Breakfast Keynote: Industry Insights and Leadership Perspectives

Sponsored by:

Traveling Teams

Summary:

Join us for a compelling opening session at the 4S & Rights Holder Summit, featuring two of the most influential leaders in the Tennessee sports tourism and events industry: Jerry Caldwell, President & General Manager of Bristol Motor Speedway and Dragway, and Commissioner Mark Ezell of the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development. This engaging discussion will be moderated by Frank Lett, Chairman of the Sports ETA Board and President & Chief Tourism Officer at Visit Kingsport.
 
In this session, Caldwell and Ezell will share unique insights from their impressive careers, touching on topics from mega-event management and sponsorship strategy to the significant economic impact of sports tourism. Jerry Caldwell, known for his visionary leadership at Bristol Motor Speedway, will offer a behind-the-scenes look at the planning and execution of high-profile events, including the Battle at Bristol and the upcoming Speedway Classic. Commissioner Ezell, who has driven record-breaking tourism growth for Tennessee, will provide a state-level perspective on tourism’s role as an economic powerhouse, including his strategies for promoting Tennessee as a world-class destination.
 
Together, they’ll discuss the vital role sports venues play in community disaster relief, the transformative impact of partnerships, and the importance of innovation in keeping sports tourism competitive and engaging. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain actionable insights and inspiration from two leaders dedicated to driving growth and impact in the sports tourism industry.

 

Speakers:
Jerry Caldwell, President & General Manager, Bristol Motor Speedway and Dragway

Commissioner Mark Ezell, Tennessee Department of Tourist Development

Moderator:
Frank Lett, Sports ETA Chairman of the Board & Visit Kingsport, President & Chief Tourism Officer  


Jerry Caldwell
 

President & General Manager, Bristol Motor Speedway and Dragway   

 

Jerry Caldwell’s career at Bristol Motor Speedway epitomizes the quintessential American Dream. He started working for the racetrack as a 27-year-old intern while pursuing his business degree at King University in Bristol, Tennessee. After an announcement in January 2022, he now serves as President & General Manager of the Speedway and Dragway. Under his guidance, Bristol Motor Speedway has become a multi-purpose sports and entertainment venue, one that made headlines for its award-winning transformations into a premier NCAA college football stadium, world-class dirt racing facility and country music arena. 

 

The appeal of Bristol Motor Speedway and Dragway’s rich history and traditions lures guests from all 50 states and more than 25 countries annually. Caldwell’s predecessor and mentor, the late Jeff Byrd, was an innovative, customer-centric leader that inspired his staff to “Exceed Expectations.” Since assuming day-to-day oversight and management in 2010, Caldwell continues to build on Byrd’s foundation and pioneers new strategies to encourage new generations to visit the iconic destination. As a result of his dynamic leadership, he was named the 2023 Tennessee Tourism Leader of the Year Award winner, by Hospitality Tennessee.  

After decades in the making, Caldwell power-brokered a deal to bring “College Football’s Biggest EVER” game to Bristol Motor Speedway Sept. 10, 2016. The Pilot Flying J Battle at Bristol featured neighboring state rivals – the University of Tennessee Volunteers and Virginia Tech Hokies – meeting in the middle for an historic clash. The game set an NCAA record for the largest single-game attendance at 156,990. Of course, the innovative football game is only one of Caldwell’s major accomplishments.

  

He fosters relationships with Fortune 50 companies like Chevrolet and Coca-Cola, and he enhances other long-term local partnerships as the Speedway and Dragway continues to achieve major milestones. Examples include: 

  • Growing a 30-plus year partnership with Food City, which boasts being one of the longest-running title sponsors in NASCAR while signing two new multi-million, multi-year title sponsors in 2021.
  • Leads a team to transform the revered all-concrete BMS surface into a world class dirt track and host the NASCAR Cup Series on dirt from 2021-2023, taking NASCAR back to its roots.
  • Hosting the prestigious NASCAR All-Star race in 2020 in front of a socially-distanced capacity crowd of 30,000.
  • Oversees sold-out music events such as the Country Thunder festival featuring Morgan Wallen, Alabama and America; The 2022 Country Thunder Bristol was named Outdoor Festival of the Year by the Academy of Country Music (ACM).
  • Under Caldwell’s guidance BMS also gained notoriety by hosting significant YouTube events featuring the social platform’s biggest sensations like Cleetus McFarland, Dude Perfect and MrBeast.
  • Caldwell has been named Speedway Motorsports’ Promoter of the Year two times and under his leadership Bristol Motor Speedway was named the company’s Track of the Year in 2016; It was the first time in history that a single SM track swept both top awards.
  • In April 2016, BMS unveiled an engineering marvel: the world’s largest, outdoor center-hung video display, appropriately named Colossus TV, with the tightest resolution of any major outdoor screen and a robust sound system of 540,000 watts.
  • Driving financial growth since 2011 under Caldwell’s leadership, Bristol Dragway hosts one of the largest NHRA national events and more than 50 events annually, including several lucrative bracket races.
  • Commissioning a study on the economic impact in cooperation with the Bristol Chamber of Commerce. Released in April 2015, the report showcases a direct economic impact from the facility of more than $417 million and an indirect impact of more than $1.4 billion.

