Welcome to the 2023 Sports Planning Guide

JASON PAHA

Back in the Dark Ages of 2020, sports tourism’s once ceaseless march skyward took an unexpected and unprecedented tumble.

With billions in lost revenue and facilities shuttered across the world, the sports tourism market faced uncertainty in a manner previously unseen.

Not surprisingly though, the industry is resilient, and through hard work and determination from CVBs and DMOs across the USA, the sector rebounded quickly. In 2021, 175 million sports travelers hit the road, which was only 2.6 percent lower than the record numbers established in the ShangriLa days of 2019. And the surge has continued throughout 2022.

According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, sports tourism is one of the fastest-growing sectors in tourism. Echoing that sentiment is Sports ETA’s most recent State of the Industry Report which shows sports tourism has an economic impact of $91.8 billion and supports 635,000 jobs in member communities across the country.

In other words, sports are again a hot ticket.

To honor this industry resurgence, Sports Planning Guide has rolled out our finest issue yet. For starters, SPG features 12 state guides that provide an in-depth look at what each state has to offer. If you want to know the best place to host a pickleball tournament in Washington, a swimming competition in Indiana or a lacrosse outing in Pennsylvania, we have you covered.

SPG also spotlights almost 150 destinations across the country in our industry-leading Site InSpections, which feature the most up-to-date information on venues and attractions in each location.

SPG’s comprehensive stories will keep you on top of the latest trends as we examine the growth of esports and the surge of facilities hosting esports competitions; highlight upcoming complexes in development across the country; and investigate how the sports world is evolving to implement better and more sustainable practices. We also explain the fine art of facility future-casting and discover how venue developers determine which size complex is the right fit for a community.

Finally, we interview Sports ETA President Al Kidd, who enlightens us about the state of the industry heading into the future. His insight is invaluable and undoubtedly prescient. Speaking of which, the great prognosticator Jon Schmieder returns with his sports industry trends for 2023.

Clearly, the 2023 edition of SPG continues to set the standard for coverage of the sports tournament industry. The same can be said for our popular website, SportsPlanningGuide. com, which features in-depth planning guides, comprehensive facility spotlights and showstopping destination videos.

Simply put, our objective is to help you, the tournament planner, rights holder and governing body, find solutions to your planning needs. And no one does that better than Sports Planning Guide.

Jason Paha Managing Editor

Sports Planning Guide

Vol. 14, No. 1, 2023 Edition Editorial & Advertising Office

621 Plainfield Road, Suite 406 Willowbrook, IL 60527 P 630.794.0696 • F 630.794.0652 info@ptmgroups.com

Publisher – Jeffrey Gayduk jeff@ptmgroups.com

Associate Publisher – Dave Bodle

dave@ptmgroups.com

Managing Editor – Jason Paha

jason@ptmgroups.com

Writer & Social Media Editor –

Christopher Silbernagel, chris@ptmgroups.com

Contributing Writers

Randy Mink Jon Schmieder Nick Povalitis Vanessa Day Heather Dale Isabella Wilkes Margaux Shearer

Director, Design & Production – Lisa Hede

lisa@ptmgroups.com

Production Coordinators –

Kelsey Ledford, kelsey@ptmgroups.com Theresa O’Rourke, theresa@ptmgroups.com

Business Development Manager – Cheryl Rash

cheryl@ptmgroups.com

The publisher accepts unsolicited editorial matter, as well as advertising, but assumes no responsibility for statements made by advertisers or contributors. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information published, but the publisher makes no warranty that listings are free of error. The publisher is not responsible for the return of unsolicited photos or manuscripts.

Sports Planning Guide (ISSN 2153-4179) is published annually by Premier Travel Media, 621 Plainfield Rd., Suite 406, Willowbrook, IL 60527. Postage paid at Willowbrook, IL and Lebanon Junction, KY. The magazine is distributed free to sports events organizers. Single copies for all others are $9.95.

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Premier Travel Media 621 Plainfield Rd., Suite 406 Willowbrook, IL 60527

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