As your professional association continues toward its 25th Anniversary at our 2017 Sports Event Symposium in Sacramento, it seems a good time to look back on the process that led to adopting bylaws and obtaining not-for- profit status. The process itself took three years, and perhaps what is most important is this: the NASC was founded to be THE place where host organizations could gather and share experiences.

The first conversations regarding an association took place in 1989. A volunteer committee was formed and work continued through 1990 and 1991, culminating in adoption of bylaws and the election of officers and directors April 10-11, 1992. The single person deserving of credit for making this process work is Hill Carrow. Hill made certain our organizational meetings had agendas and minutes and each meeting resulted in progress.

Those persons present in 1992 and still involved in the NASC besides Hill are Vicky Comegys, Dennis Gann, Mike Millay, Dan Quandt, and myself.

Financials were based upon annual dues of $600…and they have grown only modestly since. By the end of 1992, we had about $10,000 in the bank and the budget for 1993 projected total revenues of another $25,000. Our budget for 2017 will be about $2 million.

In 1992, every founding member knew where they would go to find events. Holding a marketplace and taking appointments with prospective rights holders did not make the agendas in those early years, and it is important to explain why. Early members were sports commissions, followed by a number of convention and visitor’s bureaus skilled in obtaining and producing events.

In fact, this distinction: a host organization actively involved in producing events was regarded as essential to membership.

By 1997 we created the industry’s very first event marketplace. More than a dozen rights holders including the AAU and NCAA met with city representatives. The sessions were so successful they were made a permanent feature of our symposium. Other industry conferences followed with their own events.

Over the years more and more organizations have applied for membership, so many that our membership is now quite diverse in needs and interests. Today members report that the opportunity to obtain new business is the single most important reason to attend the Symposium. Focus has shifted from information sharing among industry leaders to ten minute meetings with as many event owners as possible, sometime without regard to whether facilities exist to host the events under discussion.

This change requires your association to search for ways to better educate members before the appointments and to increase the number of qualified event owners. Our 25th year is seeing intensive discussion among our committees on ways to best address the situation: an increase in Symposium fees, how to be certain all event owners stay until the last appointment is complete, etc.

One contributing factor is the growth in the number of DMO sales people. A sales person today needs leads more than education. Their task is to book events that produce room nights, and many do not know where to look for events.

The NASC offers many, many ways to learn what to do. Our website has become the single most dependable source of what to do and where to go. The NASC will spend more than $100,000 in 2016 maintaining and improving the site and all member services that are housed and executed through the site. New members learn they have information at their fingertips 24/7. We are not simply a two or three day a year industry conference. The NASC is a professional association, the only member based not-for-profit serving the sport tourism industry in the United States. The annual cost of membership allows everyone with a member organization access to these answers.

Our Certified Sports Event Executive (CSEE) Program was created to provide a way for experienced members to accumulate enough credits to earn the designation. The key word was always “Executive.” Our efforts have been directed toward serious-minded professionals. Although this effort will continue, the program has been revised for 2016 to better meet current needs. We realize some participants want information that will produce immediate sales. Some are not particularly interested in preparing for a career in the industry.

The NASC is working on ways to assist those passing through as well as those looking at becoming industry “lifers.” We have been member directed since 1992. There has never been a year where members have not been asked what they are looking for so our committee volunteers can decide how best to give it to them.

The balance of 2016 and the early months of 2017 will see even more strides toward generating more chances for sales opportunities. There may well be costs involved. After all, your association has been charging only one-third of what is charged by the next lowest priced conference!

So, after 25 years we are much more than a couple of days of appointments and social events. The NASC has evolved into a full service, member directed association of like-minded individuals committed to industry best practices.

Thanks for your attention, and continued success.

Donald G. Schumacher, CSEE
Executive Director