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SportsTravelMagazine.com 3May/June 2010 |

Inside May/June 2010

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4 From the PublisherA convention boycott of Arizona quickly engulfs the state’s sports-event industry.

5 Reader Response CenterThe easy way to subscribe and connect.

7 Press BoxNews from the sports-event industry.

8 Governing Body DossierNGB voice may grow on the USOC Board.

33 Ask The Event DoctorWhat to ask for in host city agreements and items to emphasize in bid documents.

43 Event ProfileThe tradition-filled Preakness Stakes is Maryland’s largest annual sporting event.

45 Winners and LosersTiger Woods should consider two examplesof how best to get his career back up to par.

46 Bid Bowl Sporting events up for bid andothers that were recently awarded.

Destination Feature: Global Destinations

While Lance Armstrongremains a powerful drawfor fans, cycling events bigand small have found waysto maximize a growing interest in the sport.

23

The Arizona sports legend and chairman of USA Basketball onthe international game, the NBA and the Hall of Fame.41

International destinationsprovide a range ofdramatic and historicvenues for a wide arrayof sporting events.

34

Cover Story:

Ready for the WorldYears before being selected to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup, South Africa was preparing for the world’s largest soccerevent. With new stadiums built and soccer fans ready to visit, the nation hopes to exceed the world’s expectations.

Jerry Colangelo

Sports Spotlight: Cycling

SportsTravelMagazine.com

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ON THE COVER: Lionel Messi, FIFA’s 2009 Player of theYear, will lead Argentina into the 2010 World Cup.Photo by Lluis Gene/AFP/Getty Images

4 | May/June 2010 SportsTravelMagazine.com

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD

Paul Anderson National Sports Law InstituteMeg Bernardo Association of Surfing ProfessionalsRick Bratman Aggressive Skaters AssociationHill Carrow Sports & Properties, Inc.Anita DeFrantz International Olympic CommitteeLisa Delpy Neirotti, Ph.D. The George Washington UniversityMitch Dorger Pasadena Tournament of RosesStephen Ducoff National Governing Body AssociationKen Hackmeister International Softball CongressJim Kahler Ohio UniversityCraig Masback NikeMike Millay Disney Sports AttractionsChris Overholt Canadian Olympic CommitteeDick Schultz Marketing Associates InternationalDon Schumacher National Association of Sports CommissionsMike Unger USA SwimmingTay Wilson International Olympic CommitteeTim Yount USA Triathlon

Copyright © 2010. All rights reserved. ISSN 1091-5354SportsTravel is a registered trademark of Schneider Publishing.

Publisher & EditorTimothy [email protected]

Associate PublisherLisa [email protected]

Senior Advertising Sales Associate/Eastern U.S. & CanadaYvonne [email protected]

Advertising Sales Associate/Western U.S. & CanadaIlana [email protected]

Managing EditorJason [email protected]

Executive EditorAnn [email protected]

Associate Editor/DestinationsRachel [email protected]

Assistant Editor/NewsAlexia [email protected]

Business FeaturesJamie [email protected]

Art DirectorHagit [email protected]

Creative ConsultantKarin Ludwig

Event Organizer LiaisonClarice [email protected]

Office ManagerMartha Romero Villaseñor [email protected]

R E D U C E • R E U S E • R E C Y C L E

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11835 W. Olympic Blvd.Suite 1265Los Angeles, CA 90064Tel: (310) 577-3700Fax: (310) 577-3715SchneiderPublishing.com

T he firestorm of controversy surrounding Arizona’snew immigration law has once again put the meet-ings and sports-event industries at the center ofpolitical crosshairs. A call for a convention boycottof the state quickly spilled over into the sports

world. Some have suggested that baseball’s 2011 All-Star Gameshould be pulled from the state, while others have said the U.S.bid for the 2018 or 2022 World Cup should no longer includeGlendale, Arizona, as a potential host city.

While the issue at hand is one with high emotions on all sides, Ifind it astounding that calls for a convention boycott of Arizona

originated from a politician who represents a congressional district in Arizona. Thattravel should be politicized in this way speaks to a lack of understanding of thevalue of the travel industry as a source of employment and economic development.

According to the U.S. Travel Association, one of every eight Americans is employedin the travel industry. Travel and tourism is a $700 billion industry that generatesnearly $110 billon in tax receipts every year. What political leaders at every levelneed to realize is that even if the geographic area they represent is not considered atourist destination, their constituency still includes people whose livelihoods are tieddirectly to the travel industry. Similarly, major events such as the All-Star Game andthe World Cup can have an enormously positive economic impact that’s felt wellbeyond the confines of the venue where the event is held.

In mid-April, I attended a meeting of convention bureau chief executives organizedby Destination Marketing Association International. I am pleased to report that anattitude of optimism regarding the near-term prospects for the travel industry per-vaded my conversations with these CEOs. But as the situation in Arizona attests,the health of the travel industry cannot be assured until political leaders at all lev-els show greater respect for its protection and well-being.

To that end, I am pleased to announce an upcoming special editorial section titled,“Why Travel Matters: Going Places Fuels the World’s Economic Engine.” Producedin conjunction with DMAI and included in the July issues of both SportsTravel andAssociation News, this special section will examine the critical role meetings, conven-tions, trade shows and sporting events will play in the economic recovery. It will alsoconsider ways to make destination promotion a priority for governmental decision-makers who are struggling with the allocation of their limited resources.

This marks the third consecutive year that we have produced this special section inconjunction with DMAI and with the advertising support of many DMAI members.In addition to distributing “Why Travel Matters” at DMAI’s Annual Meeting, we willalso distribute it at other top industry events, including the U.S. Travel Association’sTravel Leadership Summit on Capitol Hill. To be a part of this special publication,please give me a call toll-free at (877) 577-3700.

And to experience first-hand the powerful role of sports in the travel industry, plannow to attend TEAMS ’10—the world’s largest gathering of sports-event organiz-ers—October 18–22 in Charlotte. For more information, please see the advertise-ment on pages 24–25, call us toll-free at (877) 577-3700 or visit TEAMSconference.com.

From the Publisher

Travel Matters

TIM SCHNEIDER

May/June 2010 / Vol.14, No.5The advertisers listed below are leaders in the sports-event industry.Contact them first when you’re searching for a destination, hotelpartner or event supplier. For further information from our advertisers,you may also visit SportsTravelMagazine.com.

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Experience Colorado Springs visitcos.com (800) 888-4748 17

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Grey House Publishing greyhouse.com (800) 562-2139 40

Independence CVB visitindependence.com (866) 657-6338 15

K&K Insurance kandkinsurance.com (800) 441-3994 16

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Loews Hotels loewshotels.com See ad for details 6

Louisville CVB gotolouisville.com (888) 568-4784 47

Myrtle Beach Area CVB visitmyrtlebeach.com (843) 916-7267 22

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Rock Hill Parks, Rec & Tourism rockhillrocks.com (803) 329-5620 18

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The Sports-Related Travel MarketGenerates More Than 47 Million RoomNights Annually. SportsTravel Is Your

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To advertise, call toll-free: (877) 577-3700

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Reader Response Center


Mark Emmert hasbeen appointed pres-ident of the NCAAand will begin in thepost on November 1.He succeeds MylesBrand, who died inSeptember. Emmerthas been president of

the University of Washington since2004. Prior to that, he was chancellor atLouisiana State University, chief oper-ating and academic officer at the Uni-versity of Connecticut, provost andvice-president for academic affairs atMontana State University, and associatevice-chancellor for academic affairs atthe University of Colorado.

The Canadian Oly-mpic Committee hasappointed Jean R.Dupré CEO and sec-retary general. Duprépreviously served asthe director generalof Speed SkatingCanada. The commit-tee has also appointed Chris Overholtchief operating officer and chief mar-keting officer. Overholt, a native ofToronto, returns to Canada after work-ing for the NHL’s Florida Panthers andthe NFL’s Miami Dolphins.

Patti Phillips hasbeen appointed exec-utive director of theNational Associationof Collegiate WomenAthletics Adminis-trators. For the past10 years, Phillips hasserved as the execu-

tive director of the Women’s IntersportNetwork for Kansas City. Before that,she was CHAMPS/life skills programcoordinator for the NCAA. She suc-ceeds Jennifer Alley, who held thepost since 1996.

Steve Ethier has been appointedchief operating officer for Atlanta Hall

Management, the organization createdto build and operate the College Foot-ball Hall of Fame in Atlanta. Ethierwas executive director of the Min-neapolis Convention Center; beforethat, he held management posts withMiller Park in Milwaukee, NationalsPark in Washington, D.C., and MLB’soffice of the commissioner.

Sports and entertainment mogulsTim Leiweke and Casey Wasser-man have joined the board of direc-tors for the USA Bid Committee,aiming to bring the FIFA World Cupto the United States in 2018 or 2022.Leiweke is president and CEO ofAEG, where he has worked for thepast 14 years. Wasserman is chairmanand CEO of Wasserman MediaGroup, which he founded in 2002.

World Wrestling Entertainment hasnamed Tandy O’Donoghue vice-president of operations and new busi-ness development. O’Donoghue hasmore than 12 years of experience as abusiness executive and sports andentertainment lawyer and most recentlywas managing director of businessaffairs at the U.S. Tennis Association.Before that, she was chief legal officerand head of TV and business affairs atthe Women’s Tennis Association.

Korean Air Chairman and CEO Yang-Ho Cho has been named an interna-tional ambassador for Peace and Sport,an organization aiming to contribute toworld peace through sports. Cho waspresident and CEO of Korean Air start-ing in 1992 and chairman and CEOsince 1999. He has also been chairman

PATTI PHILLIPS

MARK EMMERT

JEAN R. DUPRÉ

The NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh,North Carolina, have won their bid to host the2011 NHL All-Star Celebration, nine years after

the franchise first expressed interest in hosting theevent. The Hurricanes beat out 14 other biddingteams to secure the January 30, 2011, event.

“We built on the strength of what’s new in the com-munity, like the convention center and new hotels,”said Davin Olsen, vice-president and general managerof the RBC Center, where the event will be held. “Thatgot us to the level of expectation of what’s in the bid.”

Since the Hurricanes first began discussions withthe NHL in 2001, the city has built the 500,000-square-foot Raleigh Convention Center with the

adjacent Raleigh Marriott City Center, and the Hurricanes have worked toincrease season-ticket sales, Olsen said.

Though the bid effort was led by the Hurricanes, who will serve as the game’sofficial host, the Greater Raleigh Convention & Visitors Bureau provided supportwith developing and compiling the written bid and in coordinating an NHL sitevisit, according to Scott Dupree, the CVB’s vice-president for sports marketing.

In addition, the CVB has formed a local organizing committee made up oflocal community and business leaders in order to, “roll out the red carpet for theNHL and enhance the visitor experience,” Dupree said. “It will be a lot of hardwork jammed into nine months, but it will be a lot of fun as well.”

—Alexia Gura

‘Canes to Host NHL All-Star GameRaleigh and the Carolina Hurricanes gear up for a major leagueevent with an estimated economic impact of up to $20 million.

Raleigh’s RBC Center ishome to the NHL’s CarolinaHurricanes and can seat upto 18,176 hockey fans.

of the Hanjin Group, a conglomerate ininternational travel, since 2003. He hasserved as president of the Korea TableTennis Association, East Asia regionalvice-president of the Asia Table TennisUnion and a member of the KoreanOlympic Committee.

Paul Upchurch hasbeen appointed aspresident and CEOof Visit Milwaukee.Upchurch was mostrecently chief operat-ing officer for TCAHoldings of Chicago,which operates pri-

vate sports resorts and clubs. He hasalso been vice-president of hotel opera-tions for Marcus Hotels & Resorts,based in Milwaukee. Upchurch suc-ceeds Doug Nielson, who announcedhis resignation last August.

Scott Blalock has been named vice-president and general manager of thenew JW Marriott/Indianapolis. Blalockhas 22 years of hospitality experience,most recently as regional vice-presidentfor Chicago and Northwest Indiana atWhite Lodging, in Merrillville, Indiana.

The Fairbanks (Alaska) Convention &Visitors Bureau has named HelenRenfrew director of meetings andconventions. Renfrew spent the pasteight years as sales manager for theFairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge.

Matt Meunier has been promotedto associate directorof sports develop-ment at the Bloom-ington (Minnesota)Convention & Visi-tors Bureau. He firstjoined the bureau in2005 as a sales man-ager working withthe association and sports markets.

The Plano (Texas) Convention & Visi-tors Bureau has named Cissy Abergsports marketing sales manager.Aberg joins the CVB from Dallas con-sulting firm Victor Credo, which spe-cializes in sports management andpublic affairs. Prior to that, she was


PAUL UPCHURCH

G O V E R N I N G B O D Y D O S S I E R

National governing bodiesmay soon get a strongervoice at the U.S. Olympic

Committee, based on the recom-mendations of an advisory groupled by former NFL CommissionerPaul Tagliabue.

In a report that suggested severalways to improve USOC governance,the advisory group recommendedthat the USOC addfour members to itsboard, including adirector selectedfrom a list of NGBnominations. Forthe governing bod-ies, whose leadersin recent monthshad expressedfrustration withtheir role on theUSOC board andthe direction of the USOC, the movewas welcome.

