View Submission - National Association of Sports Commissions

Transcription

National Association of Sports Commissions
Member Award Submission
Organizational Award
Sports Tourism Organization of the Year
Population: Under 250,000
Section One
Mission, Objectives, and Goals
Written statement detailing sports commission mission, objectives
and goals for the current year. Organization may submit annual
business plan to meet this criteria.
Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau • www.foxcities.org • Page 1
The Fox Cities are 20 communities located along the Fox River in the greater Appleton, WI
area. One of the state’s fastest growing communities with more than 236,000 residents, the Fox
Cities offer a thriving metropolitan area closely surrounded by incredible natural beauty.
With economic success has sprung a strong retail base, a thriving arts community and a
growing mix of dining, entertainment, and cultural opportunities. The area is recognized as
having some of the best urban shopping options in Wisconsin and has earned the title of
Wisconsin’s Shopping Place. Over 3,100 hotel rooms, an abundance of entertainment options,
and a wide array of dining options await visitors to the Fox Cities.
Mission Statements
The Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau is an
economic development organization that strengthens the
Fox Cities by attracting visitors in the convention, sports
and leisure markets through sales, marketing and
destination development.
Operating as a subcommittee of the Fox Cities Convention
& Visitors Bureau, the Fox Cities Sports Commission was
established to positively impact the economy and quality of
life of the Fox Cities by encouraging the creation and
development of sporting events in our community.
2015 Objectives and Goals
Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau – Sports Marketing Team Objectives
* Record 24,000 future hotel roomnights through sporting events hosted in the Fox Cities
* Book 160 future sporting events in the Fox Cites
* Create or win bids for 10 events that are new to the Fox Cities
* Make 1,100 sales calls to local, regional, and national clients
* Oversee business plan and feasibility study for the sports facility project
* Submit at least two applications to the Wisconsin Department of Tourism Grant Program
* Ensure a successful housing process and overall event for the Region II Soccer Championship
* Attend the NASC Symposium, CSEE modules, and all NASC webinars
* Promote the Fox Cities at ConnectSports and the Upper Midwest CVB Conference
* Help grow WACVB’s Sports Wisconsin and promote a statewide sales effort
* Represent the Fox Cities on committees for the NASC and USA Youth Sports Complex
* Maintain @FoxCitiesSports and send out sports newsletter quarterly
* Network with event organizers and key stakeholders and attend at least 20 sporting events
* Control expenses through less meals and look for opportunities to save during travels
Fox Cities Sports Commission – Commission Objectives
* Administer a grant program to assist in funding start-up costs of new sporting events
* Recruit sporting event volunteers through the Commission’s network of contacts
* Serve as a resource for sporting event planners by having guest speakers and facility tours
* Hold productive meetings with a Commission of 11 key sports individuals from the area
Section Two
Sporting Events and Community Impact
Quality of the sporting events (must have occurred in 2015) supported by your
organization in your community based on: community interest, size of events in
relation to community size, and the positive impact the event had on the community.
US Youth Soccer Midwest Region (Region II) Championships
The 2015 US Youth Soccer Midwest Region (or Region II) Championships could go down as
the largest event, in terms of sports tourism, ever hosted in the Fox Cities. Held June 20-24, the
Region II Championships drew 214 youth soccer teams and over 14,000 total visitors from
across the country. The Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau administered the housing
process for teams and tracked 9,491 total hotel roomnights for teams alone. Nearly every hotel
room with two beds within an hour of Appleton was blocked for this tournament. US Youth
Soccer estimated the event generated $6.5 million worth of economic impact.
This is the third time the Local Organizing Committee tackled hosting the Regional
Championship. We previously hosted in 2006 and 2011. Over 700 volunteer slots needed to be
filled for the event that took place at Appleton’s Scheels USA Youth Sports Complex (15 fields)
and De Pere’s Southwest Park (7 fields). Despite a massive rain storm that nearly washed out
the entire third-day of competition, the local leadership team was praised by the Regional and
US Youth Soccer staffs for once again running a top-notch event.
See related articles in Appendix B
* Fox Cities, De Pere get boost from major soccer tourney by Post-Crescent Media
* Sports equal money in Fox Cities tourism equation by Post-Crescent Media
* Athletic events drive visitors and tourism spending throughout the New North by Insight Publications
NCAA Division III Baseball Championship
For the 16th consecutive year, Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium hosted the
NCAA Division III Baseball Championship. Only iconic NCAA host cities like Omaha, Oklahoma
City, and Salem, Va. have had longer consecutive runs of hosting the same championship. Held
on May 22-27, the Division III Championship has become a fixture in the Fox Cities over
Memorial Day weekend. Annually, the event brings in eight collegiate baseball teams from
across the country along with their fans, generating an average of 1,300 room nights and
$421,200 in direct visitor spending. In addition, local fans flock to see great baseball.
The event’s longevity in Appleton can be attributed to a number of factors but unique features of
this championship include a Special Olympics event, designated local team hosts, daily fan
giveaways, and fireworks. The Championship is co-hosted by the Fox Cities Convention &
Visitors Bureau, the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Lawrence University, and the Wisconsin
Timber Rattlers and is scheduled to be hosted in Appleton through 2018.
* NCAA championship baseball has Fox Valley flavor by Post-Crescent Media
* A Big Weekend for baseball in the Fox Cities by WBAY Channel 2 (ABC)
Wisconsin State USBC Bowling Championship
Held January 10-May 10, the Wisconsin State USBC Bowling Championship is the largest state
bowling tournament in the United States. This multi-weekend tournament consisted of
approximately 13,000 bowlers playing nearly 90,000 games at Super Bowl in Appleton and
Classic Lanes Fox Valley in Neenah. The bowlers accounted for about 5,900 room nights and
$1.9 million in direct visitor spending during the slowest time of the year for tourism in the Fox
Cities.
The Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau contributed $3,000 to the event’s prize fund
(pictured) and welcomed bowlers during the opening ceremonies and Hall of Fame Banquet.
The CVB staff worked with the State USBC staff and local bowling centers to plan out event
logistics and housing in the months leading up to the championship tournaments.
See related article in Appendix B
* Bowling tournament provides economic boost by Post-Crescent Media
Wisconsin Invitational 5th Grade Basketball Tournaments
For six years, the Great Northwest Basketball has chosen to hosts its 5th Grade State Basketball
Championships in the Fox Cities. While on the surface a 5th Grade Tournament doesn’t sound
big, Fox Cities’ hotels and businesses know this event brings a big punch to the local economy.
Held on March 28-29 (Girls) and April 11-12 (Boys), the Wisconsin State Invitational 5th Grade
Basketball Tournaments brought 130 teams from across the state to the Fox Cities. Over 3,000
visitors came to the Fox Cities over the two weekends, resulting in approximately 1,400 room
nights and $453,600 in direct visitor spending.
Five different local youth basketball clubs assisted in arranging 15 basketball courts and
accounted for countless volunteers hours manning concessions, tickets, and scorer’s tables.
Not only is the event a great opportunity for local teams to compete against the best in the state,
it is also a tremendous fundraiser for the local clubs. One club has even raised enough money
from hosting this tournament to cover all the costs of putting in an entirely new gym floor!
Wisconsin Youth Soccer Association State Championships
Most destinations struggle to fill hotel rooms over Memorial Day weekend, but not in the Fox
Cities. In 2015, the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship, the Dream Big Baseball Shindig,
and the Wisconsin Youth Soccer Association Spring State Championships helped sell out area
hotels and boost local businesses.
Held May 23-25 at Scheels USA Youth Sports Complex, the WYSA Spring State Cup brought
132 U13-U19 boys and girls teams and 4,000 visitors to the Fox Cities. The State
Championships benefited the community with 760 hotel room nights and $246,240 in direct
visitor spending.
Appleton Soccer Club serves as the main host club for this tournament that is run on the
complex’s 15 soccer fields. While the event requires a great deal of manpower, it has been a
significant fundraiser for the club over the 16 consecutive years of hosting the championship.
* 132 teams take aim at State Cup titles starting Saturday in Appleton by Wisconsin Soccer Central
WIAA State Spring Baseball Championships
Not only is Appleton the annual year-end destination for NCAA Division III baseball teams from
across the country, high school baseball teams from throughout Wisconsin also hope to reach
Appleton at the end of each season. For the 18th consecutive year the Wisconsin Interscholastic
Athletic Association Spring State Baseball Tournament was hosted at Neuroscience Group
Field at Fox Cities Stadium.
Held June 16-18, twenty of the top high school baseball teams from four divisions came to the
Fox Cities in hopes of being crowned State Champions. Over 7,000 visiting fans came to the
area for the tournament, resulting in 400 room nights and $129,600 in direct visitor spending.
We are scheduled to host this event through 2020.
Triple Crown Sports Dream Big Baseball Shindig
2015 was the inaugural year for the Triple Crown Sports Dream Big Baseball Shindig. The
event, held over Memorial Day weekend to coincide with the NCAA Division III Baseball
Championship, featured 35 elite youth baseball teams from Wisconsin and Illinois. Held May 2325, this tournament saw 1,000 visitors come to the Fox Cities and generated just under 500
room nights and $162,000 in direct visitor spending.
Fields at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Scheels USA Youth Sports Complex, and
Appleton’s Memorial Park were utilized to accommodate the 9U to 14U brackets.
Games were scheduled so teams played during the day and could then head to Neuroscience
Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium to watch the NCAA Division III Championship in the evening.
Teams were offered special ticket packages and the winner of the Dream Big skills competition
even got to throw out a first pitch before one of the NCAA Championship games!
The unique opportunity to pair the youth tournament with the NCAA Championship over a
holiday weekend made this event concept appealing to the professionals at Triple Crown
Sports. In order to make this tournament happen, Triple Crown Sports, the Fox Cities
Convention & Visitors Bureau, the City of Appleton Parks Department, and Panthers Baseball
Club all made significant contributions. This event can be directly attributed to years of meetings
and networking at the NASC Sports Event Symposium.
The Cheesehead Wrestling Invitational
Held January 2-3, the Cheesehead Wrestling Invitational kicked off 2015 for sports tourism in
the Fox Cities. This high school wrestling invitational hosted by Kaukauna High School has
consistently brought top-ranked teams from across the country to the Fox Cities since its
inaugural event in 1999.
This year’s event saw 30 varsity wrestling teams from eight states, with teams coming from as
far as Nevada and Arizona. Over 1,000 visitors made the trip to the Fox Cities, yielding 450
room nights and $145,800 in direct visitor spending. As evidenced in the picture above, this
event regularly is a sellout, or near sellout, due the high quality of wrestling action. Additionally,
Fox Sports North plays all the championship bouts from the Cheesehead on tape delay.
Kaukauna has had a dominant wrestling program for years and the growth of the Cheesehead
has allowed for teams and fans from across the country to see the level of wrestling we have
here in the Fox Cities.
* Arizona wrestlers brave cold for Cheesehead by Post-Crescent Media
Large Annual Youth Soccer Tournaments
Hosting large state and regional soccer championships in the Fox Cities would not be possible
without established youth clubs, a bounty of quality fields, and a history of hosting successful
soccer tournaments. Soccer teams from across the Midwest and Canada frequently travel to the
Fox Cities for one of four large annual tournaments hosted by Appleton Soccer Club and
Neenah Soccer Club.
In 2015, Appleton Soccer Club hosted the 100-team Fox Cities Classic (May 1-3), the 210-team
Summer Shootout (June 26-28), and the 125-team Oktoberfest (October 2-4). All of these
tournaments were held at the 15-field Scheels USA Youth Sports Complex in Appleton and
teams stayed in hotels throughout the Fox Cities.
Neenah Soccer Club hosted the 160-team Scheels Flatgrass Regional Showdown (May 8-10,
2015) in parks throughout the City of Neenah, with the 8-field Memorial Park being the host site.
Combined, these four tournaments brought 5,200 visitors to the Fox Cities contributing to 2,110
room nights and spending $683,640 in the community.
Community First Fox Cities Marathon
Held September 18-20, the Community First Fox Cities Marathon Weekend of Events
celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2015. In addition to the milestone anniversary, this year’s
event was special with the 50 States Marathon Club celebrating their club reunion in the Fox
Cities on race weekend. The marathon’s weekend of events had 8,000 visiting participants from
nearly 40 states. The event resulted in 400 room nights and $129,600 in direct visitor spending
The Marathon weekend kicks off on Friday night with the vendor expo, guest speakers, and the
hugely popular Kid’s Run at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. On Saturday, the
vendor expo and guest speakers continue, and a near sellout 5K run takes place in Neenah.
Sunday’s big day includes the full marathon, half marathon, and marathon relay. In 2015 a
newly route race course brought runners along the Fox River for more of the event to highlight
the area’s trail system and waterways.
* 50 States Marathon Club reunites at Fox Cities Marathon by WBAY Channel 2 (ABC)
Wisconsin American Legion Class AA State Tournament
The Wisconsin American Legion Class AA State Tournament returned to the Fox Cities for the
first time since 2003. The 5-day event brought the eight best Class AA teams in the state to
Kaukauna’s Bayorgeon Park. Held July 29-August 2, the Fox Cities experienced 270 room
nights and $87,480 in direct visitor spending.
After winning the rights to host this event in 2013, Kaukauna Youth Baseball immediately set to
work preparing for this tournament. The Local Organizing Committee, despite their lack of event
hosting experience, did a tremendous job with this event. Their work set the model for future
hosts of this tournament.
The Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau staff assisted the KYB along the way attending
every LOC meeting and contributing the $2,500 bid fee required for this event.
