2015 Sports Planning Guide by Premier Travel Media

2015 EDITION

A Premier Travel Media publication www.SportsPlanningGuide.com

EXPERIENCE A MASTERPIECE. Visit one of the best facilities Round Rock has to offer.

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Vol. 6, No. 1, 2015 Edition

FEATURES

10 Are You on the Wave? BY MARTI WIGDER GRIMMINCK

Discover ways to use social media to build excitement for your events

114

14 Homegrown Events You Can Learn From BY LAUREN REINIGER

COLUMNS

Corral your community’s assets to build your own brand

ON THE COVER: Western Junior at Flossmoor Country Club, Photo Courtesy of the Chicago Southland CVB

Creating a Memorable Experience BY JUSTIN ROACH

20 Trending Now: What, Where, How? Non-traditional sports like quidditch and disc golf are catching fire.

In Case of Emergency BY BILL HANSON

24 Original Ideas for Utilizing Signage at Your Next Event

129 Five Points to Follow in Building a Great Team

BY JON SCHMIEDER

BY LAUREN REINIGER

Get creative with graphics to grab attention before—and during—the game.

SITE INSPECTIONS BY REGION Check out the facilities and attractions of sportsfriendly destinations eager to help event planners organize their next tournament or meet.

WEST

MIDWEST

120 EAST

SOUTH

Lubbock Christian University’s Rip Griffin Center

Sports Planning Guide

@SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

Win, lose, or go to the beach Just bring your game to Palm Beach County and win big. Palm Beach County is home to some of the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premier sporting facilities. Event owners ZLOO XQFRYHU D YDULHW\ RI KLJK TXDOLW\ VSRUWV RULHQWHG YHQXHV ZKLFK ZLOO PDNH D SHUIHFW Ă&#x20AC;W IRU both amateur and professional sporting events. All this in the tropical paradise called Palm Beach County. Call now for more information about how to make your event a winner! 561.233.3180

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JUSTIN ROACH

Vol. 6, No. 1, 2015 Edition

Creating a Memorable Experience

hen you’re standing on the synthetic

If you’re not satisfied with the diminishing

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

field at Grand Park, touring the Round

ROI from sports trade shows, you should be

Rock Sports Center or perched high in the

adding the US Sports Congress (December

Publisher – Jeffrey Gayduk

Smoky Mountains on a field at Rocky Top

8-10) to your calendar. Hosted by the Savan-

jeff@ptmgroups.com

Sports World, what thoughts cross your mind?

nah Sports Council this year, the Congress

While touring Grand Park, Indiana’s new

features a tight ratio of buyers to sellers,

premier sports complex, this summer, I kept

world-class presenters, the industry’s best

thinking “this is no sandlot” as I reflected on

networking opportunities and superior edu-

my own memories of playing in youth base-

cational sessions. Check out page 22 for a

ball tournaments in Northern Illinois. I recalled

special invite.

home run fences that started where the corn

We are your one-stop shop for online

fields ended, infields with rocks that made

research! Every other Wednesday we deliver

those standard grounders anything but rou-

news, trends, interviews and destination Site

tine, and the occasional standing water in the

InSpections via InSite on Sports Events e-

field of play from passing storms. When you

newsletter, while on SportsPlanningGuide.com

look at today’s facilities, it is clear the bar has

you can research more destinations, find plan-

been raised.

ning tips and advice, latest industry news, and

Managing Editor – Randy Mink randy@ptmgroups.com

Online Media Director – Lance Harrell lance@ptmgroups.com

Staff Writer – Lauren Reiniger lauren@ptmgroups.com

Contributing Writers Bill Hanson Jon Schmieder Marti Wigder Grimminck

Director, Design & Production – Robert Wyszkowski rob@ptmgroups.com

With new facilities emerging and existing

learn how to create a memorable experience

venues raising their game, event planners

for your future sports events. We’re also active

Sports Marketing Manager – Justin Roach

have more options than ever before. Regard-

on Twitter @SportsPlanGuide, so join in the

justin@ptmgroups.com

less of the host facility for any event, the end

conversation! See page 92 for more details.

goal should remain the same. Create a mem-

Finally, understanding that sports planning

orable experience from start to finish that par-

is more than just venue selection, we are com-

ticipants, friends and families will remember

missioning a new how-to publication, the A-Z

well after the final results are posted.

Guide to Organizing a Sports Event. Written

Creating this experience goes beyond

by Bill Hanson, considered the authority on this

competition and includes components such as

topic, the guide will be available in both e-book

event logistics, marketing, accommodations,

and printed format in the late fall of 2014.

local attractions, and services offered such as mobile apps and transportation.

Enjoy this edition of Sports Planning Guide and the year-round resources at SportsPlan-

With this in mind, we have revamped

ningGuide.com. Feel free to contact me at

Sports Planning Guide to provide the infor-

Justin@ptmgroups.com or 630-794-0696 with

mation you need to plan unbelievable events.

any comments or questions.

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 is $9.95

Send Address Change to: Premier Travel Media 621 Plainfield Rd., Suite 406 Willowbrook, IL 60527

This edition brings 48 top sports destinations to the table – all eager to host your events.

Sincerely,

While this publication comes out each fall, Sports Planning Guide lives year-round online, via social media and through our trade

Justin Roach

show partner.

Sports Marketing Manager

Sports Planning Guide

@SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

BILL HANSON

In Case of Emergency

oday’s sue-happy society makes

A Critical Incident Response Plan is

to have one specified spokesman to

a communication plan, pure and simple.

communicate the facts. An important

protect themselves when it comes to

Medical personnel will handle injuries

paragraph of the volunteer information

the medical and security areas of an

and police officers will handle violence

sheet should state that they do not

event. Any incident or accident can

and other incidents, but the LOC and

comment on incident or competition

leave the organizer open to litigation if

facility management need to know

issues.

it is not handled properly. It is generally

what’s happening, keep participants

recognized that a volunteer organizing

and spectators calm, and communicate

perhaps the most important role in a

committee has to concentrate on

outside the event.

major incident because he/she can

it imperative that event organizers

Every event organizing committee needs a Critical Incident Response Plan to deal with the unthinkable, whether it’s an accident, injury, violent act or weather-related issue

The public address announcer has

immediately communicate instructions and information to spectators and participants. The announcer should have a prepared script, vitally important in cases of evacuation, and immediately calm the crowd by taking control quickly and assisting law enforcement and facility officials with crowd move-

Following initial stabilization of the incident, the following primary contacts

Nerthuz/Bigstock.com

ment. Organizing committees can no

should be contacted and informed:

longer take a “we’ll deal with it when it

the tournament director, rights holder

happens” approach to critical incidents.

representative, facility manager, on-site

It is not a time-consuming project to

officers, emergency medical personnel

format, and it is easy to update for

and on-site physician or athletic trainer.

repeat events. ■

many important areas of the event, so

In many cases, all of these persons

the contracting of security and medical

may have event radios, which means

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

personnel is often considered sufficient.

that conversations need to be discreet.

But today’s social media reaction is

Of primary importance is an incident

immediate and so too must be that of

report, especially for any type of injury

the organizer.

handled by your medical personnel. If

Bill Hanson is a co-founder of San Antonio Sports, a sports commission established in 1984 that has helped generate over $450 million in direct visitor expenditures for the city. He is recently retired after 42 years involvement in sports administration and operations. His event management experience includes the sport operations of the AAU Junior Olympic Games, U.S. Olympic Festival and State Games of Texas. He has organized and directed individual competitions for the 1984 and 1996 Olympic Games, Pan American Games, Goodwill Games, professional soccer and numerous NCAA, NGB, local youth competitions and events created by San Antonio Sports. Bill is a past chairman of the National Association of Sports Commissions.

As an event director, or a member of an event organizing committee, take a minute to think how your group

police are involved, get a copy of their report as soon as possible. Large or national-level events should

would handle a bleacher collapse,

have a designated Incident Command

an approaching tornado or heavy

Center where the primary contacts

thunderstorm, some violent behavior,

know to meet. This is especially

or a seriously injured athlete. Is there

important if an immediate facility

quick communication with police,

evacuation is needed, such as with a

both on-site and off? Does your public

gas leak or fire.

address announcer know what to say

Social media reaction means that

and where to direct spectators and

local media outlets will quickly learn of

participants to go? Are you prepared

any serious incident, which means

to give the correct facts to the media?

that the organizing committee needs

Sports Planning Guide

@SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

We’re celebrating the grandest addition yet to our winning lineup of sports venues. Experienced event organizers are raving about Grand Park, the newest all-star in Hamilton County, Indiana’s winning lineup of sports venues.

Grand Park includes: • 26 outdoor diamonds including turf and grass options for baseball and softball • 31 outdoor fields including turf and grass options for soccer, lacrosse, football, rugby and field hockey • 2 indoor facilities designed to accommodate year-round play in a variety of sports • 4,000 parking spaces • 7 concession stands with restroom facilities

Learn more at HamiltonCountySports.com or call 317-848-3181.

GRAND PARK, WESTFIELD, INDIANA, JUST NORTH OF INDY

Are You On The Wave? Smart sports planners use social media tools and strategies to engage the public and build excitement for their events By Marti Wigder Grimminck

Sports Planning Guide

©iStock.com/Samuray

emember the mascots for X Games, or the famous CocaCola commercials shown during Super Bowl? Once upon a time, if a brand wanted to be part of the euphoria of the World Series, Final Four or a bowl game, it had to pay hefty sums to post billboards around the stadium or spend megabucks on TV commercials. Today, the world’s biggest soft drink labels, airlines, cell phone networks, apparel suppliers and others still pump millions into the country’s biggest sports events. But they no longer concentrate on the field and TV. Through massive use of social media, they have access to the place where today’s young spenders are to be found 22 hours per day: online, and in the palm of their hand. Fortunately, even without a mega-budget, you can get that access, too. By their very nature, sports events are social; they create a buzz, they usually put people in a good mood (especially if their team is winning) and, most importantly, they bring people of all ages together because they are experiences that are best shared. This makes social media and events natural partners. The clever use of social tools to draw on that buzz will make your event that much more successful – before, during or after the game. The relationship between events, their audiences and social media is set to become ever-stronger as millennials – the first generation to grow up in the era of “internet everywhere” and avid users of social media come of age and become mainstream consumers and decision makers. This is a generation that is used to managing their personal and professional life fully online, inspired by ideas, opinion, and endless facts and figures from a wide range of followers.

Create buzz for your event with social media like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and Google+.

If You’re Not on Facebook, You Don’t Exist Across the U.S. alone, social media is incorporated into every aspect of our social and consumption experiences. According to new research released by Ipsos Open Thinking Exchange (OTX), Americans aged 18-64 who use social networks say they spend an average of 3.2 hours per day doing so. We use social media to shop, check on traffic and weather, and hear the news. Of course, social media is nothing new. Facebook is already 10 years old. However, the ways in which Millennials are interacting with social media change over time. Some already consider Facebook outdated, with Instagram and Pinterest offering updates in the form of images that speak a thousand words and Twitter’s newsfeed constantly pushing out new tweets. Whichever channel you use, it’s essential to have a basic grasp of how social media campaigns work in order to address your audience in the place where they spend the most time. @SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

Pre-Event – Wax Your Board Prior to the World Cup, we were inundated with amazing opportunities to connect with sponsoring brands. Nike was not an official sponsor of the event but gained more value out of their Risk Everything social campaign than the other brands. They spent their time preparing and developing the creative engagement behind this concept and the results generated more than six billion campaign impressions. The pre-event period is the best time to start a social media campaign. When you release your season schedule or the specific sporting event, kick off your engagement. Whether you depend on ticket sales or strong attendance, this is the period to create a buzz and develop a crowd. Whatever your strategy, once outlined, launch it. Here are some tips on implementation:

OPEN DIALOG We don’t have to (only) post on bulletin boards or hand out flyers on the street to spread the word. Social media is your tool to engage your audience from the planning stage. Allow them the opportunity to help suggest programming or details about the event. Open forums for discussion and ask them for feedback on creative pieces. For example, a multi-day game event in San Francisco launched a campaign across Facebook seeking open submissions for programming. The submissions were inserted on their website in an open database for attendees to vote on. Game ideas with the largest number of supporters were put into the schedule. The success is in creating an open conversation with your fans and peppering them with imagery, quests or challenges that they will be inclined to repost. SportsPlanningGuide.com

SPREADING WOM On top of gaining valuable ideas, feedback and engagement with your attendees, dialog is a simple, cost-effective way to spread your word-of-mouth reach and draw a larger audience. A clever surfing company in Australia takes mini-videos of its clientele surfing and gives them the chance to post it on all their social networks, creating a “look at me” sharable moment. For further reach, launch an interactive competition where teams or competitors have to submit a photo or video. This will not only provide you with endless great content, but also create a tool that your attendees will post on their own networks, creating an even greater “social echo.”

BUILD EXCITEMENT As you get closer to the event, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are great tools to let people know who is attending and all the great things that will happen at the event. What better way to show pho-

http://blog.rivaliq.com/

©iStock.com/Todor Tsvetkov

Fortunately, with some solid planning, social media can be easy to use, low-cost and bring about great results. It also provides a satisfying way to get instant feedback from your audience. An effective campaign needs pre-planning, coordination and focus. The following three points are worth some thought: ■ Determine the best channels for your event. Facebook is great for sporting events and social activities, while LinkedIn is more appropriate for business events. Is there an effective way to use both, or should you concentrate your time and efforts on the channel that brings the biggest return? ■ Think carefully about your attendee demographic. Most 16-21-year-olds are not utilizing Twitter, but rather are obsessively posting on Instagram or Snapchat. It certainly doesn’t hurt to have open streams on all channels, but think prior about your social goals. If you are short on time and staff, think about where you can get the best return value for your time and effort. ■ Determine how you are going to use your social channels. Will you post an event page on Facebook to take RSVPs and promote specific event content or just keep the details announced on your company page? Use social media to advance your goals.

The figures don’t lie—social media is essential in boosting events.

tos of where the event is being held and entice people with the excitement of the event location than by using Pinterest or Instagram. One event in the Midwest posted photos of the city and venue and asked attendees to guess where it was being held this year. YouTube also can be used to gain people’s attention before they arrive. Highlight sponsors, feature key participants or teams or stats and performances from last year—anything you can share or ask people to do that brings their attention back to you. It makes your event more exciting, cleverer and up to date.

ATTENDEE PLANNING In addition, it can be an organizing tool for you as the event planner as you can track other fans at a sporting event. I recently attended an event where I could see who else was in attendance. Your fans want to be where the action is and this not only shows your attendee what is popular, but also who will be there. Your ability to spread the word via social tools and chatter allows you to build an audience, increase access to press and build excitement for what is to come. Sports Planning Guide

©iStock.com/dem10

A social media plan is important in staging a successful event.

During the Event – Shake up the Party When the excitement (and stress) of your event or game arrives, social media often is neglected. Yet this is the time to drive your channels. There are two key uses of social media during an event: External Amplification. Fortunately, most of your participants or families of athletes will send a “vanity post” during the event. Don’t miss out in cultivating that wave. Pull this material together through coordinated Instagram or Twitter #tags and social platform group pages. Not only do you want everyone to see the excitement that is happening there through videos, photos, tweets and Facebook posts, but also you want them to see your reply. This creates a sense of community and it will only help promote your event in the future.

Internal Social Jive. You’ve planned your event for so long, so don’t miss out capitalizing on the action. Be clever with your use of social media. Gamification, or turning sometimes mundane tasks into games and competitions, creates incentives to add more interaction at your event. Let’s face it, we are discussing sporting events. Your fans are already interested in games. Create a buzz within the event itself, reminding your guests how to participate, but also through all the newsworthy channels. In San Francisco, a random guy who had made a lot of money set up a “pay it forward” campaign. He hid money all over San Francisco and then posted clues across Twitter, creating a super interactive social media campaign. Your audience will also find its own ways to interact. At the 2014 Olympics in Russia, athletes were busy using Tinder to meet other athletes. In fact, there were reports that the American athletes were not doing well in the games due to the Tinder distraction (an interesting and very 21st century excuse). Make Social Media Your Assistant Social media can be your assistant at the event and help you organize and update schedules, or post announcements and results during your event. It is easy to create groups and feed it updates, announcements, content. At the event you can even run volunteer coordination across WhatsApp and Twitter. After the Event – Let the Waves Roll on Often neglected is the aftermath of an event. Yet this is the perfect time to make your event live on and build momentum. You have endless content from the experience, so take this opportunity to use it. Repackage it, post it, tweet it, send out clips of videos. Create, create and create more opportunities to show off everyone’s experience. It will not only build awareness for the future, but also will create a stronger association with the event brand among those who attended. The use of social media is only increasing. Millennials expect to be on social media in every aspect of their lives. Create, engage, distribute, repackage and, most importantly, maintain your engagement between all your events. Dive in and see how it can transform your sporting event, and share with this community your social media success stories, tips or frustrations on Twitter @SportsPlanGuide, #sportspg. ■ Marti Wigder Grimminck, @IntlConnector, established the communications company International Connector to help companies and destinations attract and meet the needs of millennials. An expert in producing events and multi-channel campaigns, Marti for more than 15 years produced and marketed Broadway shows, events and entertainment brands across North America, Asia, Europe and Australia. She frequently speaks on digital marketing, mobile and social, millenials and their global outlook, and women entrepreneurs. Marti earned an M.A. in social media and marketing from New York University’s Gallatin School and a B.F.A. in directing from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.

Sports Planning Guide

@SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

Homegrown Events You Can Learn From By Lauren Reiniger

Charleston Watersports Week Charleston Area Sports Commission is using Charleston, South Carolina’s natural environment in a never-before-done, 10-day, water-focused event from Sept. 5-14, 2014. Attracting more than 1,000 attendees, the initiative features a unique combination of venues, accommodations, restaurants, attractions and tours that are spread out over the entire Charleston region. Recognizing that visitor counts drop after Labor Day, Kathleen Cartland, executive director of Charleston Area Sports Commission, met with the board to discuss what the Charleston area has to offer and what will bring more people when summer ends. They noticed that a few water-focused events were already planned during that week, and they could just build around it. The event schedule includes competitive, recreational, leisure and instructional water activities. The event also features an expo to provide a centralized information hub. More than 40 local event organizers, outfitters and tour operators are expected to be involved this first year. To promote the event, the sports commission is marketing to cities within a few hours of Charleston, receiving marketing help from the Charleston CVB and putting a postcard promoting the event in the visitor’s guide, gen-

erating sponsorship sales, and creating online ads and press releases. Cartland advised, “Ask for help; see what is available; use social media; and add new events and activities of interest as they come in. We learn from our mistakes and our success. Have the ‘let’s dive in’ attitude—no pun intended.”

A Jefferson City Outdoors Prison Break runner slides down one of the obstacles—a local park’s big hill.

heodore Roosevelt once said, “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” These communities did just that to create unique sports events that not only glue community members together, but bring in curious thrillseekers from outside their county lines. See how you can do the same in your community and take some advice from the planners themselves.

Sports Planning Guide

Sand Master Jam Open and free to the public, Sand Master Jam takes place during the third week in July at Sand Master Park in Florence, Oregon. This year saw 24 participants and a few hundred spectators. The number of participants and spectators varies year to year depending on the weather; the first year only saw three participants. The annual pro/amateur sandboard competition, with 19 years under its belt, is the longest-running sandboard event in the world. Prior to the park’s opening in 2000, the competition used to move around to various sand dunes in southern California. Lon Beale, owner of Sand Master Park, said, “This facility provides a much more convenient and stable event @SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

3,500 fans watch the Big River Rivalry, a North vs. South game for top seniors from different high schools in Virginia.

space. In fact, Sand Master Park is the only genuine sandboard park in the nation. It’s different and the sport itself is very popular in this area.” Social media, websites and reusable posters are used to promote the event. Beale said the community, including Sand Master Park, is very “green” and wouldn’t waste paper by using flyers; digital media promotion is preferred. The competition, usually lasting three-and-a-half hours, is designed to test overall skill, including jumps, tricks, speed, balance and maneuverability. These are tested through ramps, a five-inch rail and a drag race. Beale’s advice for planning a sports event is: “Post it a year in advance and have other activities planned alongside, so if the weather or an unforeseen occurrence makes the main feature impossible, you still have other options for the crowd. Concerts are always a good backup.” Jefferson City Outdoors Prison Break What was once a decommissioned state prison built in 1836 is now the starting line for Jefferson City Outdoors Prison Break in Jefferson City, Missouri. The third consecutive race took place on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2014. In 2012, there were 160 participants and 2014 saw more than 200. The Jefferson City Outdoors Group and the Jefferson City CVB worked together to create a unique event utilizing local attractions while promoting health and fitness. The five-mile course begins at Missouri State Penitentiary where participants were led out of the prison’s dungeon to the Missouri River. As this year’s story went, buses were waiting transport them to new a prison, but something went awry and a siren blared, which signaled the racers to start running. Crossing over hilly terrain, crawling through a mud pit, sliding down a hill, participants made their way through the city parks to Prison Brews, a microbrewery and restaurant where food and live music awaited. This event spread mainly through word-of-mouth, but also became known through social media, websites, flyers and trade shows. SportsPlanningGuide.com

Incentives to participate include T-shirts and discounted rates from nearby hotels. Volunteers are a key part of this event’s success and are recruited through an active volunteer support group, members of the Jefferson Outdoors Group and other local organizations. Chris Wilson of the Jefferson City CVB said, “We met every month with Jefferson City Outdoors to brainstorm new ideas. We wanted to take advantage of our resources and we knew people enjoy challenges and new ideas. We learned what to keep and add each year.”

Sand Master Jam is the longest-running sandboard event in the world.

Sports Planning Guide

Big River Rivalry The second consecutive Big River Rivalry will take place this fall in Ashland, Virginia, where at least two seniors from 42 high schools—22 from north of the James River and 20 from the south—are picked to play in one football game—North vs. South. The first game drew in 3,500 fans (stadium capacity) on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2013, and the same number is expected this year. This event is all about involving the community and providing a great opportunity for deserving young men. Coaches from each school nominate the top four seniors to play based on good academic standing, volunteer experience and embodiment of an ideal role model. College recruits and coaches from DII and DIII schools are invited, and 60 percent of last year’s players ended up going to college. Robert (Bob) Siff, director of operations for Big River Rivalry

Sports Planning Guide

and former high school football referee, saw that the local schools didn’t get much exposure. He came up with the concept years ago, using some inspiring ideas from the North/South Atlanta Metro AllStar Game, and worked with the Touchdown Club of Richmond to make his vision come to life. Siff said, “Rival players became buddies, coaches and referees volunteered, and proceeds went to a local children’s hospital, autism school and food bank. Players got a fighting chance at going to college. At the banquet the night before the game, a University of Virginia football player came to speak on what to expect in college and why it’s important, whether or not they played football. It took a year of planning, but the result is worth it.” Tour Sioux Falls The two-day cycling event in Sioux Falls, South Dakota celebrates a healthy, active lifestyle and raises money for charitable causes. This year, proceeds went to American Diabetes Association and a local church, among others. Growing to 650 participants in its second year, the 2014 event took place on Friday and Saturday, June 27 and 28. Beautiful bike trails are no stranger to Sioux Falls, and this event uses them to its advantage. Unlike most cycling events, Tour Sioux Falls didn’t require any road blockage. That Saturday featured the 20mile Sioux Falls Bike Trail and various rest stops, each featuring entertainment, refreshments and other activities. All participants received event passports, which were stamped at the checkpoints. One stamp equaled one raffle ticket, and raffle tickets could win any of more than 70 prizes including family gift packages, city attraction passes, basketball tickets to a local tournament and hybrid bikes. The event ended with the You Did It! Celebration, where a plethora of prizes was awarded. Everyone who completed the 20-mile trail received a Finisher’s Cup. Leading up to Saturday’s race, Friday’s festivities centered around the Bicycle Festival, a pre-event featuring a kids’ bike race, bicycle rodeo, bicycle “tractor pull” and the Twilight Criterium, where racers rode under lights come nightfall. Special guest Reuel Erikson, a former pro-BMX rider, educated kids about bike safety and signed autographs. Executive Director Wes Hall advised, “Get the community involved, cooperate with municipal government, find that niche that your community members want and find support.” @SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

Grand Rapids Crew Cup The sixth annual Grand Rapids Crew Cup took place in Grand Rapids, Michigan from Aug. 22-24, 2014. Teams from all across the Midwest and Canada compete in the pre-season event. The first tournament in 2009 hosted 125 teams, which rose to more than 320 teams this year, making it the fastest growing tournament in the Midwest. The tournament’s main facility is MVP Fieldhouse, and additional 60-plus fields are all within 20 minutes of MVP and hotels. Players are divided by age into categories: U-14 boys, U-19 girls, and a combination of U-16, -17 and 18. Approximately 30 college coaches and recruits are invited to come to the event. The 2014 Crew Cup teamed up with its official housing service, Traveling Teams, for accommodations. This helped make the process of reserving rooms easier and more reliable. All participants in the 2014 Crew Cup had to use one of the hotels provided by Traveling Teams. Teams were accepted into the tournament by a “Selection Committee.” The selection process includes application information, such as team records, level of play, out of town/state versus local teams (to achieve a balance), performance in post-season tournaments, etc. GR Crew Cup Tournament Director Marc Frankland has been running tournaments for 10 years. When he moved to the Midwest, he saw a need for more soccer tournaments. Frankland said, “We try to get involved with people interested in expanding soccer in the Midwest by building soccer fields and facilities. There is a market for it; we have brought in $3 million in economic impact and the GR Crew Cup sold out all hotel rooms in the area. The next step is expanding.” More than 320 teams play in the Grand Rapids Crew Cup (above). About 6,000 people run in the Savannah Bridge Run (below).

Sports Planning Guide

Savannah River Bridge Run 5k/10k The Enmark Savannah Bridge Run will take place in Savannah, Georgia on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2014. It includes a 5k, 10k, the Double Pump and Kid ¼ mile where participants can run, walk or crawl 1.4 miles over the 5.5-percentgrade Talmadge Bridge, peaking at 196 feet above the Savannah River. From its start in 1991, the event has grown from a few hundred participants to around 6,000 consistently for the past three years. The Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce started the run as a fundraiser, but when the Savannah Sports Council (SSC) was created in 1993, the chamber passed the torch. Throughout the years, Savannah has become a strong running community. In addition to the run itself, the event includes an expo that features running and health-related vendors, providing a great opportunity for exposure to race participants. Awards are given to top runners and there are a costume contest and live music. Benefits from the event go to the Cancer & Research Pavilion at St. Joseph's/Candler in Savannah. The event ends with a postrace party. To promote the event, Savannah Sports Council mails 15,000 brochures to past participants, updates its Bridge Run Facebook page, and utilizes newspaper, radio and television media outlets. The event is legendary in the community, being more than 20 years old, so promotion is based on reminding locals. Jonathan Sykes, event coordinator at Savannah Sports Council, said, “When planning an event this large, organization is important. With the event being around for so long, many of the people involved know their job and how to do it efficiently. So each year, we work on refining aspects to help the event continue to grow, as well as keeping the event fresh with new ideas to bring in new participants.” ■ @SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

T R E N D I N G N O W:

What

Wh These eight sports are gaining traction and won’t be slowing down anytime soon

Non-traditional sports like quidditch, cornhole and unconventional running are experiencing tremendous growth throughout North America and the world.

ootGolf, or a variation of the game, is played in 30 countries. Since 2009, the American FootGolf League (AFGL), backed by the PGA, has grown and will continue to grow, according to Roberto Balestrini, founder of AFGL. “In September 2013 we had 22 golf course members. Today we have over 240 golf courses sanctioned by the AFGL in 40 states.” Quidditch has 170 official college club teams and more than 4,100 registered players. In April 2014, 79 teams competed in and approximately 3,000 spectators attended the IQA World Cup VII in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, sponsored by US Quidditch. Currently there are 110 official teams competing across the U.S. and events are taking place across the globe. Alex Benepe, CEO of US Quidditch, said, “We hope to see a 15 percent increase (in players) in 2015.” US Lacrosse, founded in 1998, now has 67 regional chapters covering 45 states. World Championships are held each year with 38 countries. In 2013, there were 746,859 players—an in20

Sports Planning Guide

crease of nearly 25,000 players from 2012—and 427,900 members of US Lacrosse. Brian Logue, director of communications of US Lacrosse, said, “Lacrosse has been added to almost 200 [collegiate] programs in the last five years. High school lacrosse has grown at a rate of over 35 percent over the last five years, and there is room for more growth.” Extreme running events are continuing to grow in popularity. For instance, the Color Run is the world’s largest event series, tripling its growth with 170 events in more than 30 countries since 2013, with nearly one million participants. The Tough Mudder, with 1.3 million participants since the series began in 2010, has grown to more than 100 events on three continents with an average of 10,000-15,000 participants per event, and 80 percent of the 1012-mile course is conquered through team participation. Warrior Dash has hosted more than 150 events in six countries and four continents, including North America, Asia, Europe and Australia. 2014 saw more than 50 dashes taking place across the globe. @SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

ere Photo courtesy of Copper Mountain

? How

Dragon boat racing and extreme running events are catching fire, offering countless opportunities for sports planners.

Disc golf has seen rapid growth with more than 20,000 new members of the Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) this year alone. Leagues, tours, World Championships and other major events span throughout the year and the world. The World Championships gained quite a bit of attention from spectators; Matt Gregoire, PDGA’s media manager, said, “Close to 1,000 people lined the fairways and greens. It was incredible to see that many people out at the park cheering on their favorite players.” Dragon Boat Racing has 90,000 participants across Canada and the USA with a number of events worldwide. Major League Dragon Boat (MLDB) hosts 40 events per year. In the Orlando International Dragon Boat Festival, around 90 international teams compete. The GWN Dragon Boat Challenge brings out more than 100 teams with 40,000 participants and 10,000 spectators. Aaron Soroka, chief operating office of MLDB, said “The inclusiveness and ease of access for participants makes dragon boating the SportsPlanningGuide.com

fastest growing water sport in the world. The sport is experiencing tremendous growth throughout communities in North America.” The American Cornhole Organization (ACO) is expected to grow next year with 3,500-5,000 new members, compared to 106 current recognized professionals in the ACO. According to Frank Geers, president and CEO of ACO, “Almost 400 people from 19 states competed at the five-day competition known as the ACO’s World Championships of Cornhole IX this year in Charleston, West Virginia.” The State Championships of Cornhole can draw anywhere from 300-500 active players. Pickleball has more than 100,000 players, and courts can be found in all 50 states. According to Ruth Rosenquist, media relations chair for the USA Pickleball Association (USAPA), “Since 2010 the number of pickleball courses has doubled…and USAPA memberships are up 59 percent in the past 18 months.” Justin Maloof, executive director of USAPA, estimates 250 pickleball players will be at the 2015 State Games of America in Lincoln, Nebraska. ■ Sports Planning Guide

THE US SPORTS CONGRESS INVITES YOU TO

SAVANNAH FOR THIS YEAR’S SPORTS CONFERENCE

Dec. 8-10, 2014 Hosted by the Savannah Sports Council

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Industry’s Best Networking Events ■

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World-Class Presenters

Superior Educational Sessions

The Best Ratio of Buyers to Sellers

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

elcome to the US Sports Congress, a “Sports Conference Like No Other.” We extend to you an invitation to explore what makes the USSC different. At the Congress you’ll find increased opportunities to build relationships, learn side by side with all industry partners and gain deeper insight into the sports event industry. If you are looking for a way to move your LOU MENGSOL event marketing and operations to the next level, we’re PRESIDENT US SPORTS CONGRESS confident that the US Sports Congress will be the channel that leads to your success.

By Lauren Reiniger

When it comes to grabbing the public’s attention, sign experts go by this rule—the bigger the better.

Original Ideas for Utilizing Signage at Your Next Event

ere’s the simple fact: signage attracts attention. Think back to any event you’ve gone to, outdoors or indoors. From a grand welcome sign to a simple directional sign, it’s important to provide these visuals. Use signage to achieve higher attendance. Before your event takes place, strategically place your signs to get the word out and spark interest in your host community. During the event, signs generate a sense of credibility and legitimacy. Clean and creative signs used during your event can be used to promote your organization/event. Making your event title or logo visible provides a visual cue for all attendees, resulting in better brand recognition. You can also use signs during your event to promote upcoming events. Use signage to showcase your sponsors and advertisers. It’s important to satisfy your sponsors sufficiently so they will provide support in future events. It’s important to promote all your social media outlets, whether you’re asking attendees to follow you on Twitter, like your Facebook page or even connect with you on LinkedIn. It’s a good idea to additionally provide a hashtag (#) for your event so attendees can share photos and experiences connected to your specific event via Twitter and Instagram. The more social media buzz you can produce, the better chance you have at having successful future events. Of course, you can use signs simply for directional purposes. Sports events especially can be hectic and confusing. What court or

Sports Planning Guide

field am I supposed to go to? Where is the viewing section? Where are concessions? Where are restrooms? Where is the gift shop? Where are tournament results posted? Communication is always key; communicate to your visitors and give them an easygoing and enjoyable experience. Now that you know why you need signage, here’s how you pull it off. We spoke with Katie Konicek and Rob Newton of Source One Digital, a signage application innovator that has extensive experience as a top-quality graphics partner for leading brands, retailers and sports, including the NCAA and Chicago Blackhawks. Here are their tips for eight novel ways to utilize your signage.

Bleachers are perfect places to promote your event or organization.

@SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

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Go Green and Use the Natural Landscape Use existing landscape and unexpected areas to display graphics. Signs don’t have to be limited to walls, and you don’t have to install obnoxious posts just to hold a sign. Wrap It Vinyl adhesive decals are made to adhere to almost any surface—flat, contoured or textured—for indoor and outdoor applications. Think Big—and then Bigger than that! Banner graphics can be billboard size or even larger to cover locations that can easily be seen from a distance. Big visuals are more likely to attract attention. Capture Idle Moments of Opportunity Use areas of forced pedestrian foot traffic—stairwells, escalators and elevators—as opportunities for branding, promoting and sponsorship.

Use See-Through Graphics Graphics such as perforated window vinyl are great products to use during temporary events, as they can be easily removed from windows. They can even block glaring light from coming in on shiny courts. Large window graphics can be made to be viewed from the outside, but seen inside as soft black screens.

Define Event Space within the Event Need to designate or barricade an event area within the event venue itself? A-frames are great economic and transportable ways to display graphics where no structure currently exists. They collapse easily and can be reused.

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Escalators and stairs present opportunities for branding.

Make a 360 Impact Fence mesh and windscreens can be printed front and back to capture the audience on both sides of the fence. These are especially helpful in making your sponsors happy. Go Where the Fans Are Bleachers and grandstands are great structures to utilize for installing large graphics that capture the audience’s attention on the way to their seats.

BONUS ADVICE For bonus advice on signage, visit SportsPlanningGuide.com and type in Source One Digital.

The best sports events have a way of staying with you. With over 1,200 sports facilities to choose from, and numerous world-class attractions, you’ll make lasting memories on and off the ﬁeld. Find the perfect venue for your next event at sportsillinois.com.

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Sports Planning Guide

WEST REGION

rom the Pacific to the Plains, towns big and small attract sports planners with tournament-ready fields, gymnasiums, pools, arenas, stadiums and waterways. Besides offering top-notch accommodations and visitor attractions, each Western destination highlighted in this regional section has a wealth of experience in hosting events and a dedicated staff of experts with all the tools to help make your tournament the best it can be.

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DESTINATION

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Reno-Sparks, NV

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Bakersfield, CA

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Stockton, CA

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Ventura, CA

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Vallejo, CA

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Greater Ontario, CA

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Lubbock, TX

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Round Rock, TX

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Fort Worth, TX

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Plano, TX

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Frisco, TX

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Lewisville, TX

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Bryan-College Station, TX

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Campbell County, WY

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Snohomish County, WA

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Eugene, Cascades & Coast, OR

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30 Rabobank Arena, home to CSU Roadrunners men’s basketball, is Bakersfield’s largest sports facility.

1 RENO-SPARKS, NV Venues Include Two Record-Breaking Facilities 1. Golden Eagle Regional Park Growing grass in the desert isn’t easy, so the Sparks Park District decided to make history. Built in 2008, the sports complex at Golden Eagle Regional Park covers more than 100 acres and features more than 1.4 million square feet of artificial turf, making it the largest facility of its kind in North America. The complex features four full-size baseball fields, four youth baseball fields, six softball fields, three full-size football/soccer fields, four volleyball courts and two bocce courts. With ample parking, seating, lights and pavilions, Golden Eagle Regional Park is a great all-in-one tournament venue.

2. Reno-Sparks Convention Center With a little creativity, the Reno-Sparks Convention Center can host virtually any indoor sports event. The 500,000-square-foot facility has hosted events such as the Summer National Fencing Championships, Junior National Volleyball Championships, USA Team Handball Championships and Jam On It basketball tournaments. Choose from one of five massive exhibit halls to host your event, and take advantage of the facility’s meeting rooms for registration, coaches meetings and trophy ceremonies.