“It gives the NGBs confidence thatyou have individuals in the board-room that are familiar with theunderstanding of the operationalfunctionality of the NGBs and theirplace in the Olympic family,” saidSkip Gilbert, CEO of USA Triathlon,chairman of the Association of ChiefExecutives for Sports and a memberof the advisory group.

The USOC board heard the com-mittee’s findings at a meeting inApril, but no timeline has been setfor possible adoption.

Board Moves. The USOCformed the advisory group last year,asking Tagliabue to lead a 12-personcommittee that received wide leewayto review the USOC’s structure. Thegroup concluded that the USOC’sgovernance did not need “whole-sale” changes, but that there wasroom for improvement.

Although the NGBs now helpnominate two board members, theadvisory group recommended thatone of the four proposed new mem-bers come from a short list provided

by the NGBs. Another proposedseat would come from the Athletes’Advisory Council, and the two oth-ers would be independent, althoughthe committee urged the board toconsider a member of the Para-lympic community as well as repre-sentatives from Multi-SportOrganizations or U.S. Olympians.

A move to a larger board wouldcome just sevenyears after theUSOC slashed thesize of its boardfrom 124 to 11 aspart of the reformsthat followed the2002 Olympic Win-ter Games in SaltLake City. ButTagliabue’s reportconcluded that aslightly larger

board would allow for “additionalskills, experience and expertise” to beadded to the existing board mix.

No Conflict. Another key rec-ommendation is that any nationalgoverning body representative beallowed to continue his or her rolewith their organization if they serveon the board. Tagliabue said thatthat compares to how the NFLworks, where owners have servedon league committees without hav-ing to relinquish their roles withtheir own organizations.

Gilbert said that doesn’t mean achief executive of an NGB wouldnecessarily become a board memberif the proposal were adopted. Rather,he said, it could provide an opportu-nity for the USOC board to addsomeone with a particular expertise.

“It might mean someone who’san expert in digital media or spon-sorship or governance relations,”Gilbert said. “I think that’s wherethe USOC needs to go: When theyhave openings, they need to seewhat the organization needs andthen go out and find that person.”

—Jason Gewirtz

USOC Advisory GroupCalls For Bigger NGB Role

MATT MEUNIER


executive director of All AroundGame, a basketball training program.

The Greater Louisville Convention &Visitors Bureau has made two newappointments: Katrina Gallagherhas been named convention salesmanager and Lauren McAlpin hasbeen promoted to convention servicesmanager. Gallagher spent the past sixyears as an account executive for EstesPublic Relations in Louisville.McAlpin, who joined the bureau in2008, was previously the visitors ser-vices coordinator at the bureau’s visi-tor information center.

Shawn Lewis has been named sportsand tourism marketing manager at theTempe (Arizona) Convention & Visi-tors Bureau. Lewis has been with theCVB since 2007, most recently astourism marketing manager.

The Sacramento Sports Commissionand the Sacramento Convention & Vis-itors Bureau, in partnership with AEG,will host the Official Team Presentation& Gala for the 2010 Amgen Tour ofCalifornia on May 14 at Sacra-mento’s Memorial Auditorium.The event is held each year before theAmgen Tour cycling race, which isscheduled this year for May 16–23.Attendees will include professionalcyclists, celebrities, local dignitaries,retired racers, executives from AEGand Amgen, and representatives fromhost cities throughout California.

The Wakesport Ranch in Cresson,Texas, will host the 2010 Cable Wake-board National Championships, sched-uled for May 29–30. The WakesportRanch is one of the largest cable parksin the country. The event will serve asteam trials for the 2010 U.S. cablewakeboard team, which will competein the world championships July 16–18in Neubrandenburg, Germany.

Oshkosh, Wisconsin, is scheduled tohost the U.S. Open Volleyball Tourna-ment & Festival at Ford Festival Park,July 8–11. The festival, now in its 27thyear, will include the tournament, livemusic and on-site camping and attract3,000 players from across the country.

I N M E M O R I A M

Juan Antonio Samaranch July 17, 1920 — April 21, 2010

Juan Antonio Samaranch led theInternational Olympic Committeeforward on a variety of fronts during

his tenure as president from 1980–2001.The Spaniard’s passing was mourned bythe international sports community. IOCBoard Member Anita DeFrantz reflectson her time with Samaranch and his con-tributions to the Olympic Games.

Juan Antonio Samaranch was theIOC’s president ofinclusion. He madecertain that the IOCincluded the otherhalf of the world—women. He made cer-tain that athletes wereincluded at the deci-sion-making tableand that parts of theworld were includedthrough the creationof National OlympicCommittees wherebefore there had been none.

He also recognized the impor-tance of the sponsors who couldmake the Olympic Games semi-independent of governments.Samaranch had declared before hewas elected that women should bea part of the IOC and he madegood on that. He was elected in1980 and by 1981, two women wereelected as IOC members. At theCentennial Session before the 1996Atlanta Olympic Games, he estab-lished the goal that all of the deci-sion-making boards in sport wouldhave at least 20 percent representa-tion by women by the year 2005.

As he considered the future, herecognized that we would need tohave more women Olympians todraw from in order for more womento be elected to the IOC. He also

recognized that we would needmore opportunities for women tocompete at the Olympic Games.He encouraged every sport toinclude women’s events. At theOpening Ceremony for the IOCSession in Sydney, he announcedthat every sport at the OlympicGames would have opportunitiesfor both women and men. And

that’s important.That has helped usbecome a 21st cen-tury organization.

I spoke with himthe week before hepassed away. We hadknown each otherlong enough that wedidn’t have to havelong, drawn-out con-versations, and itwas just nice to hearhis voice. He was

always interested in what wasgoing on around the world and inpeoples’ opinions.

One thing that most people maynot appreciate is that he under-stood the role that the U.S. mustplay in the Olympic Movement.He appreciated that this countryprovides a great deal for the move-ment, that our citizens embrace theOlympic Games, which allowstelevision rights to support themovement worldwide. He wasable to use the lessons Peter Ueber-roth provided from the 1984Olympics to make the Games saferbecause they were more indepen-dent of government.

We’ve lost a great man, a man whohad a vision and who made it cometrue. We’ve lost someone who trulybelieved in the Olympic Movement.

Anita DeFrantz, an Olympian who won a bronze medal in rowing at the1976 Olympic Summer Games, was the first American woman and firstAfrican-American to be appointed to the International OlympicCommittee. She also serves on the USOC Board. DeFrantz is presidentof the LA84 Foundation, which was endowed by the surplus from the1984 Olympic Summer Games and supports youth sports programming.

Portland, Oregon, has been selectedto host U.S. Figure Skating’s 2010 SkateAmerica. The international event,scheduled for November 11–14 at theRose Garden, features 60 athletes whoperform in women’s, men’s, pairs andice dancing competitions. It is one ofsix stops in the International SkatingUnion Grand Prix of Figure Skating.

San Juan, Puerto Rico, will host thefirst Ironman 70.3 San Juan on March19, 2011. The swim leg will take placein San Juan Bay; the bike leg will takeathletes from San Juan to Dorado, withbeachfront views along the way; andthe run leg will go through Old SanJuan, past several historic sites.

The Major League Baseball andAngels All-Star Complex is sched-uled to open in July at Anaheim’s Pio-neer Park. The project will consist ofthe reconstruction of a youth baseballand softball field and a new MiracleLeague Field for children with specialneeds. The fields will be renovatedwith the support of the Scotts Co., the

official lawn care company of MLB andthe Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

The British company Next has becomethe official clothing and homewaresupplier to the 2012 Olympic Sum-mer Games in London. Next willdesign outfits and formal suits forTeam Great Britain, produce uniformsfor technical officials and the receptionstaff for the London Organizing Com-mittee, and supply home furnishingsand linens for the Athletes’ Village.

Oi, the leading telecommunicationscompany in Brazil, has become the firstBrazilian sponsor for the 2014 FIFAWorld Cup Brazil. Under the agree-ment, which begins in 2011, Oi will bethe event’s official FIFA World Cuptelecommunications service provider.

The NCAA has signed agreements withCapital One Financial Corp. and

UPS. Capital One has become an NCAAcorporate champion with a multiyearagreement that includes credit card andretail banking marketing and promo-tional rights around the NCAA’s 88championship events. UPS, a corporatepartner, signed a four-year agreementthat includes marketing and promo-tional rights as well as hospitalityopportunities at NCAA championships.

Dominion Riverrock, an outdooradventure sports and river life festivalscheduled for May 14–15 in Richmond,Virginia, has announced several of itssponsors. The list includes REI, NativeEyewear, Subaru of Richmond andMWV, an advocate of sustainability andenvironmental stewardship.

Clorox 2 Stain Fighter & ColorBooster has become the official stainremover of U.S. Youth Soccer. Cloroxwill be able to use the soccer organiza-tion’s marks for retail events and pro-motions, and members of U.S. YouthSoccer will be able to sample Cloroxproducts at upcoming tournaments.

Degree Men Adventure has beennamed presenting sponsor of Xterra,the adventure multi-sport series. Theantiperspirant and deodorant com-pany will sponsor the Xterra AmericaTour; the Xterra Trail Run Series; andeight television programs, includingthe Xterra USA Championship andXterra World Championship.

PlaySportsTV.com,an online coachingresource, and theNational Council

of Youth Sports, which offers ser-vices and resources in youth sports,have teamed up to provide coachesand parents with tools for educatingyoungsters in sports. As part of theagreement, PSTV will make its onlineinstructional videos and articles avail-able to the council and its registeredparticipants for a discounted price.

The results are in for the sixth annualToshiba Classic “Shot from theTop,” in which participants hit golfballs from off the top of the 16-storyNewport Beach Marriott Hotel & Spa


T H E L E A D E R S H I P C O A C H

Over the years Ihave enjoyedreading peo-

ple’s answers to thequestion “To what doyou attribute your suc-cess?” I am amazedhow many leaders inbusiness have said,very simply, “Returnevery phone call.”

Recently, in a maga-zine interview, I wasasked what has surprised me in 34years of being in business. I replied,“Two things: the lack of ethics, andsecondly, how few people respond tophone calls, letters, e-mails, etc.”(Note: I only added e-mails for thebenefit of those of you who use e-mail.I don’t give out my regular work e-mail except internally within our com-

pany, so I communicatethe old-fashioned waywith phone calls.)

Things have notchanged in 35 years. In1975, my assistant cal-culated that 20 percentof people replied to my communication. In2010, it’s just about thesame. So much busi-ness is lost becausepeople don’t reply.

I must admit that I have receivedmany “out of the blue” calls andsome fabulous business opportunitieshave arisen from those. And while Ido receive some weird calls, overallthe policy of returning calls has beenvery rewarding. But let’s forget therewards for a moment. It is just plaindecency to reply—no excuses.

Return Every Phone Call

The Leadership Coach is Peter Burwash, president of Peter Burwash International, which man-ages tennis instruction programs worldwide. His books are available through the Media Zone at SportsTravelMagazine.com. He can be reached at [email protected].


toward a pin on the course of the New-port Beach Country Club below. Theclosest shot came not from the three pro-fessional golfers who participated(Corey Pavin, Craig Stadler, and FuzzyZoeller) but from sponsor and amateur

golfer Tom Thomson of Coto de Caza.Thomson landed his shot three feet fromthe pin, the closest shot in the event’shistory. The event raised $4,100 for theHoag Hospital Foundation.

—Edited by Alexia Gura

CRAIG STADLER (LEFT) AND FUZZY ZOELLER (CENTER)WATCH AS FELLOW PRO GOLFER COREY PAVIN TAKES HISTURN AT THE TOSHIBA CLASSIC “SHOT FROM THE TOP.”

David Kaw

ashima/H

oag Hospital

The National Association of SportsCommissions announced its2010–2011 board of directors and

member awards during the 2010 SportsEvent Symposium.

Members of the board’s executivecommittee are: Regina Zara, LongIsland Sports Commission, chair; JonSchmieder, Phoenix Regional SportsCommission, immediate past chair;Tara Green, North Texas Super BowlXLV Host Committee, vice-chair/chairelect; Gary Alexander, NashvilleSports Council, treasurer; and TerryHasseltine, Maryland Department ofTourism Development, secretary.

The remaining board members are:John McCasey, Sacramento SportsCommission; Kevin Smith, St. Peters-burg/Clearwater Sports Commission;Tammy Stout, Augusta Sports Coun-cil; Buddy Wheeler, Virginia BeachCVB; Greg Ayers, Discover Kalama-zoo; William Knox, Hamilton CountySports Authority; Kate Parker, Cabar-

rus County CVB; Vince Trinidad, Tuc-son Sports; Jennifer Hawkins, Visit-Pittsburgh; Mary Lee Malmberg,Cedar Rapids Area CVB; Ralph Mor-ton, Seattle Sports Commission; MarcZimmerman, Central Florida's PolkCounty Sports Marketing; Mike Hill,Hilton Worldwide; and MichaelMulone, BASS/ESPN Outdoors.

Award winners were named in cate-gories based on budget size. Member ofthe Year: Oregon Sports Authority,Rochester Amateur Sports Com-mission, Snohomish CountySports Commission; OutstandingCommunication/Advertising: RoundRock CVB, Greater Lansing SportsAuthority, Lorain County VisitorsBureau; Outstanding Website:Greater Cleveland Sports Com-mission, Greater Lansing SportsAuthority; Outstanding Locally Cre-ated Event/Program: Greater Cleve-land Sports Commission, LorainCounty Visitors Bureau.

