Daytona Beach will welcome the United States Sports Congress, 150 top level decision makers, sports rights holders and Olympic National Governing Bodies from around the world for three days of insightful professional development sessions at the Hard Rock Hotel Daytona Beach December 3-5.
“There are two real distinct groups that attend,” said Lou Mengsol, U.S. Sports Congress president. “Destinations and sports commissions that use sports tourism as an economic development tool and then there are rights holders who are looking to place events all across the country. It’s those two groups working in concert with each other where the magic happens so to speak.”
For Daytona Beach, it’s an opportunity to spotlight unique experiences to a group keen on selecting future hosts. For Mengsol, the decision to select Daytona Beach was about teamwork.
“For us, it’s all about our partnerships,” said Mengsol, who has been planning the event for over a year. “We want a local host that has knowledge of the U.S. Sports Congress first and foremost. Secondly, a host that is really willing to roll up sleeves in terms of planning. We really feel like Daytona Beach, and the Daytona Beach Area CVB especially, were the perfect partners to do that. Thankfully, we’ve had such great support from Tara Hamburger, Amber White and the entire CVB staff and their partners: Hard Rock Hotel Daytona Beach, LPGA International and Daytona International Speedway …we have many of Daytona Beach’s marquee members involved in this year’s Sports Congress.”
“Daytona Beach is no stranger when it comes to hosting Olympic-level events,” said Tara Hamburger, CSEE CVB sports sales manager, “Our state-of-the-art facilities, year round temperate weather and hospitality make us the smart choice for many sports organizations year after year.”
The Daytona Beach area also has a number of sought after speakers, two of whom are on the Sports Congress’ schedule: LPGA International Commissioner Michael Whan and Jim Knight, the former head of the School of Hard Rocks, running point on all training and development functions for Hard Rock International.
“We’re always looking for something different that speaks to our attendees,” said Mengsol. “In terms of branding, communications, marketing, and all the different aspects we as event producers and destination marketers have to put on, we’re always looking for creative speakers.”
Unique offsite activities are also a huge plus for planners in general. The opening reception will be at the new oceanfront Landshark Bar & Grill. Attendees will also partake in a Speedway Track Tour at Daytona International Speedway, an excursion with Sea Spirit Deep Sea Fishing and a golf outing at LPGA International.
About the Daytona Beach Area: Discover the new Daytona Beach and its surrounding area, a resurging destination along Florida’s East Coast comprising eight distinct communities. Recognized worldwide for its annual events including Bike Week, Biketoberfest®, the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA and the DAYTONA 500, Daytona Beach’s famed heritage also claims the headquarters of LPGA and NASCAR -- and is home to Daytona International Speedway, the ‘World Center of Racing.’ With more than 12,000 beds, the destination boasts accommodations for all lifestyles and budgets from 4-star resorts, to hotels, B&Bs and everything in between. Ranked #1 in Travel Channel’s 2017 “Top 10 Attractions in Florida, and one of TripAdvisor’s 2016 “10 Most Affordable Beach Vacations on Florida’s East Coast” and “25 Most Popular Summer Vacation Rental Spots in the US.” Visitors can enjoy experiences beyond the beach by choosing from a surprising list of outdoor adventures, family-friendly attractions, cultural venues and a colorful culinary scene. With 23 miles of world-famous beaches ideal for swimming and surfing, it is no surprise Daytona Beach was chosen as a Best Florida Attraction and Best Spring Family Beach Break Destination in the Top 10 Best Readers’ Choice travel award contests sponsored by USA TODAY. To order a complimentary comprehensive Official Visitors Guide or book a stay, visit DaytonaBeach.com. For real-time updates, visit Facebook.com/DaytonaBeach or Twitter.com/DaytonaBeachFun.
About the United States Sports Congress: Celebrating more than a decade of service to the sports event industry, the United States Sports Congress attracts top level decision-makers from the world of amateur sport and sports events. The attendees of this unique conference are senior level executives who represent sports rights holders and Olympic National Governing Body’s (NGBs), the destinations who desire to host their events as well as many suppliers to this industry. For more information, visit UsSportsCongress.com.
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