“We under promise and over-deliver.” That’s what Visit Baton Rouge President and CEO Paul Arrigo told WAFB is a key to the sports tourism boom in the area. It may take a lot of us by surprise, but it seems to be working for the area Baton Rouge will be host to the US Soccer regional youth championships in June, which is worth about $20 million to the area, Marucci World Series Championships in July, and Youth Basketball of America’s Winter Nationals in December. One of the new attractions city leaders expect will bring people to the city is Topgolf. The new location is set to open soon and is the first in Louisiana. Arrigo told WAFB that events and attractions like Topgolf bring people to Baton Rouge, and in turn they spend their money around the area at restaurants, hotels, and retail.   Read full article by WAFB.

As the football season moves into the playoffs, TravelPulse takes a look at the many similarities between sports and the business world. Both football and sales are contact sports in their own ways. In football, the contact is your rival team. In sales, you have three main contacts… Your first contact is your support network. Without the collaboration of your colleagues, your success would not be nearly as great. They keep you focused on moving towards your goals and hold you accountable. The client is known as your second contact. Typically lots of contact is made with the client via email, phone call, meetings, etc. to communicate and come to an agreement on a suitable outcome for both parties. Follow-up is the third and arguably most important contact. Because less than 30 percent of your clients will work with you again, working hard to maintain current clients is much more cost effective than finding new ones. It takes a team effort to achieve success. Be sure t...

A new year can bring the same troubles for event spaces. One of the biggest questions is how do you attract events to your venue or city. We found a few simple venue promotion ideas, thanks to Eventbrite. 1. Start with a Refresh It’s a simple idea, but it could really help. Review your website, social media channels and marketing. Make sure it’s up-to-date, on brand, and it’s selling your venue. 2. Update Photography This is the same idea as a refresh. If your pictures are outdated or grainy, it might be time to take a few new pictures. Don’t be afraid to include action in your photos whether it’s a team scrimmage or parents in the stands. This allows any potential client to visualize themselves in your venue or city. 3. Create a Virtual Tour Go one step further than photos. Give potential clients a 360° tour of your space on your website. EventBrite suggests getting started with a service like Google’s Tour Creator to showcase ...

I was lucky enough to attend the Inaugural Women’s Summit last year in Columbus, OH. I wasn’t sure what to expect with it being the first year that NASC put something like this together – it was great, everyone was a first timer! The first gathering of the Summit was the opening reception. It was relaxed and a great opportunity to meet other women in the industry. I met several colleagues I had not had the pleasure of meeting before, and are now friends. The thing I enjoy most about NASC events (Symposium, 4S, and now Women’s Summit) is the opportunity to meet others in the industry. I’m able to take the relationships I build and use it as a help line with any questions I may have regarding the sports world. The second day we had inspiring speakers, opportunities to talk about issues we encounter in our jobs as a group and were able to experience Tourney Town for Women’s Final Four (probably my favorite part of the event.) Not only was I able t...