Sports Planning Guide

Droves of tourists flock to Reno-Sparks to experience its nightlife, casinos and beautiful Lake Tahoe, but the area’s quality sports facilities make it a youth events hotbed as well. 3. Reno-Sparks Livestock Events Center The world-famous Reno Rodeo takes center stage at the Reno-Sparks Livestock Events Center every June. The rest of the year the RSLEC hosts a variety of sports events, from monster truck rallies to motocross races to wrestling tournaments. For equine or rodeo-type events, the RSLEC features 19 barns, 660 animal stalls, two indoor arenas and one outdoor arena. The main indoor arena holds 6,200, while the livestock pavilion seats 1,000. Despite having “livestock” in its name, the RSLEC functions much like a convention center and regularly lays down the flooring necessary to host a variety of sports events.

4. National Bowling Stadium At 363,000 square feet and with 88 championship-size lanes, Reno’s National Bowling Stadium is the largest bowling stadium in the world. The site features a pro shop, stadium club, 10 Lane Kingpin Club and a 440-footlong video screen (the longest in the world). The stadium can be recognized from miles away due to the 80-foot-tall silver bowling ball perched atop its roof. For all-in-one bowling tournaments, there truly is no other venue like the National Bowling Stadium.

5. University of Nevada Home of the Wolf Pack, the University of Nevada offers Division I facilities to tournament planners looking to host events during the summer months. The university’s premier facilities include Mackay Stadium (30,000-seat, lighted,

@SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

artificial turf football stadium), Lawlor Events Center (11,536seat basketball arena), Virginia Street Gym (1,800-seat volleyball arena), Peccole Park (3,000-seat, lighted, artificial turf baseball stadium) and Christina M. Hixson Softball Park (1,500-seat softball stadium).

FACILITY SPOTLIGHT

Museums, Nature and Recreation Whether your tournament goers choose to stay in the Reno-Sparks metro area or venture to the scenic shores of Lake Tahoe, there is plenty in the area to keep teams occupied during their down time. The National Automobile Museum is a great way to see the evolution of transportation in a fun and historically-appropriate context. Many of the cars, trucks and other vehicles on display are antiques. Kids, teens and grownups alike will enjoy the Terry Lee Wells Nevada Discovery Museum, which takes a hands-on approach to science, art and history. Activities include climbing clouds, building a “green” house and learning about Nevada’s history. For animal lovers, see mountain lions, bears, wolves and other rescued creatures at the Animal Ark Nature Center and Wildlife Sanctuary. The Lake Tahoe area also offers everything from water sports and snow skiing to boat cruises, sightseeing gondolas and hot air ballooning.

Easy to Get to, Easier to Stay Tournament goers and tourists routinely get to Reno by air, road and rail. The Reno-Tahoe International Airport is served by all major airlines, and some hotel and destination shuttles are free. US-395 and I-80 converge at Reno, meaning teams and individuals from all four directions can drive in on a major highway. Reno is about 450 miles north of Las Vegas, 500 miles west of Salt Lake City and 220 miles northeast of San Francisco. Another option is Amtrak’s California Zephyr, which makes a roundtrip from San Francisco to Chicago and stops at the Reno station. Finding accommodations to suit your group’s style and budget shouldn’t be a problem in Reno, where you can choose from more than 15,000 hotel rooms, most within easy driving distance of the airport and event venues. Parents will be happy to learn that Reno’s average hotel prices are about 30 percent less than other major destinations in the area.

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Registration and welcome assistance Airport assistance Marketing and PR assistance Social media, Facebook and micro-webpage assistance Free specialized iPhone app (for selected events)

RENO-SPARKS CVA Shelli Fine, Director of Sports Development P.O. Box 837, Reno, NV 89504 775-827-7704 • sfine@renotahoeusa.com VisitRenoTahoe.com

SportsPlanningGuide.com

2 Sports Planning Guide

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5 BAKERSFIELD, CA With three professional sports teams, 23 athletic venues and facilities for everything from ice hockey to water polo, Bakersfield has hosted many tournaments and competitions, including NCAA basketball, professional bike racing and CIF high school tournaments.

From the Great Indoors to the Great Outdoors 1. Rabobank Arena This is Bakersfield’s largest sports facility. It can seat up to 10,000, with 26 private suites, a four-sided video board, and all the amenities that you’d expect from a facility that houses both the ECHL’s Bakersfield Condors and the CSU Roadrunners men’s basketball team. For participants, this multi-use arena has eight locker rooms and additional practice or staging space available in the connected Rabobank Convention Center.

Bakersfield has a lot going for it – an abundance of facilities, a plethora of hotel rooms and mild weather. But its central location – within four hours of 90% of the population of California – makes it a regional favorite for sports events.

3. State Farm Sports Village Phase One of this 170-acre is complete; it includes landscaped grounds, concessions and 16 soccer fields. Phase Two will add a gymnasium for indoor sports, meeting areas, multi-use trails, four football fields and 10 baseball/softball diamonds.

4. CSU Bakersfield Icardo Center This facility is home of the well-known “blue floor” as well as the CSU Roadrunners volleyball, track and field, and women’s basketball teams. Its roomy 44,000 square feet and 3,800 seating capacity make it a good choice for similar sports.

5. Bakersfield College Gym This venue is fully equipped for indoor sports, thanks to its north and south balconies, skybox, locker rooms and 14,000 square feet of space. For fans, there is seating that can accommodate 2,200, lots of parking and concessions.

6. Bakersfield College Memorial Stadium 2. Kern County Soccer Park San Joaquin Valley’s largest lit-field complex, the park has 34 regulation-sized soccer fields, ample parking and concessions. There are multiple restrooms throughout the complex and separate referee buildings and tournament headquarters. 30

Sports Planning Guide

This massive, 19,000-seat stadium can host multiple events. As home of the Bakersfield College Renegades football team and track and field program, it has the facilities you’d expect for collegiate-level sports: a regulation-sized football and soccer field and track runways. @SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

Central Location a Big Plus

Unique Eats, Popular Beats and Cultural Sights Bakersfield is sometimes called the Nashville of the West, thanks to its strong ties to country music. Music plays a major part in the local attractions; perhaps nowhere is this more noticeable than at Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace, a countrymusic themed venue where guests can eat dinner, listen to live music, dance, visit the store, or see guitars and other country music memorabilia. For an educationally-themed break from sports, groups can visit the Kern County Museum (including the Lori Brock Children’s Discovery Center), Bakersfield Museum of Art, California Living Museum (think zoo) and Buena Vista Museum of Natural History. Another Bakersfield specialty is Basque cuisine. While there is a lot of variety in this city’s culinary scene, it is especially known for this style of cooking. The Basque region lies in the Pyrenees Mountains, taking in parts of southern France and northern Spain, and it is noted for its hearty, satisfying food. For larger groups, the Pyrenees Cafe and Wool Growers Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge offer banquet-sized seating areas.

Bakersfield is located at the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley, almost exactly between Fresno (109 miles) and Los Angeles (112 miles). It is about 15 minutes east of Interstate 5. The closest major airport is LAX, but Bakersfield does have its own regional airport a short distance from the city. Meadows Field Airport, with flights from Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Francisco, is served by United, US Airways and American Airlines. Bakersfield’s combination of convenient location, 5,000plus available rooms and reasonable lodging rates – about 40% cheaper than the California average – makes it popular for in-state events.

X Factors ■ ■

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Social media marketing for your event Grant programs (which can include help with transportation needs) ■ PR/media coverage Help building microsites for your event ■ Signage ■ Site visits Housing services ■ Discounts to local attractions

BAKERSFIELD CVB Matt Billingsley, Sales Manager 661-852-7236 • mbillingsley@visitbakersfield.com VisitBakersfield.com

Plan your next spor ts event with

CONFIDENCE No matter the sport - indoor, outdoor, on the ice or in the sun, Bakersfield has a venue to host your next event SPECIALTY VENUES INCLUDING

Water Sports Lakes, Racetracks, BMX Track and more!

Call Sports Sales Manager Matt Billingsley toll-free at

866-425-7353 SportsPlanningGuide.com

Sports Planning Guide

2 STOCKTON, CA Versatile Facilities for a Wide Range of Events 1. Stockton Arena The Stockton Arena is one of the most frequented sports venues in Stockton. It has played host to a wide variety of sports events, including basketball, indoor soccer and hockey. It features an NHL regulation ice sheet, 5,000 square feet of conference space and between 8,600 and 12,000 seats, depending on the configuration for the event.

2. University of the Pacific Venues at the University of the Pacific are popular for tournaments and events, and this year the campus will welcome some brand new athletic facilities. Zuckerman Field is a brand new soccer stadium that features a regulation grass soccer surface that is the home of the Pacific men’s and women’s soccer teams. The university will add seating for 2,500 spectators and an enclosed press box. Field Hockey Turf Field, the new 76,500-square-foot field hockey facility, is a water-based Edel Grass field constructed to FIH standards. It is the new home for the Pacific field hockey team. Eve Zimmerman Tennis Center, slated for completion in spring 2015, will feature 12 courts and a two-story, 4,000-square-foot clubhouse. The clubhouse will include team and public locker rooms on the bottom floor and a 2,000-square-foot lounge on the top floor with patios on either side. 32

Sports Planning Guide

Elite athletic facilities and a sports-loving community make any event in Stockton feel right at home. The Alex G. Spanos Center is a popular arena that seats 6,150 spectators and is the site of men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball and many other sports. Chris Kjeldsen Pool Complex has been serving the swimming community for almost 40 years and is one of the busiest facilities in Stockton. Klein Family Field is considered one of the best baseball facilities in the state, and it can be used for local, regional and state tournaments. It has fixed seating for 1,200, but additional seats can bring it up to 2,500. Raney Sand Volleyball Courts, built in 2013, is one of the top sand volleyball complexes on the West Coast. The facility features three courts with seating on the north, west and east sides.

3. Banner Island (Stockton) Ballpark Adjacent to the Stockton Arena is the ballpark, better known as Banner Island Ballpark, home of the Stockton Ports, the Oakland A’s Single-A affiliate. It also serves as a venue for high school, college and travel baseball clubs. It has hosted events like the CCAA Baseball Championships and NCAA West Coast Conference Baseball Championships. The park features 5,200 fixed seats and two picnic areas.

4. Regional Sports Complex The Regional Sports Complex is a multi-purpose facility that caters to baseball and soccer. It features four softball fields and four soccer fields, as well as concessions and a picnic area. @SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

Waterfront Activities Lie Steps from Land-Based Attractions When it comes to activities off the court or field, Stockton has it covered. From museums and galleries to water sports and cruises, Stockton offers sports teams and their families an overwhelming list of attractions to enjoy during their stay. Cruise along the California Delta with Opportunity Cruises, which offers a variety of sunset dinner and fireworks trips, as well as customized cruises for your group. Experience water-time fun at the Stockton Marina, located along the Stockton Channel. Here your group can rent kayaks and paddleboats, or test their balance during a paddle boarding adventure. Cultural enthusiasts can head over to the Haggin Museum for a taste of art and history all in one, while young athletes can venture over to Pixie Woods Amusement Park and let loose in this fantasy land. Families can enjoy a day at Micke Grove Regional Park and Zoo or World of Wonders Science Museum. For parents, Stockton offers a wide range of wineries where guests can spend an afternoon sipping varietals from over 80 vineyards. Since Stockton is centrally located and only a short distance from San Francisco and Yosemite National Park, it is easy for families to spend a day—or more—in these vacation favorites. San Francisco highlights include bay cruises, Pier 39, Fisherman’s Wharf, Chinatown, Golden Gate Park and Alcatraz Island.

SportsPlanningGuide.com

Accessible By Land, Air and Sea Stockton, located in the San Joaquin Delta, is accessible by air, car, train and even boat. The Sacramento airport is a short 50-minute drive away, while the San Francisco airport is about an hour-and-a-half drive. Yosemite and Lake Tahoe are less than three hours away, while Los Angeles is five hours and 15 minutes. The San Joaquin Regional Transit District provides public transport in the metropolitan area. Stockton features more than 2,000 hotel rooms, so there are plenty of options to fit any team's needs and budget.

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Social media marketing for your event Volunteer staff Grant programs PR/media coverage Signage ■ Site visits Transportation for teams Housing services Discounts to local attractions

VISIT STOCKTON Tim Pasisz, Sports Development Director 209-938-1556 direct • tim@visitstockton.org VisitStockton.org

Sports Planning Guide

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3 VENTURA, CA Facilities Cover Both Ends of Spectrum, from Premier Golf Courses to BMX-worthy Dirt Tracks 1. Buenaventura Golf Course Originally opened in 1932, Buenaventura Golf Course is one of the finest municipal courses in the Southland. With tall trees, green fairways and white sand bunkers, the course was designed with a parkland feel. The hazards look like they were not merely manufactured, but rather discovered in the landscape. Buenaventura underwent a $6.5-million renovation in 2004, including complete re-routing of the 18-hole golf course. Buenaventura Golf Course is also home to Wedgewood Wedding & Banquet Center, which has been awarded “Ventura County’s Best Banquet Facility.” Up to 350 seated guests can enjoy this recently renovated banquet room complete with a fireplace, bar and stunning golf course views.

2. Olivas Links Golf Course This is the sister course of Buenaventura Golf Course; the courses are located within three miles of each other. Olivas Links, with its rustic tranquility, is a place where the competition is between player and nature, featuring views of the Ventura Harbor, Ventura hillside and Channel Islands. With four distinct sets of tees, Olivas Links challenges players of all abilities. The 1.5-acre practice facility features grass tees with five bunkered target greens. Adjacent to Olivas Links is Ventura County’s only remaining Monterey-style adobe home from the Rancho era. The Olivas Adobe outdoor courtyard is available for a post-golf banquet. 34

Sports Planning Guide

With a wide array of top-notch facilities, a welcoming community and a beautiful beach, Ventura is the place for sports events in Southern California 3. Ventura Community Park The park features soccer, baseball and softball fields, plus the state-of-the-art Ventura Aquatic Center, which has a 50-meter competition pool with two 1-meter and two 3-meter diving stands. There is open space available for marathons and other events. The BMX park, the venue’s highlight, hosted the 2014 USA BMX Seaside Nationals.

4. Ventura College Ventura College Sportsplex hosts six intercollegiate programs: men and women's track, football, women's soccer, and men and women's cross country. The facility has a state-of the-art polyethylene playing field surrounded by a nine-lane, all-weather track. Bleachers accommodate 3,000 spectators. Ventura College Athletic Event Center hosts basketball and volleyball events. New stadium seats were installed in the lower bleacher area, along with new scoreboards and a marquee message board. Ventura College Baseball Complex is the largest field in California community college baseball. Ventura College Tennis Center offers eight courts that have recently been resurfaced using state-of-the-art Plexipave material. Additionally, the two lower courts have been converted to stadium courts with bleacher seating and awnings.

5. Ventura Bike Trails and Beaches The Ventura scenic bike trail is ideal for cycling, bike racing or even a cross country event. It starts at the mouth of the Ventura River and takes you along the C-Street Promenade and past Surfer’s Point and Ventura Pier, ending at the San Buenaventura State Beach. The promenade area is a perfect viewing point. The beach encompasses two miles of pristine beach and sand dunes, great for swimming, surfing and other water events. @SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

6. Ventura County Fairgrounds This is the "biggest and the best" meeting center on the Central Coast, with more than 450,000 square feet of indoor meeting space and acres of oceanside parkland. The grounds can be used for equestrian events, dance and surf competitions, and other sports.

Nautical Fun within Minutes of Hotels and Athletic Facilities Channel Islands National Park and Marine Sanctuary encompasses five islands and their ocean environments, preserving and protecting natural and cultural resources. Isolation throughout thousands of years has created unique animals, plants and archeological resources found nowhere else on Earth. Experience coastal Southern California as it once was; hike, cruise, kayak, camp, paddle board, surf, snorkel, and explore caves and coves. Island Packers provides the boats to the islands along with whale watching excursions from Ventura Harbor, which is lined with shops and restaurants. The palm-lined streets of Ventura’s Historic Downtown Cultural District abound with historic homes, museums, boutiques, antique shops, galleries and restaurants. The downtown district is only a few minutes by foot to the Ventura Pier and Promenade, where fun on the Pacific Ocean awaits.

Just Northwest of Los Angeles Ventura is one hour northwest of Los Angeles and 40 minutes south of Santa Barbara. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is an hour-and-a-half southeast of Ventura; Burbank Bob Hope Airport is a little over an hour east of Ventura; and Santa Barbara Airport is about 40 minutes northwest of Ventura. Ventura offers 2,100 hotel rooms with 1,000 rooms downtown. A free trolley from the historic downtown to the harbor stops by many of the hotels.

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Welcome bags Special discounts at restaurants and retail Welcome from city dignitaries Cross promotion via social media Community outreach to promote events Free promotional materials to attendees Community Support

VENTURA VISITORS & CONVENTION BUREAU Cheryl Bagby, Tourism Sales & Marketing Manager 101 S. California Street, Ventura, CA 93001 805.648.2075 • cheryl@ventura-usa.com Ventura-USA.com

Play In

Paradise With an assortment of quality facilities and beachside entertainment, your sports event in Ventura will double as a vacation. Call us today for special group rates and packages. Ventura Visitors & Convention Bureau 101 S. California Street www.ventura-usa.com Ventura, CA 93001

SportsPlanningGuide.com

805.648.2075 Sports Planning Guide

4 3 VALLEJO, CA

No other city in the Bay Area can better claim a more convenient and accessible location than Vallejo, California. Strategically located midway between San Francisco and Sacramento, Vallejo offers a wide variety of sports facilities, attractions and accommodations.

Whatever the Sport, Vallejo Has You Covered 1. Six Flags Discovery Kingdom - Chabot Stadium Six Flags Discovery Kingdom offers a performance venue with an audience capacity of 3,000. The surface-stage size is 54 feet wide and 42 feet deep. A private picnic area is available for groups.

2. Solano County Fairgrounds The 157-acre fairgrounds offer flexible space indoors and out. Ample parking lots hold 5,600 cars and 114 RV hookups. There are a 7/8th-mile dirt racetrack and five acres of paved lot inside the grounds for vehicle shows, motor sports and other large outdoor attractions. Five major buildings contain 61,400 square feet of space. McCormick Hall offers 20,000 square feet and can fit about 3,000 people. Exposition Hall consists of 20,000 square feet and also holds about 3,000. Solano County Fairgrounds is complete with a grandstand with 5,000 seats and an additional 1,000 bleacher seats.