National Softball Association State Fastpitch Tournament
Held July 10-12, the National Softball Association Girls State Fastpitch Tournament was one of
the premier softball tournaments in the region. The tournament consisted of 62 teams from 10U
up to 18U. Over 1,200 visitors came to the Fox Cities generating 375 room nights and $121,500
in direct visitor spending.
2015 marked the third consecutive year this event has been hosted in the Fox Cities. In that
time, the team count has gone from 39 teams in 2013 to 62 teams this year and it is poised for
even more growth. The event is hosted by the Kimberly Recreation Association and is based at
the three fields at historic Sunset Park. In the last two years, fields at Harrison Athletic Park and
Lawrence University have been utilized to accommodate the growing number of entries.
Section Three
Examples of CVB Support
Specific examples of how your organization supported the efforts of sports
events and how city/local community received benefit. (i.e. volunteer
recruitment, sponsorship referrals, marketing, etc.) Describe how sports events
were produced (i.e. local organizing committee, local club or league, etc.), and
describe how the group was formed and staffed.
Sporting Event Support and Production
Offering assistance to every one of the roughly 160 sporting events that are hosted in the Fox
Cities each year is a key factor in our sports tourism success. Being a small office, we can only
do so much in terms of event management, so we focus on assisting with the event planning
and rely on local organizations and individuals to provide the majority of the event management
needs. We categorize events into three separate groupings: Annual, Bid-On, and Created. We
always offer our services to events, whether event hosts choose to utilize them or not. Often
times our assistance goes beyond the free services listed in Appendix C.
Annual Events are those that have taken place for at least one year and are hosted by a local
organization. The services we most often provide for these events are hotel arrangements,
promotional assistance, and supplying visitor publications. Additionally, we try to meet with
planners of these events as often as possible to work on creative ways to grow their events.
Specific examples of Annual Events we hosted in 2015 can be found on Pages 13 and 14.
Bid-On Events are typically state, regional, or national championships that involve some sort of
bid process and are usually not hosted in the Fox Cities annually. For these events, we will start
by leading the efforts to organize the host committee and venues, then lead the bid process,
attend all LOC and planning meetings, assist with event management during the event and
provide support for the host committee post-event. Specific examples of Bid-On Events we
hosted in 2015 can be found on Pages 5-10 and 15-16.
Created Events originate with an event concept either in our office or from another organization
and are built into successful events through partnerships with key local stakeholders. In Year 1,
a created event resembles a Bid-On event from our perspective as the CVB Staff is intricately
involved in the planning process as well as event management. As the years pass, we
intentionally step back to focus on the next Created Event and let the host organization take
over most aspects of the event. Often times, the Created Event will resemble an Annual Event
by Year 2 or 3. Specific examples of Created Events can be found on Pages 11 and 12.
Sports Commission Assistance
Grant Program
The Fox Cities Sports Commission, a subcommittee of the Convention & Visitors Bureau, was
formed in 1999, but in 2010 was re-invigorated with a new mission and set of goals. One of the
key focuses of the Commission is to administer a grant program that assists with the start-up
costs (site costs, bid fees, or marketing expenses) of new sporting events. The Convention &
Visitors Bureau has pledged $10,000 annually since 2011 for this grant program. Since its
inception four years ago, the Commission has given over $38,000 worth of grants to 23 sporting
events hosted by local non-profits.
The following events that occurred in 2015 received grants from the Sports Commission:
* Mission Basketball Academy - $5,000 for two new youth basketball tournaments.
* Appleton Ultimate Club - $4,450 for hosting two USA Ultimate competitions.
* Wisconsin Historical Fencing Association - $2,800 for a new sword festival and tournament.
* Kaukauna Youth Baseball - $2,500 for hosting the State Legion Baseball Championship.
* The Appleton Area Disc Golf Club - $500 to help start a new disc golf tournament.
Volunteer Recruitment
The second goal of the Sports Commission is to use the
members’ network of connections to assist with finding
qualified volunteers for local sporting events. In 2015,
three events received volunteer recruitment assistance
from the Sports Commission. Annually, the Convention &
Visitors Bureau commits to filling over 50 volunteer slots
for NCAA Division III Baseball Championship. With the
help of the Sports Commission, the CVB was able to
assist the event with ticket takers, pass checkers,
hospitality workers, promotional give-aways, program
sales, national anthem singers, grounds keepers, and
trophy presenters. The US Youth Soccer Midwest
Region Championships needed to fill 700 volunteer roles
during the five-day championship and with the help of the
Sports Commission was able to do so. Volunteers
assisted with event registration, hospitality, parking,
concessions, and field marshalling. Finally, the Fox Cities
Marathon once again needed to fill 2,300 volunteer roles
for their three-day festival of races. The 25th Anniversary
Marathon was a success thanks to the volunteers that
helped with registration, water stations, athletic training,
bag stuffing, security, and much more.
Sports Planner Resource
The third and final goal of the Sports
Commission is to serve as a resource for local
sports planners through facility tours and guest
speaking opportunities. In 2015, the Sports
Commission brought in three guest speakers
and had one facility tour. Guest speakers
included: Tom Wendt of the YMCA of the Fox
Cities spoke about their capital campaign to
renovate facilities and the events they host, Paul
McCann spoke about the 51st Red Smith Sports
Award Banquet that raises $30,000 annually for
local youth sports organizations, and Cole Boge
spoke on his new business, the Ultimate Sports
Weekend. The Commission toured the newly
opened 32,000 square-foot hardwood facility
Lake Park Sportzone and had a discussion with
owner Jeff Pistone. Not only do the tours and
guest speaking opportunities give individuals the
chance tell their story to a new audience, it also gives them the chance to have a question and
answer session with a diverse set of local sports and business leaders. Cole Boge, in particular,
took advantage of this opportunity. After hosting his first baseball tournament in July 2015, Boge
came away from his time speaking with the Commission with a multitude of new ideas to grow
his business, confidence to host three tournaments in 2016, ways to improve the experience for
his participants and increase the profitability of his events.
Going Above and Beyond
Event Planning Guide
In an effort to provide local sports planners with all the information they need to host a
successful event, CVB Sports Marketing Manager Adam Schanke created the Fox Cities Event
Planning Guide in late 2015. As seen in Appendix C, the guide categorizes all the important
topics that an event planner would need to know. With the guidance from the Sports
Commission, Schanke created the guide and regularly sends it to event planners and
organizations to assist with event growth.
Sports Newsletter
Modeled after the NASC’s Get in the Game eNews, the Fox Cities Sports Playbook was created
in 2015 to help local sports planners stay up-to-date with current trends. The newsletter also
allows us to promote successful events and CVB or Sports Commission initiatives. With over
300 individuals on the current mailing list, the Playbook allows the CVB to tell its story to key
stakeholders on a bi-monthly basis. An example of the Playbook can be found in Appendix C.
Social Events
Two new social functions were initiated in 2015 to allow CVB staff more face time with key local
planners. In partnership with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, we hosted sporting event planners
in suites for two minor league baseball games in the spring of 2015. These events were
successes as we spent three hours talking through ideas for events and facilities to grow sports
tourism in the Fox Cities, all while watching baseball. We also created a series of quarterly
Happy Hours for sports planners in 2015. These events are simply a time for sports planners to
bounce ideas off each other and CVB staff and for everyone to grow their networks. Great
conversations and ideas have spawned from these Happy Hours, proving that a few drinks and
some nachos really can lead to great things.
Tourism Development Grant
When the CVB was founded in the late 1980s, the
then leaders of the organization had the foresight to
set aside 25% of our funds to a grant program to
build up tourist destinations in the Fox Cities. Fast
forward to 2015, and the CVB has awarded nearly $8
million worth of grants to assist with funding tourisminducing projects in the area. Sports facilities account
for over $2 million worth of those projects. In 2015,
Lawrence University completed the renovation of the
historic Banta Bowl with the assistance of a $250,000
grant from the CVB. The Banta Bowl is home to the
Lawrence and Appleton West football teams as well
as the Lawrence Men’s and Women’s Soccer teams.
With the $5 million renovation complete, soccer
showcases, football tournaments, and concerts are
all in the works to be hosted at the Banta Bowl.
USA Youth, Inc. Board Service
There are certain organizations that are so vital to the well-being of tourism in the Fox Cities that
we will go beyond our normal job duties to ensure their success. USA Youth, Inc., operator of
Scheels USA Youth Sports Complex, is one of them. Director of Sports Marketing Matt Ten
Haken served on the Board of Directors of the 73-acre athletic complex for five years, including
three as the Board President. With Ten Haken’s term on the board ending in October 2015,
Adam Schanke stepped into a Board spot to continue the CVB’s involvement with the facility.
Despite 6:45am board meetings, the CVB staff understands how critical this complex is to our
efforts.
Section Four
Evidence of Community Impact
Evidence that your activities benefited community/city financial via economic
impact/direct spending, hotel room nights generated or otherwise.
2015 Financial Benefit of Fox Cities Sporting Events
Events Hosted
163
Total Attendance
203,280
Out-of-Town Attendance
96,645
Hotel Room Nights
35,120
Direct Visitor Spending*
$11,378,880
*Estimated Direct Visitor Spending only takes into account dollars spent by overnight guests.
This conservative number does not take into account dollars spent by day-trippers. This also
does not include a multiplier like “economic impact” often does. Our Estimated Direct Visitor
Spending numbers are calculated by taking the number of room nights and multiplying by $324.
Through an independent study done in 2013 on sporting event visitors in the Fox Cities, we
have found that visitors will spend roughly $324 for each night they stay in the area.
Please see Appendix B for various news articles on the financial benefit to the
community from sporting events in the Fox Cities.
Hotel Room Tax Increase for Sports Facilities
After years of effort, hotel room tax in the Fox Cities was raised from 6% to 10% in late 2015 as
part of a plan to finance the Fox Cities Exhibition Center project and start a fund for sports
tourism facility development. With the increase, 1% is being allocated to our existing Tourism
Development Fund earmarked for sports facilities. The 1% equals approximately $500,000
annually. Once the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center bonds are paid off in 2017, an additional
2%, for a total of 3%, will be allocated to CVB’s Tourism Development Fund earmarked for
specifically for sports facilities. The 3% will result in approximately $1.5 million annually going
into the fund. While the exact facility or facilities are not yet known, two separate studies and
years of work have us on the cusp of creating a dynamic impact in sports tourism.
In late 2013, CVB staff realized the number of sporting events that the Fox Cities could host was
going to plateau in the near future due to schedule constraints on existing facilities. This
prompted the CVB Board of Directors to hire Jon Schmieder and the Huddle Up Group to
conduct a sports tourism and venue assessment of the Fox Cities. The Huddle Up Group
conducted a complete audit on the sports tourism efforts of our organization and the state of
sports tourism in the Fox Cities. Schmieder identified indoor venues, specifically hardwood and
ice facilities, as the main weakness of the Fox Cities.
In line with Huddle Up Group’s identified weakness of indoor venues and our hotels’ need for
business during the winter months, we hired Conventions, Sports & Leisure Intl. in 2015 to
conduct a feasibility study of potential new or renovated indoor amateur sports and recreation
facilities in the Fox Cities. This feasibility study confirmed the opinions of our staff and the
findings by Huddle Up Group in that additional indoor playing surfaces are needed and could be
supported in the Fox Cities. Our Board of Directors and staff then worked with municipal leaders
to propose a room tax increase for sports tourism facilities. In November 2015, the proposed
ordinance was passed by all 10 room tax-generating municipalities in the Fox Cities.
The Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau invested over $65,000 in the work of consultants,
in addition to hundreds of hours of staff resources. The efforts of our staff, Board of Directors,
consultants, and municipal leaders resulted from our goal of continuing to increase the number
and size of tourism-generating sporting events in the Fox Cities and preventing the Fox Cities
from hitting the aforementioned plateau. These efforts were not the result of, or pressure from,
the “arms race” of sports tourism facilities, mega complexes, or the “keeping up with the
Joneses” mentality.
Since 2001, the Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau has had a full-time sports
sales/marketing professional on staff. Without a successful 15-year track record of generating
economic impact in the Fox Cities, it would have been unlikely that 10 elected bodies would
have voted to increase their taxes for an undetermined sports facility. Now that research has
been conducted and funding has been approved, we are on the verge of finalizing plans for
facility projects that will literally be a game changer. 2015 was a monumental year for this facility
project and 2016 may be even bigger!
* Appleton, WI, Other Cities, Raise Hotel Room Taxes for Sports Tourism by Sports Destination Management
* The Buzz: Lake Park Sportzone to open by Post-Crescent Media
* Athletic events drive visitors and tourism spending throughout the New North by Insight Publications
Section Five
Letters of Support
Included typed statements of support from community leaders, strategic
partners and/or organizations affected by your activities.
Letters of Support
Letters of support from community leaders, strategic partners, and organizations affected by our
efforts can be found in Appendix A. Below is a list of the enclosed letters of support.
Pam Seidl, Executive Director, Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau
J.P. Williams, Assistant Director of Championships and Alliances, NCAA
Kevin Small, Event Director – College Exposure, Triple Crown Sports
Corey Borchardt, Commissioner, Upper Midwest Athletic Conference
Stephanie Klett, Secretary, Wisconsin Department of Tourism
Todd Clark, Director of Communications, Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association
Brian Meeter, Marketing Director, Wisconsin Sports Services
Mike Szkodzinski, Director of Athletics, Lawrence University
Rob Zerjav, President, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
Peter Mariahazy, Treasurer, US Youth Soccer
Rick Theilig, President, Appleton Soccer Club
Michael Monson, Chairman, US Youth Soccer Midwest Region Championship LOC
Dan Ebben, President, Kimberly Recreation Association
Cole Boge, Owner, Ultimate Baseball Weekend LLC
Pamela Barnes, Events and Marketing Coordinator, Neenah StreetBall 3 on 3
Aaron Pynenberg, Director, Wisconsin Historical Fencing Association
Thomas Nelson, County Executive, Outagamie County
Timothy Hanna, Mayor, City of Appleton
Jim March, Town Administrator, Town of Grand Chute
Chris Haese, Director of Community Development, City of Neenah
Al Schaefer, Community Enrichment Director, Village of Kimberly
Mindy Lawson, Director of Sales, Holiday Inn Appleton
Jay Schumerth, Senior General Manager, Radisson Paper Valley Hotel
Chadd Scott, Vice President of Operations, North American Hotel Group LLC
Randy Kliment, General Manager, Hampton Inn Appleton
Charles Gifford, General Manager, Comfort Suites Appleton
Robert Dove, General Manager, Best Western Premier Bridgewood Resort Hotel
Abe Weber, Airport Director, Appleton International Airport
Jennifer Stephany, Executive Director, Appleton Downtown Inc.
Josh Dukelow, Vice Chair, City of Appleton Plan Commission
Section Six
Contributions to NASC
Contributions to NASC (i.e. board service, committee
participation, outreach, years of membership, etc.)
Contributions to the NASC
It goes without saying that the Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Sports Marketing Team
would not be as successful as it has been without the educational, sales, and networking
opportunities presented to us by membership in the NASC.
Fox Cities CVB Director of Sports Marketing Matt Ten Haken submitted an application for the
NASC Board of Directors in January 2016. We are hopeful that he will be chosen to be an
Active Member Representative on the NASC Board in Grand Rapids in April.
Ten Haken has served on the NASC Membership
Committee since 2012. As part of that committee,
he has actively participated in monthly conference
calls to review member recruitment, member
benefits, marketing plans, and more. Being part of
the committee has allowed Ten Haken to talk
about the benefits of NASC membership to
cancelled and inactive NASC members from
across the country. He has also actively pursued
organizations in Wisconsin that could be members
of the association. During his time on the
Membership Committee, Manitowoc, Wisconsin
Rapids, Marshfield, Experimental Aircraft
Association (EAA AirVenture), and the Wisconsin
Department of Tourism have all become NASC
members after Ten Haken’s urging.
The Fox Cities CVB has been a member of the
NASC since 1997. In fact, the Fox Cities was the
first destination in Wisconsin to have a full-time
sports sales staff member, hiring Jay Olson in
2001. During our membership, Don Schumacher
has presented at the Fox Cities’ annual tourism
breakfast twice touting the benefits of the NASC
and the power of sports tourism.
2015 Fox Cities Tourism Breakfast
Since joining the Fox Cities CVB Staff, Ten Haken (2010) and Sports Marketing Manager Adam
Schanke (2014) have attended every NASC Symposium, two Market Segment Meetings, and
both are on their way to completing their CSEE certifications with Ten Haken expected to
complete his at the 2016 Symposium in Grand Rapids.
Appendix A
Letters of Support
Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau • www.foxcities.org
December 30, 2015
TO:
National Association of Sports Commissions Awards Committee
RE:
Sports Tourism Organization of the Year Award Nomination
I respectfully request your consideration of the Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau to be recognized
as the Sports Tourism Organization of the Year for 2015 in the less than 250,000 population category.
Led by our dedicated Sports Marketing staff, the Fox Cities CVB had a record setting year in terms of
sports tourism for the Fox Cities. We hosted 163 events that generated an estimated 35,120 hotel
roomnights and $11,378,880 worth of direct visitor spending.
Of course, none of this success could have been accomplished without the amazing partnerships and
incredibly hard work of individuals and organizations throughout the Fox Cities. The Fox Cities CVB is
committed to working with our local sports groups to develop new and existing sports tourism events in
the area.
In the late 1990’s the Fox Cities CVB made a strategic decision to grow our sports tourism market. We
added a sports sales position and began working with a number of local sports organizations to develop
the Fox Cities as a destination for amateur sporting events.
Since 2000, the Fox Cities has hosted 1645 Sports Tourism Events which have generated 280,000 hotel
room nights in the Fox Cities and $67,480,000 in direct visitor spending.
We realized very quickly that, in sports, facilities are everything. If you don’t have the facility, you can’t
attract the events or even get to the table to bid on them. With that in mind, we leveraged our Tourism
Development Grant Program to local facility owners and managers, and since 1998 we have given 15
grants totaling $2,062,000 to a variety of sports facilities in the Fox Cities.
I believe the Fox Cities CVB is a prime example of how sports tourism can be leveraged to positively
impact our local economy and the quality of life for our local residents.
I thank you for your consideration of this nomination.
Sincerely,
Pam Seidl
Executive Director
Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau
3433 W. College Ave.  Appleton, WI 54914-3919  Phone (920) 734-3358  Fax (920) 734-1080
foxcities.org
MEMORANDUM
January 22, 2016
VIA EMAIL
TO:
National Association of Sports Commissions Awards Committee.
FROM: J.P. Williams
Assistant Director, Championships and Alliances.
SUBJECT: National Association of Sports Commissions (NASC) Sports Tourism Organization
of the Year Award Nomination.
In March 2013, I began working with Matt Ten Haken and the Fox Cities Convention & Visitors
Bureau to plan for the 2013 NCAA Division III Baseball Championship at Fox Cities Stadium in
Appleton, Wisconsin. The 2015 Championship was the 16th consecutive year the event would be
hosted by Appleton, and my third year being afforded the opportunity to act as NCAA liaison for
the championship. Matt and the local hosts have consistently provided extensive information
and have been readily available for any and all necessary supports both throughout the planning
process as well as during the event itself. In our continuing partnership, I could not ask for a
better experience—from the early planning days to the final day of the tournament. The people
of Fox Cities, the facilities, and the surrounding community are all first-rate.
Following the 2013 Championship, an extensive bid process for the 2015-2018 Championships
was conducted. The NCAA Division III Baseball Committee received many qualified bids for
hosting this prestigious, six-day championship; however, the Fox Cities bid and hosting
experience clearly eclipsed the rest. The bid authored by Matt and his team was thorough and
provided all the information necessary for the committee to make a sound and unanimous
decision. Highlights of Appleton’s championship enhancements have included a partnership
with the Special Olympics, fireworks during opening ceremonies, and daily giveaways. These
additions to the event are just a small glimpse into the dedication of Matt and his team, the
prestige with which the Fox Cities regard the championship, and the welcoming community of
Appleton, Wisconsin.
It is with great pride that I am able to support Matt Ten Haken and the Fox Cities Convention &
Visitors Bureau for the NASC Sports Professional of the Year Award.
JPW:lm
Attachment
cc: Matt Ten Haken, Director of Sports Marketing
January 22, 2015
National Association of Sports Commissions Awards Committee
9916 Carver Rd., Suite 100
Cincinnati, OH 45242
Dear Members of the NASC Awards Committee,
I am thrilled to offer my support of the Fox Cities Convention & Visitor Bureau (CVB) for
the NASC’s Sports Tourism Organization of the Year Award. Whether it’s regional youth
soccer, national girls’ softball or international amateur disc golf, the Fox Cities CVB has
excelled at putting their community on the map as a destination for sports events.
Wisconsin has a rich sports heritage that is recognized throughout the country. In fact,
sports and event travel is one of Wisconsin’s fastest growing tourism markets and
contributes to our state’s tourism economy, which topped $18.5 billion in 2014. Many
communities across Wisconsin have made significant investments to support sports
travel, and the Fox Cities CVB is a trail blazer in this arena.
Last year, the Fox Cities hosted 163 events that generated an estimated 35,000 hotel
room nights and more than $11 million in direct visitor spending in the region. They have
also been a recipient of several Department of Tourism Ready Set Go Grants, a
program that assists destinations in securing competitive events. In 2015, they received
an award for the Dream Big Baseball Shindig, which generated more than $92,000 in
economic impact for their community.
The Fox Cities are a leader in Wisconsin sports tourism and have set an example for
other destination marketing organizations on how to approach this market, achieve
success and create a positive impact on their community. On behalf of the Wisconsin
Department of Tourism, thank you for your consideration of the Fox Cities CVB as the
Sports Tourism Organization of the Year.
Sincerely,
Stephanie Klett
Secretary
WISCONSIN INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
5516 Vern Holmes Drive • Stevens Point, WI • 54482-8833
Phone 715-344-8580 • FAX 715-344-4241 • email info@wiaawi.org • website www.wiaawi.org
January 22, 2016
Dear NASC Award Selection Committee:
We are happy to submit this letter of support for the Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau for their
nomination of the NASC Sports Tourism Organization of the Year award.
The 2015 Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Spring Baseball Tournament was a tremendous
success, as it has been now for 18 years. The attendance last spring was the fourth-largest in the tournament’s history. In fact, the 18 largest attended tournaments in spring baseball history have all come
since the tournament moved to the Fox Cities area in 1998.
The Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau has enhanced the fan experience by creating and distributing Fan Guides for visitors attending the State Spring Baseball Tournament. This publication provides
information on things to do and see in the area, a list of lodging options with rates and contact numbers,
and spectator guidelines for those attending the games.
The Fox Cities area has proven to be rich in high school sports interest and tradition. Our work with the
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers and the Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau has resulted in a mutally
positive experience for the WIAA membership, the participating student-athletes and fans, and the communities comprising the Fox Cities.
Please accept this letter of support for the nomination of the Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau
for the NASC Sports Tourism Organization of the Year award.
Sincerely,
Todd Clark
Director of Communications
DAVE ANDERSON
WADE LABECKI
DEBRA HAUSER
TOM SHAFRANSKI
STEPHANIE HAUSER
TODD CLARK
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
danderson@wiaawi.org
DEPUTY DIRECTOR
wlabecki@wiaawi.org
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR
dhauser@wiaawi.org
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
tshafranski@wiaawi.org
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
shauser@wiaawi.org
COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR
tclark@wiaawi.org
Brian Meeter
Marketing Director
Wisconsin Sports Services
brian@wisportsservices.org
www.wisportsservices.org
608-780-2054
In 2012 and 2013 Wisconsin Sports Services began our initial trek across Wisconsin,
looking for groups that would be interested in hosting some of our events. We were
the new kids on the block, and some communities were more interested than others
in hosting our events. Matt Ten Haken and the rest of the crew at the Fox Cities
Convention and Visitors Bureau invited us to learn more about what the Fox Cities
had to offer. Since those early meetings, WSS has hosted several events in the Fox
Cities, notably:
-
2014, 2015 & 2016 Badgerland State Basketball Championships
2014, 2015 & 2016 Badgerland Baseball Championships
One of the key reasons to our success is the hospitality offered by Matt and his team.
Hospitality came in the form of helping to block hotel rooms, setting up meetings
with key local youth sports organizations, and mapping out potential facilities.
Organizations such as the Fox Cities CVB are essential for new organizations to learn
the landscape of communities that are new to them. Three plus years later, and we
are still very happy to be running legs of our tournaments in the Fox Cities.
Sincerely,
Brian Meeter
WSS Marketing Director
January 25, 2016
To Whom It May Concern,
It continues to be our privilege to work on a continuing basis with our colleagues at the Fox Cities Convention
and Visitors Bureau.
Lawrence University sponsors 22 intercollegiate athletic teams so we constantly have teams from Wisconsin,
Michigan, Minnesota and Iowa visiting our campus for competitions. Be it a football team with as many as 100
players or a tennis team with 10 players, we know that we can rely on the staff at the Convention and Visitors
Bureau to help visiting teams with lodging, food, etc.
The same holds true for the thousands of fans who visit Lawrence University athletic venues each and every
year. In the 2014-15 academic year, nearly 25,000 fans came to athletic events at our institution, and while
many are residents of the area, thousands more travel a great distance to see their teams play here. We have
been consistently told by the fans, both those rooting for Lawrence and those cheering the opposition, about the
wonderful amenities in the Fox Cities and the plentiful options for lodging, dining and shopping.
Another significant area in which Lawrence University’s Department of Athletics interacts with the Convention and Visitors Bureau is the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship. Lawrence has been a part of the
Division III “World Series” since it came to Fox Cities Stadium in 2000. Lawrence has been a co-host of the
event since 2003 and we have worked closely with the Convention and Visitors Bureau on this event for nearly
two decades.
With the help of the Convention and Visitors Bureau, especially that of Director of Sports Marketing Matt Ten
Haken, the Division III Baseball Championship has become the standard for how to host a NCAA Division III
event.
The Division III Baseball Championship has been played at five different sites, and the feedback we receive from teams and fans that have attended at more than one site is overwhelming. They consistently tell
us the experience here for players, coaches and fans is the best of any site at which the Division III Baseball
Championship has been played. While the quality of the stadium and the features of the hotel are a part of that,
the staff and volunteers from the Convention and Visitors Bureau also play a major role.
It is without question that the Fox Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau plays a major part in the success that
we experience with the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship and is a key component in allowing us to
achieve our goals when we host events on our campus.
Sincerely,
Mike Szkodzinski
Lawrence University
Director of Athletics and Head Hockey Coach
January 13, 2016
It is my honor to provide my unqualified support to the Fox Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau for their work
and success in supporting sports event in the Fox Cities. The experience of working with the Bureau has
consistently enhanced the quality and experience for the events in youth soccer.
Specifically, we have hosted the Wisconsin Youth Soccer Association State Championships over Memorial Day
weekend in Appleton for many years. Each time the proposal goes to bid, the Fox Cities CVB makes the offering
the strongest in all of Wisconsin. This event hosts almost 200 teams from throughout Wisconsin. The teams play
one game per day with the opportunity to advance to the semifinals and finals the following weekend. As
evidence of the popularity of the area and the presentation of the event, the room nights for Memorial Day
weekend has gone from 0 to over 700. This can only be attributed to the fact that player’s families feel the
benefits of staying and visiting the area.
I was also fortunate to be involved with the Local Organizing Committee to host the US Youth Soccer Midwest
Regional Championships three times. This competition is over 6 days with State Champions form 14 Midwest
States earning the right to compete for the National Championship. Over 230 teams travel for an event of one
game per day, making them ideal visitors. In addition the entire family will often travel. The Fox Cities CVB has
been an admirable and strong partner from bidding to host, through the volunteer appreciation dinner to
assisting in collection of room rebates.
The Fox Cities CVB makes the entire event management a pleasant process including guidance, bid development,
and housing bureau services. I cannot speak positively enough about their assistance and abilities.
Peter Mariahazy
Treasurer (past President Wisconsin Youth Soccer Association)
US Youth Soccer
(c) 920-841-2965
pmariahazy@usyouthsoccer.org
www.usyouthsoccer.org
T | 920.882.1240
W | appletonsoccerclub.com
P.O. Box 1444, Appleton, WI 54915
_____________________________________________________________________________________
January 18, 2016
9916 Carver Road, Suite 100
We are proud to endorse the nomination of Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau for the National
Association of Sports Commissions Sports Tourism Organization of the Year Award. As long time
partners the Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau has been invaluable providing support for any
tournaments held by Appleton Soccer Club (ASC) during the year.
The staff at Fox Cites Convention & Visitors Bureau, led by Matt Ten Haken, upholds the highest
standard for the services it provides. Their commitment to professionalism and best practice is
embraced by every staff member. You will receive courtesy and consideration for any request made.
They are well aware of the events offered in the community and offer suggestions for a successful event.
Without the help if this bureau, ASC could not offer the high level of housing for any of its tournaments.
ASC, a member of WI Youth Soccer Association, hosted the prestigious Midwest Regional II Tournament
in June 2015. This event brought teams in from 13 different states, infusing $6.5 million in revenue into
the Fox Valley Area. The Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau played a huge part in the success of
this event. Their attention to detail securing hotels for 5-6 days for 14,000 players and families was a
huge undertaking and the staff did a super job. Their commitment did not stop there, on event dates
the staff was present at the complex to help out as needed and especially to answer any hotel
questions.
In addition, the Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau offers support for the five (5) ASC Tournaments
hosted during the year 2015. One of these tournaments was the WI State Soccer Championships,
where all of the state of Wisconsin makes it way to the Fox Cities. Again the Fox Cities Convention &
Visitors Bureau was instrumental to secure hotel space for the participations.
The Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau also has been instrumental bringing non-soccer sporting
events to our home complex. These are events which are a good fit for the soccer fields and enables
ASC to rent out their fields and generate some revenue when opening its concession stand.
It is our great honor and privilege to support this nomination of Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau
for the NASC award.
Sincerely,
Rick Theilig
Appleton Soccer Club President
ASC Mission Statement
“The Appleton Soccer Club, a member of a community based youth soccer association, is a nonprofit
organization dedicated to development of youth soccer skills at all levels, encouraging good
sportsmanship, physical fitness, team play, a positive self-image and the enjoyment of the game.”
January 6, 2016
To Whom It May Concern,
My name is Cole Boge and I am the owner of Ultimate Baseball Weekend, LLC. I currently set up and
operate youth sports tournaments in the Appleton area. These tournaments bring in teams from all over
Wisconsin and other states. I am writing in regards to the Fox Cities Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, more
specifically, the sports department. I have been blessed to be able to work with the FCCVB over the past year. Matt
Ten Haken and Adam Schanke have been huge contributors to my business’ success.
The Fox Cities Convention and Visitor’s Bureau have helped me to start my business on the right foot and
have set me up for success in future years. When I first opened up the business in November 2014, I was unsure of
where to begin the recruiting trail for sports teams. Matt and Adam found my business website and called me soon
thereafter. We set up a meeting where we talked about how to attract these teams for the weekend. We talked
about the interesting qualities the Fox Cities have to offer, as well as what my business could offer. The plan we
created left me optimistic and determined to fill up my first tournament. The results were fantastic. We filled up
our forty team limit by mid-February. This was a huge accomplishment for being a first year sports tournament. If
Matt and Adam would not found my website and reached out to me, I am certain I would not have had the success
I had in 2015.
Matt and Adam also reached out and invited me to a sit down meeting in August 2015 to talk about the
2016 tournaments. Since the July tournament was a huge success, I was looking to expand the tournament to
multiple weekends. They supplied me with some dates in which the tournament would flourish and would not be
competing with other bigger tournaments in the area. We also talked about partnering up with other businesses to
promote our weekend. This evolved into a great opportunity for the youth players. We teamed up with the
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers in offering discounted tickets for their baseball games that weekend, an opportunity to
run the bases after the game, and to be recognized over the loudspeaker at the game. This experience is
something that these kids will remember forever. It would not be possible without creating the bridge between my
business and the Timber Rattlers.
The FCCVB later invited me to speak at the Sports Commission meeting in September. I was asked to talk
about my business and what it all entails. The Sports Commission would listen and give feedback on my business
plan. This half hour meeting produced outstanding results. The twelve person group left me with some
outstanding ideas to better my product and to bring more teams to the tournament. I was honored to speak to the
group and it was truly an invaluable experience. The team was very open to my thoughts and helped guide me to
some better ideas for the future.
The FCCVB has played an instrumental and vital part of my business success. I often think back to the first
meeting we had together. If Matt and Adam would not have reached out and found me, I would not have known
where to begin to bring in teams. I was very overwhelmed during the first year of business. With the guidance and
tools the FCCVB gave me, it made the whole process less intimidating. While I initially thought I would be running
the business on my own, I can now say I have a great team to lean on when needed.
Regards,
Cole Boge
January 4, 2016
9916 Carver Road
Suite 100
RE: Fox Cities Conventions & Visitors Bureau Appleton, WI
Dear Selection Committee:
I am writing in support of the Fox Cities Conventions & Visitors Bureau nomination for the National
Association of Sports Commissions Sports Tourism Organization of the Year Award.
Neenah StreetBall 3on3 is a basketball tournament staged on the streets of Downtown Neenah every
June since 1992. Neenah StreetBall 3on3 has always been fortunate to have the Fox Cities Visitors
& Conventions Bureau as an exceptional ally in the planning and marketing of our tournament.
Months before the tournament, their Director of Sports Marketing contacts us and offers assistance
with hotel accommodations for out of town players, marketing know-how for increasing team
registration and event management expertise.
Additionally, the Fox Cities Conventions & Visitors Bureau provides a quarterly networking
opportunity for area event planners of sporting events to share ideas and resources. It has proven to
be worthwhile and is always well-organized.
Please strongly consider the Fox Cities Conventions & Visitors Bureau for the NASC Sports Tourism
Organization of the Year Award. I am happy to field a phone call or email to discuss further.
With respect,
Pamela Barnes
Neenah StreetBall 3on3
Events/Marketing Coordinator
135 West Wisconsin Avenue Neenah, WI 54956
(920)722-1920
www.streetball3on3.org
Wisconsin Historical Fencing Association LLC.
1628 W. Reeve Street, Appleton WI 54914
920.915.6472- www.wi-hfa.org
January 14, 2016
Matt Ten Haken
Director of Sports Marketing
3433 W. College Ave.
Appleton, WI 54914
920.734.3358
Dear Mr. Ten Haken,
I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you and your Staff for the support that we received for the
Krump-Pow Tournament.
This Event, the largest HEMA, (Historical European Martial Arts) tournament held in the Mid-West, could
not have been possible without the guidance and support of both you and Adam Schanke. Adam was a
pleasure to work with and he was constantly working to support our efforts.
Any event of this size is a large gamble. The first year of these events can make or break a group, and
without the Fox Cities Sports Commission’s guidance I feel the Event would not have been such a success.
Adam was not only helpful in the grant application process, but he jumped in for the planning and
execution of our event. He was always giving helpful suggestions and guidance based on his experience
with the other events and groups he has assisted. I appreciated his advice and instituted many changes
and suggestions he offered. The practical advice he gave was invaluable for our group as we worked to
make the event memorable and unique for the Fox Valley.
I’d also like to personally thank you, Mr. Ten Haken, for giving your suggestions and support. I was
pleasantly surprised to see you and Adam at the Event. It’s one thing to give advice and provide support
but actually seeing you both in the audience made me proud, and gave me the feeling that you were both
willing to experience this new and exciting tournament.
For 2016’s event we have instituted all of your suggestions for improvement, some of which we see as
revolutionary for our arts and this type of tournament. The “spectator participation” plan in which the
tournament participants can submit biographical information to add to the tournament program book
was particularly insightful. We feel this will add tremendously to this Event’s overall draw.
In conclusion, thank you to the Fox Cities Sports Commission, for not only the monetary support but for
Mr. Ten Haken and Mr. Schanke’s dedication and support!
Sincerely,
Aaron Pynenberg
Holiday Inn Appleton
150 South Nicolet Road
Appleton, WI 54914
920-735-9955
www.hiappleton.com
December 31, 2015
Dear NASC Members,
It is with great pride that I am able to nominate and endorse Matt Ten Haken and the Fox Cities
Convention and Visitor’s Bureau in their efforts and successes to increase the Appleton Area’s presence
as a premier location to host a variety of sporting events.
In 2015 alone, the Holiday Inn Appleton saw an increase in our sports room segmentation of 28% over
room revenues in 2014. And this was only the trackable increase to room nights as I am sure that we
had many guests stay at our hotel for area tournaments that used third party booking sites.
Personally, this past year I was able to be a member of the Fox Cities Sports Commission. Mr. Ten Haken
has created a group of community sports leaders and business persons that has a sole mission to find,
cultivate and create ways to help new tournaments and events be not only successful and profitable but
to thrive and grow. I have seen many new and exciting things brought to the Fox Cities, both large and
small, that solidify the vision that Fox Cities is THE place to hold your tournament.
And the Fox Cities Convention and Visitor’s Bureau doesn’t stop when the contracts are signed. They
are there helping the tournament director’s all the way to the end of their event’s. If it is looking for
partnerships for welcome bags, coordinating hotel stays, finding the ever elusive volunteers or even
making sure there are enough bathrooms, this team get’s the job done. They have also created a
phenomenal Tournament Director’s Guide to make planning a breeze.
As a hotelier that has been in the Fox Cities for 10 years, I have never been so pleased or impressed by
the quality of work and the degree of partnership that Mr. Ten Haken and his team as provided to us in
the past year and am truly to excited to continue on this adventure in 2016.
Sincerely,
MJ Lawson
Mindy Lawson
Director of Sales
Holiday Inn Appleton
January 18, 2016
9916 Carver Rd, Suite 100
Dear NASC Awards Committee:
Please accept this letter of support for the Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau nomination for the
National Association of Sports Commissions Sports Tourism Organization of the Year. As a former member
of the Fox Cities Sports Commission and board member for the Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau, I
am very aware of the great work being done in this office and how deserving of this award the Fox Cities is.
2015 was a great year for the economy of the Fox Cities and the future is looking even brighter. As managing
partner in two convention hotels undergoing significant renovations as well as a new office building
renovation, I can say our investment team would not have taken these large risks without extreme confidence
in the economy of the Fox Cities. Tourism is a significant industry in the Fox Cities and one of the strongest
segments for the Fox Cities has been visitors from sporting events. Whether it be large tournaments like the
US Youth Soccer Midwest Region Championships and NCAA Division III Baseball Championships or annual
youth basketball, hockey, and softball tournaments, sports business helps us have a strong economy.
As a show of how important sports tourism is to the Fox Cites, all area municipalities increased their hotel
room tax in 2015. A percentage of those new funds will be designated for future undetermined sports
facilities. It's truly remarkable for municipalities and hoteliers to agree to increase their taxes for a sports
project or projects that aren't yet decided. This shows how much faith the community has in the Fox Cities
CVB and how important sports tourism is to us.
Again, please accept this letter of support for the Fox Cities' bid for the NASC Sports Tourism Organization of
the Year Award. The efforts of the sports team at the CVB have greatly benefited my businesses and are
worthy of this recognition.
Yours In Hospitality,
Chadd Scott
VP of Operations, Reg. General Manager
North American Hotel Group LLC / Fox Valley Hospitality Inc.
920-725-6523
cscott@rwhotelneenah.com
Riverwalk Hotel Downtown Neenah
123 E. Wisconsin Avenue
Neenah, WI 54956
Phone: (920) 725-8441 Fax: (920) 725-4387
www.rwhotelneenah.com
January 20, 2016
Nomination Committee
Sports Tourism Organization of the Year
Dear Nomination Committee,
Appleton International Airport is pleased to support the Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau’s nomination for the
Sports Tourism Organization of the Year award. The Fox Cities CVB produced a record setting year for sports tourism
in the Fox Cities! Our communities hosted 163 events that generated an estimated 35,120 hotel room-nights and
$11,378,880 worth of direct visitor spending.
Our airport also had a milestone year. We celebrated our 50th anniversary, re-branded as Appleton International
Airport, and opened a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol facility. Our total airline passenger count exceeded 500,000 for
the 1st time since 2010. We attribute much of our success to our local partner organizations, such as the relationship
we have with the Fox Cities CVB. In 2015, the CVB opened a new Visitor Welcome Center here at the airport, which
creates a great first impression for visitors to our area.
One event in particular stands out as a high point of the year. The NCAA Division III College Baseball World Series,
held here in Appleton, requires tremendous community coordination. Matt Ten Haken and the CVB team worked
with us to be sure that everyone at the commercial airport, and the private FBO, was aware of the teams flying in. The
CVB provided us with attractive signage to welcome the teams. Because of Matt’s communication, airport officials
were on hand to welcome some of the teams when they arrived, and thank them when they departed.
We believe that our Wisconsin brand of hospitality sets us apart. I personally witnessed the arrival of the SUNY
Cortland baseball team (the World Series winner in 2015). The CVB had team ‘parents’ –local baseball fans--on hand
to assist the team with whatever they needed during their stay in the Fox Cities. I recently saw Cortland’s team
‘parents’, who told me the team invited them back to New York for the championship ring ceremony! I give the Fox
Cities CVB all the credit for creating these quality relationships.
Best regards,
Abe
Abe Weber
Airport Director
January 4, 2016
9916 Carver Rd, Suite 100
Re: Sports Tourism Organization of the Year, Fox Cities Sports Commission
To whom it may concern,
The Fox Cities in northeast Wisconsin have been a popular destination for amateur sports tournaments
for generations. Successful teams at several local high schools build a strong energy behind youth
sports, and an impressive collection of high quality sports facilities attracts competitors from all across
the state and region. But the group that gives this energy direction is the Fox Cities Sports Commission.
Composed of passionate volunteers from various business, educational, and nonprofit organizations, the
members of the Fox Cities Sports Commission support sports tourism in the area in many ways. By
leveraging their own social networks, they recruit volunteers to staff events like the Division III Baseball
Championships and the regional soccer tournaments we host annually. Through grant programs, they
support the launch of new events like a major regional disc golf tournament, and aid the growth and
maintenance of sports facilities.
Connecting our community’s energy for youth sports with the resources to support their promotion and
successful execution, the Fox Cities Sports Commission played a part in hosting 163 events in 2015.
These events produced record-setting results, with more than 35,000 room nights and an economic
impact exceeding $11,000,000! When our community debated a new exhibition center, it was added
funding for sports tourism that finally got everyone to support the proposed room tax increase.
Clearly, the Fox Cities love their sports teams and embrace sporting events. That civic pride attracts
sports tourists from around the nation, and the Fox Cities Sports Commission makes all of it possible.
They are a worthy recipient of the Sports Tourism Organization of the Year Award in 2015.
Sincerely,
Josh Dukelow
Appleton City Plan Commission Vice Chair
Appleton Downtown Inc, Board Member
Appendix B
Fox Cities Sports Tourism Articles
Sports equal money in Fox Cities tourism equation
Maureen Wallenfang, Post-Crescent Media
3:10 p.m. CST February 20, 2015
NEENAH – Soccer moms and dads spent nearly $6 million on hotels, food and shopping last year in the Fox
Cities when their kids came for tournaments.
This year, with more than $8.5 million already booked, they're scoring much larger numbers aided by parents
of kids in all traveling club sports and a sizable bunch of championship bowlers.
Buy Photo
This year's big event, the U.S. Youth Region II Soccer Championship, draws from 13 states and generates
(Photo: Ron Page/Post-Crescent
Media)
$3.9 million in visitor spending.
"You need to hear this from an outsider. The soccer event is one of the most coveted events any community
can host. You are leading in soccer. You're not following," said Don Schumacher, executive director of the National Association of Sports Commissions,
a trade group for the sports tourism industry. "You have a leg up because you're a destination. Tournament trips, starting after 9/11, have become mini
vacations for families. You have it all, including shopping, which is the world's No. 1 sport."
Schumacher spoke to about 165 people gathered for the Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau's annual tourism breakfast Friday.
"The sports market has become our key tourism generator," confirmed Pam Seidl, CVB executive director.
The CVB breakfast was held at Holiday Inn Neenah Riverwalk. The downtown hotel was turned over Thursday to new undisclosed private owners who
bought the property for $3.1 million at auction.
Those attending the tourism breakfast also made pitches for the stalled Fox Cities Exhibition Center as a potential tourism generator.
"We cannot be complacent in the convention center market," said Randy Kliment, 2014 CVB board chair. "We need to regain large conventions that
have been lost because of space needs."
Appleton mayor Tim Hanna said a special Community and Economic Development Committee meeting at 6 p.m. Monday in City Hall could help boost
interest in the project. The public is invited to hear presentations and ask questions.
"Once people have an understanding and get the facts, hopefully they'll be more supportive," he said.
Risk to the city, as owner, is not the issue, he said. "What people need to ask is, 'What's the risk of not having it?'"
Fox Cities tourism generated more than $411 million in 2013, according to the most recent CVB figures.
— Maureen Wallenfang: 920-993-1000, ext. 287, or mwallenfang@postcrescent.com; on Twitter @wallenfang (http://twitter.com/wallenfang)
Award winners
The Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau presented four awards Friday morning to individuals who promoted tourism and organizations that
generated an economic impact through tourism.
•Convention Award: Valley Transit's Deborah Wetter and Nikki Voelzke brought a first-time transportation conference to the Fox Cities. It attracted 225
people who spent more than $55,000.
•Sports Award: Troy Schwehr was honored for taking over operations at the Tri-County Ice Arena and expanding its hockey and figure skating events.
In the 2014-15 season, eight tournaments there and at the Appleton Family Ice Center will generate $293,000 in visitor spending.
•Partnership Award: Appleton Downtown Inc. and Future Neenah were recognized for assisting the bureau on press tours.
•Volunteer of the Year: Dick Anheier was honored for 25 years of service to the bureau.
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Fox Cities, De Pere get boost from major soccer tourney
ETHAN SAFRAN, Post-Crescent Media
7:04 p.m. CDT June 18, 2015
The five-day US Youth Soccer tournament rolling into Appleton and De Pere Saturday will be short on
Wisconsin teams, but that's not stopping excitement from building for one of the region's biggest sporting
events of the summer.
With more than 200 teams from around the Midwest participating in the 2015 US Youth Soccer Region II
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(Midwest) Championships, visitor numbers are expected to top 14,000. US Youth Soccer officials estimate
the tournament could generate as much as $6.5 million of revenue for the local economy.
(Photo: Post-Crescent Media)
It also means some of the best youth soccer teams in the country will be on display.
"(The Fox Cities) is a strong soccer community," said Mike Monson, chairman of the local organizing committee for the tournament.
The Region II Championships will take place Saturday through Wednesday, hosted by the Appleton Soccer Club and De Pere Select Soccer Club, and
playing out on multiple fields at the USA Youth Sports Complex in Appleton and Southwest Park in De Pere.
"The tournament is a really cool partnership between Appleton and De Pere," tournament spokeswoman Nanci Micke said.
It is the third time the Fox Cities will host the tournament since 2006, and the second time for the Appleton and De Pere partnership. A successful bid
against other Midwest locations brought the tournament back to the area for the first time since 2011.
"We are always excited to showcase our complex," said Doris Schommer, club administrator at the Appleton Soccer Club.
While the tournament is an opportunity for soccer fans to enjoy five days of matches, hotels, restaurants and tourist destinations are prepping for an
influx of business with soccer families settling in for multiple days.
"The tournament has huge impacts upon the ambiance and attraction of (the Fox Cities)," said Peter Mariahazy, president of the Wisconsin Youth
Soccer Association.
Monson said the Fox Valley is a good location for the soccer event with its excellent facilities, hotel accommodations and welcoming community.
"It's the biggest sporting event we can host in the Fox Cities," said Matt Ten Haken, director of Sports Marketing at the Fox Cities Convention & Visitor
Bureau.
The US Youth Soccer National Championship Series begins with more than 185,000 players, and consists of more than 10,000 teams and 55 state
associations, all competing in US Youth Soccer State Championships.
US Youth Soccer State Cup champions, Midwest Regional League champions and runners-up from 14 Region II US Soccer State Associations —
including the Wisconsin Youth South Soccer Association — will play in this weekend's tournament. The event features the top teams in the under-13
through under-19 boys and girls age groups. No Fox Valley teams advanced to the championships.
Round-robin games are set for Saturday through Monday. Semifinal matches will be played on Tuesday, and finals matches will take place on
Wednesday. More than 100 college soccer coaches will attend.
A total of 22 fields — 15 at USA Youth Sports Complex in Appleton and seven at Southwest Park in De Pere — allow for simultaneous play.
Winners of the Region II championships will advance to the US Youth Soccer National Championships in Tulsa, Okla., next month.
While it is typical for players in soccer tournaments to play two or three games in a day, players in this tournament play only once per day. That leaves
more down time, which could lead to more exploration of what the Fox Valley has to offer.
Diana Buechel, a local organizing committee member with the tournament, said those visiting have been well informed about the greater Fox Cities
community.
"These are active families," Buechel said. "They spend money when they come here."
With more free time and hundreds of families converging upon Appleton and De Pere, trips to Lambeau Field, Door County and other local
establishments — including custard and cheese outlets — may be in order.
"We love that extra traffic flow to sell Wisconsin cheese," said Julie Poburka, assistant store manager of Simon's Specialty Cheese in Appleton.
Poburka said Simon's, which carries more than 100 different varieties of cheese, usually enjoys a healthy amount of traffic from travelers outside of
the Fox Cities.
"We always want to bring home a taste of Wisconsin," she said.
Tom Folks, general manager of Appleton's Fratellos Riverfront Restaurant, said that even though Fratellos is a bit "off the beaten path," the restaurant
was well aware of the tournament this weekend.
"We always look forward to showcasing Appleton a little bit," Folks said.
Coupling five days of soccer matches with a community eager to rake in extra tourism dollars, the upcoming week will likely be a positive experience
for the Fox Cities.
"For a lot these players, it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," said Ann Maki, a local organizing committee member. "I think we have so much to offer in
the Fox Cities and De Pere when they're not on the field."
—Ethan Safran: 920-993-1000, ext. 426, or esafran@appleton.gannett.com; on Twitter @EthanSafran (http://twitter.com/EthanSafran)
On the Web
For a guide to the 2015 US Youth Soccer Region II (Midwest) Championships in Appleton and De Pere, visit http://regionii.usyouthsoccer.org.
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Bowling tournament provides economic boost
3:29 p.m. CDT May 2, 2015
On Mother's Day, one of the biggest under-the-radar events of the year will wrap up in the Fox Cities.
A bowling tournament that started Jan. 10 and has been running every weekend for four months will bring at
least $2 million to the area in terms of economic impact — from visitor spending on hotels, food and bar tabs.
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It wasn't just any tournament. It was the 113th Annual Wisconsin State USBC Championship Bowling
Tournament.
(Photo: Ron Page/Post-Crescent
Media)
"While in some areas of the country bowling may be waning and even dying a slow death, in Wisconsin it is
still alive and well," said Mike Van Domelen, Fox Cities director of the Wisconsin State USBC Bowling
Association.
"Wisconsin continues to have the largest state bowling tournament in the country," said Don Hildebrand, USBC state association manager.
The tournament attracted more than 10,000 bowlers and their guests to the Fox Cities over 18 weekends, he said.
They played close to 90,000 games, mostly at Super Bowl in Appleton and Classic Lanes-Fox Valley in Neenah.
Even with its strong numbers, it isn't the area's largest sports tournament of the year. That title goes to the US Youth Soccer Midwest Region
Championship, which is expected to have a $4 million economic impact during its short run, June 20-24.
But the bowlers are a happy sight at hotels, restaurants and bars.
"This will be the second biggest tournament that will take place in 2015," said Matt Ten Haken, director of sports marketing for the Fox Cities
Convention and Visitors Bureau.
"It's a huge deal for us, especially when you look at January, February, March and April. Those are the lean months for hotels in the area. They really
love having the bowlers in town."
"It's been great. I'd say business is up by half to three quarters," said Julie Clemins, Super Bowl co-general manager. "They're buying food. It boosts
our bar business."
She said while business has been healthy overall, the tournament was a welcome addition.
"It would be nowhere near what it is without them," she said. "We haven't lost a whole lot of open bowling. On Saturday, they (tournament players) are
over by 6, so we still have galactic bowling and birthday parties."
Van Domelen said his organization estimates it booked a total of 4,000 "room nights" in area hotels. The term counts both rooms and the number of
nights they're occupied.
The CVB's figures estimated another 2,000 room nights were booked on top of that number.
— Maureen Wallenfang: 920-993-1000, ext. 287, or mwallenfang@postcrescent.com; on Twitter @wallenfang (https://twitter.com/search?
q=%40wallenfang&src=typd)
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NCAA championship baseball has Fox Valley flavor
J im Collar, Post-Crescent Media
3:26 p.m. CDT May 21, 2015
GRAND CHUTE – For eight college baseball teams, the Fox Valley is a place where dreams can come true.
The NCAA Division III Baseball Championship begins Friday at 10 a.m. at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox
Cities Stadium, and the players who will vie for the championship are thrilled.
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"It's an honor to be here," said Sam Myers, an outfielder for Maryland's Salisbury University. "It's awesome."
(Photo: Danny Damiani/PostCrescent Media)
sports marketing for the Fox Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau.
The NCAA baseball tournament also has been quite a boon for the region, said Matt Ten Haken, director of
This is the 16th year that the double-elimination tournament has been held in the Fox Cities. The visitors bureau expects the Fox Valley will benefit
from $500,000 in spending from among 1,500 visitors. The teams typically play one game a day, and that leaves plenty of time for shopping, dining
and visiting attractions.
It says a lot about the Fox Cities that its been able to host an event for so long. The tournament has been co-hosted by the University of WisconsinOshkosh and Lawrence University.
Fox Cities Stadium has the longest tenure among the five sites where the Division III championships have been played. The event was established in
1976. The Fox Cities will host the championships through 2018.
Its most recent bid for the tournament was awarded in 2013. The region competed with 12 other communities. Fox Cities Stadium retained the
tournament, topping Cleveland, Ohio and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, which were fellow finalists for tournaments from 2014 to 2018.
Joe Vanden Acker, director of athletic media relations for Lawrence, said Appleton has a strong baseball tradition and the community has come
through with the special touches to make it memorable for fans and players.
He mentioned host families who serve as a resource, whether directing visitors to restaurants or arranging Lambeau Field visits for players.
Businesses have been supportive. The tournament has gotten great reviews from many who have been to prior venues.
"They all say the same thing," Vanden Acker said. "This is the best place it's ever been."
The tournament will feature multiple games daily, with a champion to emerge on either Tuesday or Wednesday.
Ten Haken said the benefits of the event to the community go far beyond dollars and cents. For one, it's given the region a chance to take in some
great baseball at an affordable price, he said.
It also has put the Fox Cities on the map among teams across the country and their fans. As seasons begin, you'll find T-shirts on Division III
campuses with phrases such as "Appleton, here we come" or "Appleton or bust."
"For Division I kids, it's the road to Omaha," Vanden Acker said. "For Division III kids, it's the road to Appleton. We've become synonymous with
Division III baseball."
Buy Photo
Drew Eastman mows the infield grass in advance of the NCAA Division III baseball tournament at the Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. The tournament
gets under way on Friday. (Photo: Danny Damiani/Post-Crescent Media)
It's no small bit of name recognition.
"There are 400 plus teams, and at the beginning of the season, their goal is to get to Appleton, Wisconsin," Ten Haken said. "It's pretty neat to be a
destination for some of the best baseball teams in the country."
— Jim Collar: 920-993-1000, ext. 216, or jcollar@postcrescent.com; on Twitter @JimCollar (http://twitter.com/JimCollar)
If you go
• What: NCAA Division III Baseball Championship
• Where: Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium
• When: Friday through Tuesday or Wednesday. Games Friday through Sunday will be held at 10 a.m., 1:15 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 7:45 p.m.
• Tickets: All-session passes cost $33 for adults and $20 for students and senior citizens. Daily passes are $11 for adults and $7 for students and
senior citizens.
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TOP VIDEOS
INSIGHT ON: Sports Tourism –
Sports spectacular
Athletic events drive visitors and tourism spending throughout
the New North
Posted by Sean P. Johnson on 6/01/15 • Categorized as Insight On, Sports Tourism
From October thru April each year, players, coaches and fans can be found in gyms across Northeast
Wisconsin for basketball and volleyball tournaments. A recent study found that with more floor space, the
region could attract additional tournaments. Photo by Sean P. Johnson.
J eff Pistone knew he was onto something the first time he approached an area
volleyball club with the idea of building additional courts for the Fox Valley region.
Not only were they enthusiastic, the club was willing to sign a long-term deal for
practices and tournaments at the new facility – and Pistone and his partners had not yet
broken ground on what is now Lake Park Sportzone, an indoor sports complex in
Menasha.
“That reaction sort of solidified the business plan for us,” Pistone says. “We knew there
was a need, we just didn’t know how intense it was.”
Pistone and his partner officially opened Lake Park Sportzone in February, and already
they are seeing high demand for the space by area volleyball and basketball leagues
and tournaments. One tournament sold out in 24 hours after it was announced it was
moving to the new facility.
The upcoming fall and winter calendar is filling fast, with tournaments already booked
from December through May. Many weekends feature multiple basketball or volleyball
tournaments, each bringing between 400 and 800 people into the Fox Cities.
“It’s a recurring complaint there aren’t enough wood floors in this region to support the
tournament opportunities that are out there,” Pistone says.
Nationwide, sports-related tourism, from major events such as the Super Bowl to youth
sports tournaments such as those held at Lake Park Sportzone and other facilities,
represents more than $9 billion in economic activity.
Many communities are putting together specific strategies to capture a larger share of
that growing market. Northeast Wisconsin is no exception.
“The industry has grown rapidly and every community wants to put itself in a position to
capture as much as possible,” says Matt Ten Haken, director of sports marketing for the
Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Northeast Wisconsin does well when it comes to tourism in general and sports tourism
specifically.
Direct visitor spending topped $11 billion in Wisconsin in 2014, an increase of 5.3
percent from the previous year, according to the latest statistics released by the
Wisconsin Department of Tourism. Northeast Wisconsin’s share of that was $2.4 billion.
Determining just how much of that spending is sports-related is a bit less clear. Some
events are easier to tie specific dollar values to than others.
Certainly, when you think of sports and Northeast Wisconsin, the Green Bay Packers
come to mind. A study from 2010 found that game day spending exceeds $13.5 million,
says Brad Toll, executive director of the Green Bay Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Plus, there is the incalculable value of having the community showcased during the
broadcast of home games.
“Green Bay is a city that literally has world-wide recognition thanks to our famous sports
team,” Toll says. “A winning team is also very helpful as it adds to the number of
nationally televised games each year and that puts our community in front of an
audience of millions on a regular basis throughout the season, something we could not
do with our marketing budget.”
But the economics extend well past the Packers.
The Fox Cities will host the U.S. Youth Soccer Region II Championships this month,
featuring 216 of the best teams from the Midwest playing in Appleton and De Pere. The
event is expected to draw more than 3,500 players and up to 12,000 spectators as
teams from 14 states travel to Wisconsin to compete.
Regionally, that’s expected to translate into more than 12,000 nights of hotel bookings
and $6.5 million in visitor spending. This is the third time since 2006 the Fox Cities have
hosted the event.
Three factors have helped distinguish the Fox Cities from sites in the 14 states of
Region II: quality facilities, an active and qualified volunteer base and the welcoming
nature of the area, says Peter Mariahazy, director of technology and human resources
at Modern Business Machines in Appleton and president of Wisconsin Youth Soccer.
“One thing we consistently hear from the teams and fans that come is how warm and
welcoming the people here are,” Mariahazy says. “We work really hard to enhance the
experience so teams feel it’s more than a tournament, but a championsip.”
The Fox Cities will host the U.S. Youth Soccer Region II Championships this month. The tournament will
feature more than 200 teams from the Midwest and is expected to generate $6.5 million in visitor
spending. Photo by Sean P. Johnson.
The Region II Championships are part of the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championship
series.
Additionally, the Fox Cities region will again host the Division III College World Series
and the Wisconsin high school baseball championships, while Green Bay played host to
the high school girls’ basketball tournament. Each brings visitors — and revenue —
from outside the community.
During the course of the year, there are hundreds of youth baseball, volleyball,
basketball, lacrosse, hockey and soccer tournaments of various sizes throughout the
region. Throw in the marathons and hunting and fishing, and it’s a big marketplace to
tap into.
Ten Haken says that of the estimated $11 million in sports-tourism spending in the Fox
Cities, as much as 90 percent of it is related to youth sports and tournaments.
And there is an opportunity for more.
A study prepared for the Fox Cities CVB by the Huddle Up Group in 2014 found the
area was missing out on opportunities to attract additional events to the region because
of a lack of facilities, particularly hard court surfaces for basketball and volleyball.
The Green Bay area faces a similar challenge, Toll says.
“Our region could use additional facilities,” Toll says. “Our dream is to someday have
the old Brown County Arena and ShopKo Hall (a part of the Brown County Veterans
Memorial Complex) turned into one large contiguous building that could hold these
types of sporting events as well as large expositions and tradeshows.”
HUG recommended a plan of action for the Fox Cities area that included using an
increase in the hotel-bed tax to finance the development of additional facilities. Ten
Haken says the CVB is still evaluating the recommendations and hopes to have a plan
to present to the communities involved later this year.
Even with the addition of Lake Park Sportzone, there is a need for expanded and
updated facilities in order to remain competitive in the marketplace. In addition to courts
for basketball and volleyball, there is a need for additional ice to support hockey and
figure skating as well as outdoor turf facilities that would support soccer, rugby and
lacrosse.
“We need to look at what’s feasible and what the schedules and demand really are,”
Ten Haken says. “We want to make sure we remain competitive.”
All that pent-up demand has Pistone thinking about growth opportunities. He has the
property to nearly triple the size of Lake Park Sportzone if needed. Just doubling the
courts he has now would make his facility the largest volleyball complex in Wisconsin.
“We wanted to start smaller to make sure we could fill the space,” Pistone says. “If the
economics work – and I’m not sure about the tournaments yet – we’ve got space.”
12/29/2015
WBAY - A Big Weekend for Baseball in the Fox Cities - May 22, 2015
A Big Weekend for Baseball in the Fox Cities
By Jason Zimmerman (http://wbay.com/author/jason-zimmerman/)
Published: May 22, 2015, 8:00 pm | Updated: May 22, 2015, 10:58 pm
Thousands of baseball fans from across the country are in the Fox Cities this weekend.
There’s where the NCAA Division 3 World Series is taking place.
The event is an important one at a time many people are making their way out of the area.
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12/29/2015
WBAY - A Big Weekend for Baseball in the Fox Cities - May 22, 2015
As many people hit the highway to head up north, others are enjoying baseball at Fox Cities
Stadium, including Michael Potter and his family who say the College World Series is a Memorial
Day weekend tradition.
“It’s a stay-cation. You don’t have to spend a lot of money, you don’t have to put gas in the car,
buy food up there, you can support your local economy. You can stay here,” said Potter.
The Division 3 national championship has been played in Grand Chute for the past 16 years and
Potter has been buying tickets almost as long.
He’s also not alone.
About 25,000 baseball fans are expected to attend the six day tournament here. Organizers say it
has a economic impact of a half a million dollars.
Matt Ten Haken of the Fox Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau said,”We have about 500 people
that will buy annual passes, all session passes from the Fox Cities and during our early bird sales
before the championship even starts so we have a really strong base of local fans of baseball that
have come to this event over the years and really supported the event.”
Since the tournament falls on a holiday weekend it helps balance out the number of people who
hit the road for cabins, campgrounds, or lakeside destinations.
Ryan Lanning of Appleton said,”I have a lot of fun out here. I’m a big baseball fan. It’s just great to
be out in the nice weather, baseball, the sights, sounds, the smells. It’s perfect for me. I’d rather
be here than sitting in traffic somewhere.”
WBAY.com
© Copyright 2000 - 2015 Young Broadcasting of Green Bay, Inc. A Media General Company.
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12/30/2015
WBAY - 50 States Marathon Club reunites at Fox Cities Marathon - September 16, 2015
50 States Marathon Club reunites at Fox Cities
Marathon
Sari Soffer
Published: September 16, 2015, 5:53 pm | Updated: September 16, 2015, 7:05 pm
2012 2nd quarter reunion awardees: Jean Reid (KY), Elaine Green (IN), Debbie Shelton (IN), Carol Westerman
(KY), Carol Goslin (MO), Carol Earles (AR), Jack Strausman (MD), Bill Harris (IN)
http://wbay.com/2015/09/16/50-states-marathon-club-reunites-at-fox-cities-marathon/
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12/30/2015
WBAY - 50 States Marathon Club reunites at Fox Cities Marathon - September 16, 2015
The Fox Cities Marathon this weekend will bring in runners from forty states around the country.
The rush of thousands of runners and an unfamiliar road ahead is why Virginia’s Glen Anderson is
coming to the Fox Cities this weekend.
Anderson says, “No better way to see the country than running 26 miles in every state.”
Appleton is stop number 134 on his running tour. Thirteen years and thousands of miles later,
Anderson has ran a marathon in all fifty states…twice.
“I ran twelve marathons in ’09, and then last year I ran 30.”
It sounds so crazy, you wouldn’t believe almost 4,000 people around the world are also part of the
50 States Marathon Club.
Susan Spence, from North Carolina, says, “To get your marathon freak on! Not everybody is into it
like we are.”
The club has reunion runs four times a year, in Hawaii, Michigan, at the Kentucky Derby. But this
year, they’ve chosen the Fox Cities, and organizers are thrilled.
“It really is a compliment to the event because they know they’re going to get great hospitality,”
says Debbie Jansen, event organizer. “The people in this area are going to really welcome them.”
Organizers are also excited that this year, runners in the 50 States Club will see a very different
course than they did twelve years ago, when they also held their reunion here. This year, the
course features trails that show off Wisconsin’s beauty.
Jansen says, “I think they’re going to get that marathon, big city experience, but that hometown
feel here.”
For some, it will be their final miles on a 50-state journey. But for others, like Anderson’s
daughter, Morgan — it’s the first.
Dad is hoping she’ll get hooked this weekend, just like he did.
http://wbay.com/2015/09/16/50-states-marathon-club-reunites-at-fox-cities-marathon/
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Arizona wrestlers brave cold for Cheesehead
Ricardo Arguello, Post-Crescent Media
10:28 p.m. CST January 3, 2015
KAUKAUNA – Brock Doolen didn't take any chances when he packed for his team's trip to Wisconsin earlier
this week.
"I brought about 10 jackets," the Mountain View High School (Mesa, Arizona) sophomore said with a grin. "I
was told it was going to be like really, really cold. So I packed a bunch because I hate the cold. I can't stand
Buy Photo
(Photo: Wm. Glasheen/PostCrescent Media)
it."
Doolen, a sophomore for the Toros wrestling team, is one of hundreds of wrestlers competing at the 17th
annual Cheesehead Invitational at Kaukauna High School held Friday and today.
Mountain View won the 2014 Arizona state championship in Division 1 last season and is one of 16 teams from outside Wisconsin competing at the
Cheesehead this year.
The Toros do have a connection to the state of Wisconsin: head coach Bob Callison wrestled at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and is a
Kewaskum native.
Callison, now in his 10th year at Mountain View, said he had been eyeing a trip to the Cheesehead and talked with tournament director Scott Kluever
about an opportunity, but Callison also wanted to make sure his team was ready for the high level of competition.
Then, by chance, he ran into Kluever two springs ago while he was back in Wisconsin.
"My niece had just graduated from Campbellsport two springs ago and I'm eating at an ice cream shop just off of Highway 41 there," Callison said.
"And in comes Scott Kluever. I had told him that I had contacted him the week before saying 'Hey, you know what? We have a pretty good team
coming up.' And our team did end up winning state last year, but they didn't have any room for us last year.
"But I kept on it and I see Scott at wrestling events around the nation and he said this year they had room for us."
Fundraising was an opportunity for Mountain View to bond and showcase the sense of community the Toros have with their wrestling program.
"That took a lot of teamwork," Callison said. "It took us around $13,000 to get here and be here. We had a big golf outing in the spring and we're
fundraising ... having car washes and we sold a lot of things and we got some businesses to sponsor us. We were at Reno (Nevada) two weeks ago
and we flew there, too. That's another six thousand. But we have real community support, thankfully, for us to do this.
"We were drilling here and kind of had the gym to ourselves on Thursday and I told the guys, 'You know, this is a unique experience that not
everybody gets and we have a very blessed opportunity here.' "
Doolen was a fan of Kaukauna High School when he arrived.
"What threw me off a bunch is when they told me it was at a high school, I was picturing this small gym," he said. "I was thinking, 'How were they going
to fit this many mats?' Then we walk in and we see this big high school with tons of mats, all organized. I was like, 'Oh, this is for real then.' "
Doolen also pointed to the different wrestling styles as something of interest.
"You get used to the guys that you wrestle (at home) because you wrestle them throughout your life," Doolen said. "And when you get here, these
guys have different styles from different states and different coaches. It's hard to know what to do.
"It gives you a taste of what else is out there and what you need to work on."
Kaukauna's Trent Leon at 120 pounds and Robert Lee at 138 advanced to the semifinals, which are today. Wrightstown's Stetson Burmeister and
Freedom's Ramsey Bloy both made the semifinals at 182 pounds.
CHEESEHEAD INVITATIONAL
Wisconsin Soccer Central
132 teams take aim at State Cup titles
starting Saturday in Appleton
05/22/2015, 5:45pm CDT
By ERIC ANDERSON
The Scheels USA Youth Sports Complex in Appleton will be the center of club soccer in the state over
the Memorial Day holiday weekend, as the Wisconsin State Championships – better known as the
State Cup – kick off with group play.
A field of 134 teams are set for the Wisconsin Youth Soccer Association tournament, with competition
in seven boys divisions (Under-13 through Under-19) and three girls divisions (Under-13, Under-14
and Under-19).
Round-robin group play runs Saturday, Sunday and Monday, with the semifinals May 30 and finals
May 31 at the same location. State champions qualify for the U.S. Youth Soccer Region II
Championships, which are June 20 to 24 at Scheels USA Youth Sports Complex and and Southwest
Park in De Pere.
SC Waukesha leads the way with 12 teams playing at the State Cup, while the Milwaukee Bavarians
have 11. Croatian Eagles, Appleton SC and North Shore United have eight teams apiece.
Eight age groups have four groups of four teams apiece, with each group winner advancing to the
semifinals. The Under-19 boys competition features four teams, with the top two finishers to meet
again in the final, while there are only two teams in the Under-19 girls division – Rush Wisconsin and
a combined SC Waukesha-Strike FC Wisconsin team, who will square off for the state title May 31.
12/29/2015
Appleton, WI, Other Cities, Raise Hotel Room Taxes for Sports Tourism | Sports Destination Management
Wisconsin
New
Appleton, WI, Other Cities, Raise Hotel Room Taxes for Sports Tourism 2 Dec, 2015
By: Tracey Schelmetic
While many cities have an agenda – at least on paper – to use economic development tools to lure more dollars into their economy, they are often unwilling to do so at the
expense of already-burned taxpayers.
Projects such as sports facilities often attract broad support from the public…as long as the funds come from outside the city. For this reason, economic development groups are
becoming more creative in finding ways to finance projects inside the city limits with revenue that originates from outside the city limits.
Appleton, Wisconsin is one of these municipalities. The city is hoping to build both a new exhibition center that will cost about $29 million as well as new facilities for indoor
sports. In order the raise the money, Appleton’s city council recently voted to raise the hotel room tax from its current six percent to 10 percent. At the special common council
meeting last month, Appleton council members voted 13 to one to join fortunes with nearby regions -- Grand Chute, City of Menasha, Town of Menasha, Sherwood, Little
Chute, City of Neenah, Town of Neenah, Kimberly and Kaukauna – with a goal of financing projects that will attract more business visitors and sports tourists to the region. The
nine other partner municipalities are also in the process of raising their hotel room tax rates to 10 percent.
According to the local Fox News affiliate Fox 11, the 10 percent hotel room tax will be distributed as follows: three percent will go to the Fox Cities Convention and Visitors
Bureau, two percent will go to pay bonds on the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center, three percent will go to fund bonds to pay for the construction of the Fox Cities Exhibition
Center, one percent will go to the individual municipalities, and one percent will go to the Fox Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau Tourism Development Fund, specifically
for sports tourism. Once the bonds for the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center are paid off in 2017, that money will then be funneled into the sports tourism development fund.
"This is a first step, a first step of many, but it's very positive. It's a strong statement by our city council and that's what we were looking for," said Appleton Mayor Tim Hanna.
The director of the Fox Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau, Pam Seidl, told Fox 11 that raising the room tax is a good move, one supported by area hotel owners and
managers.
“We have the hotels coming together for a reason and a shared vision that advances something for everyone,” said Seidl. “These two projects are very synergistic when you
look at them from a tourism industry model. Expo center drives business during the week, sports facilities drive business on the weekends.”
Appleton has previously indicated that when it comes to sports tourism, it’s dollars generated by youth sports that primarily interests the city. In 2014, area parents of youth
athletes spent nearly $6 million on hotels, food and shopping in the Fox Cities when their kids traveled to participate in tournaments. Maureen Wallenfang, writing earlier this
year for the local Post-Crescent Media, said 2015’s totals are likely to be even higher. Earlier this year, Appleton hosted the U.S. Youth Region II Soccer Championship,
which drew attendees from 13 states and generated $3.9 million in visitor spending.
With some of the new revenue that will be raised from the hotel tax, Appleton economic development officials are hoping to build facilities that will encourage more indoor
sporting activities during the winter months, such as indoor basketball and volleyball as well as skating and ice hockey.
About the Author
Tracey Schelmetic
E-mail Tracey Schelmetic
About Tracey Schelmetic
Content written by Tracey Schelmetic
New
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The Buzz: Lake Park Sportzone to open
9:50 a.m. CST February 22, 2015
Most Fox Cities residents will never step foot in the $4 million Lake Park Sportzone sports facility. Parents of
serious high school athletes, however, may feel like it's their new second home.
The new facility at N8770 Lake Park Road in Harrison opens Saturday with an RSK Sports basketball
tournament. It's across the street from Menasha's Lake Park Swim & Fitness.
Buy Photo
Lake Park Sportzone leases its hardwood courts to youth athletic clubs and leagues for practice, clinics and
(Photo: Wm.Glasheen/PostCrescent Media)
tournaments. See lakeparksportzone.com for calendars and contacts.
The facility isn't a cure for cabin fever, unfortunately, because it isn't that kind of place. Those looking to
shoot a few hoops or drop the kids off for open gym time will still have to go to the Y or elsewhere.
Lake Park Sportzone's business model was created by a group of investors who saw the need for a high-caliber hardwood court facility for youth
basketball, volleyball and futsal, which is an indoor variation of soccer.
"Our demographic is club sport athletes from 8 to 18," said Joe Simo, one of three Appleton-based owners and parent of a child in sports. "Parents
are paying a good dollar for their children to practice and play in tournaments. They see that as a good investment because college recruiters are
coming to the club level. It's where kids are being recruited for college scholarships."
Sports clubs loved the idea.
"We had five-year contracts signed before we ever built this," said co-owner Jeff Pistone. "The hardwood floor was how we sold the contracts."
"It's similar to the floor the Bucks play on and Marquette's," said Simo, promoting it as the finest hardwood floor in this part of the state.
Besides Pistone and Simo, Fran Dagesse is the third Appleton investor. Two silent investors are from Green Bay.
Pistone said court time through spring and summer is booked 60 percent to 80 percent, varying with the season. They've inked in more than 30
tournaments in the 32,000-square-foot building with 30-plus-foot ceilings. The original plan to have outdoor fields was changed. A future expansion
plan would double the indoor court space when needed.
"Currently, volleyball is our biggest sport," said Pistone. "It's bigger than basketball."
Wisconsin Volleyball Academy is the largest single client in terms of hours booked.
"We feel it can really be our home," said Jon Ellmann, co-director of the volleyball organization that has more than 500 youth members. Other than a
three-year run in the Verlo building, it has operated in temporary sites from Oshkosh to Wrightstown. "Jeff Pistone came to us and asked, 'What would
you need in a building?' and we gave him a laundry list of things. As it stands right now, they've done a really good job of checking all of those boxes.
We were willing to sign on for a five-year lease."
One unusual aspect of the facility is a concession area divided into healthy and junk food. "Basketball players like junk food. Volleyball players like fruit
and vegetables," said Simo. "We're not sure about soccer players just yet."
Read or Share this story: http://post.cr/1AiVDTM
Appendix C
Sports Services, Newsletter, and
Planning Guide
free services
for sports groups
from fox cities CVB
The Fox Cities CVB is here to help you…
Choose the right location
To coordinate your FREE Bureau services,
please contact:
• Provide a sports facility guide with detailed venue information
• Secure proposals from venues and hotels
• Arrange site tours of venues and hotels
Plan your event
• Help with the bid process of large events
• Put you in touch with key facility managers and hotel personnel
• Identify local vendors you may need
• Recommend attractions, tours, and unique group activities
• Provide entertainment and speaker lists
Matt Ten Haken
mtenhaken@foxcities.org
Save time and money
• Identify grants your event is eligible for
• Establish hotel rooms blocks and generate follow up reports
• Provide media contact information
• Collate welcome packets
• Deliver materials to your venue
• Help provide volunteers for event management assistance
• Print name badges with your logo
Adam Schanke
Sports Marketing Manager
aschanke@foxcities.org
Enhance your participants’ experience
• Create customized maps with venue and hotel locations
• Develop a unique webpage with specific information for your event
• Provide welcome bags with area information
• Arrange color guards, official welcomes, and proclamations
For more information on how we can
help you with your sporting event, visit
FoxCities.org/sports or call (920) 734-3358
2/9/2016
August Fox Cities Sports Newsletter
Having trouble viewing this email? Click here
August 2015
Sports Playbook
EVENT SPOTLIGHT
NSA State Girls Softball Tournament
63 of Wisconsin's best U10 to U18 girls softball teams
competed in the National Softball Association State
Tournament in July. The event was hosted by the
Kimberly Recreation Association at various fields in
Kimberly and surrounding communities. For results and
team listings, view the online brackets.
Bird Bath Open Swimming Invitational
Erb Park Pool played host to about 950 swimmers July
10-12 for the Bird Bath Open Swimming Invitational
hosted by the Fox Cities YMCA Swim Team. This
marked the 17th year of this unique event, with the pool
distance of 50 meters instead of the commonly-found 25
meters. Photo Gallery.
FOX CITIES SPORTS NEWS
Fox Cities Get Boost From Soccer
Tournament
214 premier soccer teams and 14,000 visitors came to
the Fox Cities for the US Youth Soccer Midwest Region
Championships in June. Visitor spending on hotels,
restaurants, gas, and shopping was seen in millions.
View this story for details.
Appleton Turf Field Projects Artificial turf is being installed at Lawrence University's
Banta Bowl and football fields at Appleton North High
School and Appleton East High School. The artificial turf
will allow the fields to be used earlier in the spring, later
into the fall, and more often during football and soccer
seasons due to the durability of the material. View
progress of the installs here.
YMCA of the Fox Cities Renovations
Four of the five YMCAs in the Fox Cities are getting
upgrades and/or additions as part of a $9 million project.
These renovations come as the YMCA of the Fox Cities
has been experiencing rapid growth in membership and
program participation. This article has a listing of the
changes taking place at each facility.
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2/9/2016
August Fox Cities Sports Newsletter
SPORTS INDUSTRY NEWS
Finding Perfect Sponsors
Getting sponsors for a sports organization or event can be a
challenging task. Connect Sports offered some tips on finding
perfect sponsors. To view the tips, click here.
