Professional Development

My life has centered around connecting with people. Perhaps it was growing up in the small town of Fairport Harbor, Ohio (where everyone really does know each other) that gave me the love of meeting new people, getting to know them, and staying connected to them.  That fortunate trait has been my greatest personal joy, and has become my greatest professional strength. The business of sport that we are all engaged in as members of the National Association of Sports Commissions is conducted through our personal relationships with people from every facet of our professional world, and when we share our experiences with each other we all benefit. I can still remember the hundreds of hours of benchmarking that it took to launch the Greater Columbus Sports Commission in 2002.  Colleagues (many of whom have now become my friends) from dozens of cities such as Richmond, Orlando, St. Louis and Portland shared their budgets and best practices to help get us off the ground.  I coul...

"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." This is a famous Thomas Edison quote from his quest to invent the light bulb. In a way, this quote can be turned around when talking about the Sport Tourism industry to read like this: "This is what we do, but there are 10,000 other ways that will work as well." This was quickly learned on a recent trip to Indianapolis, Indiana for the NASC Market Segment Meetings. Brady Turk and I represented the Rochester Amateur Sports Commission (RASC) and the two of us came away with a substantial amount of information and ideas that we can implement in our organization. The Market Segment Meetings are held annually in different cities across the United States and give Sports Commissions the opportunity to meet with other members in their market to discuss relevant issues and share unique approaches in the industry today. The meetings lasted just a day and a half, but provided non-stop education. Much of the time was spent ...

Seven years ago I was hired as the Sports Market Sales Account Executive. I was straight out of college and had a lot to learn! NASC was the first trade show I attended and I was a little nervous about attending my first sports trade show for many reasons: I wouldn’t know anyone, I didn’t know what kinds of questions to ask during appointments, how would I choose which educational sessions to attend from all of the options, etc.  I was relieved to find that the NASC membership as a whole are a very friendly and helpful group. I would eat lunch with people I didn’t know and they would be more than willing to offer advice and suggestions. I quickly felt comfortable and now, seven years later, can refer to those helpful individuals as friends. A few years ago I was looking into joining a NASC committee. I saw the Mentoring Committee as an option and knew that was the committee for me! I can appreciate how new members have a lot of questions and can relate to their e...

The NASC Awards and Hall of Fame Committee are delighted to announce that they are now accepting submissions for annual awards and the first class of NASC Hall of Fame inductees.  Nominate an Industry Leader to be Inducted into the NASC Hall of Fame First Class of NASC Hall of Fame Inductees to be Recognized at 25th annual NASC Symposium The NASC Hall of Fame Committee was established to honor those who play a vital role in the success and promotion of the NASC. The purpose of the Hall of Fame is to promote the professional management of sporting events and the sport tourism industry as a whole by honoring those individuals who exemplify the values of the NASC in their careers and by acknowledging their legacies to provide guidance for future members of the NASC. To be considered, nominations must be received no later than December 1, 2016. Submit a nomination. Direct any questions about the NASC Hall of Fame to Denny Gann, Hall of Fame Committee Chair.  NASC Awards Commit...

Have you experienced challenges with how to track room night information better, or do you wonder if others pay bid fees and, if they do, where do they receive the money?  Well, you are not alone with challenges or issues we may face in the sport tourism industry.  The upcoming NASC Market Segment Meetings in Indianapolis, October 25-26, 2016, is a great meeting to attend for the opportunity to discuss your challenges/issues and to share best practices in the sport tourism industry. NASC Market Segment Meetings are very beneficial.  Here are three top benefits for attending these meetings in Indianapolis. 1.         Learning Opportunity.  Market Segment Meetings are an excellent opportunity for you to sit down with your colleagues and share challenges or questions you may have.  Learn best practices, trends, strategies, ideas or solutions in small group discussions.  You will be discussing with organizations similar ...

We continue our featured benefit for the month of August with a blog post on NASC Best Practices Webinars. As the sport tourism industry's only association, the NASC emphasizes educational and professional development opportunities year-round that help make our members more effective in the business of bidding on, booking, and managing sporting events. The NASC uses a variety of platforms, including webinars, to share information with serious-minded sport tourism executives.  Best Practices Webinars focus on a trend or topic that is relevant and timely. Led by industry experts, the webinars are an educational tool that present solutions for sport tourism professionals with a common theme of industry best practices for a specific issue. After 15-20 minute presentations, participants engage in Q&A sessions to get answers to tough questions and are able to take away ideas that they can execute immediately.  Registration is free for all NASC members and $25 for non-members. W...

Check out our line-up of best practices and event webinars below and reserve your spot today!   The Sport of Politics Best Practices Webinar Thursday, August 25, 2016 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET Presented by Kathy Nelson and Marc Schreiber Register Now! Join Kathy Nelson, President/CEO, Kansas City Sports Commission, and Marc Schreiber, Vice President of Marketing & Development, St. Louis Sports Commission, as they discuss how you can be an advocate for your local and state legislation. They will share their story of navigating the political waters, and tips for what works and what does not. There will be time at the end of the presentation for questions. If you are unable to join us on the 25th, remember, you can download the webinar recording from our Webinar Archives (login required).   USA Boxing Event Webinar Sponsored by MGM Resorts International Thursday, September 8, 2016 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET Presented by Brandon Dyett Register Now! Join Bran...

Recently I was browsing through the NASC website, www.sportscommissions.org, and was reminded what a tremendous resource it is for our membership.   It’s very easy to navigate, even for a web-challenged Baby Boomer like me!  Being a destination sales person, I am drawn to the “Directories” tab.  Having contact information for a person within an organization is a valuable resource in this day and age and is a useful feature no matter what your membership category.  I particularly like the “advanced search filter” the directories offer.  I use it when traveling to various destinations around the country.  I search to identify organizations located in the city I am visiting and use this information to add face-to-face meetings to my schedule while I’m there. I have been a frequent visitor to the Models & Samples page under the “Research” tab and have used the examples there on many occasions.  I am a be...

We’ve talked a lot about how you can use the facilities you have for the best events you can attract. And yes, we’ve seen a facilities “arms race” blossom, as cities look to expand their sports venues to bring in even bigger and, they hope, better events. The “Gold Standard,” if you will, of sports facilities just may be in Blaine, Minnesota, where the National Sports Center is located. Billing itself as the World’s Largest Amateur Sports and Meeting Facility, the National Sports Center (NSC) boasts 50+ athletic fields, a golf course, an indoor FieldTurf field, velodrome, stadium, rinks and its own residence hall. It brings in more than 100 unique programs and events that will draw more than 4 million visitors each year. In fact, the facility has welcomed over 50 million visitors since its opening in 1990, when it was built by the state of Minnesota as part of a statewide building program to improve its amateur sports facilities. The NSC ...

Check out our line-up of best practices and event webinars below and reserve your spot today!  USA Cycling Thursday, July 21, 2016 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. ET Presented by Micah Rice Sponsored by MGM Resorts International Register Now! Join Micah Rice from USA Cycling as he discusses what he looks for in a host city and what it takes to host their events. Micah will share details on their upcoming 2018-2019 USA Cycling Amateur Road National Championships, 2018-2019 USA Cycling Masters Road National Championships and the 2019-2020 USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championships. There will be time at the end of the presentation for questions. If you are unable to join us on the 21st, remember, you can download the webinar recording from our Webinar Archives (login required).   Create Success with Housing Tuesday, July 26, 2016 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET Presented by Patrick MacCoubrey Register Now! In this webinar learn how event housing can help you improve ...