3. Mare Island Sports Complex The 61,000-square-foot complex features two indoor soccer fields, two half-court basketball courts, two full-sized courts used for both basketball and volleyball, an arcade, a cafĂŠ and a pro shop. Mare Island Sports Complex hosts basketball, boxing, soccer, volleyball and wrestling events as well as dog shows, kennel clubs and roller derbies. Also, the Straits of Mare Island are perfect for rowing and regatta events. 36

Sports Planning Guide

4. California Maritime Academy Physical Education and Aquatics Center The California Maritime Academy is equipped to handle soccer, rugby, basketball, volleyball, swimming and more. It has a regulation-size, all-weather field (complete with a press box) used for rugby, lacrosse and softball. The new PE & Aquatics Center, opening in fall 2014, features a main gymnasium with 650 seating capacity; one basketball court; three full-size volleyball courts; an auxiliary gym with one full-size volleyball court and one half-size basketball court; and an outdoor, Olympic-size pool with bleacher seating.

5. Sonoma Raceway Located in Sonoma, Sonoma Raceway is a year-round motorsports complex with events scheduled 340 days and 50 weekends a year. Major events hosted this year include SonomaFest Motorcycle Days, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NHRA Sonoma Nationals and Indy Car Grand Prix.

6. John F. Cunningham Aquatic Complex The year-round complex features a heated Olympic-size pool (50 meters by 25 yards) and hosts water polo and swimming events. On-site dressing rooms and showers are available.

7. North Bay Athletic Association Facility The North Bay Athletic Association (NBAA) is a non-profit gymnastics organization, and the NBAA's fully-equipped gymnastics facility is one of the largest of its kind in the North Bay area. @SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

8. Dan Foley Park The park features a lighted baseball field, several large picnic areas, open turf play areas, soccer fields, a basketball court, a fishing dock and a nature trail around Lake Chabot. McManus Field at Dan Foley Park offers restrooms, concessions, lighting, bleachers and a scoreboard. The Dan Foley Cultural Center offers six rooms ranging in size from a small meeting room for 15 people to a large banquet room that can accommodate 500.

9. Golf Vallejo boasts five local world-class golf courses, plus more than 35 golf courses within a 20-mile radius.

This Waterfront City Has a Six Flags Theme Park and a Rich Heritage The Vallejo Sports Hall of Fame is in the Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum and is supported by the Greater Vallejo Recreation Department. At historic Wilson Park watch a minor league baseball game starring the Vallejo Admirals. Six Flags Discovery Kingdom is one of the only combination animal park, oceanarium and theme park in the world featuring more than 35 animal shows and attractions as well as more than 35 rides. Tour the Jelly Belly Candy Company Factory, located in Fairfield about 20 minutes east of Vallejo, and smell the aroma of chocolate, apricot, cinnamon or pineapple— whatever is being cooked up that day. The 1912 Empress Theatre in downtown Vallejo serves as a community focal

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point, presenting live entertainment, films and other cultural events. If you’re looking for a local favorite place to eat, try The Front Room at the Wharf serving nouveau cuisine, Zio Fraedo’s of Vallejo offering continental and Italian, family-oriented The Good Day Cafe, Panama Red’s Coffee Company and Earl’s BBQ.

Just North of San Francisco Vallejo is nine miles from Napa and 32 miles from San Francisco. The San Francisco Bay Ferry operates as a scenic ferry ride transporting up to 300 people between Vallejo and San Francisco. Vallejo offers 34 hotels and more than 2,800 available rooms. Choose from well-known hotel brands, a unique bed and breakfast on its own island and an environmentally sustainable “green” hotel.

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Volunteer staff ■ PR/media assistance Signage ■ Site visits ■ Transportation assistance Mobile app (“Visit Vallejo CA” in App Store) Discounts to local attractions ■ Lodging services Banquet planning assistance

VISIT VALLEJO Carrie Baulwin, Sales Manager Carrie@visitvallejo.com Office: 707-642-3653 • Fax: 707-644-2206 VisitVallejo.com

Sports Planning Guide

after expanding west in 2003), but it hosts a variety of sporting events, including basketball, rodeo, arena football, indoor soccer and motocross.

2. Epicenter Entertainment and Sports Complex This 52-acre complex in Rancho Cucamonga is headlined by LoanMart Field, the 6,588-seat home of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Class A affiliate, the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. Three adult softball fields complete a clover with LoanMart Field, and the complex also features a Little League field and two regulation soccer fields.

3. Ontario Convention Center The convention center has over 225,000 square feet of useable space, including its main 70,000-square-foot, columnfree exhibit hall. It hosts basketball, volleyball events, wrestling, martial arts, dance, gymnastics, archery and shooting events.

GREATER ONTARIO, CA

4. Ontario Soccer Park

Tournament planners like the impressive facilities, area attractions, convenient location and Southern California weather.

This 20-acre venue features seven playing fields, including three tournament-size fields (215’ x 360’), two with artificial turf and lights.

First-Class Facilities Lure Tournament Planners

Southern California Abounds with Family-Fun Spots

1. Citizens Business Bank Arena

Greater Ontario is just a short drive from all that the Los Angeles area has to offer—from Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm to Hollywood and Universal Studios. LEGOLAND in Carlsbad is an amusement park with LEGO creations and rides. Medieval Times California offers a Middle Ages-style dinner and jousting O N T A R I O C A L I F O R N I A knights. At Fatburger in Rancho Cucamonga, teams can grab a 24-ounce XXXL. The Taco Man Greater Ontario is one of is another local favorite. Southern California’s most versatile

The 9,500-seat arena is home to the Ontario Reign of the East Coast Hockey League (the league chose to keep its name

G R E A T E R

locations for professional and amateur sporting events.

A Quick Drive from Los Angeles

With facilities that accommodate anywhere from 10 to more than 91,000 people, with 6,000 Hotel Rooms nearby. Our experienced team has established our reputation as a premier sports destination!

Eight airlines, including American, Delta, Southwest, United and US Airways, fly into Ontario International Airport, a 15-minute drive from downtown Ontario. Los Angeles International Airport is about an hour’s drive. San Diego is 90 minutes away. The Ontario area offers more than 6,000 rooms in 60-plus hotels.

Located minutes from the Ontario International Airport, we invite you to meet, explore and connect in Greater Ontario, California. For more information on planning your next event, visit us at discoverontariocalifornia.org

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Social media marketing for events Volunteer staff ■ PR/media coverage Signage ■ Site visits ■ Transportation for teams Mobile apps ■ Housing services Discounts to local attractions

GREATER ONTARIO CVB

909.937.3000 I 800.455.5755 info@ontariocvb.org meet, explore, connect

Sports Planning Guide

discoverontariocalifornia.org

Sean Keliiholokai, Director, Sales & Marketing Greater Ontario Convention & Visitors Bureau 2000 E. Convention Center Way Ontario, CA 91764 909-937-3005 • skeliiholokai@ontariocvb.org DiscoverOntarioCalifornia.org

@SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

1 LUBBOCK, TX

Because it is readily accessible from five highways, Lubbock is known as the "Hub City." But its abundance of top-notch event facilities and non-sporting attractions make it the go-to place for sports travel in West Texas and the surrounding area.

A Stellar Line-up of Collegiate and Community Sports Venues 1. Lubbock Christian University Extensively remodeled in 2005, Hays Field has hosted numerous regional and collegiate tournament events. There is bleacher seating for up to 3,000 and 1,500 permanent stadium seats. Hays Field offers a public address system, electronic scoreboard, an expanded game administration area, two broadcast booths and additional indoor room for related events. The Rip Griffin Center is LCU's home court for volleyball and basketball games. It has 1,950 permanent seats and, with the addition of chairs on the floor, the capability to seat 3,000. The venue has hosted the Sooner Athletic Conference Men's and Women's Basketball Tournaments and national volleyball matches.

and volleyball – are played at the United Supermarkets Arena. It includes a strength and conditioning center, conference space, team locker rooms, officials’ locker rooms and a practice gym. Rawls Golf Course, home of the Red Raiders and Lady Raiders golf teams, is one of nine golf courses in the Lubbock area. Other university sports facilities include John Walker Soccer Complex, Rocky Johnson Field (softball) and the Fuller Track & Field Complex.

Youth and Community Sport Facilities 3. Lubbock Indoor Courts A newcomer to the local sports scene, Lubbock Indoor Courts is available for tournaments, sports clinics and private events. It has four regulation-size hardwood basketball and volleyball courts. There are also four multipurpose courts, totaling eight courts.

4. Lubbock Youth Sports Complex 2. Texas Tech University Jones AT&T Stadium is home to Texas Tech’s football team. Since 2003, the university has spent more than $100 million to make it one of the top collegiate football facilities in the country. Texas Tech baseball is played at Dan Law Field; its 30,000 square feet of AstroTurf, lighting and top-class facilities make it an ideal home for serious sporting events. Three Texas Tech sports – men’s and women’s basketball 40

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The complex hosts both local leagues and other softball and baseball events. Each of the 16 fields can seat approximately 250 spectators.

5. Lubbock Memorial Civic Center The center has 40,000 square feet of column-free space and seating for almost 3,000 spectators. It can be used for multiple sporting events. @SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

6. City Bank Coliseum Seating 7,000, the coliseum has hosted indoor football games, circuses, motocross and musical events.

FACILITY SPOTLIGHT

Windmills, Music, Ranching History and Steak Legendary rock ’n’ roller Buddy Holly is Lubbock’s favorite son, and the Buddy Holly Center is the area’s music showplace, hosting free concerts every Thursday throughout the summer. It’s also home to the Texas Musicians Hall of Fame, a fine art gallery and an exhibition of Holly memorabilia. The National Ranching Heritage Center is a 16-acre, open-air museum with 48 authentically restored structures dating from the 1700s to the 1950s. The Silent Wings Museum highlights the role of glider airplanes and their pilots in World War II. The kid-centric Science Spectrum & OMNI Theater provides school-age children with hands-on science exhibits, though science-minded adults will find it interesting as well. The American Wind Power Center covers the history of the American-style windmill and houses the largest collection of windmills in the world. The food scene in Lubbock is diverse, with about 1,000 restaurants representing a wide range of culinary styles for your group to choose from. Local favorites include barbecue, steak and Mexican fare. Cagle’s Steaks offers private dining for groups, accommodating as few as 15 or as many as 380. Options include using a private room in the main restaurant or booking one of the five individual buildings on site.

A Transportation Hub As befits a place known as the Hub City, getting to Lubbock is easy. Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport handles the commercial flights to and from the area; service to cities in the South and Southwest, including Dallas, is offered daily. Airlines serving Lubbock include American, United and Southwest. Driving into Lubbock is also easy; it's reachable by five major highways: US-87, US-84, I-27, US-62/US-82 and State Road 114. The area counts nearly 5,300 hotel rooms.

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Social media marketing Volunteer staff ■ Grant programs PR/media coverage ■ Signage Site visits ■ Transportation for teams Mobile apps ■ Housing services Discounts to local attractions

VISIT LUBBOCK Cris Rohrer, Sports Sales Manager 806-747-5232 • cris@visitlubbock.org VisitLubbock.org

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Sports Planning Guide

1 ROUND ROCK, TX Huge Sports Complexes for Large Tournaments

The combination of first-class facilities, great local entertainment, easy transportation, mild weather and sports-minded residents has earned Round Rock the title of “Sports Capital of Texas.” a cricket field and a disc golf course, sports events are no stranger to Old Settlers Park. Unlike many large complexes, Old Settlers still feels like a community park, complete with pavilions, picnic tables and grills.

1. Round Rock Sports Center The recently opened, $14.9-million Round Rock Sports Center offers 82,800 square feet of indoor space with 47,775 square feet of flexible, open space. Several configurations are available, including six high school basketball courts, 12 high school volleyball courts, three NCAA basketball courts or four badminton/pickleball courts. The indoor sports center also features an HD video wall for displaying tournament brackets, promotional videos or live sporting events; upperlevel, VIP-style spectator seating; a tournament room, players’ lounge, team rooms, referees’ lounge and athletic training room; concessions and patio seating; seating for more than 1,400 spectators with a total capacity of 3,053; and 502 parking spots. In addition to the indoor features, the Round Rock Sports Center has an outdoor pavilion and plaza. The covered pavilion features a multi-sport turf surface, playground, concession area and restrooms. The open-air plaza has a children’s play area.

3. Dell Diamond Right next door to Old Settlers Park, Dell Diamond is home to the Texas Rangers’ AAA affiliate, the Round Rock Express. The park’s proximity to Old Settlers makes it an ideal championship or main field for any large baseball tournament. Dell Diamond has 8,722 fixed seats and can seat another 3,000 in the outfield lawn area. Fans enjoy the pool and hot tub over the right field fence, and kids love the adjacent basketball court and climbing wall for in-game entertainment.

4. Dragon Stadium In a state known for its high school football, Round Rock has one of the best high school stadiums around. On the campus of Round Rock High School, Dragon Stadium features a full-size track and AstroPlay turf field with a drainage system to allow play in any weather. For events that require a lot of administration and may draw media, Dragon Stadium’s two press boxes are sure to impress.

2. Old Settlers Park This 570-acre park is the main outdoor attraction for rights holders that commit to Round Rock. With 20 lit baseball fields, five lit softball fields, two lit football fields, 19 soccer fields, 12 lit tennis courts, two sand volleyball courts,

Sports Planning Guide

5. Kelly Reeves Athletic Complex The Round Rock Independent School District went a step further when putting together its athletic complex, building a stadium that rivals many Division I college foot-

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ball arenas. With parking for 2,750, total seating for 11,000, 950 stadium seats and a beautiful oval-shaped campus, this complex makes a great championship locale for football, soccer or lacrosse events. Televisions are fixed at concession areas so that fans won’t miss any of the action while away from their seats.

FACILITY SPOTLIGHT

Family Fun, Shopping and Comfort Food Event planners and visitors are pleasantly surprised with the wide range of attractions and restaurants the area has to offer. Seven top-quality golf courses can provide a morning of fun on a tournament off day, and the Rock’n River Family Aquatic Center is a good way to cool off. Shoppers love the Round Rock Premium Outlets and Ikea while dog owners are treated to Dog Depot, which is much more than just a dog park. Also, make sure your tournament goers check out Historic Downtown Round Rock, where they can see the actual rock after which the city is named. Round Rock’s restaurants love seeing dirty jerseys come in their doors and are flexible with meeting each team’s needs. The city contains all the standard fast food and sit-down chains, but there are plenty of local options as well. Cotton Patch Cafe serves up great old-fashioned comfort food while Curly's Texas BBQ is a local favorite for Texas-style barbeque.

Deep in the Heart of Texas More than 90 percent of Texas’ population is within 300 miles of Round Rock, so tournament planners can expect that the Lone Star State’s top talent is within reach of their chosen venue. Dallas and Houston are just a three-hour drive away. I-35 passes right by downtown Round Rock, making it easy to come in from Georgetown to the north and Austin to the south. From downtown, each of Round Rock’s main facilities is within a 20-minute drive. The Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is just a half hour from Round Rock and is serviced by 13 major airlines. With 25 hotels within city limits, Round Rock is well prepared to handle multiple tournaments at a time. From Red Roof Inn to an RV park to the Marriott, there are plenty of lodging options.

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Social media marketing for events Volunteer staff ■ Grant programs PR/media coverage Signage ■ Site visits Transportation for teams Mobile apps ■ Housing services Discounts to local attractions

ROUND ROCK CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU Nancy Yawn, Director 231 East Main Street, Suite 150, Round Rock, TX 78664 Direct: 512-218-7094 • Cell: 512-808-7544 nyawn@roundrocktexas.gov RoundRockTexas.gov

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2 Sports Planning Guide

4 FORT WORTH, TX

As the 17th-largest city in the U.S., Fort Worth offers all the luxuries of a big city with the convenience of a small town.

Parks, Arenas and Complexes Fit Your Needs 1. Fort Worth Convention Center Within walking distance of thousands of downtown Fort Worth hotel rooms, a variety of delicious restaurants and fabulous shopping, and offering 253,226 square feet of event space, the Fort Worth Convention Center is the perfect venue for your next event. State-of-the-art business and communications technologies and a convenient location near all of the amazing entertainment Fort Worth has to offer ensure you'll have everything you need for a successful event. The Fort Worth Convention Center Arena offers 10,500 permanent seats and 25,960 square feet of floor space (110â&#x20AC;&#x2122; x 236â&#x20AC;&#x2122;). 44

Sports Planning Guide

@SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

2. Rolling Hills Soccer Complex The complex features 25 soccer fields, four of which are lighted fields.

FACILITY SPOTLIGHT

3. Will Rogers Memorial Center This massive, 105-acre multi-purpose complex of event facilities and exhibit halls is located in the heart of Fort Worth’s Cultural District. The center features an auditorium (2,856 seats), four arenas (seating capacities of 5,652; 1,934; 998; and 640), 2,500 horse stalls and more than 117,000 square feet of exhibit space.

4. TCU Athletic Facilities Amon G. Carter Football Stadium (capacity of 44,000) features natural grass, concession stands, a raised seating bowl on the west and north ends, suites, club seating, lounges and a new press box. Daniel Meyer Coliseum is used for basketball and offers 7,200 seats. Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center & Bartzen Varsity Courts has 24 outdoor and three indoor tennis courts and seats 1,350.

5. Gateway Park The park has six softball fields, 11 soccer fields including four with synthetic turf, and seats 4,000.

Enjoy a True Texas Experience The Fort Worth Cultural District is home to five worldclass museums in a beautiful park-like setting, including Kimbell Art Museum—home to the only Michelangelo in the Americas. Stockyards National Historic District hosts the world’s only year-round rodeo— the Stockyards Championship Rodeo. Also found here is Billy Bob’s Texas, the “World’s Largest Honky-Tonk,” and the world’s only twice-daily cattle drive presented by the Fort Worth Herd. The district is filled with sites from the Old West with Texas-themed shopping and cuisine, rodeos and Western saloons. You'll see legendary structures such as the Livestock Exchange Building and the Stockyards Station shops and restaurants. Downtown/Sundance Square is a 35-block shopping, entertainment and dining district featuring 30-plus restaurants, three live theaters, an AMC movie theater, art galleries and more. The newly added Sundance Square Plaza includes water features, 32-foot-tall Teflon umbrellas and the historic Chisholm Trail Mural. Fort Worth is also home to Texas Motor Speedway and BIG HOSS, the world’s largest HD video board. Texas Motor Speedway is America's second-largest sports and entertainment facility, just 20 miles north of downtown, and is now the only speedway in the country to host every major form of American automobile racing, including NASCAR Sprint Cup racing and Indy-style racing. Less than 15 miles from downtown Fort Worth, you can catch a Dallas Cowboys football game at AT&T Stadium, or take in America’s favorite pastime with the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park.

