The challenge venue owners often face is what to do with all that space when your primary sport is no longer in season. In particular, a space as big as a racing oval has to find an activity as big as the space to bring in revenue in the off season. That’s why you’ll see, for example, multi-day concerts at race tracks.
The growth of extreme sport challenges, like Tough Mudder, Spartan Race and similar obstacle events has given these race tracks and other large venues, something to host on off weekends. And Michigan International Speedway has taken that idea one step further.
The Childrenz Challenge at MIS is in its third year and is in record territory. The muddy obstacle course for 4 to 13 year olds at Michigan International Speedway is looking at a record 2,200 participants on Aug. 13.
After having about 1,300 kids last year, the 1,500-kid limit for the Childrenz Challenge already was reached by Feb. 29 this year, Scott Vitale, founder and p...
An economic impact second only to college football? That’s a pretty significant impact. And that’s what is going on this week in South Bend.
Baton twirlers, yes, that staple of halftime band performances everywhere, are on the University of Notre Dame campus this week from around the country for the 47th annual America’s Youth on Parade baton twirling competition.
The South Bend Tribune reports that the National Baton Twirling Association’s competition — often dubbed the Super Bowl of baton twirling — draws contestants from all 50 states and many other countries. Age categories range from tots to the collegiate level in the diverse competition, which will include majorette contests, parade corps, flag corps, drill teams and cheerleading. By the way, the competition’s sessions are free and open to the public.
It's estimated that about 5,000 visitors come into the South Bend-Mishawaka area for the competition, and Meghan Huff, sports...
Check out our line-up of best practices and event webinars below and reserve your spot today!
USA Cycling
Thursday, July 21, 2016
11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. ET
Presented by Micah Rice
Sponsored by MGM Resorts International
Register Now!
Join Micah Rice from USA Cycling as he discusses what he looks for in a host city and what it takes to host their events. Micah will share details on their upcoming 2018-2019 USA Cycling Amateur Road National Championships, 2018-2019 USA Cycling Masters Road National Championships and the 2019-2020 USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championships. There will be time at the end of the presentation for questions. If you are unable to join us on the 21st, remember, you can download the webinar recording from our Webinar Archives (login required).
Create Success with Housing
Tuesday, July 26, 2016
2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
Presented by Patrick MacCoubrey
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In this webinar learn how event housing can help you improve ...
We are in the middle of Olympic Trials season, where the best the USA has to offer will face off head to head to determine who will represent America at the summer games in Rio. And while the trials could pay off in Olympic gold for the athletes, the host cities are striking their own kind of gold.
For example, the USA Swimming Trials under way in Omaha are expected to bring in $35 million-$40 million in economic impact for the seven-day event, up about 20% from the last time they were the host, in 2012. The area’s 30,000 hotel rooms already are booked. Of the event tickets sold for the Trials, it’s estimated that 90% have been sold to guests outside of Nebraska. And remember, the NCAA College World Series is still going on (finals start Monday) so Omaha is bustling with sports tourism guests—and their dollars.
And next month USA Gymnastics will hold its Olympic Trials July 8-10 trials at SAP Center in San Jose.
San Jose hosted the 2012 trials, the 2007 U.S. ...
With all the time we spend talking about youth sports, it’s interesting to look at some of the more common sporting events that you probably see just about every weekend in your area—the charity 5K or 10K that you’ll run into (or be detoured around) on Saturday mornings.
According to 2015 stats from Running USA, the number of recreational athletes completing road races declined for the second straight year in 2015. The reduction was by a more significant margin than in 2014, when finisher totals edged down one percent. For 2015, 17.1 million finishers were reported across all road race distances, a decrease of nine percent from the previous year.
Between 1990 and 2013, finisher totals skyrocketed from five million road race runners to more than 19 million. But there is one group that is experiencing its own running boom—women.
Women and girls, once an afterthought in the world of running, made up 57% of the 17 million U.S. race finishers last year, again accordi...
