Although I have attended the NASC Market Segment Meetings in the past, I did not attend the inaugural 4S Summit in 2017. In all honesty, with new leadership and changes to the organization, I thought it best to “sit this one out” and evaluate the feedback post-event.
Between the FOMO (fear of missing out) and the extremely positive feedback I received from industry peers, there wasn’t a chance I was going to miss out on year two. I wanted to personally experience what was making the 4S Summit different from the past Market Segment Meetings. And, as a long-standing mentor, it was important for me to share this experience with both new members to the Association and future first time attendees.
From the moment I arrived onsite, familiar faces were surrounding me…in the hotel lobby, in the hotel restaurant, and even on the hotel elevators. Right off the bat, the sense of camaraderie was evident. To kick off the Summit, the atten...
I am excited to invite all members of the NASC to volunteer on committees. This is YOUR association, so I strongly encourage you to consider getting involved in one of these rewarding opportunities.
Join a committee.
If you have never volunteered before, you will find that this is a great way to give back to your association and build close relationships with peers in the industry. Your talents, passion, leadership and input are crucial to the NASC and it helps us to build effective, vibrant, inclusive, and multicultural committees.
The NASC is driven by more than 100 committed members who volunteer their time and resources for the good of the organization. Participating on a committee allows you to contribute to the decision-making that positions the NASC as the most valuable resource available to sport tourism professionals.
Here is how you can get involved:
• Refer industry colleagues to join the NASC and attend the Symposium
• Recommend educational content and p...
New NASC board leadership was elected at NASC Symposium, including Mike Anderson, CSEE, Executive Director – Sports Tourism, Myrtle Beach Regional Sports Alliance as the new chair of NASC.
Additional Officers included: Vice Chair/Chair-Elect, Kindra Fry, CSEE, SMP, Executive Director, Bryan College Station Sports + Events; Treasurer, Janis Schmees Burke, CSEE, Chief Executive Officer, Harris County-Houston Sports Authority; Secretary, Michael Price, CSEE, Executive Director Greater Lansing Sports Authority; and Immediate Past Chair Ralph Morton, Executive Director, Seattle Sports Commission.
Board of Directors who were elected (Board Term Expiring 2018): Janna Clark, CSEE, Sports and Sales Director, Elizabethtown Sports Park; Kris Smith, CSEE, Director, Detroit Sports; Roy Edmondson, CSEE, Vice President of Sports Business Development, Visit Anaheim; Pete Harvey, CSEE, Director of Sports Development, Buffalo Niagara Sports Commission.
Board of Directors...
This morning, we recognized 31 graduates from our CSEE program. Congratulations to all!
Carrie Baulwin, Vallejo Convention and Visitors Bureau; Mike Carey, Yakima Valley Sports Commission; Alvin Dominique III, USRowing; Brenda Hill, VisitPITTSBURGH; Thomas Lee, Visit Charlotte; Robert Lopez, McAllen Sports Commission; Aaron McCreight, GO Cedar Rapids; Stephanie Pappas, Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau; Karen Primeaux, Lafayette Convention & Visitors Commission; Cris Rohrer, Lubbock Sports, Andy Carl, Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board/PA Sports; Brooks Hierstein, Sports Hampton; Ann Hortman, Rome Sports Commission/Greater Rome Convention & Visitors Bureau; Jay Kasten, Tuscaloosa Tourism and Sports; Frank Lett, Kingsport Convention & Visitor Bureau; Jamie Schlagel, West Michigan Sports Commission; Rob Wells, Sarasota County Sports Commission; James Simmons, Wicomico County Convention and Visitors Bureau/TEAM Maryland; Janis Ros...
The NASC is the leader in the sport tourism industry when it comes to providing educational opportunities to its members. The Certified Sports Event Certification (CSEE) is the most recognized professional designation in our industry. The program, having been developed in 2002, has continued to evolve as the needs of the NASC members have changed. Sessions have focused on such topics as Media Relations, Hotel Contract Negotiations, Strategic Planning, Coordination of Volunteers, RFPs and the Bidding Process, and Social Media. Online courses were also recently launched to supplement the live courses.
