Each year, sporting events organizers host their events throughout the country, and many times, in the same community. Destinations are working with these event organizers to help create memorable moments for the participants and spectators. Whether the event is new to a community or in the same location as last year, how do we keep sporting events fresh? Everyone’s goal is to increase the number of participants and spectators over the year before and ensure that the past participants and spectators attend the event the next year.
Here are a few tips on keeping events fresh with value-added options.
Offer Special Events in Conjunction with the Competition
Regional and national championships may have the ability to add a special event prior to the tournament. These special events can create community involvement within the destination for both the community and the event. It creates camaraderie among the participants plus it adds a family-like atmosphere. It is an opportunity to bring the community and sports together.
Jim Donner, USA Softball of Seattle Director, states, “Opening Ceremonies are special beginnings to all events as they bring everybody together and build the anticipation for the event start. Introducing teams and having them parade out on the field makes them feel special and builds the excitement.”
Destinations can assist the event organizer with creating the right special event for the regional or national championships. An example of a special event with a competition is the 2024 USA Softball 14U-18U Class B Western Nationals. This five-day national championship held an Opening Ceremony the day prior to the pool play games’ beginning. USA Softball of Seattle worked with the Snohomish County Sports Commission in the event planning of the Opening Ceremony. Sixty girls fastpitch teams from five states celebrated their softball season and enjoyed Pacific Northwest hospitality.
The 2024 USA Softball Western Nationals Opening Ceremony was an afternoon of fun, camaraderie and celebration for the fastpitch players and their family members. Fun activities included a scavenger hunt and photo contest, hitting challenge and obstacle course challenge. Food trucks, sponsor activations and merchandise sales added value to the Opening Ceremony.
Snohomish County Sports Commission worked with multiple local organizations and businesses to create a festival atmosphere. Base By Pros lead the hitting challenge. Boys & Girls Club of Snohomish County ran the obstacle course and gave away prizes. The sponsors sponsors, like Dave & Buster’s, had the chance to distribute discounted play cards to the attendees. During the ceremony portion of the event, each team and umpires were recognized and walked onto the field. A fun activity was a Coaches’ Dance Off, with the crowd choosing the winner of the Dance Off.
Hospitality Activation
A second idea is for destinations to work with local businesses to offer special discounts and/or an after-party for the attendees. By doing so, it is possible to create memories for the sports event organizers, participants and spectators by creating itineraries with information on places to dine and play while in hosting communities. Businesses within each community will be able to see the value of sports events.
Snohomish County Sports Commission has been integrating hospitality activation with the many sporting events throughout the county. Over the last year, restaurants and attractions have been offering special discounts for the sporting events the sports commission has hosted in 2024. There are multiple platforms destinations may use to promote their tourism-related businesses. Playeasy and Bandwango are two of the visitors’ experience platforms destinations can use.
Playeasy is a platform that several destinations are using to promote places to stay, dine and play. This platform offers analytical reports for the destination to evaluate the return on investment for the business promotion as well as determine what business is of interest to the sports teams. An opportunity to provide data to the local business owner can showcase the value of partnering with the CVB or sports commission.
Turn a One-day Event Into a Two-day Event
A third idea in keeping events unique is to offer clinics or educational sessions a day prior to the event beginning. Running events are great events to offer clinics or educational sessions. By offering clinics the day before the race, organizers provide participants with an opportunity to experience the destination along with chances to create with other participants. This is a great opportunity for businesses to market to new customers.
Run Super Series, the race company for the Snohomish Women’s Run, held an expo in conjunction with the packet pick-up, the day before the 2024 race. Run Super Series partnered with Experience Momentum in Mill Creek, Washington to have the Expo/Packet Pick-up. The Expo consisted of free physical therapy, nutrition consultations and a seven-day pass for fitness classes along with packet pick-up. Some of these included Shake Out Run, yoga session and meditation, complimentary injury screenings, Run Form Clinic, Myth Busting and physical therapy questions and answers.
If you are a sports events organizer who is interested in adding a special event to your main event, or if you have special events with the main competition, talk with the destination so you both may work together to make your event special.
Beard Team USA holds the National Beard & Moustache Championship in a different destination annually and relies on the CVB or Sports Commission representatives to make the event a memorable one for the attendees.
“Because we hold our event in a different location every year, we rely heavily on the knowledge of the CVB and their relationships with local businesses and city officials. Often, I receive great references through these existing relationships, and it really helps me as an event director to have these connections available as we get into the finer details of the event on the ground,” states Bryan Nelson, Beard Team USA. “I feel like it gives the CVB representatives a fun and special excuse to reach out and it makes me happy that our event can help strengthen relationships and affect the community in a positive way. The CVB reps often have great ideas on how we can improve our event by helping us find locations that fit and add local color, which we really appreciate.”
Consider adding a unique special event to the competition. Beard Team USA, for example, includes a Longest Beard Chain event in conjunction with the competition. (Background: A beard chain is a record-breaking event where participants stand side by side and link their beards together using hair clips.)
“We are always thinking of ways to add something special to our event, to help set it apart from the other facial hair competitions in the country,” states Nelson. “We were toying with the idea of some sort of messy eating competition, and then stumbled upon competitive eating, which led to some Guinness World Records. I found that a group of men in Germany established a Beard Chain record in 2012 or so, and I immediately thought that it would be something really fun to try. Our initial effort in 2022 was very successful and we more than doubled the previous record. We are hoping to beat the record again in Everett this November!”
Destinations’ involvement with these special events creates community involvement and showcases to the event organizer that their event is valuable to the destination. Destinations have an advantage in helping with the special activities due to the connection with the local businesses and community.
This year’s National Beard & Moustache Championship will include a pub crawl in downtown Everett, as well as the beard chain attempt at the Everett Marina with the beauty of the Pacific Northwest as the backdrop. Though these special events were held at the previous destinations, this year’s special events will showcase the City of Everett and create memories for the attendees.
For your next tournament or competition, consider offering a special event such as an Opening Ceremony, expo with clinics, or even special discounts from local restaurants. Partner with complementary businesses to create memories for the attendees, sports event organization and community. SDM
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