Interested in bidding for an NCAA Division I, II or III regional or final championship? Remember the date of Friday, August 12. From now until the 2021-22 season, NCAA championship sites are up for bid and for just about every sport, the deadline is August 12.
Here is a listing of NCAA championships up for bid and upcoming deadlines. The NCAA will walk you through the process at http://championships.ncaa.org. Events are listed in order of when they are scheduled. Included are events for Division I, II and III:
2017-18 Beach Volleyball Finals 8/11/16
2017-18 Mixed Rifle &n...
Check out our line-up of event webinars, sponsored by MGM Resorts International, below and reserve your spot today!
The Color Run
Thursday, June 23, 2016
2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
Presented by Kent Phippen
Register Now!
Join Kent Phippen from The Color Run as he discusses what he looks for in a host city and what it takes to host their events. There will be time at the end of the presentation for questions. If you are unable to join us on the 23rd, remember you can download the webinar recording from our Webinar Archives (login required).
USA Cycling
Thursday, July 21, 2016
11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. ET
Presented by Micah Rice
Register Now!
Join Micah Rice from USA Cycling as he discusses what he looks for in a host city and what it takes to host their events. Micah will share details on their upcoming 2018-2019 USA Cycling Amateur Road National Championships, 2018-2019 USA Cycling Masters Road National Championships and the 2019-2020 USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championship...
Baylor University Athletic Director Ian McCaw came to Waco in the aftermath of one of the ugliest scandals in college athletics. He leaves in the middle of another one.
McCaw was hired in 2003 after Baylor’s basketball scandal, when student-athlete Patrick Dennehy was shot dead near a gravel pit and his former teammate, Carlton Dotson, was accused, eventually pleaded guilty and received a 35-year sentence for the murder.
But that was only part of the story, as head basketball coach Dave Bliss encouraged his staff to portray Dennehy as a drug dealer to save his own job and reputation. Bliss eventually resigned after an assistant coach taped Bliss’ conversations and exposed the coverup.
In the wake of that mess, McCaw came in to add respect and integrity to the program and watched head coach Scott Drew lead the basketball team to 20-win seasons, NCAA Elite Eight appearances and an NIT Championship.
It’s ironic, then, that another scandal, this time involving...
For many of you, whether you’re an events rights holder or operate a sports venue, this is your Christmas season—it’s your busiest, most frantic time of the year as schools let out and summer sports organizations kick into high event gear. You’ll be working on multi-session, multi-day tournaments and won’t be able to catch your breath until the last champion is crowned.
So this is a good time to remind all of us, in between cursing the rain, the broken popcorn maker and the late t-shirt delivery, why we do what we do in sports, especially youth sports.
Earlier this year, Fortune Magazine published an article, “Here’s Why Women Who Play Sports Are More Successful” by Beth Brooke-Marciniak, global vice chair of public policy at EY.
A study by Michigan State University’s Institute for the Study of Youth Sports confirms what we all know—about 70% of children in the U.S drop out of organized sports before age 13. We’...
If, as they say, everything is bigger in Texas, well this should fit nicely. A high school in Texas has plans to build a $62.8 million football stadium, and it’s not alone in its plans for bigger and better facilities.
The Dallas Morning News reports that the school board in McKinney, Texas, outside of Dallas, this month approved a $220 million bond proposal for the district, including the construction of a 12,000 seat, $62.8 million football stadium.
Now, McKinney isn’t the first to do this. In fact, the Katy, Texas, Independent School District has proposed a 12,000 seat facility that is expected to cost anywhere from $58 million to $61 million. And the Allen Independent School District, just 10 miles from McKinney, opened an 18,000 seat, $60 million stadium in 2012. For its opening game, the home team had 22,000 fans show up.
“I think McKinney needs it,” said Tim Carroll, director of public information for the Allen school district. Carroll says a lar...