NASC's Executive Director to relinquish title in April 2017; Don Schumacher has served as NASC’s only executive director for two decades

 Posted on: July 27 2016
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CINCINNATI (July 27, 2016) – Veteran sport tourism industry leader Don Schumacher announced today that he will relinquish the title of Executive Director of the National Association of Sports Commissions in 2017.   After 23 years of committed service as the Association’s only Executive Director, Schumacher will pass the baton to his successor during the Association’s Annual Symposium in Sacramento next year. 


“After decades of dedicated work for the Association, I am searching for the elusive 30-hour week,” said Schumacher, who began with the NASC in 1994 as a contractor and has served in the Executive Director role ever since.  “I look forward to staying involved with the NASC while continuing my consulting practice.” 


To facilitate a smooth transition, a search committee comprised of the NASC board leadership has been formed and is working to name a new Executive Director by March 2017.  “We applaud Don’s leadership and vision over the last two decades to develop the NASC into a leading association for the sports tourism industry,” said Ralph Morton, CSEE, Seattle Sports Commission and Board Chair of NASC. “We are hopeful Don will remain involved with the NASC and continue to share his industry knowledge with veteran and emerging leaders.”


In 1992, under Schumacher’s leadership, the NASC was formulated with an initial group of 15 sports marketing organizations from around the country, who were dedicated to information sharing and cooperation amongst their peers. Today, the NASC is the industry’s only non-profit, member-directed association advocating for the sport tourism industry with an annual budget of $2 million and more than 800 members.


In 2002, the NASC launched the CSEE (Certified Sports Event Executive) program under Schumacher’s leadership to offer a continuing education certification for sport tourism professionals. To date, there have been 175 graduates of the program, which was completely revised in 2015In 2016, CSEE began offering on-line classes and a higher level certification could be offered beginning in 2017.


In 2011, Schumacher launched a consulting service for theNASC to assist sport tourism organizations with strategic planning and facility development. In five years, this practice has yielded $800,000 in revenue for the NASC to use to bolster member services and outreach.


Schumacher’s career has focused on corporate communications, family entertainment, theme park marketing and operations, arena and stadium marketing and operations, event management, sports marketing and facilities consultation. For the past 35 years he has focused his activities on sport tourism, and has consulted with more than 75 cities on strategies to increase their market share.

 

Mr. Schumacher’s experience includes the following roles:

  • Hanna-Barbera Productions, where he produced business sponsored films, television commercials and company meetings.
  • Hanna-Barbera Enterprises, where he served as Director of Latin American and Far Eastern operations.
  • Taft Theme Park Group as Director of Sponsorships and Promotions.
  • College Football Hall of Fame and Galbreath Field as General Manager, where he assumed responsibility for guiding the complex to a solid financial footing, successfully bidding on Ohio State Championship Football and Soccer games as well as the 1983 and 1984 NCAA Division III National Football Championship (Stagg Bowl).
  • Cincinnati Riverfront Coliseum (now U.S. Bank Arena) where Schumacher served as President, developing the 1987 World Figure Skating Championships and the 1987 NCAA Midwest Region Basketball Championships, along with dozens of family shows, concerts and many other sporting events. 
  • Riber Sports Marketing, as Vice President, where he created the Greater Cincinnati Sports and Events Commission, worked with the LPGA Championship, Kroger Senior Classic, World Cup of Golf, Cincinnati Cyclones Hockey Club and developed promotions for various Procter & Gamble brands. In addition, Schumacher served as executive director of the 1999 Kroger Senior Classic and the 2001 LPGA Classic in Dayton.
  • Don Schumacher & Associates, Inc., his eponymous company which conducted seat license and premium seating campaigns for what became Paul Brown Stadium, Kentucky Speedway and Iowa Speedway and also served the sports marketing needs of national brands such as Pepsi, Huffy Bicycles, Mitre soccer products and Kroger. DSA sold more than $26 million in seat licenses for Paul Brown Stadium, the home of the Cincinnati Bengals. And, DSA marketed premium seats, club memberships, and luxury suites for the Kentucky Speedway, a motor racing complex 35 miles south of Cincinnati,
  • For the Kentucky Speedway project, DSA also conducted the market analysis leading to the decision to proceed with construction of this $150 million racing complex.
  • DSA also conducted other projects for the motor sports industry including feasibility studies, market analyses, and seat license or club membership programs. Projects included Bluegrass Motorsports and Race Course, Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa, a proposed Pearl River Speedway in Choctaw, Mississippi, Cayuga International Speedway in Ontario, Canada and Spokane Raceway Park in Spokane, Washington, and a potential motor sports complex near Minneapolis, Minnesota.

For nine years, he served as the executive director of the Greater Cincinnati Sports and Events Commission. During those years, Schumacher brought a number of high profile events to Cincinnati including the 1991 U.S. Gymnastics National Championships, 1992 NCAA Southwest Region first and second round basketball games, 1992 Diet Coke Skaters’ Championships, 1994 AT&T Skates of Gold, 1996 NCAA Hockey Championships, 1997 Women’s Final Four, and the 1998 Conference USA Basketball Tournament.


Schumacher is a nationally recognized speaker and consultant on sport tourism. He has made numerous presentations for groups as varied as Destination Marketing Association International, National Recreation and Parks Association, United States Olympic Committee, the Association of Luxury Suite Directors, the TEAMS Conference, the World Congress of Sports, the Smart Cities Sports Summit, City Events, and SportAccord, an international conference on sports business. He has also served on the board of the U.S. Travel Association.


Schumacher has been invited to speak on the industry in international destinations including Madrid, Lausanne, Beijing, Athens, Dubai, Cape Town, Quebec City, Ottawa, Tokyo, and Osaka. He has also been a featured speaker at more than 20different state governor’s conferences on tourism.


In addition, Schumacher is continually consulted on industry topics relating to bidding procedures, economic impact of events, industry best practices, and issues of concern to the future of sport tourism. 

Schumacher is quoted regularly in industry publications and daily newspapers, including the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, SportsTravel magazine, Sports Events magazine, Sports Business Journal, and Athletic Business magazine. Schumacher was named one of the “25 Influential People You Should Know” by Sports Events magazine.


He has served as an adjunct professor in Xavier University's graduate program in sports administration, teaching courses in sports marketing and event planning and management, and has been an advisor to the undergraduate program in sports marketing for Northern Kentucky University. He is an adjunct professor at Ohio University.


In addition, Schumacher has taught an elective course on sports destination marketing and management in the Destination Management Association International (DMAI) Certified Destination Management Executive (CDME) Program.


Schumacher is a graduate of Lakewood High School, a suburb of Cleveland. He earned a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from Northwestern University. 



Contact: Jackie Reau/Betsy Ross

Game Day Communications

513-929-4263

jreau@gamedaypr.com


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