N A S C S Y M P O S I U M W R A P U P

Olympic Stadium in Berlin hosted the 2006 FIFAWorld Cup finals, in which Italy beat France onpenalty kicks to claim its fourth title.Photo by Wolfgang Rattay/Reuters

The FIFA World Cup brings together fans from across the globe in one of sport’s most watched and sought-after competitions By Lisa Clifton


Cover Story

Amid the notes of accom-plishments and careerhighlights in Danny Jor-daan’s official biogra-phy is a line that reads:

“As a strong believer in normal sportin an abnormal society, he cam-paigned vigorously against apartheidin sports.” For Jordaan, now the CEOof the 2010 FIFA World Cup Organiz-ing Committee, that line not only rep-resents much of his life’s work butunderscores the long road that he andhis homeland have taken to welcomethe world’s largest sporting event forthe first time to South Africa.

An estimated 26 billion people inmore than 214 countries are expected towatch the World Cup from its firstmatch on June 11 to its final day on July11. And up to 400,000 fans are expectedto attend the 64 matches scheduled for10 stadiums in nine cities.

But for South Africa, the event isabout much more than numbers. “Thecup is very, very important,” Jordaansaid. “This is a game that we havepursued for a long time, since 1994.”

Cover Story

Landon Donovan will lead the U.S. team into the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The U.S. had its best finishin international competition in 2009, when it reached the finals of the FIFA Federations Cup.

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It was Nelson Mandela’s first year aspresident and South Africa’s first yearreturning to international sport afterthe end of apartheid, the country’ssystem of institutionalized racial sepa-ration. The passion for the cup wasborn from Mandela’s belief that sportscould play a vital role in reuniting thecountry. “We had the responsibility ofreconstructing a nation that had beendivided by different parties,” said Jor-daan, who resigned from Mandela’scabinet in 1997 to pursue the WorldCup effort full-time.

Other championships came andwent, and two bids for the World Cup

were rejected before the country wonthe rights to this year’s event in 2004.The wait has been worth the opportu-nity that the World Cup brings, Jordaansaid. “We want to show the world anew face to the continent,” he said.

That same desire has pushed othernations to pursue the next round ofWorld Cups to be awarded, for the2018 and 2022 tournaments. TheUnited States is among severalnations bidding to host when FIFAannounces its selections in December.

But for South Africa, the momentis now. The nation is hoping for sev-eral significant results from thisyear’s World Cup: for the world tosee its infrastructure has significantlyimproved; for tourism to grow from11 million a year to 15 million by2014; for nation building to continueas well as job creation, which wasenhanced by 415,000 jobs through therecent infrastructure program; and,finally, for the country to be viewedas a place for trade and investment.

Unfortunately, South Africa hashad to weather an onslaught of oppo-

sitional views since winning the bid.“A lot of things have been said aboutmy country,” said Jordaan. “It hasbeen said that we won’t complete sta-diums or the improvements to theinfrastructure and no one will buytickets so we need to think of a plan Bcountry to host the cup.” But he saysthe facts speak for themselves: “Thereality is we’ve delivered our infra-structure improvement without beingaffected by the world economic crisis.The reality is we’ve sold 2.2 milliontickets out of 2.9.”

Corporate Interest

South Africa faced further criticismover speculation that the World Cupwould lead to huge financial losses.Again, Jordaan counters the criticismwith the facts. “FIFA released its finan-cial results for 2009, and it showed arevenue of $1 billion U.S.—the largestin FIFA history,” Jordaan said. “Theidea that Africa can’t provide a busi-ness case or secure a profitable WorldCup has been dismissed.”


Welcoming the World

The LARGEST ATTENDANCE for a single

World Cup game was the 1950 final between

Brazil and Uruguay

when an estimated

199,854 attended

in Rio de Janeiro.

Fast Fact #1


Cover Story

Much of that return came from tele-vision and marketing deals. “The mar-ket trusts South Africa,” FIFA PresidentJoseph Sepp Blatter said during arecent FIFA executive meeting inZurich, Switzerland. Overall, SouthAfrica has generated FIFA an estimated$3.2 billion from broadcast and com-mercial programs, which exceeds Ger-many’s $2.8 billion in 2006.

Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world’sleading brewer, has invested its trust asa sponsor. Budweiser will be the officialbeer of the 2010 World Cup. Being a

sponsor “provides Budweiser theopportunity to share some of the mostmemorable moments in sports withpassionate football fans worldwide,”said Michael Torres, director of globalexternal communications for Anheuser-Busch InBev. “As a ‘must-see’ sportingevent, it’s also a great platform for Bud-weiser to reach millions of adult beerdrinkers in a relevant way.”

The U.S. has shown strong interestin the World Cup, leading the pack inticket purchases outside the host coun-try. Through February, fans in theUnited States had bought 126,574 tick-ets, surpassing the United Kingdom,whose fans had bought 96,092. “Wewere surprised and quite thrilled,” saidSthu Zungu, president of South AfricaTourism–North America. “The U.S. hascontinued to maintain its lead in ticketsales, which is very good news for us.”

Safety Concerns

With so many fans heading to SouthAfrica, the country has also had torespond to safety and security concerns.

“Our government is going to extraordi-nary lengths to ensure the safety andsecurity of visitors,” Zungu said.

Security measures include 41,000police officers deployed specifically forthe event, dedicated police stations, a24-hour multilingual hot line, the intro-duction of state-of-the-art informationand communication technology andspecial courts to investigate and dealwith incidents 24 hours a day.

“The government’s event security,law enforcement and national securityplans have been vetted by FIFA, thesecurity teams of all 32 participatingcountries and Interpol,” Zungu said.“All stakeholders have expressedtheir confidence in the plans.”

David Downs, executive director ofthe USA Bid Committee to host theWorld Cup in 2018 or 2022, says thesafety issues are all part of theprocess. “Whenever you are planningan event as large as the World Cupthere are going to be concerns alongthe way, but that isn’t anything new,”he said. “The key is doing everythingpossible to make sure there are steps

Cover Story

FIFA commissioned a new

TROPHY for the 10th World

Cup in 1974 and received 53

designs from artists in seven

countries. Italian artist Silvio Gazzanig

won the contest with a trophy depicting

two human figures holding up the Earth

“at the stirring moment of victory.”

Fast Fact #2

put in place to ensure that those con-cerns are being handled in the correctway, and we are confident that FIFAand the local organizing committee inSouth Africa are working diligentlyon all aspects of the tournament.”

Security has been a top priority forthe local organizing committee, saidJordaan. “We have hosted about 140major international sporting eventswithout incident,” he said. “We alsohave an average of 1 million tourists amonth. If we can protect them, we canprotect the fans who are coming.”

Travel Packages

One of the keys to a safer trip forfans is planning ahead, said Kent Red-ding, president of Africa AdventureConsultants, a Denver-based travelagency that specializes in safaris in Eastand South Africa and has been sellingWorld Cup travel packages. “Morethan a lot of places, you need to becareful where you end up and that it isclean, safe and in the right area,” hesaid. “We’ve already seen people get-ting random hotel rooms and expectingto get to a game four hours away, andthat isn’t good. We’re providing aneducation for people in regards toinfrastructure and timing. We’re doinga lot of geography lessons.”

To help tourists maneuver throughthe games, FIFA developed a hospital-

ity program allowing fans to buy intohotel and transportation services whenmaking travel plans. The offer is onlyavailable through one of the 10 agen-cies authorized by Match Hospitality tosell official hospitality packages to theWorld Cup. “When I went over there Iwas concerned about safety myself,”said Everett Jacobs, director of strategyfor SportsMark, the authorized U.S.agency. “But I really got a hands-onlook at what the program does. Assoon as you get to the airport, you’rewith the Match Hospitality, so youdon’t have a random person coming upto say ‘Hey, let me take you.’ You’realso booked in a FIFA-approved hotelthat meets security standards. As longas you have the city and plans mappedout and how you’re getting to oneplace and another, security isn’t anissue.” FIFA also plans to use the pro-gram at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

The hospitality packages offer twoproducts designed for the individual orcorporate traveler. Suite Hospitalityincludes a seat in front of the stadiumskyboxes with access to catering. TheFIFA Business Seat includes a top cate-gory-one ticket. “This is the 50 yardline–type ticket with pre- and post-match hospitality,” Jacobs said. “Wehave access for every match, whichmakes our offerings so unique.” Pricesfor the packages vary; some start at$6,700, which does not include airfare.


The vuvuzela trumpet has become a common sight and sound at soccer matches in South Africa.Despite concerns from players and broadcasters, FIFA will allow the instruments at the World Cup.

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Cover Story

While Jacob reports that sales have“been good,” they have been sluggishoverall for the hospitality program,with only 50 percent of the VIP ticketspurchased as of early April. FIFAleadership has blamed the lacklustersales on the economy. To boost sales,soccer’s international governing bodywas able to negotiate lower airfareswith certain airlines, reducing theprice for a round-trip ticket from NewYork to Johannesburg from $3,000 to$2,000 during the World Cup.

Inside South Africa, soccer fansbought 797,990 tickets through Febru-ary, and 120,000 were given to the poor

through the World Cup Ticket Fund.FIFA, however, was hit with criticismfor only having online sales whenmany South Africans don’t have accessto a computer. In response, tickets weremade available at outlets on April 15throughout the country. To furtherensure that stadiums are filled, somehigher-priced tickets were discountedand offered to locals as well.

Jordaan says locals are vital for thesuccess of the World Cup. “We wantthis event to be owned by the peopleof the country,” he said. “They mustbe the host. Everyone has the respon-sibility for it to be a success, so welaunched a campaign asking the peo-ple of our country to do three things:wear the jersey of the national team,fly the flag and know the nationalanthem and sing it.”

The campaign also includes aneffort called Football Fridays. “Mem-bers of parliament and business lead-ers wear the jersey whether they’reworking or not,” Jordaan said. “Yousee it all over the street. It has beenquite a successful campaign. It goes

beyond the things that divide us ormake us different.”

Music, like soccer, also has thepower to bridge divides, and it will beemployed in full force on June 10 at theOfficial Kick-Off Celebration Concertsponsored by FIFA at Orlando Stadiumin the Soweto area of Johannesburg.Performers will include Alicia Keys,John Legend, the Black Eyed Peas andother African and international per-formers. All proceeds will go toward 20Centers for 2010, an effort to raisemoney to build 20 Football for HopeCenters across the country that willpromote education, health and soccer.

“Ke Nako!” may be a commonshout from the thousands expected atthe concert. It is South Africa’s rallyingcry for the World Cup, meaning “ourtime has come.” The declaration is atthe forefront of the country’s newtourism campaign called “South AfricaShout Out.” “It is our goal to haveevery user leave the site with a positiveoutlook on South Africa and engagethem to visit additional tourism outletsor websites,” Zungu said.

Live From South Africa

The power of soccer to raise thespirit of an individual and a countryis the message behind ESPN’s WorldCup campaign “One Game ChangesEverything.” This year, ESPN will

Cover Story

Brazilian soccer legend PELE is the only athlete

to win three World Cups, leading Brazil in 1958,

1962 and 1970. Brazil has won a

record five World Cup titles and

is the only nation to appear at

all 18 World Cups ever held.

Fast Fact #3

Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban openedin November and is one of 10 stadiums thatwill be used during the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

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provide extensive World Cup soccercoverage, with 64 matches broadcastlive and in high definition on ESPN,ESPN2 and ABC. It will also be thefirst time in 28 years of broadcastingthe World Cup that the network willoriginate all studio and news pro-gramming from the host country.

The World Cup is the largest mar-keting investment for a single eventon the network and is being promotedacross all of its platforms. ESPN,which is sending about 250 people tocover the games, expects to see solidresults from its efforts, having seen itsratings double from 2002 to 2006.

“We think that the World Cup itselfis a transcendent event and the mostimportant event in the world,” saidScott Guglielmino, ESPN’s vice-presi-dent of programming and acquisi-tions. “We’re not walking around witha number in our heads, but we’relooking for a significant increase. Weare not approaching the World Cupthrough the perspective of the U.S.team, but clearly if they move up itwill certainly affect ratings from ageneral marketing perspective.”

Guglielmino says the coverage ofthe matches is geared to be inclusivetoward two marketing audiences. First,there is the soccer aficionado who“doesn’t need any Soccer 101,” he said,

“so the idea is to deliver an authenticexperience with the best announcers,best graphics and high-quality HD.”The other group is known as the big-events sports fan, “someone whodoesn’t watch every PGA match butwill tune in to the Masters,” he said.“For that particular fan, we design soc-cer programming to make them feelthey’re joining in the first chapter.”

U.S. Effort

While Downs is looking forward tothe World Cup, May is a big month forthe USA Bid Committee. On May 14, allcomprehensive bids for 2018 and 2022World Cups must be sub-mitted to FIFA, whose 24-person executive committeewill announce the selectedhost cities on December 2.

