TAMPA (April 7, 2025) -- The 2025 Sports Events & Tourism Association (Sports ETA) Women’s Summit was held in conjunction with the NCAA Women’s Final Four and proudly hosted by the Tampa Bay Sports Commission. From April 2–4, female leaders from across the sports events and tourism industry—including representatives from CVBs, sports commissions, rights holders, and industry partners—gathered to explore emerging trends and exchange best practices in business, leadership, and advocacy. This year’s Summit marked a milestone moment, with a 60% increase in attendance—making it the largest and most impactful gathering in the event’s history.
Expert Panelists Present at the Sports ETA Women’s Summit
The lineup of keynote speakers included the following:
Claire Lessinger, Tampa Bay Sports Commission
Linda Logan, Greater Columbus Sports Commission
Taylor Obersteadt, WIN for KC
Natasha Reyes, Sport Oregon
Kourtney Sanchez, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Becky Harsch, Visit KC
Meaghan Hughes, Ann Arbor Sports Commission
Sarah Axelson, Women’s Sports Foundation
Maureen Hirt, Dennison University
Angel McCoughtry, WNBA Legend and Olympian
Jay Parry, Arizona Major Events Host Committee
Carolynn Smith-Jones, Seven Marketing
Stevi Carr, WISe Wellness Guild
Blair Bloomston, Leaders Uplifted
Elizabeth Galloway, Legends of the Ball, Inc.
Dana Hart, The Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Tournaments
Dr. Ashleigh Huffman, the VP of Global Engagement at the Institute for Sport and Social Justice and the former Chief of Sports Diplomacy at the U.S. Department of State, served as the event’s keynote speaker
Marissa Werner Named 2025 Sports ETA Woman of the Year
A highlight of the annual Women’s Summit is the announcement of the prestigious Sports ETA Woman of the Year—an honor that recognizes exceptional leadership, innovation, and commitment within the sports events and tourism industry.
This year, Sports ETA President and CEO John David proudly named Marissa Werner, Director of Sports Milwaukee at VISIT Milwaukee, as the 2025 Sports ETA Woman of the Year.
Werner, who launched and now leads Sports Milwaukee, a division of VISIT Milwaukee, has played a transformative role in positioning Milwaukee as a premier destination for sporting events, while championing health, wellness, and community engagement.
“Marissa Werner’s recognition as Sports ETA’s Woman of the Year is a testament to her incredible passion for health and wellness in our community, as well as her relentless dedication to bringing world-class sporting events to Milwaukee,” said Peggy Williams-Smith, President & CEO of VISIT Milwaukee. “We are so proud of her and grateful for the impact she continues to make—not only on our city but across the entire sports tourism industry.”
Under Werner’s dynamic leadership, Milwaukee has successfully hosted and secured numerous high-profile events that generate both economic impact and local pride. She is widely respected for her strategic vision, commitment to inclusivity, and tireless energy in growing Milwaukee’s sports landscape.
Over the past decade with VISIT Milwaukee, Werner has played a key role in bringing a diverse lineup of major events to the city, including:
NCAA Men’s Basketball Championships
PGA Championships• USA Triathlon Age Group National Championships
USA Volleyball 18s Girls National Championships
AVP Milwaukee Open
USA Ultimate College Championships
USA Fencing North American Cup
WFTDA National Championships
USA Table Tennis Open Championships
The US Open
Sports ETA’s own Symposium
“Marissa embodies the spirit of this award,” said John David, President & CEO of Sports ETA. “She’s a dynamic leader who’s shaping the future of sports tourism through innovation, collaboration, and passion. We’re thrilled to recognize her outstanding contributions to our industry.”
Sports ETA Women’s Summit Raises Funds for Legends of the Ball Inc.
Also, through the Sports ETA Legacy Fund and the generous support of Sports ETA members, a significant donation was made to Legends of the Ball Inc. Their mission is to promote the historic and social relevance of the WBL (Women’s Basketball League) which was the first women’s professional basketball league in the United States, to inspire future generations to break through barriers, realize their potential, and become leaders for positive change. LOB, Inc. also promotes the overall history of women’s basketball focusing on the Title IX and AIAW eras in which the board members became trailblazers of the game.
“Our Women’s Summit is a movement driven by strength, vision, and dedication of women in the sports tourism industry with the NCAA Women’s Final Four as a backdrop to meet and network with national thought leaders,” said David. “A special thanks and congratulations to the team at the Tampa Bay Sports Commission for their outstanding hospitality and successful hosting of the 2025 NCAA Women’s Final Four.”
A special thank you to the 2025 Sports ETA Women’s Summit sponsors for making the event a success: Tampa Bay Sports Commission, Discover Puerto Rico, Sports Salt Lake, Sports Richmond, Fort Worth Sports Commission, Greater Columbus Sports Commission, Indiana Sports Corp, St. Pete Clearwater, FL Sports Commission, Florida’s Sports Coast, West Michigan Sports Commission, Florida Sports Foundation, Team IP, Fastbreak AI, and Team Travel Source.
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About Sports ETA
As the only trade association for the sports events and tourism industry, Sports ETA is the most trusted resource for sports commissions, destination marketing organizations (DMOs), and sports event owners. Sports ETA is committed to the success of more than 750 member organizations and 2,400 sports event professionals. We promise to deliver quality education, ample networking opportunities, and exceptional event management and marketing know-how to our members to protect the integrity of the sports events and tourism industry. For more information, visit SportsETA.org.
Contact: Jackie Reau, GameDay
(513) 708-5822 | jreau@gamedaypr.com