Entries for March 2019

Lessons Learned from Hosting the men’s NCAA Tournament

 Posted on: March 26 2019
Hosting games for the men’s NCAA Tournament is a big job for any city. Des Moines, Iowa took on that job for a second time. The city hosted several games during the first round the men’s NCAA Tournament. It’s a job Des Moines did three years before, and were ready to do it again in 2019, learning from their 2016 experience. The Des Moines Register laid out a few things the city did to make this year’s experience a bit more polished. Don’t count on the weather There are no guarantees on the weather in the midwest especially in March, which is why the Wells Fargo Arena has connectivity to skywalks. The more concessions, the better After receiving negative comments in 2016 about long lines for food and drink, the arena increased staff along with adding portable grab-and-go stands and six vending machines. Improving the ‘fan experience’ Between improving WiFi service in the arena, to adding charging stations, and sh...

It's OK to Say No

 Posted on: March 26 2019
As I’ve gained more “experience” (another way of stating that I’m getting older) in this industry, I tend to be more straight forward about the positives and negatives of the sports events industry. No need to sugar coat anything. And that’s what I’d like to comment on here, to hopefully save those of you just getting started, a lot of potential headaches. So, here’s the scenario - you’ve just started your career at your local sports commission or CVB as the new sports events’ sales manager. As the new person, you’re fired up because you get to work in sports, and you think you have the sports facilities in your area to do big things.  And you want to get out there and get that first big event for your area, a real home run, as soon as possible. You attend your first NASC Symposium and meet with numerous event-owners and they all sound great. You think to yourself, wow we could do ALL these events in our destination &n...

Appointment Portal Closes Tonight at 11:59 p.m. ET

 Posted on: March 20 2019
The appointment portal for the 2019 NASC Sports Marketplace opens next week, Wednesday, March 27. Here are the 5 most important things you need to know:  The portal will be open from March 27 at 9:00 a.m. ET – April 17 at 11:59 p.m. ET. During this time, you will only request/accept/decline/rank appointments for one-on-one slots. The event overview appointment portal will be open from April 22 – April 24. Only the first registered attendee from your organization will have access to the appointment portal. Your organization’s Symposium registration(s) and 2019 membership dues must be paid in full before you can access the appointment portal. Click here to check the status of your organization’s registration and/or dues. Make the most of every appointment. If your organization’s membership profile is not up-to-date, your org...

CSEE Spotlight: Graduate Gray Workman

 Posted on: March 18 2019
Knowledge is power and in the fast pace work environment that is sport tourism, the more you know, the better. As the current Director of Sports Development for Visit Greenville, North Carolina, Gray Workman knew this and wanted to elevate her knowledge to grow Greenville from a smaller destination to a high-level competitive sports destination. She enrolled in the Certified Sports Event Executive (CSEE) program and gained invaluable information. From being in the CSEE program, Workman saw this program as a way to further her education after college, with more focus on event planning. The classes focus on all aspects of the event, and why every single detail is important, and show how each aspect is a vital piece of sales and marketing materials. “As a destination, sometimes we forget all the minute details tournament directors have to focus on. Now I am able to be a resource to them.” Workman said. The classes offered also gives students the chance to grow ...

2019 NASC Sports Legacy Fund Silent Auction - Make a bid

 Posted on: March 13 2019
The 2019 NASC Symposium is right around the corner -- which means we are gearing up for the Sports Legacy Fund Silent Auction! While in Knoxville, make sure you stop by the one and only Women's Basketball Hall of Fame for our Halftime event on Tuesday, May 6. You won't want to miss this opportunity to sip on Ole Smokey Mountain Moonshine, play casino games, network with industry colleagues, and bid on silent auction items! So what can you bid on? How about a WiFi Smart Video Doorbell or a pair of Beat headphones? A throwback prize of a Nintendo NES Classic Mini Console and a $100 Visa gift card! We are constantly adding new items, so check back often to view newly added items. Don't wait, start bidding now. The 2019 Sports Legacy Fund Silent Auction is open for mobile bids until 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 7. To view auction items and place a bid, click here. You will be asked to create a free account. Live action bidding will take place on Tue...