If selected to host one ofthe tournaments, the U.S.would reap a tremendouseconomic impact, conserva-tively estimated at $5 billionby a study recently releasedby the USA Bid committee and con-ducted by independent consulting firmAECOM. Australia, Japan and Russiaare also vying for the 2018 or 2022even. Joint bids have also been filed bythe Netherlands and Belgium and by

Portugal and Spain. England will bidfor the 2018 event, and Qatar and SouthKorea have submitted bids only for2022. A bid by Indonesia to host ineither 2018 or 2022 was rejected byFIFA in March.

Downs said several factors set theU.S. bid apart. “Possibly, no other coun-try in the world offers the mixture ofcultures and nationalities like theUnited States,” he said. “As a result, aWorld Cup here would reach people ofall generations and from very diverseheritages. It will be an impact that willbe both immediate and lasting.”

Downs added that there would be afinancial benefit to FIFA for a U.S.-based World Cup, and not only withthe United States’ ability to host morethan 75,000 spectators per match. “AU.S.-hosted World Cup would providefirst-class stadium and municipal infra-structure; economic, political and per-sonal security; and an opportunity tofurther grow the sport in an enormousand lucrative market,” he said. TheUnited States also has a solid trackrecord with the World Cup, having setattendance records that still standwhen it hosted in 1994.

In January, the USA Bid Committeeannounced 18 cities as potential hostsfor the tournament if the U.S. bid isselected: Los Angeles, Nashville,Philadelphia, Atlanta, Baltimore,Boston, Dallas, Denver, Houston,Indianapolis, Kansas City, Miami,New York, Phoenix, San Diego, Seat-tle, Tampa and Washington, D.C.

If the U.S. bid is selected, that fieldwill likely be narrowed to 12 to 15cities, and each city could expect tohost four to six games. The USA BidCommittee, in close coordination withFIFA, would select the final host cities.

“Many factors will go into this finalselection process,” said Downs, “includ-ing things like local community and citysupport for the sport, potential socialand environmental legacy of the eventand latest stadium infrastructure.”

Cover Story

England will rely on Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Thecountry is submitting a bid to host the 2018 event, the host of which will be chosen in December.

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The 2010 FIFA World Cup final ball was

designed by adidas and is called the

JO’BULANI, named after the host city

Johannesburg, known as the “City of Gold.”

Fast Fact #4

Cities Excited

Last summer, Baltimore was thesite of a huge match-up betweenChelsea and A.C. Milan as part of theWorld Football Challenge. The gamewas played at M&T Bank Stadium andprovided perfect timing for the city,said Terry Hasseltine, director of theMaryland Office of Sports Marketing.“Tickets flew out the door, and it justso happened that the head of FIFA,Sepp Blatter, was in New York watch-ing it and saw a sold-out stadium,”Hasseltine said. “He got a chance tosee Baltimore in a great light, an elec-tric environment, and it was fantastic.I think it really helped us.”

If Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadiummakes the final cut from the bid com-mittee, Hasseltine said, “we woulddefinitely roll out the red carpet tomake sure we would host a world-class event as expected by FIFA.”

FIFA requires a host nation to have12 to 18 stadiums capable of holding40,000 or more fans. Stadiums for theopening and final matches require aminimum capacity of 80,000. All 21stadiums in the U.S. bid already existor are under construction, and 12 canhold more than 75,000 spectators.

“We’re dealing with existingvenues here,” said David Simon,president of the Los Angeles SportsCouncil, which has backed both LosAngeles Memorial Coliseum and theRose Bowl as potential venues.“There is not a question as to how theWorld Cup would work.”

Like Baltimore, Philadelphia is anEast Coast stronghold for soccer andhas hosted significant events such asFIFA’s Women’s World Cup in 2003.This is also the first season of its newMLS team, the Philadelphia Union,and its new soccer stadium, PPL Park,in Chester, just outside Philadelphia.

“I think we bring a lot to the tableas a potential host site from our loca-tion in the heart of the Northeast,which we think can cluster very wellwith other cities, to our great sportpartners we have with the Union andthe Eagles,” said Larry Needles, exec-utive director of the PhiladelphiaSports Congress, which has proposedLincoln Financial Field, home of theNFL Philadelphia Eagles, in its bid.

Meanwhile, Simon said Los Ange-les has seen significant growth in soc-cer since the city last hosted the World

Cup. “We have two professional soc-cer teams—that’s a huge change since’94—and soccer has continued to growin general,” he said. “We have moreAYSO teams here than anywhere elsein the country. We also have a hugeimmigrant population, with the lion’sshare coming from countries wheresoccer is enormously popular. FIFA isas familiar with this market and itsstadiums than any city in the countrydue to our experience in 1994 andhosting the Women’s World Cup in2003 at the Home Depot Center.”

The 1994 World Cup served as atrigger that accelerated the develop-ment of the game at all levels in theUnited States, Downs said. “Webelieve that the most common inter-national misperception of the sport inthe United States is that it is not rele-vant, when indeed it is very rele-vant,” he said. “We have an estimated90 million fans of the game, 24.4 mil-lion players and 3.9 million youthregistered players. During the sum-mer of 2009, there were more then 100professional matches that included

some of the top clubs in the world.Can you imagine what would happenif we could unify all of these fanswith the promise of a World Cup in2018 or 2022?”

Bright Future

But before those host countries arenamed, all eyes will be on SouthAfrica during June and July for aWorld Cup that organizers workedhard to secure. And organizers saythey intend to make the most of theopportunity they’ve been presented.

“We want this to show the bestAfrica has to present and the spirit ofthe people,” Jordaan said. “The worldhas seen enough about the difficultissues of Africa. We want to show anAfrica at work and its warm, embrac-ing people celebrating. In doing so,we hope people will see that the fruitof the dreams of the continent are alsoabout economic growth, investment,human rights, environment andhealth promotion—all things to makethings better on the continent.”


Welcoming the World


Sports Spotlight

lone cyclist attacking amountain that looks morelike a cliffside than a road.A small group of riderstrying furiously to hold offthe assault of a relentlesspeloton. Zealous fans in allmanner of finery lining theroad side.

Fans are accustomed toseeing these sights in June

or July, at places such as Alpe d’Huez or the vineyardsof Burgundy at the Tour de France. But the same sightscan be seen much closer to home. You can see riders inthe United States attacking the Appalachians rather thanthe Alps, or cruising California’s Central Valley ratherthan the Loire Valley.

It wasn’t until the early 1980s that cycling moved infrom the outer edges of American culture and began to beseen as something more than Sting-Rays with baseball

cards flapping against the spokes. The 1979 surprise hitmovie “Breaking Away,” about an Indiana boy who dreamsof competing in European cycling, helped many Americansturn their vision of cycling from banana seats to 10-speeds.

Greg LeMond catapulted the sport into the Americanspotlight as he became the first American to win the Tourde France, in 1986. Eric Heiden added star appeal,parlaying his status as a top Olympic speedskater into thesport of cycling. He won the first U.S. pro championship in1985 and was a founding member of the country’s firstlegitimate pro cycling team, sponsored by 7-Eleven.

But the man who put the sport over the top in the U.S.is Lance Armstrong, the seven-time Tour de Francechampion and cancer survivor. The success of Armstrongin the Tour de France, called “the Lance effect,” has giventhe sport maybe its greatest boost in popularity andvisibility in the United States.

Micah Rice, the national event director for USA Cycling,has watched cycling grow. “I think it’s getting more andmore organized. Back a long time ago it was exclusive and

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Martin Gilbert of Canada won the final stage of the 2009 Tour of Missouri, which concluded in Kansas City.The event is one of several statewide tours that has attracted fans and raised interest from host cities.

Cycling Turns Up theExcitement

Cycling events and

tours have seen their

ups and downs over

the years, but several

events around the

country have found a

winning formula that

appeals to serious and

casual fans alike By Greg Mellen

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Sports Spotlight

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only a few Americans dared to go over to Europe andcompete,” Rice said. “LeMond kind of paved the way, thenalong came Lance Armstrong, and that’s when cyclingreally started to blow up.”

Strong at its Roots

The success isn’t just at the top levels. Competitiveroad cycling is gaining strength at the local level aswell. On any given weekend in spring and summer,

you can find races all over the country. These can range from amateur city and regional races,

where several dozen racers do loops through their towncheered on by family and friends, to small professionalcompetitions, to major events such as the Amgen Tour ofCalifornia; the TD Bank Philadelphia International CyclingChampionships, a staple in Philadelphia for 26 years; andthe USA Cycling Professional Championships inGreenville, South Carolina.

This year Union Cycliste Internationale, the sport’sinternational governing body, recognizes seven U.S. races:Amgen; TD Bank; Tour of Battenkill, in its fifth year inupstate New York; the Air Force Cycling Classic, acriterium in Arlington, Virginia, in its 13th year; the Tourde New York, a six-day race in the Rochester and FingerLakes region, in its first year on the UCI calendar; the Tourof Missouri, a race between St. Louis and Kansas City, inits fourth year; and the Univest Grand Prix, a weekendseries in September in the Allentown, Pennsylvania, area.An eighth race, the U.S. Open of Cycling, scheduled forMay in Rhode Island, was canceled because of a lack ofsponsorship but may return in 2011.

Nationwide Tours

Nothing in the United States has the popularity orthe staying power of the Tour de France, or othertours in Italy, Switzerland and Spain, which have

been fixtures on the European sports scene for decades.But fans, entrepreneurs and organizers in the U.S. keepsearching for the right formula, and sometimes they find it.

The last major attempt to challenge the European tours,before the Amgen Tour jumped into the fray, came between1989 and 1996, when entrepreneur Donald Trump organizedthe Tour de Trump, which later became the Tour DuPont. Atits height, the event attracted the best cyclists in the world,

including Armstrong, who won the event in its last twoyears, LeMond and top European racers and teams.

Organizers of the multistage race through numerousstates on the East Coast said it drew 2 million viewers at itspeak. Trump left after two years, and eventually interestwaned and DuPont pulled its sponsorship in 1996. Butsome organizers say they’re trying to drum up interest forsome similar series. Chris Aronhalt, managing partner ofMedalist Sports, which organizes the Amgen Tour, Tour ofMissouri and USA Cycling championships, says he isengaged in “multiple discussions for tours in other states for2011 and beyond, and we’re seeing a lot of interest.” DavidChauner, president of Pro Cycling Tour, which organizes theTD Bank race, says the future of major cycling events is togather disparate groups and promoters under one umbrellaand create a legitimate high-level circuit of races nationallywith a league concept that would include standings.

As for tours, the Amgen Tour has had some success inCalifornia in creating a high-level event, while Philadelphiastages the top-rated international circuit race in the UnitedStates. Those two races, along with the Tour of Missouri, arethe only ones in the U.S. to earn the top international UCIranking of “hors clas,” the category for events just belowgrand tour status, which includes the Tour de France.

Generally, the most recognized and popular brands ofcycling are road races, although indoor racing invelodromes and banked tracks remain popular andBMX-style, dirt track and cross country and mountaincycling have gained a toe-hold, particularly amongyounger riders.

Because of the outsized popularity of the Tour deFrance, the best-known form of road racing is themultistage tour—point-to-point events, up to 150 milesa day, depending on terrain. They often includeelements such as individual or team trials, sprints,mountain climbing contests and other features to varythe competition.

However, for a number of reasons, including logistics,sponsorship and fan participation and viewing, the mostpopular racing in the U.S. tends to be either a single-dayor weekend looped circuit race or criterium in onegeographic area. Circuit races are generally a set numberof laps around loops of 5 to 20 miles. A criterium is a shortcourse of usually 1 to 3 miles in which athletes race theclock to complete the most laps. Other popular formats areroad races along loops of 50 miles or more with one or two


laps. And then there are time trials, which are individualsprints of 25 miles or less.

Philadelphia Tradition

The largest single-day race in the United States isthe TD Bank Philadelphia International CyclingChampionships, which makes its 26th running

June 6. The competition has drawn crowds estimated at350,000 to the 14-mile circuit course that cuts throughdowntown and skirts the river.

Since its inception, the race has had a local bank as itstitle sponsor, beginning with CoreStates Bank, which backed the racefor 20 years. The event is in the firstyear of a three-year sponsorship dealwith TD Bank.

This year, the event is also playinghost to its first Bike Festival, as wellas ancillary biking events that willattract about 1,000 competitors.Chauner, the president of ProCycling, says events such as thefestival can be a key to growing thesport in the future.

In its first year, the festival willuse 70,000 square feet of conventionhall space and will have more than100 health and wellness exhibitors.“Look at surveys and [cycling] is oneof the top participation sports,”Chauner said. “People are starting tounderstand how to capitalize on thatvast market.”

And that means tying intoproducts and activities that aren’tnecessarily related to cycling. Chaunerestimates that only a quarter of thosewho attend the race are regularcycling enthusiasts. The festivalreaches out to the others. “We want toget them engaged, and that’s wherethe festival comes in and enhances thewhole experience,” he said.

The race itself has a long-termtelevision deal with Comcast, which

will broadcast the event live on the Versus network innine markets. Chauner said that in recent years theevent, when broadcast live, trails only Major LeagueBaseball’s Phillies in ratings among sports shows inPhiladelphia and outranks the French Open andNASCAR over the same weekend.

The race does face challenges. The economy has madesponsorship a tougher sell this year, although Chauner sayshe has been able to keep his main backers. He said theevent produces a 15-to-1 return on investment for sponsors.