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Sports Planning Guide

Centrally Located and Easy to Access Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), located 17.5 miles from Fort Worth, is one of the most convenient airports in the world with an average of 1,900 daily departures and arrivals, and service to more than 200 destinations worldwide. The Fort Worth Transportation Authority, known locally as The T, provides transportation to the city's rich variety of entertainment and historical attractions including the Stockyards National Historic District, the Fort Worth Cultural District and downtown's Sundance Square. In addition to inter-city transportation, The T offers the TRE, or the Trinity Railway Express, for passengers traveling to and from Dallas. The 35-mile TRE Commuter rail line to Dallas is easily accessible from either Fort Worth's Historic T&P Station or the Intermodal Transportation Center (ITC). Sitting at the crossroads of three major interstate highways 46

Sports Planning Guide

(I-35, I-20 and I-30), Fort Worth is easily accessible by car. Fort Worth has over 13,000 hotel rooms with a good offering of double/double rooms (including almost 1,200 in downtown).

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Volunteer staff Site visits Transportation arrangement assistance Discounts to local attractions

FORT WORTH CVB Josh Dill, CSEE, CTA, National Sales Manager, Sports 111 W. 4th Street, Suite 200, Fort Worth, TX 76102-3951 Phone: 817-698-7827 • Cell: 817-773-2820 JoshDill@FortWorth.com www.FortWorth.com www.MeetInFortWorth.com

@SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

4 5 1 PLANO, TX

Plano’s specialty is matching your sport event to their consistently high-quality venues and providing access to hotels, restaurants and attractions that youth sport participants and their families enjoy.

Not Your Average Parks Plano is ranked among the top five in The Sporting News’ “Best Sport Towns” year in and year out. Park acreage and accessibility are basic, but field flexibility and safe, well-kept turf are a maintenance priority and are evident in the quality of Plano’s tournament parks. Plano routinely hosts 150-team tournaments for softball and lacrosse and more than 900 soccer teams over Labor Day weekend. Plano Parks and Recreation has earned the distinction of being accredited by the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA). There are 83 public parks spanning more than 4,000 acres, 70 miles of paved trails, 69 athletic fields, eight swimming pools, five recreation centers and four arts and cultural venues.

2. Heritage Yards With nine lit softball fields, concessions and restrooms, Heritage Yards at Plano is the venue for softball leagues, events and tournaments throughout three seasons.

3. Enfield Park Enfield Park offers eight lit baseball and seven lit youth soccer fields.

4. Carpenter Park Carpenter Park features 11 lit turf soccer fields that can also be used for lacrosse, and there are four lit baseball fields. There are also restrooms and a playground.

5. High Point Park The park has 11 lit soccer fields and nine lit softball fields.

1. Russell Creek Park The park features 20 lit turf fields and seven cricket pitches. In fact, Russell Creek Park has more cricket pitches than anywhere else on the North American continent and hosts international cricket tournaments. Russell Creek Park also has a small lake, hike/ bike trails, a pavilion, a playground and restrooms. 48

Sports Planning Guide

6. Plano Sports Authority Better known as PSA, there are now four of these beautiful, 80,000-plus square-foot indoor sport facilities within 15 miles of each other in Collin County. Each facility has at least eight full-size top-of-the line wood courts, meeting space, concessions and plenty of restrooms. @SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

Taste to Your Satisfaction and Shop ‘til You Drop Plano is big on dining and shopping. From a family breakfast spot to a hip bar for a night out, downtown Plano's urban dining scene will suit any palate. With more than 700 restaurants in Plano, your group’s only problem will be deciding exactly where to eat. Urban Crust, Zanata and Urban Rio offer rooftop dining, and the Dallas Area Rapid Transit stop is just a block away. Speaking of food, on Headquarters Road you can bypass the headquarters of Frito-Lay and Yum Foods. There are more than 70 shopping centers at several locations in town, including the Collin Creek Mall and the Shops at Legacy. Unique boutiques sell a variety of goods from handmade jewelry to antiques. A favorite attraction in Plano is Main Event, an indoor entertainment center with billiards, bowling, laser tag and more. Another hotspot in the area is Hawaiian Falls Waterpark, which is nearby many of the facilities. Visitors receive discounted coupons to the waterpark. See what it’s like to fly at iFly, an indoor flying simulator located in Frisco, Texas. There’s plenty more to see and do in Dallas, which is just 22 miles from Plano, such as the Dallas Arts District, Perot Museum of Nature and Science and the Dallas Aquarium.

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20 Minutes from Dallas Plano is just 20 minutes north of Dallas and two major airports, Dallas/Fort Worth International and Dallas Love Field, which have a total of 2,000 flights daily. Plano is right on the DART light rail line; you can hop aboard at one of three Plano stations and travel throughout the area. Plano has been consistently named a safe and clean city, and the moderate climate makes it easy to get there and get around no matter the season.

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Social media marketing for your event Volunteer staff (VIP - Volunteerism in Plano) Sport sponsorship program PR/media coverage Signage ■ Site visits Transportation assistance Housing services

PLANO CVB Cissy Aberg, Sport Sales Manager 2000 E. Spring Creek Parkway, Plano, Texas 75074 Phone: 972-941-5849 • Mobile: 972-741-9737 Fax: 972-461-9317 • cissya@plano.gov VisitPlano.com

Sports Planning Guide

4 3 2 FRISCO, TX

Named the "Top Place to Raise an Athlete" by Men's Journal in 2011, Frisco is a short drive from Dallas and offers everything from high-class athletic facilities to high-flying entertainment.

Facilities Worthy of Dallas Cowboys and Other Pro Teams Last year, Frisco hosted 39 groups totaling $21 million in economic impact. These groups were tracked only through CVB booking; there were many more tournaments taking place as well.

1. Toyota Stadium Home to FC Dallas MLS, Toyota Stadium was the first facility of its kind in the world when it was built in 2005. It plays host to national and international soccer games (both major league soccer and youth soccer), high school football games and flag football, among other events. The 117-acre complex includes a world-class stadium adjacent to 17 lighted, regulation-sized, tournament-grade soccer fields with parking surrounding the fields. Toyota Stadium capacity is 21,193.

3. Dr Pepper Ballpark Home to the Texas Rangers Double-A Affiliate, the Frisco RoughRiders, Dr Pepper Ballpark hosts professional baseball, championship high school and college games, as well as MMA events. The ballpark features two locker rooms, a state-of-the-art press box, 27 suites and two party decks. Also featured are a terrace patio for 100 people and the Founders Club restaurant, which seats up to 200 people banquet-style or up to 300 people for receptions or large parties. There are 3,000 parking spaces and seating for 10,000.

4. Fieldhouse USA Fieldhouse USA is a 144,000-square-foot sports facility with 12 full-sized hardwood basketball and volleyball courts, and indoor soccer and football turf. Floor space can also be used for fencing and wrestling. There is approximately 13,200 square feet of retail space as well as a food court, on-site trainer, team store and corporate conference rooms.

2. Dr Pepper Arena Home to Dallas Stars NHL and Texas Legends (an NBA D League team), Dr Pepper Arena hosts basketball, hockey, figure skating, tennis and gymnastics. It features two NHL-sized sheets of ice, a full range of concessions and eight locker rooms, including separate refereesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and women's locker rooms. The arena has full media capabilities, 12 luxury suites and a private club. The capacity is 6,000 with two 1,000-space parking garages on site. 50

Sports Planning Guide

5. Warren Sports Complex The multi-use sports complex is in a park-like setting with pavilions and playground areas. Warren Sports Complex includes seven football/soccer lighted game fields, four baseball/softball lighted game fields, seven football/soccer game fields, two lighted basketball courts and two lighted tennis courts. There are more than 600 parking spaces, two concession facilities and an eight-acre pond with two piers. @SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

The Frisco Independent School District is also involved in hosting sports events at the schools’ athletic facilities. Currently under construction is the Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters & Training Facility, complete with a 12,000-seat indoor multi-use event center, two outdoor practice fields and a cheerleader/dance academy. Also under construction in Frisco is The PIT (Performance Indoor Training), an indoor soccer facility; Volleys Tennis Club, a tennis facility; and First Interval Natatorium, a swimming facility.

Flights and Games, All Within a Few Miles of Venues

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Volunteer/planning assistance Welcome packs ■ Social media assistance List of group friendly restaurants Housing services Venue services

FRISCO CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU Chuck Brakes, Sports Sales Manager 972-292-5262 • cbrakes@friscoissports.com FriscoIsSports.com

In the family-friendly community of Frisco, there’s plenty to do to keep visitors entertained before and after games. At iFLY Dallas, your visitors can experience what it’s like to fly. The indoor skydiving attraction is fun and safe for all ages and no experience is necessary. Still feel like being up in the air? Urban Air Trampoline Park offers a variety of trampoline activities, including wall-to-wall arenas, dodgeball courts, slam dunk tracks and a foam pit. Arrive and drive indoor go-karts at Pole Position Raceway. Frisco offers top-quality entertainment centers, too. Main Event features 12 regulation pool tables, 10 meeting/party rooms, Main St. Cafe, two full-service bars, shuffleboard, blackjack and Texas hold'em (for fun), 28 bowling lanes, two-story laser tag, a two-story gravity ropes course, more than 100 video and redemption games and glow-in-the-dark miniature golf. Dave & Busters—located at Stonebriar Centre, which also features a carousel and 24-screen theater—is a restaurant and arcade all in one, complete with billiards and shuffleboard. At Strikz, enjoy 32 bowling lanes, laser tag, 85 redemption and video games, two full-service bars, food service, billiards and large meeting/party rooms.

Minutes from Downtown Dallas Frisco is just 20 minutes from Love Field Airport and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, and 25 minutes from downtown Dallas. There are 12 hotels and 1,723 rooms in the area. Sports venues, entertainment and lodging are all within seven miles of each other, creating a cluster ideal for any sports planner.

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Sports Planning Guide

3 2

1 LEWISVILLE, TX

Lewisville is situated at the edge of Lewisville Lake and between Dallas and Fort Worth, making it an easily accessible sports community.

Lake Shores to Skate Parks, and Everything in Between

Football Complex: two lighted 80-yard fields, two lighted 100-yard fields, bleachers with shade structure and restrooms/concession building Baseball Complex: three lighted regulation fields, one championship field, bleachers with shade structure and restrooms/concession building Scion Skate Park: bowl and street feature, restrooms, vending machines and bleachers Lakes & Trails: three manmade lakes, 1.5-mile walking paths and restrooms

Lewisville offers 14 baseball/softball fields with flexibility to adapt, 16 soccer fields, four football fields, 19 volleyball courts and 10 futsal courts (futsal is similar to soccer but is played on a smaller field typically indoors, usually on a basketball court).

1. Toyota of Lewisville Railroad Park The latest addition to Lewisville, Toyota of Lewisville Railroad Park features four baseball fields, eight soccer fields, four football fields and a skate park. There is also space for triathlons and even a dog park. Railroad Park includes spacious pavilions (one located in each complex) that have concessions and restrooms. There are more than 2,000 parking spaces onsite and more than 2,400 hotel rooms within 2.5 miles. Here are the specs for the different sections within Toyota of Lewisville Railroad Park: Soccer Complex: seven lighted regulation adult fields, one lighted regulation U14 field, bleachers with shade structure and restrooms/concession building 52

Sports Planning Guide

2. Lewisville Lake Park The park spans 662 acres and has eight lighted soccer fields, eight lighted baseball fields and two lighted adult softball fields. It also features the Lake Park Golf Course, regulation-sized cricket, a swimming beach, boat ramps and picnic areas. Lewisville Lake has 30,000 acres of surface area and 233 miles of shoreline. Depth reaches 67 feet with an average of 25 feet during normal operation. The lake hosts bass fishing tournaments and water sports, and will soon be able to host water racing events.

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3. MAC (Multipurpose Activity Center) The MAC is a 38,000-square-foot multi-sports building located in Lewisville. The facility has four NBA-sized hardwood basketball courts, seven USA volleyball regulation courts, a full concession stand with food court area and a meeting/film room. Space is also usable for cheerleading, gymnastics, martial arts, wrestling, futsal and indoor soccer and football training.

4. Integrated Athletic Development (IAD) IAD is a 100,000-square-foot, full-service, multi-sport facility. It features six basketball (also used for futsal) and 12 volleyball hardwood courts. All courts are engineered to meet all specifications of the highest industry standard, known as the DIN certification.

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Welcome bag Discounts for attractions and dining Staff member assigned to ensure event success PR/media coverage ■ Electronic billboard signage for event Site visits ■ Hotel rebates Hotel room block coordination

LEWISVILLE CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU Carlos Hernandez, Sports/Tourism Sales P.O. Box 299002 972-219-3713 direct • chernandez@cityoflewisville.com VisitLewisville.com

Meet Mother Nature and See Grand Performances All of these local favorites are within minutes of the top athletic facilities and most hotels in Lewisville. Try a cruise in a catamaran on Lewisville Lake or visit LLELA Nature Preserve, where your team can hike, canoe, kayak or just sit back and enjoy nature. Keep the fun rolling at Zone Action Park, an indooroutdoor amusement park with an arcade, go-karts, pizza place, mini-golf and batting cages for different skill levels. Main Event is an indoor attraction with bowling, billiards, arcade games, glow-in-the-dark mini-golf, laser tag and a restaurant and bar. Medical Center of Lewisville Grand Theater is known by the locals as MCL Grand. In addition to a 300-seat Performance Hall, you'll find the Black Box theater, Multi-Purpose room, Art Gallery with rotating exhibits and the Courtyard for concerts.

Nearby Dallas and Fort Worth Lewisville is about a 30-minute drive from Dallas and 45 minutes from Fort Worth, situated at the top of the triangle these three cities form. The Dallas/ Fort Worth International Airport is approximately 12 minutes from Lewisville. There are more than 2,400 hotel rooms in the city. Many Lewisville hotels are located less than three miles away from Lewisville’s major sports venues, and are within walking distance of Vista Ridge Shopping Mall, a variety of restaurants and a 15-screen movie theater.

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Sports Planning Guide

BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, TX Combination of Venues and Collegiate Facilities Makes the Dean’s List 1. Veterans Athletic Complex This 150-acre regional park is enhanced with a pavilion (500 capacity), parking for 400 cars, five softball fields and nine soccer fields (four lighted). Two new artificial footballlength turf fields were recently installed, including a new lighting system and parking spots. Open and fairly flat, the site is surrounded by wooded areas on the southeast and west. Twelve of the site’s acres hold the Veterans Memorial, dedicated to all Brazos Valley veterans.

2. Brazos County Expo The 70,000-square-foot covered North Arena is the action-packed heart of the Brazos County Expo complex. The arena is a perfect venue for equestrian and other livestock competitions, including horse shows, rodeos and clinics. The 75,000-square-foot covered South Arena is ideal for cutting, dressage, barrel races, polo events and ropings. The west side of the South Arena boasts high-quality shade cloths to allow fresh air in while keeping out the glare and heat from the sun. 54

Sports Planning Guide

Home to Texas A&M University and affectionately called Aggieland, Bryan College-Station lives and breathes college sports, but has the facilities, infrastructure and environment ideal for youth tournaments.

3. Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park It’s tough to find another college baseball venue as beautiful as Texas A&M’s Blue Bell Park. Built in 1979 as Olsen Field, the park received a $24-million renovation and a new name (thanks to a donation by Blue Bell Creameries) in 2011. The park holds 6,100 and has a two-tier grandstand, state-of-the-art scoreboard, LED video board and an indoor hitting facility. The infield and outfield are Tifway Bermuda Grass. When the college baseball season is over, Blue Bell Park is a dream championship locale for any baseball tournament.

4. Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium Home to the Aggie track and field teams during the winter, this gorgeous indoor track facility is highlighted by its six-lane, 200-meter hydraulically banked track. Different events can adjust the bank of the track to any interval, depending on the age of participants and how fast they want the track to be. Crowds of up to 5,000 can also view events on the eight-line sprinting track, two long and triple jump pits, two throwing rings and four runways for pole vaulting.

@SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

5. Penberthy Rec Sports Complex The newly renovated Penberthy Rec Sports Complex is the Texas A&M athletic department’s outdoor facility. The complex has artificial turf and natural grass playing areas dedicated to drop-in recreation, intramural sports and sports clubs. The complex features four artificial turf fields approximately the size of a soccer/softball field and can be set up for ultimate, rugby, or men’s or women’s lacrosse. There are also nine natural turf fields. The complex has a central building with an outdoor pavilion with seating available for 200, a meeting room with seating for approximately 60, restrooms with shower/changing areas and a control room.

History, Family Fun and Texas BBQ Grand Station Entertainment is a hotspot for families and teams after a long day of competition. The 73,000-square-foot facility includes 40 bowling lanes, a black-light mini golf course, laser tag, an arcade, a sports bar and a food court. Additional family fun can be found at Zoomz Paintball, which is just a 10-minute drive from downtown, or by taking a guided tour of Blue Bell Creameries’ production facility, 45 minutes south of Bryan-College Station. History buffs will enjoy the George Bush Presidential Library, located on the Texas A&M campus, which spotlights the life of America’s 41st president. As for restaurants, Gattitown has become a favorite stop after wins or losses, with a huge arcade to go along with its pizza menu. For good old-fashioned Texas barbeque, try Buppy’s BBQ, C&J Bar-B-Q, Fargo’s Pit BBQ, J Cody’s, Dickey’s BBQ Pit or Junek’s Barbeque Grill.

FACILITY SPOTLIGHT

The Center of the Texas Triangle Bryan-College Station is located right in the middle of the Dallas-Houston-San Antonio triangle. Houston and Austin are roughly an hour and a half drive away. For local Texas teams, United and American Airlines fly into Bryan-College Station’s Easterwood Airport from Dallas and Houston. Teams from around the country can fly into either the Austin or Houston airport, both of which are about an hour and a half from Bryan-College Station. With over 30 hotels, 4,000 rooms and more being built, Bryan-College Station has no shortage of space for your participants. The area is used to accommodate thousands of people flocking to Aggie football games each fall, so housing tournaments isn’t a problem. In addition to hotels, the area has 19 bed and breakfasts, 16 RV parks and two campgrounds.

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Volunteer staff ■ Grant programs ■ PR/media coverage Signage ■ Site visits ■ Transportation for teams ■ Mobile apps Housing services ■ Assistance in booking officials Discounts to local attractions ■ Hotel tax grant package Reserving blocks of rooms in hotels Event-specific marketing and social media marketing

BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION CVB Dominique Powell, Sports Sales Executive 1101 University Drive E, Ste 108 College Station, TX 77840 979-260-9898 • Dominique@bcscvb.org VisitAggieland.com

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Sports Planning Guide

see more stars than anywhere else. Golfers will enjoy the 7,024yard, par-72 Bell Nob Golf Course. A trip to Campbell County would not be complete without a trip to Devils Tower National Monument, one of the West’s great natural landmarks.

