676-1630 Fax:801-451-4081 Phone: 304-344-5075 800 375 1206 800-727-7704 mmoake@daviscountyutah.gov Fax: 304-344-1241 • Jenni@VisitSanAngelo.org Debi@AbileneVisitors.com www.legacveventscenter.com 800-733-5469 www.VisitSanAngelo.orq www.AbileneVisitors.com Samantna.Camey@CharlestonWV.com www.CharlestonWVcom Hayward Lakes CVB Oshkosh Convention&Visitors Bureau Wisconsin Dells Visitor Gillette Campbell County Convention Sherry Beckman Justin Dejager &Convention Bureau &Visitors Bureau Group Sales Manager Marketing Director Kyra Popp Mary Silvernell,Executive Director • P.O.Box 1055 100 North Main Street Sales Manager • 1810 South Douglas Highway Hayward,Wisconsin 54843 Suite 112 P.O.Box 390 Suite A Phone: 715-634-4801 Oshkosh,Wisconsin 54901 Wisconsin Dells,Wisconsin 53965 Gillette,Wyoming 82718 Sherry@HaywardLakes.com Phone: 920-303-9200 Phone: 608-254-7180 Phone: 307-686-0040 www.HaywardLakes.com Fax: 920-303-9294 Fax: 608-254-4293 Fax: 307-686-1258 Justin@VisitOshkosh.com 888-339-3822 800-554-6136 www.VisitOshkosh.com kyra@WisDells.com Mary@VisitGilletteWright.com www.WisDells.com www.VisitGilletteWrieht.com TheBestVeu . foryour Event! . Tem" 1144. .. :.. t ` ci bat ... " vasitbaG ... ,sati _- - jp _46 ' r ' 1 i i I Pr''.1.1: " *.S,;I a FINISH '� rBase .� batt... .�. t . .rye 41 '' to -. ..> calf 41, Midws.. how-s.. .„Mast 0.. ,"''''''.1 \'''''''41)111116*-- ARIA CxA,MBER OG{ E 1/, (; * It' 1-866-494-1307 9 rOCOLY"' 4401 Dakota Avenue ,,,, s ,,..,• th Sioux City,NE 68776 (.a,iveVdieu C.141 iisdltint, b«t at Iwarnerta'southsiouxchamber_org i 866-1430-7100 ��/(/ )t71f�� (f��/ iYi. Visit Nebraska. Visit Nice. tttU4T€9. L°lilt .Ct911L (J�ll- V-7VV ��dLf www.visitsouthsiouxcity.com SPORTSDESTINATIONS.COM 1 103 • 2018&2019 USATRIATHLON DUATHLON NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS • 2016&2017 SOUTHERN CONFERENCE BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS • Z E.-- IV Z w 5 czod Z O cc D v a Z }" D d 5 m m H Z Lu vl vs d 41110Z m ,,,,,,, z 0* ,..-. O I' O • • m that v • • Z w ST. U o 0 N N VI m Z d -Dj EE O H Z Dr w E-til , Z D J ":14'''''''.411- .1-' ," C} Z T- D O VI o , � i I— W . w CC ift n vs y f 1 r m Z E; N kJ a� VId O J w ;. 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