Cities like Philadelphia have also been hard hit, andthat can present a problem. In recent years, the city

1| The Amgen Tour of California has become the largest cyclingtour in the United States. The 2010 event has been movedfrom February to May and will be raced over eight stages.

2| Cities along the Tour of California route bid to host the startand finish of each stage. Solvang hosted a time trial thatserved as the sixth stage of the 2009 race.

3| Lance Armstrong captivated sports fans of all types afterwinning seven straight Tour de France titles, and hispresence in U.S. races has led to increased attendance.

4| Spain’s Alberto Contador won the 2009 Tour de France, beatingout Lance Armstrong, who had come back from retirement.

5| The Tour de France remains the most prestigious cycling eventin the world, winding its way through urban and rural areas.

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started charging the race for services such as police andpublic works that had been either donated or capped.Chauner said his race budget is about $1.5 million, ofwhich about $200,000 to $250,000 goes to city services.

However, he said the economy has not diminishedinterest or attendance. Philadelphia fans still come early,stake out favorite viewing spots, and stage parties andpicnics as part of the weekend.

In addition to the main race on Sunday, which hasfeatured top domestic and international teams andathletes including Armstrong, the event has a women’sprofessional race, now in its 17th year.

Amgen Tour of California

Abig-time sponsor can make the difference. That isthe case with the Amgen Tour of California, whichis backed by the Amgen biotechnology company

with an assist from the Anschutz Entertainment Group,which owns the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The Lanceeffect will be present this year as well, as Armstrongintends to participate in the 2010 race.

This year ’s Amgen Tour was moved from its usualFebruary schedule to May 16–23. The move was designedto allow for better weather and also to produce a more

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competitive field as teams training for the Tour de Francewill have hit their stride. Still, this year’s Amgen tour willgo head-to-head against the Giro d’Italia, a prime warm-up race for the Tour de France. “Cycling really isworldwide, and top teams have the abilities to be in bothraces,” Aronhalt of organizer Medalist Sports said.

In its fifth year, the Amgen Tour has become the largesttour-style race in the country, covering eight stages and 800miles. Last year, organizers said the tour drew more than 2million fans and had an estimated economic impact of$100 million.

Aronhalt says the race is a $3.5 million affair to produce.Cities bid competitively for the right to host a stage. Thefinish lines of each stage offer lifestyle festivals withvendors, demonstrations and other activities and displays.To help keep the overall event fresh and bring in new fansand interest, this year’s Amgen Tour will have five newstops along its eight-stage route, including its first visit toLos Angeles, which will host a time trial.

One of those new sites is Bakersfield, the finish of the fifthstage, which departs from Visalia. Don Cohen, manager ofthe Bakersfield Convention & Visitors Bureau, said winningthe stage bid was a tremendous boost. With a number ofbicycle clubs, the Kern River bikeway and a picturesquefinish at the Panorama Bluffs, he said, Bakersfield is a bike-oriented city that was a natural for the tour.

Like a lot of cities, Bakersfield is facing budgetchallenges, but Cohen said the community has ralliedbehind the event and persuaded the city to put up a$120,000 to $150,000 line of credit to play host. The citysecured title sponsorship for the stage from Dutch-ownedRabobank, and Cohen said the arrangement is going well.

Bakersfield will host a variety of community events asthe May 20 race date approaches, including benefit ridesalong parts of the route. In April the city held an AmgenCycle for Life fundraiser as well as a health fair andfarmer’s market. “We’re being prudent and trying to feelour way along,” Cohen said. “I hope we’re not holding afundraiser afterward to pay for it.”

USA Cycling Championships

Greenville, South Carolina, may not be a big city, butit’s not afraid to ride with the big boys. Four yearsago, the city won the rights to play host to the USA

Cycling Professional Road Race Championship. The race is

the de facto national championship, and the winner earnsthe stars-and-stripes jersey to wear in European races suchas the Tour de France.

Each year the city turns out big for the event, includingthe chance to root for George Hincapie, a native son whowon the event last year for the third time. “We think we’reworld-class, and this is a world-class event,” said JimBourey, Greenville’s city manager.

Greenville has been a cycling hotbed for decades,Bourey said, since before it was a host city for the TourDuPont. He said the national championship highlights notonly Greenville’s biking community but also its activelifestyle and green standards.

The title sponsor is the Greenville Hospital Center, andlast year’s race raised more than $120,000 for the PalmettoPeloton Project, which supports research and advocacy tofight cancer. This year’s race will be September 18–19.

Rice of USA Cycling said Greenville is a perfect “middle-sized” market for the race. The national governing bodyalso stages title races in cities such as Bend, Oregon,Madison, Wisconsin, and Louisville, Kentucky, host of thisyear’s Masters Road National Championships. “We want tobe the big event in town and fill up the hotels andrestaurants,” Rice said. “On the first day of an event, I wantto be on the front page.”

USA Cycling stages 16 national championships in fivedisciplines: road racing, mountain biking, cyclocross, trackand BMX. The group puts its events out for bids andencourages sports commissions and CVBs to work withexperienced promoters. Rice said the key to successfulevents is to make them the center of a party. When USACycling brings an event to town, “we want to make themfun and memorable,” Rice said. “We’re trying to becomean experience provider rather than a service provider.”

Tour of Missouri

The economic downturn has thrown some speedbumps into the path of the Tour of Missouri, thethird UCI-recognized hors clas event in the U.S. It is

scheduled to go on again this year, although its future maybe in doubt.

Since its inception three years ago, the state of Missourihas been the race’s title sponsor. But this year, GovernorJay Nixon tried to cut funding for the $1.5 million, seven-day event, scheduled for August 30 to September 5. The

1| The TD Bank Philadelphia International CyclingChampionships is the largest single-day cycling event in theUnited States. Its 26th running will be held June 6.

2| The TD Bank race draws an estimated 350,000 fans along itsroute. This year, for the first time, it will feature a lifestylefestival aimed at attracting non-cycling fans.

3| George Hincapie, a native of Greenville, South Carolina, wonthe 2009 USA Cycling Professional Road Race Championship.

4| Francesco Chicchi won the sixth stage of the 2009 Tour ofMissouri in St. Joseph, which earned him a Pony Express bagcommemorating the city’s role as the starting point of thehistoric mail route.

5| The 2009 Tour of Missouri finished in Kansas City and had anestimated economic impact of $38.1 million statewide.

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event remains on the calendar, and race organizers havebeen working to get bids from host cities and plan for therace to take place. With funding from the state in doubt,organizers have even asked the public to donate to ensurethat the race continues.

The Tour of Missouri, won last year by David Zabriskie,has some powerful allies, including Lieutenant GovernorPeter Kinder, who is expected to challenge Nixon forgovernor in 2012. To bolster his support, Kinder, who isalso chairman of the Missouri Tourism Commission andTour of Missouri Inc., has pointed to a 2009 economicimpact study conducted by IFM Sports, an international

marketing group. The study estimated an economic impactof $38.1 million from the 2009 race, up from $29.8 millionthe previous year. About 500,000 spectators watched theevent along its 600-mile route and in the 11 host cities,according to the study. The number of spectators rose from434,000 the year before and 368,000 in its first year.

In a statement, Kinder said the event showcased“Missouri across the globe as a world-class touristdestination.” He said the numbers made the event thelargest sporting event in the state’s history.

Medalist Sports organizes the race, and Aronhalt sayshe has been scrambling to keep it going but still sees

positive aspects. He admits thatcoordinating tour events, whichpass through numerous countiesand cities that all have their ownrequirements and logistical issues, isa tough task. “By all means it’s moreof a challenge,” Aronhalt said. “Butwith multiple markets, it helpspromote the entire state. It helps usintegrate all the assets the state hasto offer.”

Still Evolving

Despite Missouri’s struggles,other states continue to diveinto the cycling pool. New

York’s Tour of the Battenkill, whichcalls itself America’s Queen of theClassics, draws more than 1,500 rid-ers to its professional and amateurraces over the course of two week-ends. Other events, like the Tour deNew York, are evolving. That racebegan in 2004 as a criterium inRochester, then expanded to a three-day event with a time trial, cri-terium and road race. It faltered andwas canceled in 2009 but is sched-uled to return as a six-day event thisAugust. Some such as the Larry H.Miller Tour of Utah soldier on, whileother races, such as the Tour deGeorgia, which went dark in 2009,fall by the wayside.

It’s a pattern that will likelycontinue, defined by public whimand the pockets of investors, raceorganizers say. But the key to success,most race organizers agree, is tomake the race the focal point of alarger entertainment, fitness andwellness event. That is what brings inthe fans and the merely curious, andwhere they go, the sponsorship andvendor dollars will follow. “They sayif you build it they will come,” saidChauner. “I don’t think that’s true. Ibelieve if you build it and you marketit well, they will come.”

Event organizers at every level workhard to produce memorable events.The SportsTravel Awards program isthe sports-event industry’s leading awards program that recognizes achievement in the area of event management and production.

Deadline for nominations is July 16, 2010.

Best Single-Sport EventBest Multi-Sport or Multi-Discipline EventBest Sports Event Series or Circuit Best New Sports Event

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Dear Event Doctor: As our event grows, we have come to understand the items we wantto address in our host city agreements. To cover every potential scenario seems impos-sible, but our lawyers keep adding language to anticipate all possibilities. We want toprotect our interests but don’t want to scare off communities. Any thoughts? —Cautious

Dear Event Doctor: Recognizing that different rights holders and events value certain communitycharacteristics and bid elements differently, in your experience, what are the most important eventelements in general bidding terms? We are proud of our destination’s offerings overall but don’talways know what we should emphasize. How do we best showcase ourselves? —Want to Tell It Best

Dear Cautious: My thoughts may notbe what your lawyers want to hear. I havebeen on both sides of these agreementsmany times and have developed three gen-

eral principles as follows: Partners in the bestevents rarely refer back to specific contract provi-

sions; it is impossible to anticipate and draft specific language toaddress all possibilities; the best agreements and relationshipsare those where the parties create a general framework based oncooperation and mutual assistance.

What does this mean in practice? It means that the nature ofyour agreement should be to create a relationship that providesfor joint decisions to be continually made based on emergingand current information and needs rather than on outdatedassumptions and expectations. Avoiding territoriality is crucial.

The agreement should provide a framework where eachparty can bring their assets (resources, relationships, people,

etc.) to the partnership and can communicate their needs toboth the other party and the partnership. As this happens, thebest solutions can be implemented.

The biggest problem I see with other forms of agreement isthat too much time and effort is wasted in assigning narrowresponsibility or blame and not enough is spent looking forthe best ways to promote an event, encourage participation,sell tickets and attract partners and sponsors. Joint efforts canhelp with all these elements. Taking time to allocate responsi-bility instead of seeking solutions is counterproductive.

This is particularly true with sponsorships. Many contractsdeal with narrowly defining sponsor categories, agreeing onapproval deadlines and the like, as opposed to the parties jointlyseeking to generate as much total support as possible using arange of sponsor benefits. The important question here is “Howdo we jointly offer sponsors what it will take to get them to com-mit?” instead of “No, you can’t offer that, it belongs to me.”

Dear Want: I know your challenge well. Each event hasdifferent elements that are important to its rights holder. Andwhile event owners can describe their wants in a bid docu-ment, the final decision may be based on other factors or maybe weighted differently from what might be expected.

All elements of a bid are important at some level, but themost important element to me and to most events is the facilitythat you are proposing. For me, the venue itself is the crucial ele-ment. It needs to meet all (not most) event needs, and it musthelp the organizer host the event rather than create problems tobe worked around. All the other elements are important, but asecond-class or inadequate venue just starts off wrong. Fromyour standpoint, you need to fully understand the venue needsfor any event you are trying to attract and realistically andresponsibly assess your venues in comparison.

Along with the facility itself, the ability to exactly match avenue schedule to desired dates is essential. A great venue is oflittle value if it is not available. You need to understand venueschedules and capabilities for your area of responsibility.

The next area of importance is the quality and experience oflocal event management, both in general and for the sport orevent in question. This includes the number and quality of avail-

able volunteers. Current management capabilities and yourevent hosting history are extremely important. You need to havedetailed and accurate information on your event history and beaware of who you can count on for assistance sport by sport.

Those two areas may be all that will realistically be consid-ered in order to be successful. Some other factors are alsoimportant, but each is harder for you to improve:

Location. Having great access (both highway and air) isimportant, but you will not be able to change this factor, and itis relatively easy to become familiar with it.

Housing and hotels. The number of convenient rooms avail-able is important, and you need detailed knowledge of whenmore or fewer rooms are available. But event rights holders aremore interested in total capacity than in other amenities. You doneed to create working relationships with key hotels.

Other local attractions and amenities. This area, which somebids focus on in great detail, is generally of limited value.

All in all, as you can see, decisions are most likely to bemade based on the quality and availability of your venues andthe quality and experience of local management. As youbecome more knowledgeable and apply this knowledge toyour bids, you ought to get the maximum results.

The Event Doctor is Jack Kelly, a sports-industry veteran who has served in a variety of event-related roles, including positions as CEO of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, CEO of the Space City (Houston) Sports Commission, president of the 1990 and 1994 Goodwill Games, and presidentof two United States Olympic Festivals. Questions for The Event Doctor can be e-mailed to Jack Kelly at [email protected].