Easily Accessible by Air and Car Gillette-Campbell County Airport is served by Delta and United. Rapid City Regional Airport is two hours east of Gillette. If driving, Gillette is located along I-90 and Highway 5, with Highway 59 connecting to I-25. The 86-room Arbuckle Lodge is right across the street from CAM-PLEX. All other hotels are within a four-mile radius.

X Factors

CAMPBELL COUNTY, WY Campbell County in Northeast Wyoming is not just a place for sports; it’s for exploring, too.

State-of-the-Art Facilities for Any Event 1. CAM-PLEX The Cowboy State's premier multi-use facility encompasses over 1,000 acres and features a fine arts theater, a convention/ exhibit hall, two multi-purpose pavilions, a racetrack, rodeo grounds, 1,730 RV sites and a park. The Central Pavilion offers large spaces and earthen floors, perfect for indoor rodeos and tractor pulls. The East Pavilion has open floor space suitable for many different setups, including equestrian and rodeo events. The outdoor Equestrian Area features a cross country jumping course that spreads over 85 acres of open prairie. Spirit Hall Ice Arena, located in the Wyoming Center, hosts ice hockey games, ice skating and wrestling. Other facilities include an 18-hole disc golf course, Gillette Thunder Speedway and Powder Basin Motocross.

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Ambassador program at Visitor Center Welcome packets Local restaurant/retail discounts GoExploreWyoming App Visit Gillette-Wright Wyoming on Facebook

CAMPBELL COUNTY CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU Mary Silvernell, Executive Director 1810 S. Douglas Highway, Suite A, Gillette, WY 82718 Direct: 307-686-0040 • Cell: 307-299-2838 VisitGillette-WrightWYO.org

2. Recreation Center The center has a weight room, climbing wall, three gymnasiums, three basketball courts, a six-lane lap pool and a diving platform, plus an elevated indoor walking track, five tennis/indoor soccer courts and four courts for racquetball. The fieldhouse has a six-lane, 200-meter college-level indoor track and can also host basketball, volleyball, tennis and wrestling events.

A Slice of the Old West Alpha Coal’s Eagle Butte Coal Mine Tours in the Powder River Basin showcases one of the nation’s largest coal mines. At Durham Buffalo Ranch, take a tour of the world’s largest and oldest working buffalo ranch. At the Sage Valley Planetarium you’ll be able to SportsPlanningGuide.com

Sports Planning Guide

1 3 SNOHOMISH COUNTY, WA Parks, Aquatic Centers and Everything in Between 1. Everett Community College Student Fitness Center The student fitness center features a full-size basketball court with bleacher seating for 2,200, complete with a training room, four locker rooms, two officials’ locker rooms and two team rooms. There are also a three-lane indoor running track, a 2,382-square-foot multi-purpose room and more than 1,600 parking spaces.

2. Skykomish River Park The park has five softball/baseball fields (including one turf field), three mid-size soccer fields, concessions, a play area and picnic area. Bleacher seating capacity is 600, and the park accommodates ultimate Frisbee, dog competitions, soccer, lacrosse, baseball and softball.

Snohomish County, Washington, minutes north of Seattle, has a rich tradition in hosting year-round athletic events.

5. Evergreen State Fairgrounds Located in Monroe, the Fairgrounds has a 60,000square-foot indoor equestrian park with seating for 2,700 spectators and hosts equestrian, BMX, rodeos and motocross. The 33,000-square-foot events center hosts basketball, wrestling, martial arts, gymnastics and cheerleading. Evergreen Speedway has 3/8 and 5/8 ovals and a figure-eight track. Inside the ovals are two motocross tracks, one for youth and one for adults.

6. Meadow Wood Equestrian Center The new equestrian center, located outside of Monroe, was built in summer 2014. It hosted the 2014 Evergreen Classic featuring the top hunter jumper horses and riders in the region.

7. Lake Stevens Community Park Located in Lake Stevens, the park has three baseball/ softball fields, plus four grass soccer fields that host soccer, lacrosse, football and ultimate Frisbee.

3. Snohomish Aquatic Center

8. Lake Tye Park

The aquatic center has a 10-lane competition pool with two one-meter diving boards and spectator bleachers for up to 420. There are also a recreation pool, warm-water pool, spray-play area, surf-simulation machine (FlowRider®), lazy river and a waterslide (Splashtacular).

Located in Monroe, this multi-purpose facility hosts baseball, football, lacrosse, soccer, softball, wakeboarding, skateboarding and triathlons. It features two baseball/ softball fields, one soccer field, one outdoor basketball court, two tennis courts and a 41-acre lake. Adjacent to Lake Tye Park is Fairfield County Park, which hosts sports such as soccer, lacrosse and ultimate Frisbee.

4. Comcast Arena at Everett With two sheets of NHL-sized ice (85’ x 200’), this facility in Everett is home of the Everett Silvertips Hockey Club of the Western Hockey League and hosts a variety of events, including hockey, figure skating, basketball, gymnastics, wrestling, volleyball, rodeo, endurocross and trade shows. There are 8,300 seats in Comcast Arena, 250 in Comcast Community Ice Rink.

Sports Planning Guide

9. Kasch Park This multi-purpose sports complex in Everett hosts baseball, softball, soccer, ultimate Frisbee and lacrosse. There are four softball fields, two baseball fields and three adult, all-weather turf soccer fields. The venue can accommodate up to 600 spectators in the softball/baseball complex. All fields are lighted. @SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

10. Lynnwood Convention Center Lynnwood Convention Center has 34,000 square feet to accommodate dance, gymnastics, martial arts, board game competitions, meetings and trade shows.

Outdoor Adventures Await Snohomish County is known for its miles of shoreline, peaceful lakes and streams, scenic beauty, and outdoor activities such as river rafting, whale watching, water skiing, fishing, hiking, biking and hot air ballooning. See the assembly of the Boeing 747, 777 and 787 at the Future of Flight Aviation Center and Boeing Tour. View rare treasurers of 20th century aviation at the Flying Heritage Collection and the Historic Flight Restoration Center. Snohomish County offers shopping galore, from Seattle Premium Outlets to Alderwood Mall and Everett Mall, plus boutique shops in Edmonds and Mill Creek. Jetty Island, a man-made island at Everett Marina, features two miles of sandy beaches and shallow water. Each October, six farms in the Snohomish Valley invite visitors to pick pumpkins and walk through the corn maze. This time of the year is known as the Snohomish Valley Festival of Pumpkins. Scuttlebutt Brewery, located at Everett Marina, serves American cuisine and has been a family brewer since 1996. Lombardi’s Neighborhood Italian, located at Everett Marina and Mill Creek, serves authentic Italian cuisine with a Northwest flair, local products and Washington wines.

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Snohomish Nearby Seattle Snohomish County is located 25 miles north of downtown Seattle, 45 miles north of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and 113 miles south of Vancouver, B.C., Canada. Amtrak stations are located in Edmonds and Everett. Washington State ferry terminals are located in Edmonds and Mukilteo. Interstates 5 and 405 provide easy access to any of the Snohomish County sports facilities. All major airlines fly into Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. There are 5,600 hotel rooms in national chains and locally owned lodging properties.

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Bid preparation assistance Bid proposal presentations Grant programs ■ Volunteer assistance Hotel accommodations Hotel and venue site tours Public relations Event social media marketing Visitor information and welcome packets

SNOHOMISH COUNTY SPORTS COMMISSION Tammy Dunn, CSEE, Sports Development Manager 1133 164th Street SW, Suite 204, Lynnwood, WA 98087 888-338-0976 ext. 12 • tammy@snohomish.org Snohomish.org

Sports Planning Guide

EUGENE, CASCADES & COAST, OR Eugene, Oregon is called “TrackTown, USA” because of its longstanding history of hosting track and field competitions. Eugene was awarded the hosting rights for the NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Track and Field Championships through 2021. The area has hosted the U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field, first in 1972, and again in 1976 and 1980. The Trials returned to Eugene in 2008 and 2012 and will return again in 2016. The USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships will be hosted in Eugene in 2015.

From Hardwood Floors and Synthetic Tracks to Concrete Bowls and Sandy Slopes

While Eugene is best known for its track and field events, the area hosts everything from traditional sports to offbeat competitions like sandboarding and mountain biking.

4. Sand Master Park Located in Florence on the largest coastal dunes in North America, Sand Master Park is the world’s first sandboarding park. It features 40 acres of sculpted sand dunes with beginner and advanced slopes. Don't miss Sand Master Jam, the longest running sandboard competition in the world held every summer.

5. Moshofsky Sports Center This multipurpose indoor facility at the University of Oregon has played host to numerous events, including NCAA Division I and II volleyball and the Oregon MLK Volleyball Team Classic. It includes a full-length artificial football surface and a synthetic four-lane, 120-meter running track.

1. Dexter Lake About 16 miles southeast of Eugene is Dexter Lake, a great natural venue for rowing competitions. It is fully buoyed with seven permanent lanes for rowing and is used often for large regattas. The lake is also known for dragboat races, sailing and fishing, and features an 18-hole disc golf course.

2. WJ Skatepark + Urban Plaza WJ Skatepark in Eugene is the largest covered and lighted public skatepark in the country. It has a half-acre of custom-designed terrain that's ideal for hosting competitions. The Urban Plaza provides seating and space for events, plus Wi-Fi and vendor pads.

3. Autzen Stadium Home to the University of Oregon football team, Autzen is the largest outdoor sports arena in the state, and one of the loudest in the entire country. It seats 54,000.

Sports Planning Guide

6. Willamalane Center for Sports and Recreation This 97,000-square-foot complex in Springfield features four hardwood basketball courts, two 90-foot-long outdoor bocce ball courts, several sport courts that can be used for a variety of matches, four indoor tennis courts, climbing walls and a new fitness center. Outside are two lighted artificial turf soccer fields with two more currently under construction.

7. Matthew Knight Arena The LEED Gold-certified Matthew Knight Arena is the largest indoor venue in Eugene. It is home to the University of Oregon’s men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball and gymnastics teams. The 400,000 square-foot multipurpose venue seats up to 12,000 spectators and features over 200 televisions throughout.

@SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

8. Hayward Field This legendary field at the University of Oregon is home to many of Eugene’s track and field events. Permanent seating is 12,500 and can be expanded for events requiring additional seating.

FACILITY SPOTLIGHT

Places to Satisfy Your Adrenaline Rush or Relaxation Needs When players aren't competing, there are plenty of activities throughout the area to keep them busy. Many visitors spend part of their time on the coast at the largest expanse of coastal sand dunes in North America—the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area—where they can ride dune buggies or go hiking and horseback riding. Visitors can also enjoy a nice round of golf and relax on the beach. In the valley, adults in the group may want to tour the wine country or local craft beers at new brewpubs. In the eastern part of the region, great rivers offer whitewater rafting and fishing. There are also plenty of hiking and biking trails, including Oakridge, one of the best mountain biking areas in the country, featuring two designated Epic Rides by the International Mountain Bicycling Association. Check out downtown Eugene's Hult Center for the Performing Arts with resident companies in ballet, symphony and opera. Visitors can also tour the University of Oregon campus or visit the Oregon Air and Space Museum, Science Factory Children’s Museum & Planetarium, and University of Oregon’s Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art and Museum of Natural and Cultural History.

Eugene Airport 15 Minutes from Downtown The Eugene Airport is serviced by six major airlines that fly direct from 10 major cities. The airport is only 15 minutes from downtown, and most major hotels offer airport pickup. The Amtrak station is located in downtown Eugene. The drive from Portland is less than two hours. Eugene has been designated a gold-level "Walk Friendly Community" by the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center, and most attractions, sports venues and hotels are easy to get to by foot.

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Full-time director Volunteers ■ Catering ■ Site visits Coupons/discounts to restaurants, attractions Help securing permits Promotion, PR/media coverage Microsite set-up Signage ■ Housing services Qualified local officials in several sports

EUGENE CASCADES & COAST SPORTS Mike Gaffaney, Dir. of Sports Sales and Development 754 Olive Street, Eugene, OR 97440 800-547-5445 • mike@eugenecascadescoast.org EugeneCascadesCoastSports.org/MVP

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MIDWEST REGION

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Branson, MO

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Columbia, MO

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Saint Charles, MO

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Hamilton County, IN

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Champaign County, IL

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Rockford, IL

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Chicago Southland, IL

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Wisconsin Dells, WI

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Canton/Stark County, OH

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Clinton County, OH

he experienced pros at the Midwestern cities highlighted in this regional section guarantee smooth sailing for your next event. Offering top-notch venues and plenty of fun things to do between games, they are eager to host your group, no matter the size. Whether you’re planning a cross country meet, basketball tournament or swim competition, check out what these welcoming communities have to offer sports planners.

DESTINATION

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Rockford, Illinois can host just about every sport under the sun.

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4 BRANSON, MO Venues Run the Gamut from Versatile Theaters to Sprawling Lakes 1. Branson RecPlex The Branson RecPlex is a state-of-the-art sports complex that combines recreation, fitness and organized athletics at one convenient location. The 44,000-squarefoot recreation center features two gymnasiums, a fitness center, a three-lane indoor track, locker rooms, community rooms and concession area. Outdoor facilities include soccer fields, baseball/softball complex, picnic pavilions, a large children's playground and walking paths over the 40 acres. The RecPlex is also home to the AquaPlex, a 12,250-square-foot water park with six lanes for lap swimming and competition.

2. Branson Convention Center An event organizer’s dream, the Branson Convention Center is a high-tech facility with a flexible design offering more than 110,000 square feet of usable space, including one exhibit hall totaling over 47,000 square feet of column-free space with 34-foot ceilings attached to a 22,000+-square-foot ballroom. Meeting space also includes 10 flexible breakout rooms, all within proximity of the ballroom and exhibit hall. The center is conveniently located in historic downtown Branson next to the Branson Landing shopping and dining district that runs along Lake Taneycomo.

Sports Planning Guide

From dance competitions to extreme water sports, Branson, Missouri welcomes all kinds of athletic events. 3. Branson’s Three Lakes The Branson/Lakes Area is recognized for its three pristine lakes: Table Rock, Taneycomo and Bull Shoals. Water sports enthusiasts can swim, water ski, wakeboard, tube, boat, sail, scuba dive, jet ski, parasail, kayak, and of course, fish. Table Rock and Bull Shoals were among the Top 50 Best Bass Lakes recognized by Bassmaster Magazine. Lake Taneycomo has been nationally recognized for great trout fishing. Branson’s lakes have played host to exciting events like the Ironman 70.3 Triathlon, FLW and Bassmaster fishing tournaments, as well as King of Wake, an elite pro-wakeboarding series.

4. Championship Golf Courses The Branson area has quickly evolved into a national golfing destination. Set in the beauty of the rolling hills of the Ozarks, you’ll find mountain and valley layouts that offer playing experiences for every level. Branson was recognized by Golf Magazine and Golf.com as one of the Best Summer Golf Destinations in the Midwest. In June 2014, the Top of the Rock and Buffalo Ridge golf courses hosted a Legends of Golf PGA tournament.

5. World-Class Theaters Branson also has state-of-the-art theaters that are great for indoor dance, martial arts, cheerleading and dance competitions. Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Theater Complex seats nearly 1,000 spectators. There is also an outdoor venue that can be used for motorcycle and

@SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

car rallies. Clay Cooper Theatre seats more than 1,200. Three separate stages add variety and the opportunity to expand the ability of your creative tactics and to perform in front of a live audience. The Welk Resort Theatre is a premier, full-service convention and event facility. The 2,200-seat theater hosts nationally recognized group sporting events, including cheerleading, dance and physique athletes. The Oak Ridge Boys Theatre is a state-of-the-art entertainment venue equipped with advanced technology and a programmable 40-foot LED wall to take athletic events to the next level. It has hosted dance, cheer, performance and sports events.

6. Miles of Trails The White River Valley Trail, highlighted by small waterfalls and views of Table Rock and Taneycomo lakes, provides a challenging experience for hikers and mountain bikers. The paved Table Rock Lakeshore Trail runs along the shore of Table Rock Lake from the State Park Marina to Dewey Short Visitor Center adjacent to the dam.

FACILITY SPOTLIGHT

Entertainment, Attractions Just Steps from Sports Venues The Branson/Lakes Area offers endless opportunities for fun activities. With over 100 shows in dozens of theaters, there’s appealing entertainment for everyone. Explore the sights and sounds of one of the world's top theme parks, Silver Dollar City. Three pristine lakes offer over 1,250 miles of shoreline and the majestic beauty of the Ozark Mountains. Learn about the rich history and culture of the area at the city’s renowned museums, including the Veterans Memorial Museum, Ancient Ozarks Natural History Museum and Celebrity Car Museum and Attraction. Relax at local spas and resorts; or find that perfect gift at the Branson Landing shopping complex, as well as hundreds of outlet stores, shops, galleries and boutiques. When it comes to food, good old-fashioned home cooking and barbecue are favorites of Branson visitors, but the city also offers a wide variety of cuisine at more than 200 restaurants, all easily accessible from sports facilities and hotels.

Right in the Middle of the Country Branson is located less than a day’s drive of one-third of the United States. It has two airports—Branson Airport, just south of town and the Springfield-Branson National Airport, less than 45 miles away. Branson has more than 16,500 guest rooms with an array of hotels, motels and resorts. Accommodations feature a range of amenities and price points suitable for any team’s needs.

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Social media marketing for your event Volunteer staff ■ Site visits

BRANSON/LAKES AREA CVB Terra Alphonso, CMP Assistant Director of Sports Marketing & Development 417-243-2124 • TAlphonso@BransonCVB.com ExploreBransonSports.com

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6 4 COLUMBIA, MO From Top University Facilities to Beautiful Outdoor Recreation Venues, Columbia Has it All

With its central location, top-notch facilities and supportive community, Columbia, Missouri is the perfect place to host your next sporting event. with the latest in strength training and cardio equipment designed specifically for basketball athletes, to the Mizzou Athletic Training Room, complete with aqua therapy and hydro pools.

4. Mizzou Aquatic Center University of Missouri Facilities 1. Mizzou Tennis Complex The 10-court facility consists of the Mizzou Tennis Center, the Green Tennis Center and six lighted outdoor tennis courts. The Green Tennis Center features four competition courts and adjustable sides that allow the building to be opened in warm weather and enclosed and heated during the colder part of the year. The Mizzou Tennis Complex includes office space, locker rooms, a lounge, training room and pro shop.

