Sports ETA

There may still be time left in 2019, but here at Sports ETA, we are working hard on the 2020 Symposium. We’ll be headed to Kansas City, Missouri April 20-23 for our 28th annual meeting. Registration is now open, so start planning your trip! It doesn’t matter if this will be your first Symposium or your 28th, we are planning an all-new event with more deep-dive education sessions and breakouts divided by skill level. Plus, the 2020 Sports Marketplace is back and it is sure to be more interactive and provide informal learning opportunities to hundreds of people. You will be able to start making those one-on-one marketplace appointments in March. If that hasn’t sold you yet, then listen to those who went last year. The 2019 Symposium received a 4 or 5-star rating from 72% of respondents, who enjoyed marketplace appointments, education sessions, and all of the networking opportunities to catch up with colleagues and to meet new ones. Take a look at how much fu...

The Mentoring Committee was put in place years ago to assist new individuals attending Sports ETA Symposium. For some first-time attendees, it is their first trade show, ever! That was me…. straight out of college. For others, they have been in the workforce, and have attended other trade shows, but never a sports-related trade show. There are many new kinds of attendees and this committee was built to help all of them. Along with providing a mentor, the committee has added additional resources to assist first-timers. One of those is the blog that is written by mentors – who have been a part of Sports ETA for at least five years. They want to help their colleagues entering this new world of sports tourism. The blogs do not just focus on the Symposium, but important things to know about your membership, other events that are hosted by Sports ETA, fun facts, and more. Some blogs to look forward to prior to Sports ETA Symposium 2020 are: The Importance of Building...

We are excited to release our Request for Proposal (RFP) to partner and host the Sports ETA Symposium in 2023, 2024, and 2025. As you may know, the Symposium is our signature event through which we deliver authentic education, business development, and networking opportunities. Our annual meeting attracts hundreds of sport tourism professionals and industry partners who gather to exchange time, resources, strategies, solutions, and more. The Symposium features dozens of education sessions, countless networking opportunities, and business development appointments in the Sports Marketplace, all to help our members produce measurable ROI for their organization, elevate their sports events, and improve the quality of life in their destinations. Below are important deadlines to keep in mind: December 2019 - Q&A Calls January 15, 2020 - Proposal Submission Deadline February 2020 - Finalists Notified Spring 2020 - Site Visits conducted by staff, committee chair...

We are excited to announce that the call for speaker proposals is now open through December 15 for the 28th Sports ETA Symposium in Kansas City, MO April 20-23, 2020! We place a strong emphasis on seeking presenters who expand our industry's knowledge base through relevant and engaging content delivery, as well as specific implementable takeaways for audience members. Speaker Proposals If you or someone from your organization is interested in applying to lead a breakout session at the 2020 Sports ETA Symposium, we encourage you to submit an application! Click Here to Submit a Proposal We are accepting speaker applications through December 15. Sports ETA Symposium The Sports ETA Symposium is the annual meeting of the Sports Events & Tourism Association (Sports ETA), the non-profit trade association for the sports events and tourism industry since 1992. Sports destinations meet with hundreds of decision-makers res...

Build relationships with hundreds of sports events and tourism professionals at the 28th Sports ETA Symposium in Kansas City, MO April 20-23, 2020. Online registration is now open, lock in the best rate by registering with early bird pricing today! After 12/31/19, rates go up. Register Today! Important Information Registration Rates Schedule Hotel Accommodations Need help convincing your boss? Don't worry, we've got you covered! We've put together a justification toolkit to arm you with information to share with your supervisor on the benefits of attending the Symposium, how it will make you a better employee, and help advance your organization.  Justification Toolkit We think the Symposium is a must-attend event, but don't just take our word for it... take your fellow sports events and tourism professionals' words too! See what they have to say about the Sports ETA Symposium. QUESTIONS? Co...

Looking for effective ways to promote your next sports event? Billetto blog has six strategies to target your audience. Create a catchy event name Your event name is important since it is the first interaction potential participants will have with your event. Along with being catchy, make sure the name gives a hint about what the event entails. When brainstorming ideas, try and keep it simple so the name can grow to be recognizable. Use event posters Posters are still among the most effective ways of advertising sports events. Posters leave lasting impressions, tend to be cheaper, and will continue to promote the event as long as it is left intact. The key is to get it in front of the right audience. Consider hanging posters at stadiums, gyms, schools, etc. Work with influencers Sports fans and potential participants will relate better with your sports event if they hear about it from a person in the field. For local sports events, that person could be ...

It was another successful year for the 4S Summit. More than 150 sports events and tourism leaders attended the three-day summit in Providence, Rhode Island last week. During the three-day summit, attendees had the chance to learn new ideas and resources along with best practices to take back to their organization. “The 4S Summit allows industry professionals to come together to share ideas and best practices about the current trends in sports events and tourism,” said Al Kidd, President & CEO, Sports Events & Tourism Association. “Providence was a terrific host city to cultivate discussions between some of the great minds in our industry.” One of those attendees was Jarrett Dowling, CSEE Sales Manager at Columbia SC Sports. She took in several of the 20+ presentations and round tables offered at this year’s summit. “I think I probably learn the most from listening to successful colleagues during the round tables and sessions,&rd...

CINCINNATI (October 11, 2019) - The Sports Events & Tourism Association (Sports ETA) wrapped up its annual 4S Summit, which focuses on sports events and tourism and the following areas: strategies, services, sales, and sponsorships.  More than 150 sports events and tourism leaders attended the three-day summit in Providence, Rhode Island. During the three-day summit, the program, which started Tuesday, gave attendees a chance to learn new ideas and resources along with best practices to take back to their organization. More than 20 speakers offered presentations and hosted round tables. “The 4S Summit allows industry professionals to come together to share ideas and best practices about the current trends in sports events and tourism,” said Al Kidd, President & CEO of Sports Events & Tourism Association. “Providence was a terrific host city to cultivate discussions between some of the great minds in our industry.” Highlights of ...

In case you missed it, we have partnered with Northstar Meetings Group. NMG is the leading multi-brand media platform for event planners of all types, and they have teamed up with us to feature their educational content. Not only will the educational content that we provide be featured at Northstar conferences, but this agreement also includes a joint “Annual State of the Industry” publication and research co-sharing with NMG. To launch the partnership, we are offering a course presented by Peter Ashwin titled “Protecting Your Events: How to Prepare for Uncertainty and Adverse Conditions”. This course is included in our Certified Sports Event Executive (CSEE) series and will take place in Anaheim, California, on November 12 at a cost of $250 for Sports ETA members and $400 for non-members. To register for this event, you can visit SportsETA.org.  “We have long admired the work that Northstar Meetings Group, through its SportsTravel brand...

The fall 2019 edition of the Playbook is available now. Download your copy. Inside this issue - Kansas City Bucket List - Event Impact in Your Community - Strategic Sponsorships - Creating a Winning Environment The primary contact for your organization will receive a hard copy of The Playbook - Fall 2019 edition in the mail in the next few days. We encourage members to share information with their peers. Contact Meagan Grau, Director of Member Services and Engagement, at Meagan@SportsETA.org to learn more about how you can contribute to a future edition of The Playbook.