GlobalSports on the

Fast Track

By John Vivirito

International locationsprovide a whole world of

new options for event organizers looking for sports-minded

destinations eager to host events

Global travel presents inspiring environments; when that travel isfor a sporting event, that inspiration helps motivate both athletes andfans. And, whether event planners are looking to the nearby nationsof Canada or Mexico or more distant locales such as Wales,Singapore, Australia or the Bahamas, the breadth of venues availableinternationally provides the right match for every sport at every level.

Singapore: Packing Them In

Southeast Asia’s smallest nation, Singapore, an island off thesouthern tip of Malaysia, is only 274 square miles, but it is big onsports. “We’re doing our best to get our name out there and letthe world know that Singapore is sports-oriented,” said AmbroseTham, Singapore Tourism Board area director for the WesternU.S., Canada and Central America. “We are excited about theupcoming Summer Youth Sports Olympics this summer, and in2012, the Singapore Sports Hub will be coming on board.”

The 86-acre Singapore Sports Hub is the centerpiece ofredevelopment in southeastern Singapore, in Kallang, and it willinclude a new, 55,000-seat National Stadium with a retractable roof, a

The 2009 Formula 1 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix took place on September 27.The race is contested over 61 laps of the harborside Marina Bay street circuit.

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6,000-seat indoor aquatic center, anarena with seating for 3,000, and theexisting 11,000-seat Singapore IndoorStadium. The Hub will be 15 minutesfrom Changi International Airport.

Major venues in Singapore includethe historic Singapore Polo Club andSingapore Cricket Club, Padang SportsComplex, the Singapore Flying Cluband a variety of sea sports clubs,including Changi, Kallang and EastCoast, which promote sailing events.

Singapore’s events calendarincludes a variety of triathlons; theBarclays Singapore Open, Asia’s richestgolf tournament; Singapore CricketClub Rugby Sevens; and the 2011World Netball Championships. But thissummer the first Youth OlympicGames will be Singapore’s biggestevent of the year. The games will drawinternational athletes ages 18 andunder competing in 26 sports. TheYouth Olympics follow the successfulFriendship Games last January, with600 athletes competing in six sports.

Goh Kee Nguan, CEO of theSingapore Youth Olympic GamesOrganizing Committee, said that theFriendship Games let organizers shoreup their Youth Games operations: “TheFriendship Games will ensure that weare ready for Singapore 2010.”

In February, the HSBC women’s golfchampionship took place at the TanahMerah Country Club, which has hostedan array of pro golf events includingthe Singapore Open, the JohnnieWalker Classic and the LPGA-sanctioned Lexus Cup.

The Formula 1 SingTel SingaporeGrand Prix will run its third race thisfall. The 2008 competition was the firstnight race in F1 history. The 2010 eventwill take place September 24–26 and isexpected to attract more than 100,000fans to the 61-lap street circuit thatincludes bridges over Marina Bay.

The Singapore Sports Council wasestablished in 1973 with the goal ofdeveloping a sports culture. Thecouncil runs facilities at 20 sportscenters, including 3,864-seat BedokStadium, 10,000-seat Bishan Stadium,6,000-seat Jurong Stadium and 3,800-seat Queenstown Stadium, as well asSingapore Indoor Stadium.

“One of our biggest selling pointsto visitors is that the country is verysafe and easy to get around,” Thamsaid. And, “English is the languagespoken on the street.”

The Bahamas: Islands of Action

Spanning 100,000 square miles inthe Atlantic Ocean, the Bahamas arenot just for beach goers. The 700islands, known for luxury resorts, aresmall in population but big onathletic activities.

“There are unlimited sportsopportunities,” said Tyrone Sawyer,

director of sports tourismdevelopment at the Ministry ofTourism and Aviation. “Our total areaincludes 95,000 square miles ofbeautiful turquoise waters, so visitorslove our water sports.”

The Queen Elizabeth’s SportsCentre is under construction in thecapital, Nassau. “We are in theprocess of building a world-classvenue to accommodate many sports,”Sawyer said.

As part of the center, the nationsigned an agreement with China for theconstruction of a $30 million, 30,000-seat national stadium. “This gift fromthe People’s Republic shows thefriendship between the two countries,”Sawyer said. “The new stadium willpropel the growth of baseball in theBahamas. We currently have a vibrantjunior baseball program that sendsathletes to universities in the U.S.”

Two of the most popular sports arecricket and rugby; in Nassau, cricket isplayed from March through November,and rugby from September throughApril. As for other sports, the Atlantisresort hosted the FIFA Congress lastMay, the Mark Knowles CelebrityTennis Invitational last December, andthe Michael Jordan Celebrity GolfInvitational in January.

“We just hosted the first MarathonBahamas on February 14 with 500runners on Nassau, and the secondmarathon is set for January 16, 2011,”Sawyer said. “In January, the Bahamashosted a masters softball tournament inwhich the athletes, ages 59 to over 70,arrived via cruise ship. Those are thetypes of opportunities we embrace.”

“The Bahamas is 50 miles east ofMiami, which makes it popular withU.S. fishermen,” Sawyer said. “BiminiIsland is the sport-fishing capital of theworld, and bonefishing is popularthroughout the islands.”

Weather in the Bahamas rarely dipsbelow 60 degrees. Organizers take note:Hotel and airfare prices spike fromDecember through April.

Cardiff: Strong Appeal

Recognition of Cardiff’s sportingclout came last year as Wales’ capitalcity was named one of four EuropeanCities of Sport for 2009. “Theinspection team was impressed byCardiff’s commitment to sport for all,”


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Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium hosted the AutumnInternational rugby matches last year, including onebetween Wales and Argentina on November 21. Thevenue boasts the UK’s first fully retractable roof.


said Gian Francesco Lupattelli,chairman of the European Capital ofSports Association.

The jewel of Cardiff venues, 73,350-seat Millennium Stadium, opened in1999 with the first fully retractable roofin the U.K. In 2015, when London hoststhe Rugby World Cup, MillenniumStadium will be one of 12 venues, theonly site outside England. The stadiumhosted the Rugby World Cup in 2007.

“The Millennium Stadium hasattracted more than £1 billion into theWelsh economy in its first 10 years,”said Steve Phillips, Welsh Rugby UnionGroup finance director. “Visitorsattracted to the stadium number over 1 million a year, with almost half ofthem from outside Wales.”

Cardiff International Sports Village,an athletic training facility, is the homeof the Cardiff Devils ice hockey teamand includes a 50-meter swimmingpool, the International White WaterCentre and a snow dome.

Two more stadiums opened lastyear in Cardiff. “The SWALEC Stadiumhosted the first Ashes test match in July

2009 and was a resounding success,”said Carys Pugh D’Auria, head of tradeand investment for Cardiff & Co.,which runs the Cardiff ConventionBureau. “The other stadium to openwas the Cardiff City Stadium, which ishome ground to Cardiff City footballteam and Cardiff Blues rugby team.”

The 26,828-seat Cardiff City Stadiumis part of a development that includesCardiff International Sports Stadium,which opened in January 2009 and isWelsh Athletics headquarters andhome to the Cardiff Amateur AthleticClub, Cardiff City men’s and women’sfootball clubs, and the Welsh FootballLeague’s Grange Harlequins.

Guadalajara: Pan-American Action

Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco,has seen many sporting events, majorand minor. In October 2011, Mexico’ssecond-largest city will be at theforefront of world sports, hosting thePan American Games.

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Sites include the new Pan AmericanVillage, Guadalajara Country Club forequestrian events, Pan AmericanGymnastics Stadium, Pan AmericanVolleyball Stadium and the CODEParadero Sports Complex. New venuesinclude a softball stadium at MateosSports Complex; a baseball stadium atLagas de Moreno; Metropolitano Park,site of Pan American Tennis Stadiumand Aquatics Complex; and a sportsmedicine center.

Being the Pan-Am Games host hashelped the metro area of 4 million buildup its sports infrastructure andrevitalize its downtown region.“Barcelona wasn’t Barcelona before itgot the Olympic Games,” said Horaciode la Vega Flores, Guadalajara 2011marketing director and a modernpentathlete on Mexico’s 1996 and 2000Olympic teams. “In a more modestsense, we are doing the same.”

About 6,000 athletes from 42countries will compete in the 36-sport event in October. Theorganizing committee is renovatingthe host city—building a rapid transitsystem; new roads and hotels; and asecond terminal at GuadalajaraInternational Airport.

“We are fulfilling our dream to makeGuadalajara Mexico’s number onesports city,” said Ivar Sisniega,Guadalajara 2011 operations director.

Guadalajara also is hosting theParapan American Games November19-27, and it hosted the NationalYouth Olympics from April throughJune. The quadrennial internationalevent consists of 12 sports, includingwheelchair tennis and volleyball, foran expected 1,500 Paralympicathletes. The National Youth Games,which have been held annually since1996, bring more than 25,000 athletesfrom throughout Mexico to competein 40 disciplines.

Soccer is Mexico’s top sport interms of both players and spectators.Guadalajara is home to three ofMexico’s top soccer teams, includingChivas. The city’s top soccer venuesare 56,700-seat Estadio Jalisco,30,015-seat Estadio 3 de Marzo, andthe soon-to-open 54,500-seat EstadioChivas. Estadio Jalisco, one ofMexico’s fields used for the 1970 and1986 FIFA World Cup events, ishome to the FIFA and CONCACAFclubs, Futbol Club Atlas and ClubDeportivo Guadalajara.

Chivas, a 102-year-old club, willsoon move into Estadio Chivas, amulti-use facility in Zapopan.Construction began in 2004 on thestadium, which is designed to look likea volcano with a cloud on top.

Melbourne: Seasons of Fun

“Melbourne is a world-class sportscapital,” said Beck Angel, mediaadviser for the city of Melbourne, inVictoria, Australia. “We are veryproud of our sports in Melbourne.”

The city plays host to internationalevents such as the Australian OpenTennis Championships at MelbournePark, the Formula 1 ING AustralianGrand Prix at Albert Park, theEquitana Asia Pacific showcase atMelbourne Showgrounds, and theAustralian Masters. And, in 2006,Melbourne also played host to theCommonwealth Games.

Top facilities include Melbourne &Olympic Parks, which includes 18,500-seat Olympic Park Stadium for rugbyand soccer, 10,500-seat Hisense Arena,16,820-seat Rod Laver Arena, site of theAustralian Open; 6,000-seat MargaretCourt Arena; 8,500-seat KooyongStadium; 56,000-seat multisport EtihadStadium; and Melbourne Sports andAquatic Centre.

Melbourne Cricket Ground in YarraPark, which opened in 1854, seats100,018 and is home to four AustralianFootball League clubs and two cricketteams. The facility, operated by theMelbourne Cricket Club, was a site for

the 2006 Commonwealth Games andthe 1956 Olympic Summer Games.

A 31,500-seat stadium, as yetunnamed, will soon open at Melbourne& Olympic Parks. Work began in 2007on the venue, which will be home tothe Melbourne Storm rugby club, theMelbourne Rebels Super 15 rugbyfranchise, soccer’s Melbourne Victoryand a new A-League club tentativelynamed Melbourne Heart. The site willopen May 7 on ANZAC Day, Australiaand New Zealand’s national day ofremembrance, with an InternationalRugby League test match betweenteams from each country.

For basketball fans, Melbourne hastwo teams that compete in the 11-teamNational Basketball League. TheMelbourne Tigers play home games atthe State Netball and Hockey Centre inParkville, and the South Dragons playat Hisense Arena, which also has anInternational Cycling Union 250-metertrack and is home to the MelbourneVixens netball squad.

Thoroughbred racing takes place inAustralia every day except GoodFriday and Christmas. FlemingtonRacecourse events include Derby Day(October 30), the Melbourne CupCarnival in early November and thesix-week Spring Racing Carnival. The

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Team Canada played against Team USA in thefinals of the 2010 IHF World Junior ChampionshipTournament on January 5 at the Credit UnionCentre in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.


Melbourne Cup, the first Tuesday ofevery November, is celebrating its150th running this year.

Saskatchewan: Games in the North

Saskatchewan sits just north ofNorth Dakota and Montana, a 250,000-square-mile Canadian province, half ofwhich is forests. From curling tolacrosse, and rugby to swimming,Saskatchewan offers a variety of events.

“Our tourism product is very eventbased,” said Todd Brandt, presidentand CEO of Tourism Saskatoon. “And,we have a sports authority, SaskatoonSports Tourism, that attracts athleticevents to the area.”

Regina, the capital, and Saskatoon,the province’s largest city, have hostedmajor sporting events including the1998 and 2008 Can-Am Police-FireGames, an annual competition forpolice officers and firefighters.

Venues include 31,000-seat MosaicStadium at Taylor Field in Regina,

home of the CFL SaskatchewanRoughriders, and Evraz Place, a 102-acre sports, business and entertainmentfacility with more than 1 million squarefeet of indoor space that is home to theWHL Regina Pats and the ReginaSoccer Association. Other venuesinclude Shaw Civic Centre, with a 10-lane competition swimmin g pool;3,200-seat Moose Jaw Civic Centre; andSaskatoon’s Auto Clearing MotorSpeedway, host of the NASCARCanadian Tire Series in July 2009. TheWHL Moose Jaw Warriors play homegames at a 3,146-seat civic center, butthe 4,500-seat New Moose Jaw Arena isunder construction.