2. Hearnes Center The University of Missouri’s Hearnes Center, which was voted the toughest place to play volleyball in the Big 12, is a multi-purpose arena that seats almost 14,000 people. In addition to hosting the school’s wrestling and volleyball teams, the center is also home to Mizzou’s gymnastics and indoor track and field teams.

3. Mizzou Arena Seating more than 15,000, Mizzou Arena has been called the finest on-campus basketball arena in America by ESPN.com. This facility boasts the finest in training and therapy equipment, from the Athletic Performance Center, 66

Sports Planning Guide

This is a state-of-the-art facility offering a heated 50-meter pool and a diving pool featuring a full 10-meter platform and four springboards. Spectators can take advantage of the center’s digital record board and full-color video boards.

5. Mizzou Athletics Training Complex Home of the Tigers football program, the 101,000square-foot facility offers one of the nation’s most comprehensive training programs. It includes the Yeckel Training Center, a 13,000-square-foot workout area with state-ofthe-art equipment, and a Sports Nutrition Oasis, where athletes are provided with NCAA compliant pre/post-workout nutrition and hydration.

6. Columbia Parks and Recreation The Parks and Recreation department offers a variety of sporting venues, including Woodland Park, Fairview Park and Cosmopolitan Park. The latter has six football fields, a roller hockey rink, a skate park, up to six soccer fields, eight lighted tennis courts and the Rainbow Softball Complex. Columbia Parks and Recreation can set you up with facilities, pavilions, meeting rooms and anything else you might need for your sporting event. @SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

7. Columbia College The Southwell Complex consists of two complexes: the Arena of Southwell and the Courts of Southwell, which host the school’s volleyball, basketball and tennis programs. Recently renovated and carpeted locker rooms include flat-screen TVs and a high-tech sound system. The Southy Building offers a fitness center, turf room and a 1,000-square-foot athletic training room. The college is also home to the R. Marvin Owens Soccer Stadium and Antimi Softball Complex.

Off-Field Fun, Fantastic Food and a Great Night’s Rest If your group needs some time away from the field, they’ll find plenty to do in Columbia’s downtown area, called The District. Bordered on three sides by college campuses, The District has a vibrant atmosphere all its own, complete with shopping, art galleries, restaurants and an independent movie theater. You’ll find plenty to do and explore on the historic University of Missouri campus. From the iconic columns on the Quad to beautiful open spaces, Mizzou has plenty of views to be enjoyed. Blow off some steam with a few rounds of laser tag and bowling at Lazer Lanes, or enjoy the mini golf, go karts, batting cages, driving range and arcade at Perche Creek. Columbia’s 100+ restaurants are sure to offer something for every palate. Some local favorites include Shakespeare’s Pizza, a true Columbia tradition; Room 38, with affordable prices for delicious cuisine; and Flat Branch Pub and Brewing.

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Also check out Sparky’s, where you’ll find the best ice cream in the area. Whether it’s pub grub, sushi, tacos or seafood, Columbia has it all.

Right Between Kansas City and St. Louis Conveniently located between Kansas City and St. Louis at Interstate 70 and Highway 63, Columbia is just 30 minutes away from state capital Jefferson City and an hour from the Lake of the Ozarks. The city’s central location makes for easy access from all areas of the region. Columbia’s regional airport offers direct flights to Chicago and Dallas-Fort Worth. With more than 30 hotels, ranging from small units with simple amenities to large four-star hotel chains, your group is sure to find the perfect place to kick back and relax after the day’s sports action.

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Volunteer staff ■ Grant programs PR/media coverage ■ Site visits

COLUMBIA CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU Beth Mead, Sales and Marketing Manager 573-875-1231 • BAMead@GoColumbiaMO.com VisitColumbiaMO.com

Sports Planning Guide

2 SAINT CHARLES, MO

Saint Charles' unbeatable location in the historic Missouri River Valley, just a half-hour drive from downtown St. Louis, makes it both the ideal vacation spot and sports destination.

For Events on Grass, Wood, Ice or Water, Saint Charles Has What You Want

and 300 portable seats at the third. The gymnasiums are equipped to host basketball and volleyball competitions, as well as events like wrestling or martial arts.

1. Family Arena

4. Saint Charles Convention Center

This 10,000-seat arena is used for football, hockey, soccer and basketball, including college and high school tournaments. It hosts the St. Louis Ambush of the Major Arena Soccer League and The St. Louis Attack of the X-League of Indoor Football.

Located a few minutes from the Missouri River, the 154,000-square-foot facility can accommodate events like gymnastics, cheerleading, volleyball and basketball.

5. National Equestrian Center 2. Ozzie Smith Sports Complex Located in Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Fallon, this 76-acre sports facility, named for the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Famer, features seven lighted softball/baseball diamonds and houses the T.R. Hughes Ballpark, home of the Frontier League minor league baseball team, the River City Rascals. The ballpark also includes the Saint Charles County Amateur Sports Hall of Fame, which honors local athletes.

3. St. Peters Rec-Plex The 236,000-square-foot athletic complex features a world-class natatorium, which includes a diving pool with a 10-meter tower and one- and three-meter springboards along with a 50-meter competition pool. The Rec-Plex also has three NHL-size ice rinks, with seating for 600 spectators at the original rink, 1,200 seats at the second 68

Sports Planning Guide

The 24-acre center features two indoor arenas for equestrian tournaments and dog shows. The outdoor arena is conducive to motorcycle speedway races. All the arenas have bleacher seating and there are more than 650 stalls.

6. Lindenwood University Ice Arena This multipurpose facility on Lindenwood University's Southern Air campus in Wentzville has two professional, regulation-size surfaces.

7. National Horseshoe Pitching Association Hall of Fame Opened in 2007, the Wentzville facility at Quail Ridge Park has 16 indoor and 16 outdoor courts for year-round tournaments that attract players of all skill levels. @SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

8. Saint Charles Soccer Complex Park This 60-acre facility hosts seven major tournaments each year, as well as two annual league tournaments and recreational league games year round. The park is home to 16 soccer fields, two concession stands and a playground area.

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Saint Charles is known for its history and tradition, especially considering it is the oldest city on the Missouri River. Historic Main Street is a 10-block nationally registered historic district with more than 100 shops. All 25 of the district's restaurants are locally owned, so there are no chain restaurants. Within the district are the First State Capitol Building, Lewis and Clark Boathouse and Nature Center, and the Foundry Art Centre. Grand Prix Karting is one of the Midwest’s largest go-kart tracks. Demolition Ball/Adrenaline Zone offers an actionpacked game played in bumper cars on one side and one of the largest multi-level laser tag arenas in the state on the other. Lindenwood University hosts touring plays and concerts as well as its own student productions. For a look back at pioneer days, visit the Historic Daniel Boone Home & Heritage Center in Defiance, Missouri. In St. Louis, a 30-minute drive away, guests can enjoy a ballpark tour or game at the Cardinals’ Busch Stadium, take a tram car up the famous Gateway Arch or visit Missouri Botanical Gardens. Forest Park, one of the largest city parks in the country, abounds with attractions including the Missouri History Museum, St. Louis Science Center, St. Louis Art Museum and St. Louis Zoo.

Site visits to sports facilities Housing assistance DVDs and/or images for event publicity Welcome bags Press releases to area media contacts Volunteers on site to talk about local attractions Volunteers available to assist with event registration Greeting by a CVB representative or city official

GREATER SAINT CHARLES MISSOURI CVB Greg Maxon, Group Travel & Sports Sales Manager 230 S. Main St., Saint Charles, MO 63301 636-946-7776 or 800-366-2427 • gmaxon@historicstcharles.com HistoricStCharles.com

Central Location, Hotels Galore Saint Charles, just 15 minutes from Lambert-St. Louis International Airport along I-70, is just a few hours’ drive from Kansas City, Louisville, Indianapolis, Memphis, Nashville and Chicago. The area boasts 18 hotels, one of which is an Embassy Suites that's conveniently attached to the convention center. With approximately 2,000 rooms in the city of Saint Charles and 4,000 total in the county, teams and their families won't have a problem finding somewhere to stay. Whether you want a bed and breakfast, four-star hotel or something in between, there's plenty of lodging options to choose from. Teams and their guests will find Saint Charles easy to get around, as most major venues and accommodations are relatively close to each other. SportsPlanningGuide.com

First CLass Facilities, For All Your Sports Events

1-888-205-7264 • www.historicstcharles.com Sports Planning Guide

HAMILTON COUNTY, IN From Field to Court to Pool, Hamilton County Can Host Them All 1. Grand Park - The Sports Campus at Westfield This championship-level, multi-sport complex in Westfield encompasses 400 acres and includes 31 full-size turf and grass fields that can host sports such as soccer, football, field hockey, lacrosse and rugby. The complex is also home to 26 turf and grass softball and baseball diamonds, and is conveniently located next to the developing 220-acre Grand Park Village, a premier lakeside dining, retail and entertainment development. Future additions will include two indoor facilities (one is breaking ground soon) spanning 300,000 square feet, which will feature three full-size soccer fields, locker rooms, second floor fan viewing area, concession stands and more.

With basketball an Indiana staple and soccer a big part of the community, Hamilton County loves sports. Regardless of the game, there’s a facility for it in the county’s 403 square miles.

4. Bobby A. Mills Field of Dreams Located in Noblesville, the large baseball complex features eight functioning diamonds, including two turf infields and six brick dust and grass fields. The field is fully equipped to host any baseball tournament, regardless of age or skill level.

5. Forest Park Aquatic Center The 50-meter outdoor pool in Noblesville boasts 10 lanes and a separate 25-yard diving well with one-meter and three-meter spring boards and five-, seven- and 10-meter platforms. There’s also a waterslide, toddler pool, concession stand and PA system. The center hosts the Noblesville Swim Club, Indiana Diving Academy and multiple other programs that use their facility for meets.

6. Carmel Ice Skadium

This park in Fishers features eight ball diamonds (dimensions accommodate 13-and-under age groups), grass infields, 29-acre park, lights, press box, concession stand and restrooms.

This ice arena features two NHL-sized rinks and has seating that can accommodate up to 1,350 spectators. There’s also a full-service snack bar, sound system and pro shop. The “Skadium” hosts youth and adult hockey leagues games and tournaments, as well as figure skating competitions.

3. Monon Community Center & Central Park

7. Carmel Racquet Club

This 146,000-square-foot facility in Carmel offers first-class facilities for a variety of sporting events. Whether you’re looking for a space to hold a basketball tournament or gymnastics meet, this community center can accommodate. Additional amenities include a fitness center, water park and skateboard park.

This is the only facility of its kind in the state to house 12 air-conditioned indoor hard tennis courts and six outdoor clay tennis courts. The club hosts the Central Indiana Women’s Indoor Tennis League, Indiana Masters Tennis League, USA Adult League teams, and multiple competitive junior and senior leagues.

2. Billericay Park

Sports Planning Guide

@SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

8. Best Choice Fieldhouse Located in Fishers, it houses six full-size basketball courts made of state-of-the-art hardwood. The fieldhouse has room in the bleachers for 280 spectators per court and seating for up to 1,000 for championship courts. There are scorer’s tables on each floor, a mezzanine area that doubles as a coach’s observation area and a full concession area. All the courts can be used for volleyball matches as well.

A Plethora of Ways to Spend Your Down Time Hamilton County is comprised of eight towns—Fishers, Carmel, Noblesville, Westfield, Cicero, Arcadia, Sheridan and Atlanta—that each have their own unique culture and personality. History buffs will love a trip to Fisher’s Conner Prairie Interactive History Park and an afternoon at Noblesville’s historic square. The Monon Community Center & Central Park features a 3.5-acre outdoor water park complete with a zero-edge-depth activity pool, six-lane non-competition lap pool, lazy river, kiddie pool and activity water feature, two waterslides, deep pool with one-meter diving board, drop slide, concession area and cabanas for rent. In Indianapolis, about a half hour from Hamilton County, visitors enjoy the Indianapolis Zoo, the Children’s Museum (the largest of its kind in the world) and speeding down the tracks at Fastimes Indoor Karting. Indy car racing fans can’t miss a trip to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Hall of Fame Museum, and art enthusiasts will fall in love with the Indianapolis Museum of Art.

FACILITY SPOTLIGHT

A Stone’s Throw from Indianapolis Located 50 minutes from Indianapolis International Airport and with easy access to major interstates such as I-69 and I-465, getting to Hamilton County and navigating once you’re there is a piece of cake. The Hamilton County area is only two hours from Cincinnati, three hours from Chicago and Columbus, four hours from St. Louis and less than a quarter day’s drive from six more of the nation’s largest cities. The county boasts over 35 hotels and other lodging options, from national chains to bed & breakfasts.

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Social media marketing for your event Volunteer staff Grant programs ■ PR/media coverage Signage ■ Site visits Transportation for teams Housing services ■ Mobile apps Discounts to local attractions Websites for events and tournaments

HAMILTON COUNTY SPORTS AUTHORITY William Knox, Director 317-660-4041 • wknox@hamiltoncountysports.com 37 E. Main St. Carmel, IN 46032 HamiltonCountySports.com

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Sports Planning Guide

WEST MICHIGAN Grand Rapids hosts more than 50 youth and amateur sporting events annually. One is the Meijer State Games of Michigan, the signature event of the West Michigan Sports Commission, which features a multi-sport, Olympicstyle event for athletes of any age or ability. Winter Games of Michigan took place for the first time in February 2014.

Space for Almost Any Sport 1. Art Van Sports Complex Art Van Sports Complex is a championship-level baseball and softball facility available to host tournaments and events in 2015; construction will be complete in fall 2014.

2. Fifth Third Ballpark This is a 10,000-seat field with 24 luxury suites, Pepsi Stadium Club and Miller Lite House Deck for indoor and outdoor meetings. The ballpark is home of the West Michigan Whitecaps and hosts opening ceremonies of the Meijer State Games of Michigan.

3. MVP Fieldhouse MVP Fieldhouse features three soccer fields, three lacrosse fields, two football fields, five basketball courts, six volleyball courts and meeting space.

Sports Planning Guide

Booking nearly 300 sporting events and tournaments since its establishment in 2007, West Michigan Sports Commission makes Michigan's west coast an ideal spot for youth and amateur sports. 4. Deltaplex Arena & Conference Center The 23,000 square-foot arena is home to the Grand Rapids Cyclones professional basketball team (Independent Basketball Association).

5. Van Andel Arena The 12,000-seat arena in downtown Grand Rapids is home to the Grand Rapids Griffins (American Hockey League) and hosted the 2014 Western Collegiate Hockey Associationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s WCHA Final Five.

6. Grand River The Grand River offers more than 1,500 meters of straightaway for rowing and hosted the 2014 U.S. Rowing Masters National Championships. It is the home of the boathouse for the Grand Rapids Rowing Association.

7. DeVos Place DeVos Place, next to the Grand River in downtown Grand Rapids, features 162,000 square feet in a column-free exhibit hall; a 40,000-square-foot ballroom; and 26 meeting rooms. There is also a 2,404-seat performing arts theater. The center is home to the Grand Rapids Symphony, Grand Rapids Ballet Company, Opera Grand Rapids and Broadway Grand Rapids. It hosts the Grand Rapids Boat Show, West Michigan Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Expo and West Michigan Golf Show. @SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

8. Colleges/Universities Calvin College offers a 363,000-square-foot fieldhouse, an Olympic pool, six indoor sports courts, and 18 outdoor and six indoor tennis courts. Aquinas College hosts track and field and indoor soccer events with a 200-meter NCAA-certified track and artificial turf. Cornerstone University features three racquetball courts, six indoor courts and a new baseball stadium/athletic center complex. Davenport University has a new 23-acre Farmers Athletic Complex for baseball, softball and soccer, as well as eight tennis courts.

Grand Rapids Ranks High in Fun and Recreation Grand Rapids is a cosmopolitan city with many outdoor recreational opportunities. Places Rated Almanac ranked Grand Rapids as the No. 3 city in the nation for fun and recreation. Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park has a nationally recognized tropical conservatory, the largest in Michigan. Visitors to Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum can travel by video with President Ford and Secretary of State Kissinger to significant spots around the globe, take a holographic tour of the Ford White House and experience a day in the Oval Office through a sound and light show. Grand Rapids Art Museum (GRAM) includes more than 5,000 works of art, including American and European 19th and 20th century paintings and sculptures. Grand Rapids Public Museum offers exhibits on history, nature and cultural heritage, and invites visitors to ride a 1928 carousel or see a show in the planetarium.

Commission Covers Four Michigan Regions The area, accessible via interstate highways, is about 2½ hours west of Detroit. Gerald R. Ford International Airport, Michigan’s second largest commercial airport, is about 13 miles southeast of Grand Rapids. The greater Grand Rapids area offers 7,200 hotel rooms. Several major hotels (Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, JW Marriott, City Flats Hotel and Courtyard by Marriott) in downtown Grand Rapids are within a five-minute walk of nearly 100 restaurants, nightclubs, museums and theaters.

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Presentation support Destination services ■ Venue selection Sponsorship procurement Volunteer recruitment Public relations assistance

WEST MICHIGAN SPORTS COMMISSION Jamie Schlagel, National Sales Manager 171 Monroe Ave NW, Suite 700, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 Office: 616-233-3566 • Fax: 616-459-0562 jschlagel@wmscmisports.com WestMichiganSportsCommission.com

HOLLAND, MI

Plan a sports event in Holland and experience true community support, Dutch culture and outdoor recreation galore.

Collegiate-Level Sports Facilities and Plentiful Park Complexes Host a Range of Athletic Events

registrations and vendor booths. The field has artificial turf and lighting for night games.

5. Holland Aquatic Center

A 102,000-square-foot facility that plays host to Hope College’s men’s and women’s basketball teams, as well as numerous state championships and NCAA tournaments. The 3,400-seat venue features two basketball courts and a state-of-the-art weight room.

A state-of-the-art facility, the Holland Aquatic Center is a gem in the swimming community, especially in Western Michigan. The center features an eight-lane, 50-meter competitive pool with moveable bulkhead, two one-meter and two three-meter diving boards and a 25-yard, six-lane warm-up pool and diving well. The facility also boasts the Colorado Time System and scoreboard. Permanent elevated bleachers accommodate 600 spectators.

2. Ray & Sue Smith Football Stadium

6. Matt Urban Sports Complex

Hope’s football stadium can handle sports events of all sizes, from local high school games to major national football events. The stadium features new artificial turf and seating for over 5,300 fans, plus hundreds more in the end zone hillside.

One of the most popular spots for a variety of tournaments, the 23-acre park features four lighted softball fields, two basketball courts, a soccer field and two sand volleyball courts. The venue has played host to softball and baseball competitions, beach volleyball matches and flag football tournaments, among others.