 

In addition to his direct responsibilities, Caldwell plays an integral leadership role with the Bristol Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) entity that provides funding for children’s-based nonprofits within the 18-counties surrounding the venue. This past year the Bristol Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities announced a charity total of $804,560, bringing the BMS-SCC career total to over $20 million that goes directly to more than 70 rural regional child-advocacy organizations. 

 

Caldwell has served as chairman on numerous board of directors for local business and tourism organizations in the Appalachian Highlands region. He is also a member of the prestigious Leadership Tennessee class of 2018-’19. 

 

From intern to full-time employee in the events department, Caldwell joined the sales and marketing department in 1997. The track honored him twice in the following years by naming him the BMS Employee of the Year and then recognized him as the Speedway Motorsports Salesperson of the Year. In 2009, he took on the role of vice president of corporate sales and only a year later rose to executive vice president and general manager of the facility until named to his current position. 

A native of Lexington, N.C., Caldwell and his wife, Belton, are active members of numerous civic and religious organizations. In 2020, the couple were honored at the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute’s (CCAI) Angels in Adoption® at a gala in Washington, D.C. They are the proud parents of six children ages 4 – 18 and reside in Jonesborough, Tennessee.  

 

Mark Ezell
Commissioner, Tennessee Department of Tourism Development

As Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development (TDTD), Mark Ezell spearheads the state’s global tourism strategy. He is responsible for building national campaigns that reinforce Tennessee as a world-class destination while fostering long-term growth through revenue and job creation.

Since 2019, Tennessee achieved record-breaking tourism growth, ranking 11th in the nation for travel spending in 2023. In 2023, the state welcomed 144 million visitors, generating $30.6 billion in direct spending—a 6.2% increase from the previous year.

Ezell has led transformative initiatives such as the groundbreaking “Kid Reviewed” campaign and introduced Tennessee Playcation, the first-ever toy catalog for travel. He established the Office of Rural Tourism to bolster economic growth in the communities where it’s most needed and spearheaded the creation of Bill Dance Signature Lakes and BikeTN to enhance Tennessee's footprint in outdoor recreation. His contributions continue to broaden the state's influence and cultural awareness with work on ongoing initiatives including the U.S. Civil Rights Trail, Tennessee Music Pathways and Tennessee Songwriters Week.

In 2020, Governor Lee appointed Ezell as the Director of the Economic Recovery Group (ERG) to revitalize the state’s economy amid pandemic-related job losses affecting nearly half a million Tennesseans. Steering a diverse coalition from public and private sectors, Ezell orchestrated Tennessee's economic resurgence.

Prior to joining Tourist Development, Ezell worked his way from entry-level to eventually serve in a range of senior roles at both his family-owned business Purity Dairies, Inc., as well as Dean Foods, a Fortune 500 Company where he focused on brand development and achieved record profitability. He received national recognition for his work on campaigns including the iconic “Milk Mustache – Got Milk?” campaign.

A seventh-generation Tennessean, Ezell holds a bachelor’s from Lipscomb University and master’s from Tennessee Technological University. He and his wife Martha are active community members, passionate philanthropists and proud parents to four children and grandparents to seven grandchildren.

 


Frank Lett
President and Chief Tourism Officer, Visit Kingsport

 

 

Frank and has been with the organization since 2005. Visit Kingsport leads tourism efforts in Kingsport as well as managing Fun Fest – a nine day summer festival, the Downtown Kingsport Association, Move to Kingsport, Twilight Alive Downtown Concert Series, Racks by the Tracks Beer and BBQ Festival, and Kingsport’s Red, White and Boom Independence Day Celebration.

 

 

In addition, Visit Kingsport manages Hunter Wright Stadium, and owns the Kingsport Axmen, a member of Major League Baseball’s Appalachian Wood Bat League. Before joining Visit Kingsport, Frank worked for the Amateur Athletic Union, at the Walt Disney World Resort. While at AAU he was the National Sports Manager for the Gymnastics, Taekwondo, and Track & Field programs.

 

 

Frank is the immediate Past Chairman of Play Tennessee, an organization he assisted in founding as a state-wide sports tourism partnership.

 

 

Frank is a Sports Tourism Specialist as well as a Certified Tennessee Tourism Professional.

Time & Location:

 Date:Wednesday, November 13
 Time:08:30 AM - 09:45 AM
 Room:Portman Ballroom

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