Download Your Digital Copy of the NASC Playbook - Spring 2019 Edition

 Posted on: March 12 2019
The Spring 2019 edition of the NASC Playbook is available now.  Download your copy. Inside this issue: What kind of leader do you want to be Sports Facilities Summit On motivating your employees Why rebrand the NASC That aha moment 12 questions for CVBs and Sports Commissions Symposium education track line-up Staying competitive on and off the sports field  We encourage members to share information with your peers. Contact Meagan Grau, Director of Member Services and Engagement, at meagan@sportscommissions.org to learn more about how you can contribute to a future edition of The NASC Playbook. The NASC Staff

Relationship Building - Importance of Mentorship

 Posted on: March 12 2019
A mentor is someone that will guide you along the path you have chosen, someone that will help you overcome challenges and build your character, while being motivated to support you and being a positive influence on your journey. Have you identified important individuals that have had a positive impact on your life? These individuals could be friends or advisers that you haven’t talked to in years, but they are still mentors to you. Reach out to them, thank them and start up that new dialogue. For me, it was a college professor at Ohio State in 2003, and I never realized how important he was to helping create who I am today and why I ended up in the sports tourism industry in 2012. After nine years of working in a variety of roles in professional sports – from interning and working full-time for a Minor League Baseball team, to spending time selling sponsorships for a PGA golf tournament and then moving into event operations for a golf contractor, then finally landing...

Four questions you should be asking your event housing provider

 Posted on: March 11 2019
Our members, pse Event Housing, take care of all the housing details for their clients. From contract & staff room negotiation, real-time room tracking & reporting, to commission & rebate processing, they do it all! Whether you’re looking to start your very first tournament or event, or you’ve been in the game for years, check out these 4 essential questions you should be asking your event housing provider: 1. Is your booking system optimized for mobile users? In 2018, 57% of all Internet traffic came from mobile users, and that number is only expected to keep growing. With this number on the rise and customers increasingly using their mobile devices to get things done online, offering a mobile-friendly experience is no longer just a nice-to-have feature – it’s a necessity. What to look for: Responsive Design: Most sites are now viewable on mobile devices, but there’s a big difference between just being viewable on mobile an...

Keep Event Branding Center

 Posted on: March 8 2019
When you begin to plan for your event, something that is a driving force of how you plan is the event’s branding strategy. Everything is centered around what colors you associate with your brand, the logo, the tagline, and the name of your event. Beyond that, how your event goes will affect the future of your brand and can change it forever. Keeping this in mind, here are some tips from ‘Wild Apricot’ for keeping your branding strong throughout the event planning process. Name your event.  The name of your event is the first thing your future consumers will see.  It can easily be a make or break if someone decides to participate in it so you need to make sure your tagline is eye catching and easily explains the event.  With naming your event, think about how your event is different from others in your area and what are you wanting the message that your consumers read is.  Create a tagline. Once you have the name, think of a short and m...

Achieving Success through Sports Events & Tourism

 Posted on: March 7 2019
Among the numerous segments comprising a destination’s tourism portfolio, often exists sports and event tourism. These efforts may reside in any number of organizational structures from within a destination marketing organization (DMO), a government entity or stand-alone organization. The growth of sports and event tourism has been undeniable. The industry’s professional association originated with merely a dozen communities gathering to share ideas more than 25 years ago. Today, what would become the National Association of Sports Commissions (NASC), serves more than 840 members from across the country and beyond. As the go-to resource for the robust sports and events tourism industry, the NASC serves not only destination representatives, but just as importantly, sports and event rights holders looking for host destinations that can accommodate their events, venue and facility operators, and a plethora of industry suppliers. Destinations ranging in population from less ...
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