Sports ETA and Special Olympics Announce Strategic Partnership to Expand Inclusive Sports Tourism
LAS VEGAS (May 4, 2026) – Sports ETA, the trade association for the sports events and tourism industry, and Special Olympics, Inc. today announced a new multi-year strategic partnership designed to expand opportunities for athletes with intellectual disabilities through the power of sports tourism.
The collaboration brings together Sports ETA’s national network of more than 850 member organizations with Special Olympics, the world’s largest sports organization for individuals with intellectual disabilities, serving millions of athletes globally.
Through this partnership, Sports ETA will provide Special Olympics with research, education, and connections to destinations and event hosts across the country. The agreement also includes expanded media visibility, storytelling opportunities, and integration into key industry platforms such as the Sports ETA Sy...
with Katie Hanna, Head of North America at Centre for Sport & Human Rights and Danielle Goldberg, Managing Director, Community Alliance for Child Rights at UNICEF USA.
Every year, Sports ETA hosts its annual meeting of membership, more commonly known as Sports ETA Symposium. This gathering of the best and newest contributors to our sports event and tourism industry is an opportunity to showcase many facets that drive sports in North America and beyond. Las Vegas, Nevada was our convergence point in 2026 with spectacular results.
In our January 2026 edition of the Sports ETA Facility Showcase, we showcased one of the two facilities that were showcased and toured in this year’s 2026 sports ETA Facility Summit in Las Vegas. Over eighty professionals from fifty-seven organizations attended this year’s Facility Summit and its day of learning. From start to finish, we program some of the best professionals to participate in interactive learning presentations throughout the day. No Facility Summit would be complete without stepp...
with Jon Tibbs, Chairman of JTA.
More Than 1,200 Industry Leaders Gather as $274.5B Sports Tourism Economy Takes Center Stage
LAS VEGAS (April 24, 2026) – The Sports Events & Tourism Association (Sports ETA), the trade association for the sports events and tourism industry, hosted its 2026 Symposium April 20–23 at Caesars Forum, bringing together more than 1,200 industry leaders for the premier gathering of the sports tourism sector. The event featured dozens of continuing education sessions and high-impact networking opportunities.
“We are grateful to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and Caesars Entertainment for hosting and delivering a world-class experience that matched the energy and ambition of this industry,” said John David, President & CEO of Sports ETA. “This year’s Symposium signals a defining moment for the sports events and tourism industry. With stronger data, greater collaboration, and increased global interest, our industry is better posi...
Media Resources
The full 2026 State of the Industry Report and Executive Summary are available at https://bit.ly/SportsETASOTI26.
The full report is complimentary to Sports ETA members and available to media upon request. For interviews or additional information, please contact Jackie Reau.
Contact: Jackie Reau, Game Day
(513) 708-5822 | jreau@gamedaypr.com
Sports ETA Unveils 2026 State of the Industry Report, Defining a $274.5 Billion Sports Tourism Economy
Top States and National Impact Highlighted as Industry Enters Global Growth Era
LAS VEGAS (April 22, 2026) – Sports ETA, the trade association for the sports events and tourism industry, today released its 2026 State of the Industry Report, marking a defining moment for the sector with the first-ever unified analysis of both participatory and spectator sports tourism.
The report reveals that sports tourism has evolved into a $274.5 billion total economic impact industry, generating $111.2 billion...
Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced the renewal and expansion of its long-standing housing and technology partnership with EventConnect, reaffirming a shared commitment to innovation, scale and best-in-class experiences for athletes, families and event operators across North America.
The renewed multi-year agreement extends a successful partnership that has helped Perfect Game deliver a more connected, streamlined and reliable travel experience across hundreds of events annually, setting a benchmark for how technology, service and customer outcomes intersect in youth and amateur sports.
EventConnect will continue as Perfect Game’s Official Housing Technology Bureau, supporting the organization’s nationwide calendar of elite baseball and softball events with industry-leading housing, logistics and data-driven tools designed to reduce friction for families while driving operational efficiency...
with Latasha Causey, President of Phoenix Raceway
with Triston Monte, Sports Development Manager at Visit Baton Rouge.
with Emily Jaenson, 2026 Women's Summit keynote speaker and best-selling author.