The holiday season is upon us. With Thanksgiving tomorrow, we here at Sports ETA just wanted to give a big thanks to you, our members. This is YOUR association. Without YOU, we would be nothing.
Many of you have stepped up, volunteering your time to make Sports ETA better. From our board members to our committees and events, we appreciate all the time you give our association. You are the reason we grow and succeed day after day, year after year. We welcome your insights, knowledge, and experience because Sports ETA is here to help you and others just like you in the industry of sports events and tourism.
Thank you once again for making 2019 a fantastic year for Sports ETA. We are excited to see what 2020 has in store. We wish you and your loved ones a wonderful holiday season.
She’s a Steelers fan that cheers on her team from Binghamton, New York. When her Steelers are not on the field, she enjoys being outdoors, attending live performances and volunteering for animal rescues. Meet one of our Sports ETA mentors Judi Hess.
Judi is the Director of Visit Binghamton. She is responsible for tourism promotion of Greater Binghamton including serving as the primary tourism liaison with elected officials, budget management, strategic planning, marketing program oversight, and managing all aspects of day to day operations of the Convention & Visitors Bureau. You can say Judi has many roles she takes on each day.
“Being a part of a small bureau, I get to wear many hats,” Judi said. “Because of that, I feel very comfortable mentoring in sales, marketing, social media, and branding.”
Judi suggests three things to anyone in this industry:
Put yourself out there
Never stop learning
Get involved
Getting in...
Did you know Sports ETA offers mentoring to members, new and old? The Mentoring and Engagement Committee is here to help all Sports ETA members. We will be spotlighting each mentor to help you get to know them a little better - you may even find that you connect with one of them. This way, when you need a mentor in the future, you already have one in mind.
Meet Hank Pivarnik, CSEE. He recently retired from Hilton as the Director of Sports Sales after 30+ years of service. In that role, Hank oversaw sales relationships between Hilton brands and customers from MLB, MLS, NASCAR, NBA, NFL, and NHL. In addition to sales relationships with USOPC, several NGB’S, sports broadcasting and sports housing entities.
While there was plenty of hard work along the way, Hank really enjoyed the times when he was able to work with Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks at NBA Cares service day during an NBA AllStar weekend. And his work with the Denver Broncos, which gave him a game b...
How to use your mentor.
Your fellow Sports ETA members, especially those on the mentoring committee, each come with unique perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds to our industry’s association. The best part of the diversity of membership is access to these leaders in sports tourism and what you can learn from them. It is not just about having someone to help guide new members through their first experiences, but also an opportunity to get creative and learn. Some of the most pivotal things I've learned in this industry weren’t taught to me in school or any formal education session, but from my colleagues, their experiences and of course my own.
I would encourage anyone to lean on those members of the mentoring committee, whether your assigned mentor or another member of the committee you already know, as a resource to bounce ideas off, seek career guidance, learn from their missteps and successes alike. Someone outside your dest...
Becoming a new member of Sports ETA is an exciting time. Event and tourism organizations are welcomed into a big network of colleagues and introduced to dozens of resources. It can be a lot to take in. That’s where our Mentoring and Engagement committee comes in.
Experienced Sports ETA members volunteer to serve as mentors to new member organizations and first-time Sports ETA event attendees who are new to the sports events and tourism industry. These mentors are there to offer advice, best practices in different areas of the industry, and a friendly face at Sports ETA events.
These mentors are not just there for new members; they can be of help to members who have been with Sports ETA for years. If you have a dilemma and need some friendly advice, one of our mentors will be glad to help you. Or if you are traveling to a city you are unfamiliar with, check out our mentors to see if they can make any recommendations.
This committee of about 40 industry leaders have a...
We appreciate your input on industry trends! If you didn't have a chance to respond to the latest version of The Pulse, it's ok! Take a look at the recap and see what industry trends are being watched by other Sports ETA members.
The Pulse v.7 Recap
The information in the recap above helps us as we plan for timely and relevant research for our members. Part of that objective is keeping a close eye on what’s happening in the industry, and what trends our members are interested in. Collegiate athletics is the subject of the Pulse v. 8, available now:
Take The Pulse v. 8 today!
Posted in: Best Practices, Education, Sports Events and
Leaders in the world of sports events and tourism just wrapped up another great Chief Executive Summit in Louisville. These great minds came together to address topics of leadership management, business strategy, and crisis management, all while getting to know the city of Louisville and their colleagues.
“Leadership is a constant learning process and our industry executives can benefit from top business professionals,” said Al Kidd, President and CEO of Sports Events and Tourism Association. “Our Chief Executive Summit gave sports tourism leaders and executives the chance to hear from others in business and learn best practices from leaders in higher education, horse racing, and technology, among others.”
One of the highlights of the Summit was keynote speaker Dr. Neeli Bendapudi, president of the University of Louisville. She discussed principles of leadership and management styles. Jonathan Paris, the executive director of sports tourism at Visit M...
LOUISVILLE, KY (November 8, 2019) – Sports events and tourism leaders from around the country were in Louisville this week for the 2019 Sports ETA Chief Executive Summit, where top business experts addressed topics such as leadership and management, crisis management and business strategy.
“Leadership is a constant learning process and our industry executives can benefit from top business professionals,” said Al Kidd, President and CEO of Sports Events and Tourism Association. “Our Chief Executive Summit gave sports tourism leaders and executives the chance to hear from others in business and learn best practices from leaders in higher education, horse racing, and technology, among others.”
“The Louisville Sports Commission was pleased to host the national leadership of the sports events and tourism industry in partnership with Sports ETA to showcase our city and our own business leadership,” said Karl Schmitt, President and CEO of the Lo...