Sports Events and Tourism Industry

Goodness out of tragedy

 Posted on: January 18 2017
The recent release of the movie “Patriots Day” reminded us of how sports can converge in the real world with tragic results. As you might remember, it was 2013 when the Boston Marathon (run on Patriots Day) was forever scarred by two blasts that went off near the finish line. The tragedy killed three and injured 264.  Among those killed was 8-year-old Martin Richard, there among the spectators with his family. It’s a timely reminder, because Dave McGillivray, the race director for the Boston Marathon, sent out an email this week on his run to remember Martin. “Since April 15, 2015, almost every race I’ve run, I’ve dedicated to and run in memory of Martin Richard,” McGillivray writes. “This year will be my 45th Boston Marathon (he usually runs the course after the race has ended). My son, Max, is running his first Boston Marathon this year. “We both are running on behalf of MR8-the Martin Richard Foundation-which suppor...

Back to School (Recruiting)

 Posted on: January 11 2017
Youngsters who are involved in sports, we hope, are involved for the right reasons: Learning teamwork, staying active, honing social skills. A few are athletically gifted enough that they can look forward to a career at the next level, be it high school, college or beyond. Whether you work with youngsters in camps, in AAU-type organizations or at school, the process of playing with one eye on a scholarship is a stressful one. First, the facts, courtesy the NCAA: Eight million kids are participating in high school sports. Only 480,000 of them (about 6 percent) will eventually compete in collegiate athletics at an NCAA program. And only 56 percent of those athletes will receive “some level” of scholarship assistance, and that amount averages less than $11,000 per student-athlete. And remember, many scholarships are “partial” scholarships, especially when you are dealing with the so-called Olympic sports of track and field, soccer and the like. Even baseball ...

4 Reasons to Earn Your CSEE

 Posted on: December 20 2016
The NASC is the leader in the sport tourism industry when it comes to providing educational opportunities to its members. The Certified Sports Event Certification (CSEE) is the most recognized professional designation in our industry. The program, having been developed in 2002, has continued to evolve as the needs of the NASC members have changed. Sessions have focused on such topics as Media Relations, Hotel Contract Negotiations, Strategic Planning, Coordination of Volunteers, RFPs and the Bidding Process, and Social Media. Online courses were also recently launched to supplement the live courses. As a sport tourism professional, I believe it’s important to continuously keep myself educated on what’s happening in our industry. My primary reasons for earning my CSEE include: 1. Knowledge - The world around us is constantly changing and it’s imperative that for us to do the best jobs we can, that we stay informed. CSEE courses provide us with another source of informa...

No Excuse Zone

 Posted on: December 19 2016
It may be holiday time, but for many in youth sports, it’s coming up on tournament time. During holiday breaks many teams, whether they’re affiliated with a school or with an AAU-type organization, use the time away from school for traveling tournaments. So now may be a good time to listen to one of soccer’s legends, Mia Hamm, on how parents should handle their kids in sports. In a speech recently in Colorado Springs, she offered this bit of advice: “Resist the urge to make excuses for your kids.” Mia Hamm is now a sports mom herself, and in that role hears other sports parents blame the refs, the coaches, even their kids’ teammates if Johnny or Mary doesn’t have a good game. “They look up to you,” she told the crowd. “They are so vulnerable after a defeat. They don’t need to hear, ‘Oh, my, if Suzie had just passed that ball to you.’ Or ‘If that ref had a clue. Somebody needs to talk to him....

Everyone’s a Winner

 Posted on: December 12 2016
You know the drill: At youth tournaments, there are row upon rows of trophies, medals, etc. for everyone. Not just the members of the team that won, but EVERYONE. Because we want all the players to feel valued and to get a reward just for participating. Pittsburgh Steeler’s linebacker James Harrison famously railed against participation trophies, going as far as taking away his kids’ awards, saying he wanted them to earn their trophies. And now, add Louisville women’s basketball coach Jeff Walz to the list of those who want more of an effort from his players than just showing up. Earlier this season, after a particularly poor showing (his opinion) by his team in a basketball, game, Coach Walz blasted the “participation trophy” mentality of players. “We just live right now in a generation of kids that are coming through, everybody gets a damn trophy,” he said. “You finish last, you come home with a trophy. Are you kidding me? What...

Developing Relationships-Parks and Recreation

 Posted on: December 6 2016
It should be no surprise that if you are active in Sports Tourism that you should be working very closely with your Parks and Recreation Departments. For the most part they have what Event Planners are looking for----diamonds, fields, courts and green space. For some of you that may just be one Department and for others---like me---it involves multiple jurisdictions in our large metropolitan area. Each Park and Recreation Department may excel in a particular sport and it is nice to have them as your “go to partner” for that specific sport while others due to their availability and designated space like to branch out and be considered for some “out of the box type events”. No matter how you look at it or approach their space get to know each Parks and Recreation Department Leader. Invite them to lunch, let them know some events that you are working on and who knows----maybe they have heard of an event that needs a nudge or some assistance that you could connect w...

Get your foot in the door

 Posted on: November 28 2016
When an acquaintance finds out that you work in the sports industry, there’s a very good chance that his or her first reaction is, “Wow, that’s so cool.” Those of us in sports know that yes, it’s cool, but it’s also a lot of hard work. And it’s not all that easy to break into the business and find the job that you want. You probably talk with school groups or hear from aspiring sports professionals who might drop you an email to ask, “I’d like to do what you’re doing. How do I get in the sports business?” Well, we know that there are probably as many ways to get into the business as there are jobs. But recently Kathryn Smith, the first full-time female coach on an NFL team (Buffalo Bills), talked with writer Lyndsey D’Arcangelo about how she got into the NFL, and her advice for others who want to get into the sports business. Among other things, Smith said, “Get in where you can, and do what you can to ...

NASC Member Mentoring

 Posted on: November 22 2016
Member Mentoring is one of the best services the NASC has to offer for new members/partners to the NASC.   Having been involved with the NASC since 1996, I have seen the NASC transform into one of the strongest association in the tourism industry.  One of the special aspects of the NASC is the Member Mentoring committee.  This committee assists new members to the NASC and helps answer questions, work through issues with event owners or rights holders and helps in creating that fraternity of “been there and done that” so the new member does not feel like they are on an island. One of my best Member Mentoring stories I like to share from time to time happened several years ago.  I was assigned Daniel Rush, Vice President of Global Sports & Event Sales for MGM Resorts in Las Vegas, NV.  Now as first, I am thinking, what do I have to share with the Vice President of Global Sports and Event Sales for MGM Resorts that he has not seen or been thro...

Another deciding vote…

 Posted on: November 14 2016
One referendum decided last Election Day will go a long way in deciding the future of the San Diego Chargers. San Diego voters were asked to approve public funding for a new stadium for the Chargers. Measure C would have raised $1.15 billion from increased hotel occupancy taxes to help pay for a $1.8 billion stadium and convention center annex downtown. Chargers owner Dean Spanos spent more than $10 million on the campaign to approve the measure, but only about 40% of the voters were in favor of the funding. The Chargers needed 66.7% of the vote to pass. The vote means that there’s a good chance that the Chargers will return to their ancestral home in Los Angeles (they started life as the Los Angeles Chargers in their baby blue uniforms) and share a new stadium with the Rams—the facility is being built by Rams owner Stan Kroenke. The Rams are playing at the L.A. Coliseum until the new stadium in Inglewood is ready after 2018. The Chargers could come up with a similar ...

Pay it Forward

 Posted on: November 8 2016
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...
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