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Matthew Payne

 Organization:Denver Sports

Matthew Payne
Matthew Payne serves as the executive director of the Denver Sports Commission, an affiliate of VISIT DENVER, The Convention and Visitors Bureau, where he is responsible for attracting new regional, national and international sporting events to The Mile High City. Payne also secures sports-related business opportunities for Denver that generate economic impact, engage the community and support Denver’s brand as an active, healthy city. He works closely with the governing bodies of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA), United States Olympic Committee (USOC), professional sports leagues, and international federations to recruit and secure events for the city. Payne was instrumental in bringing the MLS and MLB All-Star Games, the CONCACAF Gold Cup and Nations League Finals to Denver and has played a role in a number of high-profile national events for Denver including NCAA Men’s Basketball, NHL Stadium Series, and the men’s and women’s national soccer team matches. Payne was formerly with the Austin Sports Commission where his primary duties included overseeing the agency's efforts to recruit, retain and grow sports and athletic events throughout the Greater Austin area. Payne helped establish the commission under the larger umbrella of the Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau, and led efforts to recruit several events to Austin, including the ESPN Summer X Games. Prior to his work in sports tourism, Payne was director of national sales for Global Entertainment Marketing, a Phoenix-based company engaged in sports management, event center development, facility/venue management and ticketing. He also worked with the first minor league professional hockey franchise in Austin, the Austin Ice Bats, where he served in several capacities for the startup franchise, including general manager.

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