From The Pulse… The Pulse is a research initiative led by Sports ETA to gauge the interest and thoughts of the sports events and tourism industry on critical issues and trends. Summertime Blues The temperature is rising around the country, and along with the longer nights comes one of the busiest times of the year for Sports ETA members. We wanted to know what's causing you some summertime blues and what deserves celebration. Take a look at what Sports ETA members had to say - The Pulse v.4 Summertime Blues Recap. The Pulse v.5 One industry challenge identified by respondents is athlete safety. We've recently partnered with the U.S. Center for SafeSport to provide access to training for our members and their constituents. Take The Pulse v.5 today!

Cleveland is in the middle of hosting MLB’s All-Star Week. The five-day event has featured concerts, the Celebrity Softball Game, a 5K, the Home Run Derby, and still to come is the big All-Star game. With all these events, Cleveland is expected to see more than just the 35,041 people Progressive Park holds. Greater Cleveland Sports Commission President and CEO David Gilbert told Forbes, “We know people will split up and go to different events. Not everyone who attends the All-Star Game will also attend the Home Run Derby, Futures Game or celebrity softball game. There’s also the Red Carpet All-Star Parade. People will come to town just to be a baseball tourist even if they don’t have a ticket for the game.” As you can imagine, this is going to be a big boost for Cleveland. The All-Star weekend is expected to produce an estimated $65 million alone. That’s a good return on Cleveland’s investment since, according to Forbes, hotel capacity ha...

Have you heard? Sports ETA is teaming up with the U.S. Center for SafeSport, a national nonprofit dedicated to ending all forms of abuse in sport. The critical resources on abuse prevention training the Center provides are now being offered to Sports ETA members. It’s another great benefit we are excited to pass along to you. As a Sports ETA member, you have access to the awareness and prevention SafeSport Trained online course at a 10% discount. The 90-minute training covers mandatory reporting, sexual misconduct awareness, and emotional and physical misconduct. The Center’s SafeSport Trained course is a small investment that will set your leadership and organization apart from your competition. “We’re grateful for the U.S. Center for SafeSport and this new partnership,” said Al Kidd, President and CEO of the Sports Events and Tourism Association. “Bringing these tools to our members is crucial to help end abuse in the sports world. It’s...

Providence, Rhode Island is a place where history and culture go hand in hand. It’s a town that has something for everyone, which is one of the many reasons Sports ETA 4S Summit is headed there October 8-10. Whether you are registered yet or not, we want to help you get the most out of your trip. You may be coming in early, or staying an extra day, or just want to plan something for your evening off. With help from our friends at Rhode Island Sports Commission, here are 10 things to do around Providence. WaterFire – A multi-sensory experience created by local artist Barnaby Evans, WaterFire has drawn hundreds of thousands of visitors to the city.  The event features nearly 100 bonfires that seem to float gently through Providence’s three rivers.  The smell of aromatic wood smoke, flickering firelight, and enchanting music add to the mystique. Waterfire.org   Walking Tours – Providence’s architectural treasures and rich histo...

Sports ETA is supported annually by engaged members who volunteer their time and resources for the association. Participating on a committee allows you to contribute to the decision-making that positions Sports ETA as THE resource for sports events and tourism professionals and the sports events and tourism industry. The Call for Volunteers is now open through July 31, 2019. We are recruiting committee volunteers who are excited to get involved, and eager to make a difference. Committee Responsibilities Committee member appointments are made by the respective committee chair(s) and are for one-year terms. Volunteer committee members are expected to participate in monthly committee calls, with additional meetings/work at the discretion of the committee chair(s).  Volunteer In an effort to maximize committee success, you may only serve on one (1) committee. To match you with the most appropriate opportunity, please complete our volunteer interest form as fully as...

There are a plethora of news-worthy happenings in sport lately. The NBA draft, Women's World Cup, the announcement of the 2026 Olympic Games locations in Italy, and most importantly, the Sandlot-style adults and kiddo baseball game that's about to go down at Casa de Stoll tomorrow night with good friends, ribs, and, of course, s'mores.   But chances are, in the clutter of happenings, you may have also picked up this viral video that emerged last week from a little league game right here in Colorado: As a sports nerd, this behavior is absolutely maddening. It runs in direct contrast to all the reasons sport is good. The work ethic, teamwork, sportsmanship, humility, perseverance, practice, dedication and so, so much more. On the flip side of the less-than-shining Colorado video, you may have seen this clip from an interview with University of Michigan Head Baseball Coach, Erik Bakich, when asked about the makeup of his College World Series appear...

Abuse Prevention Training to Benefit the Full Spectrum of the Sports Events and Tourism Industry The U.S. Center for SafeSport Teams Up with Sports ETA to Grow Nationwide Access to Critical Resources DENVER (June 26, 2019) — Two leading sport organizations, the U.S. Center for SafeSport (the Center), a national nonprofit dedicated to ending all forms of abuse in sport, and the Sports Events and Tourism Association (Sports ETA), announced a new wide-reaching partnership today. Through the alliance, the Center is providing its abuse awareness and prevention training which will be promoted and distributed by Sports ETA to their 800+ members and affiliated organizations which include sports commissions, major rights-holders, sports facilities and sport events owners, convention centers, visitors bureaus and multi-sports organizations and state tourism departments. The training will benefit countless athletes, coaches, volunteers, referees, staff and others attending events hos...

How much are events worth to your destination? Knowledge is power. This applies to sports commissions seeking to understand the economic importance of events to their destinations. By knowing the value of sporting events sold by a sports commission, industry stakeholders are empowered to make a strong case for continued destination marketing. Indeed, the case for destination marketing can hinge on an appreciation of the economic value of key events sold by sports commissions. In partnership with Destinations International, the Event Impact Calculator measures the economic value of a sporting event and calculates its return on investment to local taxes. Armed with this information, sports commissions are better prepared to make the case to policymakers for the ongoing development and growth of the events sector. The Sports Module and platform have been developed by Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics Company, and includes several Sport Event Types: Youth, Adult Amateur,...

At this year’s Symposium in Knoxville, TN, we honored organizations for being the best in 11 different categories in 2018. We want to take this time to spotlight each of them. This month, it’s Rockford Area CVB, winner of the Destination Branding & Marketing Campaign of the Year. “This accolade is certainly indicative of a lot of hard work, strong storytelling and diverse programming that collectively keeps elevating Rockford as a sports destination. But again, we have so much more to accomplish and are really excited about what the future holds for us and the greater sports tourism industry.”  Nick Povalitis, Director of Sports Development, Rockford Area CVB. Rockford Area CVB has seen many successes in the past few years including retaining legacy events such as the USA BMX Midwest Nationals, winning six bids with NJCAA National Championship, and creating a viral hit with a community watch party dubbed Jurassic Park RKFD. Povalitis counts Roc...

The summer 2019 edition of the Playbook is available now.  Download your copy. Inside this issue Creating an Emergency Management Plan Keep in Contact with Your New Contacts NCAA Site Selection and Bid Process In Hosting Events, Collaboration is Key in Virginia's Blue Ridge 2019 Hall of Fame Inductees Member Award Winners Empowerment through Accommodation Fox Cities Takes Events in House We encourage members to share information with your peers. Contact Meagan Grau, Director of Member Services and Engagement, at meagan@sportscommissions.org to learn more about how you can contribute to a future edition of The Playbook.