Networking

The countdown is on for the 27th annual NASC Symposium! Before your bags are packed, check the conference website. Then, as you prepare to meet event rights holders, vendors and destination representatives from throughout the USA in Knoxville, Tennessee May 6- 9, you might want to check it again. This will help you ensure the most efficient and effective use of your time! NASC staff and volunteer members have worked diligently to provide several great resources to assist you as you get organized to attend the NASC’s annual meeting (for the first time or the 27th)! Follow the links below to find answers to many of your questions: Hotel & Travel Schedule Education Marketplace NASC FAQs Blogs Hotel & Travel: Traveling to a destination by yourself (especially for the first-time) can seem a bit intimidating. A little advanced homework will reduce potential concerns and set you up for a fun, successful conference experience. Review your...

TAMPA (For Immediate Release) -- A capacity crowd attended the second annual Women’s Summit hosted by the National Association of Sports Commissions in Tampa during the NCAA Women’s Final Four. Numerous female business leaders representing professional and collegiate sports along with government, financial services, marketing, public relations, and hospitality shared advice and tips to attendees of the Women’s Summit, which was first hosted in Columbus, Ohio during last year’s NCAA Women’s Final Four in partnership with the Greater Columbus Sports Commission. Two new awards were presented during the Women’s Summit as well. Linda Logan, Executive Director of the Greater Columbus Sports Commission, was honored with the firstever Trailblazer Award for her industry leadership, and the Rising Star Award was presented to Meaghan Hughes from Ann Arbor Sports Commission for her volunteerism efforts. “The Women’s Summit hosted by the Nati...

We are just over a month away from the 2019 NASC Symposium. No, you don’t need to start packing your bags just yet, but you do need to start planning out what you want your week to look like. We just released the education sessions for the 2019 Symposium in Knoxville, Tennessee from May 6-9. If you are part of a destination looking to attract more events to your city, you may consider sitting in on sessions like “Developing your Destination’s Sports Tourism Program” on Tuesday or “Bidding on NAIA Events” on Thursday. For the sales and development managers, there are also sessions for building brand awareness, partnership strategies, and valuing sponsorships. There are more than 25 education sessions planned for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, so there is something for each member of your team coming to the Symposium. Check them all out here. Also, if you registered for the CSEE course at the NASC Symposium, put on your crisis mode c...

The Spring 2019 edition of the NASC Playbook is available now.  Download your copy. Inside this issue: What kind of leader do you want to be Sports Facilities Summit On motivating your employees Why rebrand the NASC That aha moment 12 questions for CVBs and Sports Commissions Symposium education track line-up Staying competitive on and off the sports field  We encourage members to share information with your peers. Contact Meagan Grau, Director of Member Services and Engagement, at meagan@sportscommissions.org to learn more about how you can contribute to a future edition of The NASC Playbook. The NASC Staff

A mentor is someone that will guide you along the path you have chosen, someone that will help you overcome challenges and build your character, while being motivated to support you and being a positive influence on your journey. Have you identified important individuals that have had a positive impact on your life? These individuals could be friends or advisers that you haven’t talked to in years, but they are still mentors to you. Reach out to them, thank them and start up that new dialogue. For me, it was a college professor at Ohio State in 2003, and I never realized how important he was to helping create who I am today and why I ended up in the sports tourism industry in 2012. After nine years of working in a variety of roles in professional sports – from interning and working full-time for a Minor League Baseball team, to spending time selling sponsorships for a PGA golf tournament and then moving into event operations for a golf contractor, then finally landing...

We are officially under 100 days until the NASC Symposium! Are you joining us in Knoxville, Tennessee from May 6 through the 9th? Each year, leaders from event hosts, tourism professionals and industry partners gather to exchange resources, strategies and solutions. A few reminders for those of you coming to Knoxville: Do you have your hotel reservation? The hotel blocks are quickly filling up. Get yours today: https://www.sportscommissions.org/symposium/hotel-travel. Event owners -- NASC will book your hotel room.  Destinations: Register by 2/15/19 to be entered to win your top 3 mutually requested appointments (10 organizations will be selected) Vendors: Register by 2/15/19 to be entered to win a free pre-symposium eBlast (3 organizations will be selected) Event Owners: Register by 3/22/19 to be considered for travel assistance You can start preparing for the 2019 NASC Symposium right now. Check out which event owners are coming and which destinations wi...

I was lucky enough to attend the Inaugural Women’s Summit last year in Columbus, OH. I wasn’t sure what to expect with it being the first year that NASC put something like this together – it was great, everyone was a first timer! The first gathering of the Summit was the opening reception. It was relaxed and a great opportunity to meet other women in the industry. I met several colleagues I had not had the pleasure of meeting before, and are now friends. The thing I enjoy most about NASC events (Symposium, 4S, and now Women’s Summit) is the opportunity to meet others in the industry. I’m able to take the relationships I build and use it as a help line with any questions I may have regarding the sports world. The second day we had inspiring speakers, opportunities to talk about issues we encounter in our jobs as a group and were able to experience Tourney Town for Women’s Final Four (probably my favorite part of the event.) Not only was I able t...

The 4S Summit is headed to Cleveland, OH in a few weeks!  The summit kicks off with a Reception at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. A great opportunity to get together with your colleagues, share your stories and enjoy the history of Rock and Roll! The 4S Summit provides an opportunity for all of us to discuss our commonalities. The commonalities could be challenges we are facing or successes that we want to share. My motto “Why recreate the wheel, when I could learn from others’ successes and challenges.” The opportunity to learn from the NASC members is one of the best learning tools at the tip of your fingers. Be ready to learn more on the 4S’s of sports events and tourism: sponsorships, sales, services and strategies. The sports events and tourism industry has many commonalities within these 4S’s. Is your organization focusing on strategies to have the community more engaged with your sports events? Looking to learn new bidding best practices...

Are you attending the NASC Sports Events Symposium for the first time? Get ready to make some new friends, have fun, and learn a new idea to take back to your community! Are you a first-time attendee or a new NASC member? We invite you to come to the First-Time Orientation and Networking Reception on Monday, April 23rd. The First-Time Orientation is at the Minneapolis Convention Center from 4:30 pm to 5:15 pm. The Reception is at the Brit’s Pub from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm (a short walk from the convention center). Come attend the First- Time Orientation to learn tips and ask questions about the NASC Sports Events Symposium. Meet your mentor so you may put a face to the emails and phone calls. (I am looking forward to meeting my mentees.) The orientation will be a great opportunity to meet new colleagues who will become your friends. We in the sports tourism industry have a lot in common and have lots of fun! The First-Time Networking Reception will be an opportunity to conti...

March 28-30, Columbus, OH in conjunction with Women’s Final Four. Developed by top women leaders in the sports events and tourism industry, the inaugural Summit will inspire you to achieve your career goals.