This closed-door CEO roundtable challenges traditional approaches to destination advocacy and reframes sports tourism as one of the most effective tools DMOs have to build trust, relevance, and support with residents and elected leaders alike. 

While visitor spending and bed tax remain essential metrics, they often fail to resonate with residents who want to see how tourism improves their daily lives. Sports tourism offers a differen, and often more compelling, advocacy story: one rooted in community facilities, youth access, quality of life, and long-term infrastructure investments that residents actually use. 

In this candid CEO discussion, participants will explore how leading DMOs are elevating sports tourism from an event strategy to a resident-first advocacy platform, aligning tourism outcomes with community benefit, political support, and sustainable destination growth.