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CINCINNATI (For Immediate Release) – Nearly 1,000 sports events and tourism professionals attended the 26th NASC Symposium, the annual meeting of the National Association of Sports Commissions (NASC), April 23-26 in Minneapolis. NASC members elected new leadership and participated in dozens of high-level education sessions.
"The educational content was focused on key elements of effective strategies for sports event and tourism organizations, said NASC President & CEO, Al Kidd. Our tracks, including event management, research, partnerships, and technology, provided attendees with insights on the latest trends and how they will impact their destinations and events."
General sessions included a super panel on youth sports participation, featuring Tom Cove, President and CEO of SFIA, Tom Farrey, Executive Director of the Sports & Society Program at the Aspen Institute, and Dev Pathik, Founder and CEO of the Sports Facilities Advisory.
New NASC leadership was also announced, including Kindra Fry, CSEE, SMP, Bryan College Station Sports + Events, as the new chair of NASC. Additional officers included: Vice Chair/Chair-Elect, Janis Schmees Burke, CSEE, Harris County-Houston Sports Authority; Treasurer, Michael Price, CSEE, Greater Lansing Sports Authority; Secretary, Janis Ross, CSEE, Eugene, Cascades & Coast Sports, and Immediate Past Chair Ralph Morton, Seattle Sports Commission.
New Board Members approved by the NASC membership include the following: Directors with Board Term Expiring 2019 are Matt Dunn, CSEE, Vice President, Tourism Development, Palm Coast and the Flagler Beaches; William Knox, CSEE, Director, Hamilton County Sports Authority; Kathy Nelson, President/CEO, Kansas City Sports Commission; Marissa Werner, CSEE, Senior Sports & Entertainment Manager, VISIT Milwaukee; and Board Term Expiring 2020 are Don Dukemineer, CSEE, Convention Sales Manager, Huntsville/Madison County CVB; Laura Gurreri, CSEE, Director of Sales, Sport York; Frank Lett, Senior Associate Executive Director/Director of Sports Marketing, Kingsport CVB; Ray Palmer, CSEE, President/CEO, Pensacola Sports.
Additional Board Members approved by the NASC membership include: Directors with Board Term Expiring 2021 are Derek Bombeck, CSEE, Sales Development Manager, Lincoln CVB; Josh Dill, CSEE, Director of Sports & Events, Frisco CVB; Brent Nelson, Sr. VP of Business Development, Central Florida Sports Commission; Jennifer Stoll, CSEE, Executive Director, Greater Grand Junction Sports Commission.
Allied Representatives with Board Term Expiring 2019 is Jim Hilb, CSEE, Associated Premium Corporation; and Board Term Expiring 2020 is Hank Pivarnik, CSEE, Director of Sports Sales, Hilton Worldwide.
Rights Holder Representatives with Board Term Expiring 2019 is Matthew Libber, VP Business Operations, Elite Tournaments and Board Term Expiring 2020 is John David, CSEE, COO, USA BMX.
The 27th annual NASC Symposium will be held May 6-9, 2019 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Future host cities include: Kansas City, Missouri in 2020, Birmingham, Alabama in 2021 and Fort Worth, Texas in 2022.
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About the National Association of Sports Commissions
The National Association of Sports Commissions (NASC) is the 501(c)3 trade association for the $11.4 billion sport tourism industry, serving more than 800 sports destinations, vendors, and event owners, both domestically and internationally.
For more information, visit www.sportscommissions.org.