Photo courtesy of Virginia Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau
Competition at the new Virginia Beach Sports Center
Sports Services Help Virginia Host Great Events Intense planning and attention to detail are the hallmarks of a successful Virginia event and the state’s experts deliver
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By Dave Bodle
rom the outside, it might appear Virginia’s sports services wear multiple hats in their community. In fact, they do, but with just a single mission. Danny Bonifas, sports event manager/Richmond Region Tourism, describes his organization’s mission as a “Resource to the rights holders every step of the way, including community outreach, vendor sourcing, and side events. Our purpose is to enhance the attendees’ experience.” Kenneth Payne, of the Virginia Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau, defines the role of sports services in Virginia Beach in a personal manner: “What can I do to make a rights holder experience a great event and make them want to bring their event back to Virginia Beach.” Payne
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Sports Planning Guide
continued, “That commitment extends to providing a great experience to the participants, too.”
Success from teamwork
Many Virginia sports staffs are small and in most of those destinations the sales team operates as sports services, also. Whether it’s a full-time destination sports services person or the sales team taking on the responsibility, sports services often begin with the conception of the event. Sports services is looped in from the early stages of bid and site inspection and that often begins with researching past events. Working with the sales team, sports services is looking for ways to make events happen and exceed the past performance. @SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG
