TEAM SPIRIT
GO Sports Rallies the Region to Attract Marquee Events By Diane Sears
L
ike so many kids, Jason Siegel grew up with the dream of becoming a professional athlete. Like so many adults, he eventually realized that wasn’t going to happen. So he did the next-best thing: He found another career in sports. He majored in economics in college and turned down a finance job in New York City, instead opting to work in the Hartford Whalers National Hockey League organization for a fraction of the salary he would’ve made. He wasn’t in it for the money. Today, as the CEO and president of the Greater Orlando Sports Commission since 2016, Siegel has been in the industry 32 years and he’s still excited every day about going to work. He heads up a team of 10 people who collaborate with organizations all over the region to bring marquee sports events to Central Florida. The goal is to help boost the economy in a region that is increasingly becoming known for sports as well as entertainment. Rebranded in October 2018 from the Central Florida Sports Commission, the nonprofit founded 27 years ago now goes by the nickname GO Sports. Siegel explained the logic behind the change. “The first question when you presented yourself as the Central Florida Sports Commission was, ‘Where is that? Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville, Lakeland?’ The second question was, ‘Who do you represent?’ Lake, Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties and the City of Orlando. We’ve eliminated the first question.”
22 | APRIL 2019 | i4Biz.com