In 2009, the province hosted theInternational Softball Federation fast-pitch men’s world championship; thisyear it will hosts the SaskatchewanFirst Nations Winter Games, theWheelchair Basketball Canadanational championship, Dive Canadasummer nationals and the CanadianGolf Tour Saskatchewan Open.

In April 2011, Regina will host theWorld Men’s Curling Championship,

the first qualification process event forthe 2014 Winter Olympics, at EvrazPlace, which has hosted several majorcurling events, including the firstContinental Cup in 2002.

“The World Curling Federation isextremely pleased to have the 2011Ford World Men’s Curling Champion-ship return to Regina,” WCF PresidentLes Harrison said.

“When an event is hosted inSaskatchewan, we rely on volunteers,”Brandt said. “For the World Juniors, wehad 2,500 volunteers in Saskatoon and1,500 in Regina, proving that we arereally able to mobilize the cities.”

Adventuring Abroad

From Canada to Mexico, Australiato Asia, and Europe to the NorthAtlantic, global destinations offereverything for successful sports. And,despite the distance, overseas eventsoffer athletes and fans a chance todiscover that wherever you compete,sports is an international language.

Destination Feature


What first intrigued you about taking a leaderhip role with USA Basketball?In 2004, I sold the Suns, I went into the Basketball Hall of Fame, I stepped downfrom the Arizona Diamondbacks and I finished the year with a bang withprostate cancer. So it was a watershed year for me. I was home recuperatingwhen I received a call asking whether I’d be interested in taking on the responsi-bility for USA Basketball, so the timing was right. I requested full autonomy totake that on because that was important to me. I had a lot of other things I wasdoing, but the passion for me has always been the game. When you have thechance to represent your country at a time when the program is at an all-timelow, which it was after the 2004 Olympics in Athens, it was a great opportunityto seek out changing the culture and representing your country.Did it wind up being more challenging than you thought?I think it was exactly what I thought it would be. I had a game plan almostimmediately knowing that having to change the culture, we had to show respectfor the international basketball community and show some humility. The atti-tude toward Americans at that point was that we were arrogant. Our athleteshelped create that in terms of how they presented themselves, their attitude onand off the court, their appearance, etc. You have the chance to take all of thatand say here’s what we’re going to do and here’s the plan and you look at aplayer eyeball to eyeball and ask whether they want to be a part of it. The starswere aligned. There was buy-in immediately and that started our journey.

Since he sold the NBA’s Phoenix Suns in 2004, Jerry Colangelo has onlycemented his already legendary status in the basketball world. As managingdirector of USA Basketball men’s team program, Colangelo convinced the

NBA’s biggest stars to play for their country, crafting the team that won gold at the2008 Beijing Olympics after years of disappointing international results. Now he’strying to rework that magic for 2012. His Olympic success mirrors his other accom-plishments in sports, primarily in the Phoenix area, where he helped bring professionalbasketball, baseball and hockey to the desert as a coach, executive and owner.

In this interview with Jason Gewirtz of SportsTravel, Colangelo discusses thechallenges ahead for Team USA, his successful career and the future of the NBA.

The U.S. men haven’t won a WorldChampionship since 1994. Why is itimportant that the U.S. wins at thissummer’s championship in Turkey?It’s two-fold. Number one, the rest ofthe world basketball community putsmore emphasis on the World Champi-onships than the Olympics. We’re theonly country that has it in a differentorder. To show ultimate respect to therest of the basketball world, you putyour best players out there for theWorld Championships in an attempt towin that. In 2006, we lost to Greece inthe World Championships in Tokyo,proving that on any given night youcould lose no matter whom you haveon your roster. A number of our playersdid not participate in the World Cham-pionships in 2006, but they did in theOlympics and that was in itself a bigchange. Secondly, I think our job is halffinished. We won the Olympics. I thinknow what I‘d like to see is our group goout and win the World Championshipsand finish the deal.How would you assess the state ofthe NBA right now?I think the game itself is in excellentshape. The economics of the game needsome fine-tuning and adjusting rightnow because collective bargaining is atthe forefront. The economy has takenits hits in every sector; the entertain-ment world, professional sports andthe NBA have been affected. When you

The Interview

The Hall of Fame basketball executive and former Phoenix Suns owner hashelped the U.S. men’s basketball program return to international dominance

Jerry Colangelo


look at the major issues that are at stake, that the percentageof revenue that goes to the players in the way of compensa-tion is a little bit out of whack, relative to the total revenues,it puts the ownership in a very bad position. There is anadjustment that needs to be addressed to balance it out.Your name came up recently in connection with run-ning the New Jersey Nets. Even though you denied beingcontacted, are there any circumstances under whichyou would consider returning to team management?Without being specific about any position or team—because Idon’t think that’s appropriate—I can say that I’ve doneeverything there is to do in basketball as far as the NBA isconcerned in terms of roles, and I’m not seeking or looking tore-engage. If the right opportunity was presented, I mean, ifthings came to pass that there was an opportunity that madesense, that had appeal to me, it would have to be under someunusual circumstance, so I would never say never. But I’mnot seeking or looking for a job. I don’t need a job.Are there any parts of running the day-to-day operationof a franchise that you particularly miss?No, the satisfaction is in the relationships and the marketingand the selling of the product and being close to the game. Iget all of that with USA Basketball. I call it my basketball fix.As chairman of the board of the Naismith MemorialBasketball Hall of Fame, you have said the selectionprocess for hall members needs to change. Why is that?First and foremost I want to bring more transparency to theprocess of how individuals are nominated and then howthe selection process works. That started with my term aschairman with reorganizing the board into two compo-nents, a board of trustees and a board of governors. We’veadded more involvement on the board level and raisedthe bar regarding membership. George Bodenheimer, theCEO of ESPN, has joinedthe board of governors.Charlie Denson, the pres-ident of Nike, has joinedthe board, as has ElaineWynn from Las Vegas,who’s a great basketballfan and supporter. Wehave made some majorimprovements in ourboard structure. Now thesecond phase is trans-parency regarding how we actually operate. And then,thirdly, I want more participation on the part of the fans.That’s never been part of our process.The Phoenix Mercury are one of the few WNBA teamsstill playing in the city where they started. Why do youthink there’s been so much movement in that league?I was one of the early supporters of the concept of havinga women’s professional league and the creation of theWNBA. I think it’s been more of a struggle than many ofus anticipated. There have been a number of challenges.The timing of the season itself is one. The fact is that manyof these players play elsewhere internationally because ofthe amount of money they can earn doing so. It’s also acombination of the time of year that the league plays andthe availability of players. The timing was right to startthe WNBA but there have been a number of challenges.Gaining stability has been one of the biggest challenges.

After the Phoenix Coyotes’ recent financial troubles, doyou think the team ultimately will stay in the Phoenix?I would hope that they can make it. The reason is, selfishly,when I first got to Arizona back in 1968, there wasn’t muchthere. We were the first professional team when we startedthe Suns. My goal was to make it a major league city and wewere. We eventually became one of 11 or 12 cities that hadteams in all four major leagues. The market has been one ofcontinual growth. There’s been a real hiccup with the econ-omy the last few years, but growth will continue. There are somany reasons people want to live in this part of the country

that we have grown intoa very mature four-teammajor league market. Forthose reasons, I hope wecan make it in hockey.There was a second arenabuilt specifically forhockey in Glendale and Iwould hate to see a whiteelephant, so I’m hopingall of this can be resolved.

Several Major League Baseball teams that used to havespring training in Florida have moved in recent years toArizona. Do you see that trend continuing?All we have to do is figure out a way to fund more stadi-ums for spring training [laughs]. You know, my partnersand I just acquired the Wigwam Golf Resort & Spa. Eightof the teams that train in the West Valley are within 10minutes of the Wigwam and, of course, the InternationalRaceway is right there, and then the football stadium andthe arena in Glendale. Once the economy starts to turnaround, I think there will be a great amount of construc-tion. But as the market in Arizona grows, it will go westbecause that’s where the available land is.The Wigwam Resort is your first foray into the hospital-ity industry. What has that been like for you?It’s interesting. We just got possession at the end of the yearand we’ve been spending a lot of time doing due diligenceand speaking with potential operators. We have great plansfor some improvements and the people on the west sidehave been very responsive to the new ownership because ofthe local identity. I think before next season you’ll see somereal improvements in place. I’m excited about it. When youbuild an arena or a stadium and you have seats and restau-rants and suites to fill, it’s not much different than hotels.You have rooms to fill. You have amenities you offer. There’stweaking and adjustment. It’s a learning curve for some of usbut that’s why we’ll have an operator. We just want to add tothe mix and add value to the property.You’ve had much success building up the sports indus-try in Phoenix. To what do you attribute that success?My timing could not have been better. The community wasvery responsive. I was able to throw myself into the commu-nity and vice versa and build something and have a platformthat led to other successes. It was there and available inPhoenix at that time and place, maybe not so elsewhere.Your career record as a head coach with the Suns was59–60. Do you ever dream of going back for two moregames to try to get your record over .500?I used to kid about that over the years but I think thattime has passed. I’ll have to settle for what happened.

“THE SATISFACTION ISIN THE RELATIONSHIPSAND THE MARKETINGAND THE SELLING OF THE PRODUCT.”

“WE HAD TO SHOWSOME RESPECT FOR

THE INTERNATIONALBASKETBALL

COMMUNITY ANDSHOW SOME HUMILITY.”

Jerry Colangelo


Event:The 2010 Preakness StakesDate:May 15, 2010Location:Baltimore, MarylandVenue:Pimlico Race Course

Event History: The Preakness Stakes was first run in1873—two years before the first Ken-tucky Derby—making it the third-longest-run sporting event inAmerica. Survivor won the first raceby 10 lengths (for a purse of $2,050),which remained the largest margin ofvictory until 2004, when Smarty Joneswon by 11. In 1919, Sir Barton wonthe Kentucky Derby, the Preaknessand the Belmont Stakes, effectivelymaking him the first Triple Crownwinner, though the achievementdidn’t get that designation until 1931.Just after the horses are called to thepost on race day, the audience isinvited to sing “Maryland, My Mary-land,” the state song, traditionally ledby the U.S. Naval Academy glee club.

Nicknames: In 1931, the Triple Crown order wasfixed, with the Kentucky Derby firstand the Belmont Stakes last, making thePreakness the “middle jewel of theTriple Crown.” The Preakness has alsobecome known as the “race for theblack-eyed Susans”because of the blanket offlowers placed around thewinner’s neck. It’s a mis-nomer, though, as theMaryland state flower isnot in bloom in mid-May,so organizers usechrysanthemums paintedto look like them. Race Details: Thirteen thoroughbredsrace 9.5 furlongs (13⁄16

miles), the shortest of thethree Triple Crown races.Qualifying: Only 3-year-olds may race; colts andgeldings can carry 126 pounds, and fil-lies can carry 121 pounds. What’s new: The Maryland Jockey Club, which oper-ates Pimlico, has voted to resume sell-ing alcohol in the track’s infield. A

recent history of high jinkshad led to the banning ofalcohol on the infield lastyear, and attendancedropped sharply (35,000fewer people than in 2008),so the party is once again onat the Pimlico infield. Attendance: Turnout has been as high as121,000; attendance is typi-cally second only to the Ken-tucky Derby among horseracing events. Tickets: Prices range from $25 forgeneral admission to morethan $5,000 for a table for 10in the Turf Club Tent.Reserved seats in primespots such as the “Top of theStretch” can run about $100. Sponsorship:

Corporate partners include BudweiserSelect, ESPN3.com, CBS Radio andNutramax Pet. Media coverage: NBC will broadcast the race, and vari-ous local Maryland stations such asWBAL-TV in Baltimore will also have

coverage. Hospitality: Pimlico optionsrange from the Club-house Turn Suites tothe GrandstandApron box. Ancillary events: The week leadingup to race dayincludes a festival,a parade and chil-dren’s activities.The Alibi Breakfastallows media peo-ple to mingle with

owners, trainers, jockeys and horse-men on the Thursday before race dayand get race predictions. The event isso-named because in its early days, itinvolved colorful horse-racing story-telling, with “no alibis” allowed.

—Jamie Stringfellow

The Preakness Stakes

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“The Preakness setsthe foundation forthe Triple Crown. It really resonateswith our state: It’sMaryland’s signatureannual event.”

—Terry Hasseltine,Director, Maryland Office of

Sports Marketing

The return of the world’snumber one golfer andestranged husband (the lat-

ter title having more contendersthan the former), freshly back topro golf from sex rehab, certainlyprovided the leading story line tothis year’s Masters. I, like many,tuned in to see how Tiger 2.0would differ from the original ver-sion. I certainly did not see any dif-

ference in temperament, as Tiger Woods struggled at timesto find his rhythm (insert your own joke here).

It was hard to resist considering, once the tournament wasover and Woods had finished fourth, whether his domesticrelations affected his emotions on the course. I don’t have theanswer. Nor do I know what they teach in sex rehab. How-ever, I do know this: As Tiger Woods tries to find his way for-ward, there are two available examples, one positive and onenegative, he might consider to see how his life could end up.

The positive example is provided by the man Woods ischasing in Don Quixote–like fashion for the all-time recordof major championships: Jack Nicklaus. Nicklaus has sixgreen jackets to Woods’ four, and 18 major championshipsto Woods’ 14. Nicklaus also had and has one of the mostextraordinary relationships and devotion to family of anyprofessional athlete of his stature.

From all public accounts, Barbara Nicklaus was part of atrue team with her husband during his pro career. Nicklauswould schedule golf tournaments around his family life, notthe other way around. Was his success due in part to the factthat he married the girl from Clintonville, Ohio, he met dur-ing his first week at Ohio State University, and not the super-model or starlet du jour? Hale Irwin certainly believed sowhen he said of Barbara Nicklaus, “Behind every good manis a better woman.” That adage, however, is being tested in atime when sports, celebrity and entertainment get mixedtogether. The assumption is that once you reach a certaindegree of prowess in professional sports, your spouse shouldbe somebody who has achieved equal status in the acting,modeling, reality-show category. The new adage seems to be,“Behind every great athlete is a Kardashian sister.”

Now for the cautionary tale. There once was another ath-lete, the marquee athlete of his generation, who married a

glamorous blonde star and who, for all appearances, hadeverything going for him. In fact, Joe DiMaggio’s 1954 mar-riage to Marilyn Monroe may have set the bar for modern-day athletes’ personal aspirations. Even though the unionlasted only nine months and was dissolved amid allegationsof maltreatment by DiMaggio, it is still glamorized today.

The parallels between DiMaggio and Woods are striking.Consider this description of DiMaggio by Richard BenCramer in his definitive biography, “Joe DiMaggio: TheHero’s Life,” published in 2000: “He was revered for hismystery. We cheered him for never giving himself entirely tous.” Like the pre-November 2009 version of Woods, DiMag-

gio had a carefully culti-vated public image duringhis playing career andspent his post-playing daysas the keeper of his ownlegacy. As Cramer noted:“The coverage of DiMaggioover sixty-five years wasmostly flat because Joewould show nothing but ashiny surface of his owndevising” and would

excommunicate anyone from his inner circle who woulddeign to reveal details of his life. Sound familiar?

To his dying day, DiMaggio was trying to find endorse-ment deals wherever he could—a path Tiger may be headeddown if that creepy new Nike commercial is any indication.DiMaggio died a lonely death, with no supermodel, nostar—aging or young—by his side, only a collection of care-fully packaged memories.

Jack Nicklaus, by contrast, appears to be a fulfilled man.His extended family is close to him, and he and Barbara willcelebrate their 50th anniversary this summer. There may be alesson in that for Tiger Woods and for all professional ath-letes. After reading Cramer’s book, I couldn’t help butrethink one of Paul Simon’s most inspired lyrics from the1960s: “Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio? A nation turnsits lonely eyes to you.” In the case of DiMaggio and Woods—unless he gets his act together soon—the nation could dobetter focusing on a role model more like Nicklaus.

Bob Latham is a partner at the law firm Jackson Walker, L.L.P., and is aformer chairman of USA Rugby. He can be reached at [email protected].

NICKLAUS WOULDSCHEDULE GOLFTOURNAMENTSAROUND HIS FAMILYLIFE, NOT THE OTHERWAY AROUND.

Winners and Losers

BOB LATHAM

Tiger, Joe and JackAs Tiger Woods seeks to change his public image,he can learn lessons from two legendary athletes


S P O R T S E V E N T & F R A N C H I S E B I D D I N G H I G H L I G H T ST & F R A N C H I S E B I D D I N G H I G H L I G H T S

R E C E N T LY A W A R D E D


STATUSOpen for bids throughJuly 1, 2010

STATUSOpen for bids throughJune 1, 2010

STATUSOpen for bids throughSeptember 1, 2010



HISTORYMiami, FL, 2007–09Minneapolis, MN, 2005–07

HISTORYSpokane, WA, 2010Tippecanoe OH, 2009

HISTORYEdinburgh, Scotland, 2010Copenhagen, Denmark, 2009Lausanne, Switzerland, 2008Dubai, UAE, 2007Merida, Mexico, 2006

HISTORYVancouver, WA, 2009–10Kenosha, WI, 2007–08Louisville, KY, 2003–06

HISTORYFresno, CA, 2008–09Olathe, KS, 2007Daytona Beach, FL, 2005–06Olathe, KS, 2003–04Bowling Green, KY, 2001–2002

INSIDE TRACK This event is organized by 360 Sports Management. The USABowl Summer Nationals is an adult amateur football tournament that isscheduled to take place over four days in August. It attracts an estimated 400players plus spectators and requires a football stadium with practice venues.The event generates an estimated 120–150 room nights. Contact Terry Sullivanat (575) 322-2695 or [email protected].

INSIDE TRACK This outdoor event attracts 100–150 participants overthree to four days, preferably in early June. This bid is for a two-year com-mitment. In 2011, the event will be a three-day National Field Champi-onship and in 2012 it will be a combined four-day National Field Champi-onship and World Field Team Trials. For more information, contact ChristineMcCartney, events coordinator at USA Archery, at (719) 866-4576 or [email protected].

INSIDE TRACK Bids are open for the 2012, 2013 or both World Cup Finalevents organized by FITA, the international governing body for archery. TheArchery World Cup consists of four stages held in spectacular venues aroundthe world, culminating in the World Cup Final, where the top archers competeover two days. Based on previous figures, a city’s prime venue can be show-cased to up to 250 million TV viewers during one event, according to FITA. Awinning city will be selected November 12, 2010. Download bid documents byclicking on World Cup, then General, then Bid Documents at worldarchery.org.Contact Juan Carlos Holgado, FITA events director, at +41 21 614 3050 or [email protected].

INSIDE TRACK The cross country championships are held the Saturdayprior to Thanksgiving and attract about 320 athletes (32 men’s teams and 32women’s teams, with seven runners per team) and about 1,000 spectators. Inaddition to a well-kept cross country course that has a 5K women’s courseand an 8K men’s course, the event requires a headquarters hotel within 15minutes of the course. Contact Ruth Stein, NAIA cross country administrator,at (816) 595-8108 or [email protected].

INSIDE TRACK This event is held in late November or early December andfeatures 16 teams in a single-elimination format. An estimated 400 playersparticipate and the championship attracts an estimated 5,000 spectators. Astadium-type facility with a minimum seating capacity of 1,000 and a playingsurface of natural grass or sport turf is required. Three to four practice fieldsmust be located within close proximity to the championship venue and hous-ing. Contact Scott McClure, manager of championship sports, at (816) 595-8112or [email protected].

BEND, OREGON2011–2012 USA CyclingMasters Road NationalChampionshipsVenue: Streets of BendContact: Visit Bend at (877) 245-8484

FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA2011 USA Curling NationalChampionshipsFebruary 12–19Venue: Urban Plains CenterContact: Fargo-MoorheadAthletic Commission at (800) 235-7654

FRANKLIN, TENNESSEE2012 NCAA Division IWomen’s Golf ChampionshipsMay 22–25Venue: Vanderbilt Legends ClubContact: Williamson CountyConvention & Visitors Bureau at(615) 791-7554

MIAMI, FLORIDA2010 USA Judo World CupAugust 27–30Venue: Doral Golf Resort & SpaContact: Miami-DadeSports Commission at(305) 818-7188

NEWARK, DELAWARE2011 American Collegiate HockeyAssociation Men’s Division INational ChampionshipsMarch 5–9Venue: University of DelawareIce ArenasContact: Delaware SportsCommission at (302) 672-6832

PORTLAND, OREGON2010 Dew Tour Wendy’sInvitational, August 12–15Venue: Rose QuarterContact: Oregon Sports Authorityat (503) 234-4500

ROCHESTER, MINNESOTA2011–2012 USA Hockey Tier IIIJunior A National ChampionshipsVenue: Graham Arena andRochester Recreation CenterContact: Rochester Amateur SportsCommission at (507) 280-4701

SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA2011 USA Weightlifting NationalCollegiate ChampionshipsVenue: LSU Shreveport.Contact: Shreveport-BossierConvention & Tourist Bureau at(800) 551-8682

To submit information for inclusion in the Bid Bowl, visit SportsTravelMagazine.com.

2010 USA Bowl Summer Nationals

2011–12 USA Archery National Field Championship And 2012 World Field Team Trials

2012–2013 NAIA Men’s Soccer National Championship

2012–2013 International Archery Federation World Cup Final

2011 NAIA Men’s and Women’s Cross Country National Championships

Put your grouP in

Fr e e dom Hall

louisville arena

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l o u i s v i l l e , k e n t u c k y

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It’s not hard to picture a successful event when you place

yourself in either one of our two downtown properties.

The Kentucky International Convention Center and the

Louisville Arena (opening in 2010) provide an awe-inspiring

breadth of space, function and flexibility. Just footsteps away

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hotels, restaurants, galleries and other entertainment choices.

Yourself

in downtown LouisviLLe.

w w w . k y e x p o . o r g ■ 1 - 8 0 0 - 6 1 8 - 5 1 5 1 ■ w w w . k y c o n v e n t i o n . o r g

ke ntucky i nte R nAtionAl conve ntion ce nte R

lou i svi lle AR e nA

51 flexible, technologically advanced meeting rooms ranging in size from 420 square feet to 6,000 square feet with a combination of 27-foot to 52-foot ceilings

Directly connected to 2,300 hotel rooms via climate-controlled enclosed skywalks with another 1,700 within walking distance or a short drive

300,000 square feet of total space, covering two entire city blocks

Attached via skywalk is Fourth Street Live!, an exciting complex of restaurants, nightclubs and other entertainment venues. Visit the Hard Rock Café, Maker’s Mark Lounge, Sport & Social Club, Improv Comedy Club and others

A 175-person state-of-the-art conference theater with tiered seating and a fully interactive A/V setup that can be used for presentations and teleconferencing

Just a short walk or trolley hop away from museums, area attractions and galleries such as the Louisville Slugger Bat Factory and Museum, Glassworks, Muhammad Ali Center, Frazier International History Museum and more

Two large areas of flexible column-free exhibition space – one is 146,000 square feet and the other is 45,000 square feet – Both have upper-level VIP suites and dressing rooms

30,000-square-foot, column-free Cascade Ballroom that can be divided into three smaller rooms for meetings, receptions and banquets

KentuCKy internAtionALCoNVeNTIoN

CeNTer

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Louisville, Kentucky

700,000 square feet of total space

Maximum capacity of 22,000 people

Multi-purpose event floor

Meeting and social event rooms overlooking the Ohio River

Connected to 2,300 affordable hotel rooms with climate-controlled skywalks

Within walking distance of 4,000 total hotel rooms

Sports bar and restaurant overlooking the Ohio River

Large lobby for hosting functions

Within walking distance of restaurants, nightclubs and entertainment venues

Plaza for outdoor events

700-car parking garage

louIsVIlle

AreNA

KENTUCKY INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTER

LOUISVILLE SLUGGER FIELD

LOUISVILLE ARENA

FOURTH STREET LIVE!

21C MUSEUM & HOTEL

LOUISVILLE SLUGGER MUSEUM & FACTORY

THE KENTUCKY CENTER

MUHAMMAD ALI CENTER

MARRIOTT HOTEL

GALT HOUSE HOTEL

HYATT HOTEL

FRAZIER INTERNATIONAL HISTORY MUSEUM

NULU ANTIQUE & ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT

BELLE OF LOUISVILLE

w w w . k y e x p o . o r g ■ 1 - 8 0 0 - 6 1 8 - 5 1 5 1 ■ w w w . k y c o n v e n t i o n . o r gw w w . k y e x p o . o r g ■ 1 - 8 0 0 - 6 1 8 - 5 1 5 1 ■ w w w . k y c o n v e n t i o n . o r g

PosITIoN Yourself

for JusT

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KentuCKy eXPosITIoN

CeNTer

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the flexible layouts of Freedom Hall and the many acres of

outdoor demonstration space, you’ll want to put yourself here.FR e e DoM HAll

kec nortH Wi nG

KENTUCKY EXPOSITION CENTERLouisville, Kentucky

The nation’s seventh-largest public facility of its kind

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300 acres of outdoor exhibit and demonstration space

Set up for WiFi hotspots, Virtual Private Networks, Broadband Internet, as well as VOIP and analog phone technology

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13,000 affordable hotel rooms nearby

Your GrouP

in one of the nAtion’s most

VersATIle ComPleXes.

39,000-square-foot arena floor

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Ceiling height: 71 feet at its highest point, 54 feet from the floor to the bottom of the scoreboard

Roofed backstage load-in area with secured parking for artist buses, trucks and VIP/production

Multiple-speaker cluster sound system with computer-controlled delay system

Four-sided, center-hung video wall/scoreboard, six auxiliary scoreboards and closed-circuit TV monitors (in concourses and private suites)

208V/120V, 3-phase electric service, up to 800 amp service in some arena locations. Cold water grounding available

THe fIrsT ITem You’ll

wANT To PlACe Is A

PHoNe CAll or emAIl.

With us, there’s no need to contact multiple people to gather the information you need about each of our facilities. One person is all you need. And with our unsurpassed reputation for hospitality, you’ll quickly see why five of the nation’s top 25 trade shows call Louisville home.

One point of contact – Just one phone call to 1-800-618-5151 or email to [email protected] gives you access to all of our sites

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LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY

freeDom HAll

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ST260510

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Transcript of ST260510