“I would not have a job in the sports travel industry if it weren’t for the National Association of Sports Commissions!”
This is a pretty strong statement, but true! I was hired by the Cedar Rapids Area CVB to pursue convention and meeting business. After experiencing success for several years, our city began losing its share of this market in the late 1990s when our competition began building shiny, new convention centers. The largest facility Cedar Rapids could offer the meetings market was a hotel connected to a 6000-seat arena. During this same time period, our city began developing a new minor league baseball stadium, 20-field soccer complex, and ice arena for the benefit of local residents.
As I was struggling to adjust to the changing landscape of the meetings market, I became aware of the National Association of Sports Commissions through Denny Gann who was President of the Sioux City Sports Commission, one of NASC’s twelve founding organizations. He gave a series of seminars describing the sports market as a new, emerging market segment. He explained how hosting a sports event was very different from hosting a convention; and he encouraged membership in a young organization, the National Association of Sports Commissions.
The Cedar Rapids Area CVB became a member of NASC on February 1, 1997, and I attended my first Symposium that April in San Antonio. I felt like a sponge as I attended one session after another and gained new knowledge from other attendees. As I absorbed the information shared, I realized that Cedar Rapids could be a legitimate contender for tournaments!
In the fall of 1997 I was ready to bid on my first national tournament. I prepared my proposal but wanted a more knowledgeable individual to review my work. Once again NASC came to my rescue! I asked Denny Gann to mentor me. As a result of his suggestions, I was able to strengthen my proposal; and Cedar Rapids was awarded the 1999 AAU Taekwondo Youth and Adult National Championship!
The story doesn’t end there, however. In July of 1998, 1000 athletes and their families spent 5 days in Cedar Rapids competing in the tournament, exploring the area, and spending money at our restaurants, hotels and retail outlets. Our city council was so pleased with the economic benefits generated, they gave our CVB funding to add a full-time person dedicated to attracting more sports events to our area!
Today NASC continues to be as vibrant and important to me as it was 14 years ago. Volunteering on committees has given me more insight into the industry and more professional contacts. I continue to learn from my peers at Symposium and at Market Segment Meetings. I am very proud of my CSEE and the respect my clients have for the designation. I find that the appointments with sports organizers at Symposium and the information about their events on the website are invaluable!
I urge you to take advantage of all that the National Association of Sports Commission has to offer! I promise it will positively enhance your success in this industry!
Mary Lee Malmberg, CSEE
Director of Sports Tourism
Cedar Rapids Area CVB
Mary Lee joined the Cedar Rapids Area Convention & Visitors Bureau in 1989. The bureau’s Sports Tourism Department was established in 2000 and Mary Lee has served as the Director of Sports Tourism since that time. The Sports Tourism Department has helped bring a number of state, regional and national competitions to the Cedar Rapids area including the American Legion World Series and NCAA Division II and III National Wrestling Championships. Mary Lee has attended each NASC Sports Symposium since 1997 and has served on the Member Mentoring Committee since 2001. Mary Lee received her Certified Sports Event Executive certification in April 2006. She has served on NASC’s Board of Directors since 2008.
