To achieve continued growth and success, Sports ETA requires strong leadership from our dynamic members. Board members serve as representatives of Sports ETA's 800+ member organizations and help guide the future direction of the Association.
The Nominating Committee is accepting applications for eight (8) open positions on the Sports ETA Board of Directors. The open positions include:
Executive Committee – Secretary
Executive Committee - Treasurer
Four (4) Directors representing the Sports ETA Destination category serving a three-year term expiring April 2023
One (1) Director representing the Sports ETA Rights Holder category to serve a two-year term expiring April 2022
One (1) Director representing the Sports ETA Industry Partner category to serve a two-year term expiring April 2022
All Sports ETA members are invited to apply for a position and/or suggest potential candidates for consideration by the Nominating Committee.
The Nominating Committee is ...
We are excited to release our Request for Proposal (RFP) to partner and host the Sports ETA 4S Summit, co-located with our newly formed Rights Holder Summit in 2020 and 2021.
Download RFP
The last day to submit a proposal is January 17, 2020.
About the 4S Summit
4S Summit is an educational event designed for sports events and tourism professionals. The 4S's of sports events and tourism: strategies, services, sales, and sponsorships, will be covered during general sessions, small group discussions, and off-site excursions. Attendees take away key tools, resources, and best practices from their peers as well as experts in the sports events and tourism industry. This summit is an ideal learning opportunity for sports destination sales, services, events, & business development staff.
About the Rights Holder Summit
The Rights Holder Summit is an educational event designed for sports events professionals who are employed by sports governing bodies ...
Meet Derek Bombeck, a devoted family man who enjoys weekend camping trips and hunting. Derek loves to travel around the globe, recently checking off Budapest, Hungary where he attended the World Wrestling Championship with his dad. Derek is one of our dedicated Sports ETA mentors.
Derek is the Sales Development Manager for the Lincoln Convention and Visitors Bureau in Nebraska. He is responsible for marketing Lincoln as a premier sports tourist destination by recruiting new regional, national, and international sporting events. Derek also is in charge of the retention of current sporting events. He is satisfied knowing the greater impact his work can bring to help the city thrive.
Derek has an extensive background in event management and coordination. He served as the Director of Events for Nebraska Athletics for a decade. He fondest memory was seeing the Huskers compete in the NCAA Volleyball Championships the year he was Tournament Director.
Derek encourages his mentees to m...
We appreciate your input on collegiate athletics! 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 Sports ETA members have to say about the proposed NCAA name, image, and likeness changes.
The Pulse v.8 Recap
'Tis the season for peppermint mochas, celebrating with family and friends, and holiday traditions. The newest edition of The Pulse takes a light-hearted look at how you, our members, celebrate the season.
Take The Pulse v. 9 today!
A baseball tournament featuring teams from all over the Midwest will be heading to Lansing in 2020. The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) unveiled the May 2020 event will be hosted at Lansing’s Cooley Law School Stadium.
Six teams from universities across Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana and Ohio will play in this double-elimination GLIAC baseball tournament May 7-10. The winning team will get an automatic bid to the 2020 NCAA Division II Baseball Tournament.
“The GLIAC is one of the premier NCAA Division II athletic conferences in the country,” said Greater Lansing Sports Authority Executive Director Mike Price. “The mid-Michigan region has great familiarity with the GLIAC, having so many local youth attending and graduating from GLIAC schools, as well as student-athletes competing. I know Greater Lansing will embrace this event and provide an incredible environment for the student-athletes playing at Cooley Law School Stadium.&rdq...
Being new to this industry is intimidating, right? You have seasoned vets who seem to know everyone and then there is you – brand new and ready to make connections. But how? Here are a couple of tips and tricks I hope will help as you navigate being a “newbie” in this industry!
Go to the Sports ETA 4S Summit. Aside from the fact that you get to learn from some of the greatest leaders in our industry, this event is also one of the best opportunities to meet people. It’s smaller than the Symposium and is a completely education-based conference, making it your best opportunity for networking with colleagues. This is your chance to learn best practices and pick the brains of people who have walked in your shoes.
ASK THE QUESTION. This industry is built on relationships between clients and peers. With that being said, we can be each other’s greatest resource. You are learning the industry and it’...
Sports ETA is feeling the holiday spirit and we hope our members are too as we start to raise money for our Sports Legacy Fund. What better way to celebrate #GivingTuesday, than by giving to kids in need?
Each year, Sports ETA awards a grant to a non-profit organization that provides at-risk youth, veterans, or physically or intellectually disabled individuals opportunities to participate in sport. To date, Sports ETA and our members have donated more than $150,000 in grants to organizations that leave a legacy in the lives of the athletes who participate in their programs.
For 2020, we are pleased to announce our beneficiary KC Blind All-Stars Foundation. This amazing group helps support the needs and dreams of blind and visually impaired youth at the Kansas State School for the Blind and the educators who believe in them.
The KC Blind All-Stars Foundation will use the Sports Legacy Fund grant to build the school a new, handicapped-accessible playground on the school’s ...
From volunteering her time on the Sports ETA Mentoring Committee to serving on our board and attending the first-ever Women’s Summit in Columbus, Ohio, Meaghan Hughes is a dedicated member of Sports ETA.
Meaghan started off as a receptionist at the Ann Arbor Sports Commission and has risen in the ranks to be the Associate Director. She is now responsible for a variety of divisions including strategic planning, sales, social media, and managing Simpleview.
Meaghan said one of her favorite experiences was when the 2014 NHL Winter Classic came to Ann Arbor and her office hosted a New Year’s Eve “The Puck Drops Here” event. She says it’s something she would never have been able to be a part of if it wasn’t for her great job.
As someone who started her career in the sports industry at a younger age, Meaghan likes to mentor those who are just starting off.
“I started working here [Ann Arbor Sports Commission] when I was 23 and understand ...
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...