Creating a Successful Volunteer Program
Fusesport, a professional event management company, looked into
nine key principles for developing an effective volunteer program.
Click here to view their white paper detailing these nine principles.
FOX CITIES SPORTS COMMISSION
Grant Watch
In July, The Fox Cities Sports Commission awarded a grant
to host the USA Ultimate Sectional and Regional Club
Championships. Since 2011, the Fox Cities Sports
Commission has awarded 23 grants totaling $37,850. Contact
Matt or Adam to learn more about grant opportunities.
Networking Happy Hour
The Fox Cities Sports Commission will be hosting a sports networking happy hour on Tuesday,
August 11th from 5:00pm to 7:00pm at Waverly Beach (N8770 Fire Lane 1, Menasha). Come join
others who are active in the local sports scene to network and discuss successes/challenges of
your organization. There will be light appetizers and a cash bar.
For information on the Fox Cities Sports Commission, please contact:
Matt Ten Haken Adam Schanke
Director of Sports Marketing Sports Marketing Manager
mtenhaken@foxcities.org aschanke@foxcities.org
920-734-3358 920-734-3358
STAY CONNECTED WITH THE FOX CITIES SPORTS COMMISSION
Fox Cities CVB, 3433 W. College Ave., Appleton, WI 54914
SafeUnsubscribe™ mhirvela@foxcities.org
Forward this email | Update Profile | About our service provider
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Fox Cities Event Planning Guide
A guide filled with tips, suggestions, and real
life experiences to help you plan and facilitate
a successful sporting event.
Event Director,
Whether this is your first time planning a sporting event or
you are a seasoned event director looking for tips on a
certain topic, we hope this guide will help you and your
organization execute a perfect event from start to finish.
Matt Ten Haken
mtenhaken@foxcities.org
Adam Schanke
Sports Marketing Manager
3433 W. College Ave. – Appleton, WI 54914
(920) 734-3358
Topics
Click on a specific topic to jump to the corresponding page.
• Financials
– Revenue Sources
– Budgeting
– Sponsorships
• Marketing
– To Teams and Participants
– To the Community
– Media Coverage
• Event Management
–
–
–
–
–
–
Planning
Contingency Planning
Operations
Scheduling
Post-Event Evaluation
Volunteers
• Resources
–
–
–
–
–
Checklist
Planning Timeline
Vendor List
Fox Cities Sports Commission
Revenue Sources
• Potential revenues sources include, but are not limited
to:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Team or participant entry fees
Ticket sales or gate admission
Sponsorships
Apparel, such as tournament or event t-shirts
Concessions, depending on the venue
Parking, depending on the event
Event programs
Hotel rebates
Grants
Topics Page
Budgeting
• Consider all expenses
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Facility rental
Equipment and supplies
Sanctioning or licensing fees
Site costs (banners, tables, chairs, tents, portable toilets, etc.)
Staffing, officials, and medical personnel
Insurance and permits
Food and beverage
Security
Marketing and promotions
Awards
Budgeting Continued
Budgeting
• Be conservative
– Estimate revenues low and expenses high
• If you are a first time event director and are unsure of
realistic estimates for revenues and expenses, reach out
to an organization or individual who has hosted a similar
event
Topics Page
Sponsorships
• Sponsorships for an event or organization can be very
difficult to obtain. Many business get approached
countless times to sponsor an event, organization, or
program.
• Consider the following
–
–
–
–
–
–
What is the purpose of your event?
Who attends your event?
What do you have to offer businesses?
How will a sponsorship help your organization?
How will a sponsorship help a business?
How will a sponsorship benefit the community?
Sponsorships Continued
Sponsorships
• Research sponsors of events similar to yours
• Target businesses that could benefit from the event
• Work your own contact list
– Ask contacts if they know someone who would be a good fit or
interested in sponsoring your event
– Businesses that have an employee tied to the event are more
likely to provide support
• Be sure to follow-up via phone call
• Businesses may be more willing to provide value in-kind
sponsorships instead of cash
– This can be as useful as cash if the sponsor provides something
you would have had to pay for
Sponsorships Continued
Sponsorships
• Do not get discouraged by businesses declining to
sponsor your event or organization
– When soliciting sponsorships, you will fail more than succeed
• It is a numbers game
– The more businesses you approach about sponsorships, the
greater your chances of reaching your sponsorship goals
• Use a team approach
– After identifying potential sponsors, split them up among the
organization
Topics Page
Marketing to Teams/Participants
• Tournament databases such as www.infosports.com and
www.thetournamentguy.com
• Email blast to teams, participants, or clubs
• Phone calls to coaches or clubs
• Annual events should inform participants of next year’s
event dates upon end of current event
• Simply posting information to your organization’s website
is often times not enough
Topics Page
Marketing to the Community
• Event calendars
– Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau:
http://www.foxcities.org/event/submitevent
– Post Crescent: http://search.postcrescent.com/localevents
– Fox Cities Online lists additional event calendars:
http://www.focol.org/files/search.asp?searchCat=Calendars
• Social media
• Local media coverage
Topics Page
Media Coverage
• Free media coverage can be very difficult to obtain
• Media outlets can only cover so many events/stories at a
time, so think about what makes your event stand out
–
–
–
–
•
•
•
•
Is
Is
Is
Is
there a unique cause for the event?
there a human interest story?
the event bringing in participants from across the U.S.A.?
the event or sport new to the area?
Send a press release/media advisory 1 month prior
Follow up with another 3-5 days prior
Send post-event results if newsworthy
Fox Cities CVB keeps a working list of media contacts
Topics Page
Event Planning
• Gather and distribute contact information for all those
involved in the planning process
• Evaluate medical personnel needs
• Define roles and responsibilities of those involved
– See checklist slides
•
•
•
•
Format a planning timeline with ‘due dates’
Create budget
Identify all equipment and materials you need
See Planning Checklist and Event Planning Timeline for
more event planning considerations
Topics Page
Contingency Planning
• Contingency plans should be established for weather
sensitive events
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Participant and spectator safety should be priority number one
Designate a place for participants and spectators to go
Develop a procedure for changing the event schedule or format
Decide who makes decisions regarding delays or cancellations
Establish method of communication with participants/spectators
Consider the need for a back-up venue
Consider contingency insurance if there is a large financial risk
• Other contingency plans to consider include equipment
failure, security risks, injuries, accidents, etc.
Topics Page
Event Operations
• Event organizers should be designated, recognizable,
visible, and easily accessible through the use of an event
headquarters
• Equipment and supplies should be ready when staff and
volunteers report to work
• Be flexible, things will change as the event progresses
• Maintain open communication with everyone providing
event support
Topics Page
Event Scheduling
• Check to see if your event will interfere with other
events during the selected dates and vice versa
• As a courtesy, schedule later games or start times for
out of town teams on the first day of competition
• Make sure schedule is posted online and on-site in a
visible location. Be sure to update it promptly if schedule
changes for any reason.
• Create a event rundown schedule
– Schedule for the duration of the event including everything that
will occur during the event and what time it will occur
Topics Page
Post-Event Evaluation
• What went well?
• What did not go well?
• Did the event meet our goals?
– Budget, participants, attendance, volunteers, etc.
• What did participants, teams, spectators, etc. think of
the event?
• What challenges did we face? How were they handled?
• Should we hold the event again?
• What should be changed for next time?
Topics Page
Volunteers
• Recruiting
– Have a dedicated volunteer contact with listed phone number
and email address
– Appoint an alternate volunteer contact, should the dedicated
contact be unavailable
– Past volunteers, personal contacts, friends of the organization
– Local non-profits, school booster clubs, school key clubs, and
honor societies can also be a good source of volunteers
– Volunteer Center of East Central WI: www.volunteercenter.net
– Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau can share volunteer
opportunities with contacts
Volunteers Continued
Volunteers
• Pre-Event
– Define roles and responsibilities
– Set a schedule of volunteer slots and determine number needed
– Use an online volunteer registration system, such as
www.signupgenius.com
– Provide general information about the event
– Provide volunteers with necessary details such as dress, parking,
arrival time, where to check-in, meals, etc.
Volunteers
• Event Day
– Train volunteers upon arrival
– Ensure they have everything required to execute their
responsibilities
– Provide them with a fact sheet to answer any questions they may
be asked by spectators or participants
– Provide a list of key event personnel with phone numbers and email
addresses
– Avoid putting volunteers in challenging situations
– Recognize volunteers and express gratitude
– Provide them with a t-shirt, lanyard, or way of noting their
important role with the event
– Provide volunteers with water and a snack, possibly a full meal if
their shift falls during a meal time
Volunteers
• Post-Event
– Send a thank you email or letter to volunteers
– Survey volunteers about their experience, ways to improve, their
likeliness to volunteer again, and if they know anyone who
would like to volunteer for future events
• If volunteers have an enjoyable experience, they often get their friends and
family to volunteer as well
– Evaluate volunteer roles, responsibilities, number of volunteers,
and volunteer time slots
– Save all volunteer contact information in a database for future
volunteer needs
Topics Page
Checklist/Things to Consider









Administration
Admission
Advertising
Audio-visual
Budgeting
Car parking
Cash handling
Ceremonies
Cleaning
Checklist Continued









Committees
Communication
Concessions
Date of event
Decoration
Electricity
Emergency
Entertainment
Facilities









Fundraising
Gift bags
Hotels
Information packs
Insurance
Invitations
Legal aspects
Licenses
Maps
Checklist Continued










Marketing
Media
Medical
Officials
Permits
Photography
Posters
Practice areas
Registration
Responsibilities
Topics Page










Restrooms
Scoreboards
Seating
Security
Spectators
Sponsorship
Staff
Target Audience
Theme
Tickets








Traffic control
Training
Trophies
Uniforms
Venue
Volunteers
Water
Work schedule
Planning Timeline: 8-12 Months
• Form an organizing committee and define roles
• Set event dates and cross reference with any other
events during that timeframe
• Secure facility rental
• Acquire necessary permits
• Contact the Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau
Planning Timeline Continued
Planning Timelines: 4-6 Months
•
•
•
•
•
•
Set registration fees and policies
Create budget
Obtain event liability insurance
Secure sponsors
Promote the event to teams/participants
Set up hotel room blocks with Fox Cities Convention &
Visitors Bureau
Planning Timeline: 2-3 Months
•
•
•
•
•
Create equipment and supply list
Recruit officials
Determine staff and volunteer needs
Consider security issues and concerns
Consider facility logistics such as parking, restrooms,
seating, traffic flow, etc.
• Order trophies, medals, certificates, etc.
• Hire medical personnel, such as athletic trainers
Planning Timeline: 1 Month
•
•
•
•
•
•
Recruit staff and volunteers
Finalize event schedule
Promote the event to spectators
Order signs and banners, if needed
Send participants event information
Finalize concessions/food and beverage needs
Planning Timeline: 1-2 Weeks
• Conduct a walk-through at event site to identify last
minute preparations or maintenance issues
• Create a logistic schedule of events
– Schedule that includes everything from set up to tear down
• Create a critical incident response plan
– Anticipate all problems/crises and set a course of action
– Create an incident form to write up any incident that could
become a insurance or legal issue
• Create event information sheet including all necessary
information and key contacts
– Everyone working or volunteering for the event should have one
Planning Timeline: Event Day
• Meet with key personnel, such as staff, site crew,
officials, medical personnel, volunteers, and security to
go over assignments, procedures, and information
• Check on all technical equipment, such as radios, sound
system, and lighting
• Ensure plenty of ice and water is available for event
participants
• Regularly check cleanliness of all areas of the facility
Planning Timeline: Post-Event
• Thank everyone involved with the event including staff,
volunteers, spectators, teams, coaches, sponsors, facility
personnel, etc.
• Send out evaluation survey to teams/participants
• Recap event and evaluate ways to improve for future
events
• Total revenues and expenses, compare with event
budget
• Set dates for next year’s event, if annual event
Topics Page
Vendor List
• The Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau keeps an
updated list of vendors that may be helpful to event
planners in the Fox Cities. This list includes:
Athletic Trainers
Banners, Signs
Car Rental
Catering
Concessions
Concessions Equipment
Golf Cars, Utility Vehicles
High School Athletic Directors
Hotels
Parks and Rec. Departments
Portable Toilets
Programs, Printed Materials
Referees, Umpires
Sanitation, Dumpsters
Shuttle Services
Special Event License
Tents, Tables, Chairs
Trophies
T-Shirts, Screen Printing
Volunteers
• For a copy of this list, please contact Adam Schanke at
Topics Page
Fox Cities Sports Commission
• The Fox Cities Sports Commission was established to
positively impact the economy and quality of life of the
Fox Cities by encouraging the creation and development
of sporting events in our community.
• Members of the 11-person Commission meet regularly to
– Administer a grant program
– Recruit sports volunteers
– Serve as a resource for sports planners
• For more information, contact:
– Matt Ten Haken – mtenhaken@foxcities.org – (920) 734-3358
Topics Page
Fox Cities CVB Free Services
• The Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau offers free
services to sports planners. Some of these include:
–
–
–
–
Set up and manage hotel room blocks
Recruit volunteers for event management assistance
Coordinate media relations and provide exposure
Provide visitor guides, maps and other printed information
• For a full list of free services, please click here.
Topics Page

View Submission - National Association of Sports Commissions

Transcription

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