As a sport tourism professional, I believe it’s important to continuously keep myself educated on what’s happening in our industry. My primary reasons for earning my CSEE include:
1. Knowledge - The world around us is constantly changing and it’s imperative that for us to do the best jobs we can, that we stay informed. CSEE courses provide us with another source of informa...
It should be no surprise that if you are active in Sports Tourism that you should be working very closely with your Parks and Recreation Departments. For the most part they have what Event Planners are looking for----diamonds, fields, courts and green space.
For some of you that may just be one Department and for others---like me---it involves multiple jurisdictions in our large metropolitan area. Each Park and Recreation Department may excel in a particular sport and it is nice to have them as your “go to partner” for that specific sport while others due to their availability and designated space like to branch out and be considered for some “out of the box type events”. No matter how you look at it or approach their space get to know each Parks and Recreation Department Leader. Invite them to lunch, let them know some events that you are working on and who knows----maybe they have heard of an event that needs a nudge or some assistance that you could connect w...
When an acquaintance finds out that you work in the sports industry, there’s a very good chance that his or her first reaction is, “Wow, that’s so cool.” Those of us in sports know that yes, it’s cool, but it’s also a lot of hard work. And it’s not all that easy to break into the business and find the job that you want.
You probably talk with school groups or hear from aspiring sports professionals who might drop you an email to ask, “I’d like to do what you’re doing. How do I get in the sports business?”
Well, we know that there are probably as many ways to get into the business as there are jobs. But recently Kathryn Smith, the first full-time female coach on an NFL team (Buffalo Bills), talked with writer Lyndsey D’Arcangelo about how she got into the NFL, and her advice for others who want to get into the sports business. Among other things, Smith said, “Get in where you can, and do what you can to ...
The National Association of Sports Commissions (NASC), the non-profit 501(c)3 trade association serving the sport tourism industry, is pleased to recognize the most recent graduates of the Certified Sports Event Executive (CSEE) program.
Fall 2016 graduates include:
Terra Alphonso, CSEE, Director of Sports Marketing & Development, Branson Chamber and CVB
Rio Andrasko, CSEE, Sales Manager, Sports & Special Events, Colorado Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau
Derek Bombeck, CSEE, Sales Development Manager, Lincoln Convention and Visitors Bureau
Jennifer Breedlove, CSEE, Convention Services Manager, Oklahoma City Convention & Visitors Bureau
Tim Ellis Director, CSEE, Global Sales – Sports, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group
John Friebele, CSEE, Director of Sports + Events, Bryan College Station Sports + Events
Matt Reed, CSEE, National Sales Manager, Team San Jose
Janis Ross, CSEE, Executive Director, Eugene, Cascades & Coast Sports
Jennifer S...
My life has centered around connecting with people.
Perhaps it was growing up in the small town of Fairport Harbor, Ohio (where everyone really does know each other) that gave me the love of meeting new people, getting to know them, and staying connected to them. That fortunate trait has been my greatest personal joy, and has become my greatest professional strength.
The business of sport that we are all engaged in as members of the National Association of Sports Commissions is conducted through our personal relationships with people from every facet of our professional world, and when we share our experiences with each other we all benefit.
I can still remember the hundreds of hours of benchmarking that it took to launch the Greater Columbus Sports Commission in 2002. Colleagues (many of whom have now become my friends) from dozens of cities such as Richmond, Orlando, St. Louis and Portland shared their budgets and best practices to help get us off the ground.
I coul...
"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."
This is a famous Thomas Edison quote from his quest to invent the light bulb. In a way, this quote can be turned around when talking about the Sport Tourism industry to read like this: "This is what we do, but there are 10,000 other ways that will work as well."
This was quickly learned on a recent trip to Indianapolis, Indiana for the NASC Market Segment Meetings. Brady Turk and I represented the Rochester Amateur Sports Commission (RASC) and the two of us came away with a substantial amount of information and ideas that we can implement in our organization.
The Market Segment Meetings are held annually in different cities across the United States and give Sports Commissions the opportunity to meet with other members in their market to discuss relevant issues and share unique approaches in the industry today.
The meetings lasted just a day and a half, but provided non-stop education. Much of the time was spent ...