Lisa Furfine/Schneider Publishing Company, Inc.Chad Starbuck / SportsTravel and TEAMS Conference

& ExpoLaura Dixon / Plano, TX CVB

Michael Jorgensen / Westin Hotel St. Louis

How The Sports Market Can Help You Grow!

That was the

worst javelin

throw in history

How the pole vault was invented

Topics in This Session:

2. Why Convention Bureaus Should Target the Sports

Industry

3. The Hotelier’s Role in the Sports Market

4. What Event Organizers Want

1. How To Be Sports Friendly

Characteristics ofSports-Related Travel

• Behaves in ways that counter economic downturns

• Highly resilient and bounces back quickly from

world events

• Is one of the leading sources of group drive

business

Sports Move People!

75.3 million out of 199.8 million U.S. adults

(38% of the adult population) traveled 100

miles or more

to attend an organized sporting event in the

past five years

Source: Travel Industry Association

Level of Competition on Most Recent Organized Sports Trips of 50+ Miles

(Base = 75.3 Million Sports Travelers)

Note: Multiple Responses Allowed

Source: Travel Industry Association

15%

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Professional High School College AmateurAthletic

Little League Church/Intramural

Other

50%

14%13% 12%

5%4%

6%

Season of Travel

Source: Travel Industry Association

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Spring Summer Fall Winter

23

%

32

%

26

%

19

%

Primary Mode of Transportation

Source: Travel Industry Association

0 20 40 60 80

Other

Train

Ship/Boat

Bus

Camper/RV

Rental Car

Airplane

Own Auto/Truck

Auto (Net) 80

%75

%

15

%3%

2%

2%

0%

1%

2%

76

%71

%18

%3%

2%

2%

1%

1%

2%

Total U.S. Travelers

Sports Event Travelers

% % % %

Sports Event TravelersRegion of Destination

Source: Travel Industry Association

Region of Origin

Northeast

South

Midwest

West

Non-Resident (combined)

WestMidwestSouthNortheast

69%

16%

11%

4%

31%

9%

77%

10%

4%

23%

6%

15%

75%

4%

25%

4%

8%

7%

82%

18%

The Bottom Line:

Sports-related travel generates 46.2 million room nights annually!

“The doctors X-rayed

my head and found nothing.”

—Dizzy Dean

Lisa Furfine / Schneider Publishing Company, Inc.Chad Starbuck /SportsTravel and TEAMS Conference

& ExpoLaura Dixon / Plano, TX CVB

Michael Jorgensen / Westin Hotel St. Louis

How The Sports Market Can Help You Grow!

How To Be Sports Friendly And Increase Your Share of

46.2 Million Sports-Related Room Nights:1. Know the market

The Sports Event Industry

Source: SportsTravel subscriber forms

Professional Leagues & Teams

Corporate Sponsors of Sports

Sports Industry Associations

Sports Event Promoters, Managers & Marketing Firms

College Athletic Departments & Alumni Groups

Sports Governing Bodies & Sanctioning Organizations

Types of Organizations:

Ideas for Getting to Know the

Market:• Become aware of what’s already happening in your local sports community

• Do opportunities exist to enhance activities that increase economic impact?

• Allows entree into regional, national or international events

• Read local sports page, research using the Internet

• Increase awareness of variety and scope of sporting events available

How To Be Sports Friendly And Increase Your Share of

46.2 Million Sports-Related Room Nights:1. Know the market

2. Know what you have to offer

Ideas for Getting to Know What You Have to Offer:

• Determine if your CVB has done a sports venue and facility inventory for your destination

• If one has not been done, complete such an inventory

• Use local resources to determine what types of events have been successfully staged in your destination in the past

How To Be Sports Friendly And Increase Your Share of

46.2 Million Sports-Related Room Nights:

3. Communicate your offerings to appropriate prospects

1. Know the market

2. Know what you have to offer

Ideas for Communicating Your

Offerings:• Prepare a venue and facility guide

• Call on appropriate event organizers

• Participate in industry conventions, trade shows and conferences

• Position your city or hotel as “Sports Friendly”

How To Be Sports Friendly And Increase Your Share of

46.2 Million Sports-Related Room Nights:

1. Know the market

2. Know what you have to offer

3. Communicate your offerings to appropriate prospects4. Provide service that exceeds sports event organizers’ expectations and your reputation as sports friendly will grow

Lisa Furfine/Schneider Publishing Company, Inc.Chad Starbuck / SportsTravel and TEAMS

Conference & ExpoLaura Dixon / Plano, TX CVB

Michael Jorgensen / Westin Hotel St. Louis

How The Sports Market Can Help You Grow!

Lisa Furfine/Schneider Publishing Company, Inc.Chad Starbuck / SportsTravel and TEAMS

Conference & ExpoLaura Dixon / Plano, TX CVB

Michael Jorgensen / Westin Hotel St. Louis

How The Sports Market Can Help You Grow!

Lisa Furfine/Schneider Publishing Company, Inc.Chad Starbuck / SportsTravel and TEAMS Conference

& ExpoLaura Dixon / Plano, TX CVB

Michael Jorgensen / Westin Hotel St. Louis

How The Sports Market Can Help You Grow!

What Event Organizers Want

Event Organizers Top Ten List

• #10 – Funding – financial support

for the event – grants, rebates,

site fees etc...

• #9 – Attention– public relations– media relations

Event Organizers Top Ten List

• #8 – Housing– hotel rooms– entertainment &

restaurants– things to do

• #7 – Spectator base– participant base– merchandising– ticket sales

Event Organizers Top Ten List• #6 – Destination

– Location, Location, Location

– transportation to and from the event

• #5 – Volunteer support– Volunteer Coordinator– office with local phone

number

Event Organizers Top Ten List

• #4 – Cooperation– support from

municipal agencies

• #3 – Community – enthusiastic local

support for the event

Event Organizers Top Ten List

• #2 – Key Contact– one local person

who can make things happen and has the authority to make decisions

Event Organizers Top Ten List

• #1 – Venue– logistic friendly

venue for the event

– site fits the sport – great weather– organization has

the freedom to create and produce a great event

Ted Turner’s Secret of Success:

“Early to bed, early to rise,

Work like hell and advertise!”

To Contact SportsTravel:

Call Toll-Free: (877) 577-3700

Other Contacts:

Laura Dixon / Plano, TX CVB: (972) 422-6803

Michael Jorgensen / Westin Hotel St. Louis: (314)

552-5707