New Eugene, Cascades & Coast Sports Commission Launched

Eugene, Ore. - Eugene, Oregon is hoping to gain a greater competitive edge when it comes to attracting sporting events to the region. Travel Lane County, in partnership with sporting event producers, venue operators, tourism officials, and community leaders, officially launched the Eugene, Cascades & Coast Sports commission this week.
 

The group is hitting the ground running as it works to attract new and larger sporting events to the region, while enhancing and expanding its support and resources to build on existing events. 
 

Already known for its ability to host events like the 2008 and upcoming 2012 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Team Trials and the 2009 FIMBA International Masters Basketball Championships, the new sports commission will work to pursue and secure sports of all kinds. 
 

"We applaud the formation of this new commission and look forward to working with these leaders to help further position this region as a premier sports destination and major player in Oregon's sports scene," said Drew Mahalic, Chief Executive Officer, Oregon Sports Authority.
 

Among its mission will be to oversee the coordination of local resources in bidding events, assisting with logistics, sponsorship development and providing guidance for facility upgrades or future construction projects.
 

"The wealth of experts and resources within our local sports community provides the perfect foundation on which to build our new commission," said Janis Ross, Travel Lane County VP of Convention & Sports Marketing, who will lead the new commission as the executive director.  "This group will not only help unite the sports community and bridge communication between all sports-related activities, but will demonstrate to event planners that we're a serious player when it come to hosting events."
 
So far the commission has created a sports advisory council, website, logo and marketing materials. Other projects will include enhancing a countywide master sports calendar and list of sports venues, assembling a master file of local volunteers and officials, and creating a lendable sports equipment database to provide event planners with access to everything from cell phones and fencing to tents and safety vests. The group also plans to host an annual sports summit in March.
 
To learn more about upcoming commission events, activities, sponsorship opportunities and more, contact Janis Ross at 541.743.8753 or Janis@EugeneCascadesCoast.org. More information is also available on the new Eugene, Cascades & Coast Sports website.