Symposium

I often think about the phrase “learn something new every day”. I think about it because I realize I don’t commit enough time to learning or growing professionally. If you think about it, learning is really unavoidable. I mean, every encounter, interaction and experience has a takeaway, but how often do we take time to reflect and realize the lesson learned? I’d like to say I do so every time, but let’s be real! My life, like I imagine most, feels like one distraction after another. This is not a complaint. I love my life, personally and professionally. But I really wish I was better about taking the time to learn and advance my professional skill set. I imagine others feel this way as well. Every spring I attend the NASC Symposium and while I enjoy interacting with clients at appointments, that is actually near the bottom of my satisfaction list. I have just as meaningful interactions outside the appointments as I do during. I understand many people at...

With the 26th Symposium now officially three months away, I’m sure you’re beginning to ask yourself what to expect upon your arrival in Minneapolis.  Being a first-time attendee, I know you have lots of unanswered questions about how to best prepare for tackling the symposium. Luckily, you’ve found the right place, and your National Association of Sports Commissions (NASC) Mentoring & Engagement Committee is here to help!  Over the next few months, our team will be publishing articles on how to properly plan for the Symposium, and what activities to experience during your time in the “Twin Cities.”  Each article will focus on an area of the conference, and detail how to approach that event or activity.  Our committees' years of experience can help guide the direction you set for yourself. “What are your goals, how to make the most from attending the Symposium, what to do during the appointments and what events shou...

I am excited to invite all members of the NASC to volunteer on committees. This is YOUR association, so I strongly encourage you to consider getting involved in one of these rewarding opportunities.  Join a committee. If you have never volunteered before, you will find that this is a great way to give back to your association and build close relationships with peers in the industry. Your talents, passion, leadership and input are crucial to the NASC and it helps us to build effective, vibrant, inclusive, and multicultural committees. The NASC is driven by more than 100 committed members who volunteer their time and resources for the good of the organization. Participating on a committee allows you to contribute to the decision-making that positions the NASC as the most valuable resource available to sport tourism professionals. Here is how you can get involved: • Refer industry colleagues to join the NASC and attend the Symposium • Recommend educational content and p...

We are excited to release our Request for Proposal (RFP) to partner and host the NASC Sports Event Symposium in 2021 or 2022. 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 NASC 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. The purpose of the RFP is to provide a detailed overview of the Symposium and the NASC and to disclose the criteria we will use to evaluate submissions. Below are two important deadlines to keep in mind: April 28, 2017 – Letter of i...

Also, during the meeting the NASC Sports Legacy Fund raised $33,000 to benefit Sacramento Police Activity League which fits the NASC’s criteria of donating to non-profits that provide individuals – particularly at-risk youth, veterans, or physically or intellectually disabled individuals – opportunities to participate in sport and encourage healthy lifestyles.   The Sacramento Police Activities League is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that strives to make a difference in the lives of at-risk youth in underserved communities.  Each of their programs has at least one Sacramento Police Officer who serves as a coach and/or mentor and helps foster positive relationships between law enforcement and the community.  Together, employees of Sacramento Police Department and members of the community volunteer their time to provide valuable opportunities, develop leadership skills and teach meaningful life lessons that prepare participants ...

New NASC board leadership was elected at NASC Symposium, including Mike Anderson, CSEE, Executive Director – Sports Tourism, Myrtle Beach Regional Sports Alliance as the new chair of NASC.   Additional Officers included: Vice Chair/Chair-Elect, Kindra Fry, CSEE, SMP, Executive Director, Bryan College Station Sports + Events; Treasurer, Janis Schmees Burke, CSEE, Chief Executive Officer, Harris County-Houston Sports Authority; Secretary, Michael Price, CSEE, Executive Director Greater Lansing Sports Authority; and Immediate Past Chair Ralph Morton, Executive Director, Seattle Sports Commission.   Board of Directors who were elected (Board Term Expiring 2018):  Janna Clark, CSEE, Sports and Sales Director, Elizabethtown Sports Park; Kris Smith, CSEE, Director, Detroit Sports; Roy Edmondson, CSEE, Vice President of Sports Business Development, Visit Anaheim; Pete Harvey, CSEE, Director of Sports Development, Buffalo Niagara Sports Commission.   Board of Directors...

This morning, we recognized 31 graduates from our CSEE program. Congratulations to all!   Carrie Baulwin, Vallejo Convention and Visitors Bureau; Mike Carey, Yakima Valley Sports Commission; Alvin Dominique III, USRowing; Brenda Hill, VisitPITTSBURGH; Thomas Lee, Visit Charlotte; Robert Lopez, McAllen Sports Commission; Aaron McCreight, GO Cedar Rapids; Stephanie Pappas, Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau; Karen Primeaux, Lafayette Convention & Visitors Commission;  Cris Rohrer, Lubbock Sports, Andy Carl, Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board/PA Sports;  Brooks Hierstein, Sports Hampton; Ann Hortman, Rome Sports Commission/Greater Rome Convention & Visitors Bureau; Jay Kasten, Tuscaloosa Tourism and Sports; Frank Lett, Kingsport Convention & Visitor Bureau; Jamie Schlagel, West Michigan Sports Commission; Rob Wells, Sarasota County Sports Commission; James Simmons, Wicomico County Convention and Visitors Bureau/TEAM Maryland; Janis Ros...

The top sports commissions and organizations were honored at this year’s NASC Sports Event Symposium. The yearly awards honor those organizations that do outstanding work in partnering with their communities, growing the sport and making their area a sport destination.   This year’s award winners include:   Sports Commission of the Year Population Under 400,000 Ames Area Sports Commission   Sports Commission of the Year Population 400,000 and above Harris County – Houston Sports Authority   Sport Tourism Organization of the Year Population Under 400,000 Sarasota County Sports Commission   Sport Tourism Organization of the Year Population 400,000 and above Visit Anaheim   Marketing Campaign of the Year Population Under 400,000 Visit Greenville SC   Marketing Campaign of the Year Population 400,000 and above VisitPITTSBURGH   Locally Created Event ...

Congratulations to our inaugural NASC Hall of Fame Class!   The National Association of Sports Commissions inducted its first-ever Hall of Fame class yesterday during the Opening Ceremonies of NASC Symposium in Sacramento.   The mission of the NASC 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 exemplified the values of the NASC in their careers and by acknowledging their legacies to provide guidance for future members of the NASC.   The inductees are as follows:   Hill Carrow Carrow is a founder of NASC and the North Carolina Sports Association as well as the founder of North Carolina Amateur Sports and its first executive director. He served as chair for the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in 2011 and 2015, US. Olympic Trials in Table Tennis in 2012 and 2016 and is a founder and CEO of USA Masters Games.   Kevin Gray Gra...

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...