1. DeVos Fieldhouse

3. Etheridge Tennis Complex The six-court, 40,000-square-foot indoor tennis center has been host to a number of state tournaments. The newly opened Vande Poel-Heeringa Stadium Courts, adjacent to the complex, feature 12 outdoor courts with elevated seating for spectators.

7. The Edge Ice Arena This arena is the perfect spot for hockey games and figure skating competitions. It features one 85 x 200 NHL sheet of ice and one 100 x 200 Olympic size sheet, and includes seating for 250 to 1,800 spectators.

4. Van Andel Soccer Stadium The pitch is set for soccer action at this elite soccer stadium. The venue can accommodate approximately 1,400 fans in stadium-style and bleacher seating, and the accompanying terrace is perfect for setting up tournament

Sports Planning Guide

8. Helder Park Part of Holland Charter Township, this 98-acre park offers dozens of amenities to accommodate all kinds of sports events. The park features two slow pitch softball

@SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

diamonds with lighting, three full-size lighted soccer fields, two medium-size lighted soccer fields, three small-size lighted soccer fields, four tennis courts, an outdoor basketball court and two beach volleyball courts.

FACILITY SPOTLIGHT

9. Winstrom Park Housed in Park Township, this 50-acre park features two softball diamonds, multiple soccer fields, tennis courts, basketball courts, sand volleyball and a Frisbee golf course.

Dutch Culture Mixes with Outdoor Adventure in Holland Historic Downtown Holland features trendy boutiques, upscale dining and great local treats, all in one place. Sports teams and their families can spend hours exploring this local favorite. The Netherlands comes to the States at Nelis’ Dutch Village, recreated with authentic Dutch architecture and performers decked out in full costume and real wooden shoes. Learn all about the city’s history at The Holland Museum, from the arrival of the Dutch to the birth of Tulip Time, the famed annual spring event that covers Holland in a rainbow of tulips. Veldheer Tulip Gardens is ablaze with five million tulips for the festival and features seasonal perennial gardens in the summer and fall. Windmill Island Gardens is home to DeZwaan, the only authentic Dutch windmill operating in the U.S. In the summer months, the outdoors in Holland beckon with beautiful parks, expansive beaches, water sports, nature centers and 125 miles of bike trails. Holland State Park is one of Michigan’s most-visited state parks. The beach here offers stunning views of Big Red lighthouse, and visitors can spend the day kayaking, canoeing or walking around the park.

A Quick Drive From Chicago Located on the eastern shores of Lake Michigan, Holland is 140 miles from Chicago and 170 from Detroit. Gerald Ford International Airport is about 40 minutes away in Grand Rapids and is served by major airlines. Holland has a wide variety of accommodations, from large hotel chains to smaller boutique hotels. And with approximately 1,550 hotel rooms, Holland can accommodate any size sports event.

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Social media marketing for your event Grant programs PR/Media coverage Site visits Housing services – assistance in attaining room blocks and pricing (no reservation service)

HOLLAND AREA VISITORS BUREAU Sales Contact: Wendy Link 78 E. 8th Street, Holland, MI 49423 877-493-4949 • wendy@holland.org

Holland.org SportsPlanningGuide.com

6 Sports Planning Guide

After you Play...

Play! in

Holland, MI… Just 3 hours from Chicago & Detroit • 1550 hotel rooms Facilities to host sporting events year ‘round 877.493.4949 | holland.org

Eat, Shop, then Eat Some More Champaign County offers more than 35 locally-owned restaurants in the downtown area. There are many farm-to-table options in this agricultural community. Sports lovers can’t pass up the opportunity to shop at any of the University of Illinois bookstores. Popular attractions in the fall include Hardy’s Reindeer Ranch, where visitors enjoy a corn maze and reindeer kisses, and Curtis Orchard & Pumpkin Patch, famed for its apple cider and apple donuts. Champaign County is home to five forest preserves.

Centrally Located in Illinois About two hours from Chicago, St. Louis and Indianapolis, Champaign County is easy to access. There are 3,700 hotel rooms—all with free parking.

1 CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, IL Champaign County, centrally located in Illinois, is an easy-to-get-to destination where Class A facilities are ideal for tennis, soccer, lacrosse, softball/baseball, racquetball, football and volleyball events.

Play Like a Champion at NCAA Big 10 Facilities

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Service bags with discounts, visitors’ guide Create custom landing page for tournament information Social media marketing ■ Local media coverage Grant program ■ Signage ■ Site visits

VISIT CHAMPAIGN COUNTY Cory L. Hatfield, Sports & Sales Director 108 S. Neil Street, Champaign, Illinois 61820 800-369-6151 • coryh@visitchampaigncounty.org VisitChampaignCounty.org

1. University of Illinois Facilities Activities & Recreation Center (ARC) is a 350,000-square-foot facility featuring four gyms with 12 basketball courts and 16 volleyball courts, a 35-foot climbing wall, half-mile indoor track, two 50-meter swimming pools, 12 racquetball courts and nine multi-purpose areas. Outdoor Center Fields are used for intramurals, club sports and open rec, featuring four lighted football fields, two lighted soccer fields, three lighted sand volleyball courts, six lighted basketball courts and six lighted tennis courts. Complex Fields include four lighted softball diamonds, four lighted football fields, three lighted soccer fields, two lacrosse fields, two rugby fields and an ultimate disc option. Atkins Tennis Center is home to 20 outdoor and six indoor courts.

2. Dodds Park The park features seven softball/baseball diamonds, 11 soccer courts and a new 18-hole disc golf course.

3. Stone Creek Golf Club The 18-hole golf course, used for youth and championship tournaments, offers 35 natural grass tee stations along with 27 turf mats.

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Sports Planning Guide

4 5 2 ROCKFORD, IL

Excelling in soccer, softball, lacrosse, golf, bowling and wrestling, the Rockford Region can accommodate almost any sports event.

Superior Facilities, Better Location 1. Sportscore One The 179-acre facility, located along the Rock River, features eight premier soccer fields, nine regulation soccer fields and eight lighted softball diamonds complete with concession stands, restrooms, locker facilities and boat ramps. Other recreational activities that can be hosted here include ultimate Frisbee, running, biking, boating and fishing. There are also two playgrounds at Sportscore One.

2. Sportscore Two Sportscore Two hosts soccer, rugby, pickleball, Ultimate Frisbee, football, basketball and adapted sports. Located on a sprawling 124 acre campus, Sportscore Two has 30 soccer fields, indoor fields and multi-sport surfaces. The venue is designed for year-round tournaments, camps and leagues. It also includes indoor and outdoor concessions and picnic areas, a playground and ample parking. Sportscore Two is home to Wedgbury Stadium, which seats 2,000 spectators, and has hosted state high school soccer finals, pro football games, national rugby finals, and college rugby championships. The Indoor Sports Center (ISC), is a 60,000 square foot facility located on the Sportscore Two campus, and includes an indoor soccer fields, five volleyball/basketball courts, a sports equipment store, Skybox restaurant/sports bar and accommodations to host a variety of events. ISC is wheelchair-accessible and hosts various adapted/wheelchair sports. Sportscore Two expansion plans, now underway and scheduled to be completed in 2015, include the addition of six artificial turf, multi-purpose lighted fields, along with the installation of artificial turf, new lighting, pathways, a restroom 78

Sports Planning Guide

building, upgrades to bleachers and press box in the Wedgbury Stadium. The Indoor Sports Center will be expanded to house five soccer fields. These upgrades have already begun, making Sportscore Two the premier sports tournament destination in the Midwest.

3. Downtown Sports Complex The approximately 100,000-square-foot indoor amateur sports complex opens in 2016. It will feature flexible floor space for eight regulation-size basketball courts and 16 volleyball courts, 16 wrestling mats and more, with a capacity of 3,000. Other sports such as dancing and cheer can also be accommodated. Pre-booking is available now.

4. Rock River The Rock River Water Trail links 11 counties in Wisconsin and Illinois along the 320-mile river course. The water trail is a delineated path on the river that connects access sites, resting places and attractions great for kayaking, water skiing, canoeing, boating and more.

5. BMO Harris Bank Center Rockford's downtown arena is designed to host a variety of sports tournaments including ice hockey, wrestling, basketball, dance, cheer, motor sports and more. Seats 7,000. The BMO Harris Bank Center is home to the Rockford IceHogs, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks. It also has options for those who desire a premium experience as they enjoy the world-class entertainment at the venue. Executive Suites, Club Boxes and Club Seats are available on a per-event or annual basis. Enjoy a professional and courteous staff, convenient parking, and ATM machines and concessions on site. @SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

Discover Parks and Museums Alpine Hills Adventure Park is a multi-seasonal park with year-round activities set to open late 2014. In summer, enjoy the golf course (5-hole youth/beginner course and practice range), zip lining tree canopy tour, and paths for biking, hiking and walking. Visitors love tubing, tobogganing and snowboarding not only in winter, thanks to a permanent snowmaking system. Catch a baseball game at Aviator Stadium, which features a Diamond Deck suite area, VIP terrace boxes, group outing areas and a Kid Zone with inflatables, speed pitch and a playground. At Volcano Falls Adventure Park, play mini-golf on the ground-shaking Volcano Course or the easier Palm Course; practice skills in batting and soccer cages; “combat” friends in the Laser Zone or try the Lazer Maze Vault Challenge; race on go-kart tracks; or check out the game room and snack bar. Burpee Museum features four floors of exhibits, from Native Americans to geoscience. It’s also home to Jane, the most complete juvenile Tyrannosaurus-Rex skeleton in the world, and Homer, a sub-adult Triceratops skeleton. Discovery Center Museum, named one of the top 12 children’s museums in the nation by Forbes in 2012, offers more than 250 hands-on exhibits and attractions featuring light/color, art, agriculture, health and sports. There’s also an 8,000-square-foot outdoor wooden park with a twostory maze, water play area, dinosaur fossil dig pit and a Secret Garden.

Rockford Region within Driving Distance of Six Major Cities Access to Rockford Region is easy via Interstates 90 and 39 or U.S. Highway 20, and from O’Hare International Airport or Chicago Rockford International Airport. Approximate driving distances to the Rockford area are: one hour from Chicago (O’Hare); 1.5 hours from Chicago (downtown); one hour from Madison, Wisconsin; 1.5 hours from Milwaukee; four hours from Indianapolis; 4.5 hours from St. Louis; and five hours from Minneapolis/St. Paul.

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Exceptional customer service Hands-on assistance every step of the way Site visits Local marketing and social media services

ROCKFORD AREA CVB Nick Povalitis, Sports Sales Manager npovalitis@gorockford.com 815-489-1652 (direct) • 800-521-0849 (toll free) GoRockford.com

Make Rockford Part of Your Team! Rockford has been a leader in the sports tournament market for decades. We have many fantastic facilities, local sites and attractions you can’t find anywhere else and quality accommodations – all guaranteed to exceed the needs of your tournaments and teams. Your experience will be memorable with the assistance of our helpful staff providing exceptional customer service. We can’t wait to help host your next successful tournament in Real. Original. Rockford.

102 N. Main St., Rockford, IL 61101 800.521.0849

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Sports Planning Guide

2 CHICAGO SOUTHLAND Choose from Top Youth and Professional Facilities 1. Toyota Park The home of Major League Soccerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chicago Fire gives amateur competition the chance to play where the pros do. This 20,000-seat stadium is large enough to support any amateur crowd, but maintains an intimate feel. The stadiumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s full-size field (75 yards by 120 yards) has real grass, and the site also features two practice fields, one turf and one grass. The three-field venue has hosted events like the United States Adult Soccer Association's National Cups Tournament, but with more than 250 other soccer fields in the area, tournament planners can also elect to use Toyota Park as only their championship venue.

2. Ho Chunk Sports Complex This Lynwood complex has a 100,000-square-foot indoor facility that features indoor soccer fields. Outside, a clover of five grass-infield baseball fields, some with stadium seating, surround a concession stand and bar. 80

Sports Planning Guide

Chicago has always had a reputation for being a sports-crazed town, and its South/Southwest suburbs are no exception.

3. Matteson Community Center The Matteson Community Center is a 73,000-squarefoot facility with a variety of venues including two indoor basketball courts, two baseball diamonds, one soccer field and a football field with seating.

4. Memorial Park Fields The five skinned infield softball diamonds at Memorial Park Fields in Midlothian are set in an offset wheel pattern. New in 2013, they feature permanent restroom facilities and concessions, 300-foot fencing and plenty of parking.

5. Tinley Park Convention Center This facility can host virtually any event. For sports events that require a great deal of space and flexibility from their venue, such as gymnastics, wrestling or cheer, the center will be a good fit with 70,000 square feet of space (58,000 net contiguous). The facility features two large exhibit halls as well as 13 smaller meeting rooms. There are three sets of restrooms and a concession stand . The convention center is conveniently attached to a Holiday Inn, which has 202 rooms. @SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

Family Entertainment Options Abound There is never a shortage of things to do in Chicago, which is just 30-45 minutes away from most Chicago Southland tournament venues, but the city’s South/Southwest suburbs have their own array of family entertainment and attractions for tournament goers to enjoy. The Children's Museum in Oak Lawn offers fun exhibits such as an art studio, air maze and We the People, which commemorates September 11. KidsWork Children's Museum, located in Frankfort, has two floors of interactive, kid-friendly exhibits–the first floor deals with science and the second with creativity. Chicago Southland is also home to several nature centers. Lake Katherine Nature Center and Botanic Gardens is an 85-acre park in Palos Heights where visitors can hike or jog along the trails, canoe or kayak on the lake, attend a special event or educational program, or simply enjoy the beauty of the gardens and the abundant opportunities to see wildlife. The region also features family-fun parks like Haunted Trails Family Amusement Center in Burbank, Hollywood Park Family Entertainment Center in Crestwood, Dave & Buster’s in Orland Park and Odyssey Fun World in Tinley Park.

Just South of Chicago Seven interstates (I-55, I-57, I-80, I-90, I-94, I-294 and I-355) crisscross the Chicago Southland, making it easily accessible to the more than 30 million people that live within 300 miles of the area. Chicago’s Midway Airport is a short

drive from the South/Southwest suburbs, and O’Hare Airport is just a 30- to 45-minute drive north. More than 50 airlines serve the two airports. The area's Amtrak stations can be found in Summit and Homewood, and Amtrak trains from around the country go into downtown Chicago’s Union Station. Being a region that hosts numerous sports and other events year round, Chicagoland is flush with hotels. Chicago Southland alone has more than 6,000 rooms in almost 70 hotels, with even more options a short drive away in downtown Chicago. The Chicago Southland CVB has partnered with many hotels in the area to offer group rates to tournament planners.

X Factors ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Social media marketing for events Volunteer staff ■ Grant programs PR/media coverage Signage ■ Site visits Microsite Custom online reservations link Discounts to local attractions

CHICAGO SOUTHLAND CVB Joel Koester, Sports Sales Executive 2304 173rd Street, Lansing, IL 60438 708-895-8200 • joel@VisitChicagoSouthland.com Toll Free: 1-888-895-8233 PlayChicagoSouthland.com

This could be the perfect place for athletic events of all kinds. As a matter of fact, it is. Dozens of sporting facilities of all kinds - from outdoor lighted fields to indoor courts - are here, a straight shot from anywhere in the Midwest, a short distance from either Chicago airport and just 30 minutes from Chicago’s Loop. Every day, athletes and their families win with our services and incentives, affordable and comfortable hotels and family-friendly restaurants. It’s the perfect place for them - and for you.

Contact Joel Koester 888-895-3211 Sports@VisitChicagoSouthland.com PlayChicagoSouthland.com

Sports Venue Guide

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Sports Planning Guide

6 BLOOMINGTON-NORMAL, IL

Outstanding venues and an excellent location make Bloomington-Normal, Illinois a planner’s first choice

Facilities with a Pedigree of Hosting Championship Events

has a seating capacity of 15,000 and parking for 4,000 vehicles. The artificial turf playing field is fully lighted with two scoreboards and has two team locker rooms.

1. U.S. Cellular Coliseum

4. ISU Redbird Arena

Located in downtown Bloomington, the Coliseum has welcomed the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Competitive Cheerleading State Finals, IHSA Dual Team Wrestling State Finals and Indoor Football League All-Star Game. With seating for 8,000, the coliseum was designed as a first-class venue for entertainment, trade shows and sporting events. The flexible, multi-use sports facility can host ice, field, mat and stage events.

Located on the campus of Illinois State University in Normal, Redbird Arena was designed and performs as a championship facility. Hosting basketball, volleyball and cheerleading competitions, the arena has eight full team locker rooms. Additional features include a suspended scoreboard, security, ushering service, a media room, wiring for television and radio, and a catering service. With a 10,200 seating capacity and parking for 4,000 vehicles, ISU Redbird Arena has hosted events like the NCAA Women’s Basketball Midwest Regional and IHSA Girls Basketball and Volleyball State Championships.

2. Champion Fields True to its name, Champion Fields has hosted its share of premier events, including the Amateur Softball Association National Championships and Olympic Softball exhibition games. Located at Maxwell Park in West Normal, the complex was built for softball. Ten lighted fields are divided into three areas with each having its own concession and restrooms. The four west end fields are home to youth fast pitch and weekend tournaments, while the four east end fields accommodate slow pitch. The two south end fields offer the flexibility of accommodating slow pitch and fast pitch. Seating capacity is 2,300.

3. Illinois State University (ISU) Hancock Stadium Located just minutes off I-55 on the ISU campus in Normal, Hancock Stadium is a full-size collegiate field ideal for football, soccer, lacrosse and band field competition. It has hosted the Special Olympics Illinois Summer Games and NCAA Division 1-AA Playoffs. ISU Hancock Stadium

Sports Planning Guide

5. Illinois Wesleyan University (IWU) Shirk Center A multi-purpose complex on the IWU campus in Bloomington, the Shirk Center is ideal for basketball, volleyball, track and tennis competitions. There’s seating for 2,400 spectators and 750 parking spaces available. The fitness center provides a weight/exercise room, seven locker rooms, a concession stand, and men and women’s training rooms. The Shirk Center also features a 200-meter, six-lane track, a pair of batting cages and four courts for tennis, volleyball, basketball and badminton. There are facilities for golf and infield practice for baseball/softball. The IWU Shirk Center has hosted events like the NCAA Division III Indoor Track National Championships, NCAA Division III Volleyball National Championships and Midwest Nationals Wrestling Tournament.

@SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

6. The Corn Crib One of the “coolest” names in all sports, The Corn Crib certainly isn’t corny. On the contrary it’s the newest sports facility in the Bloomington-Normal area. The Corn Crib is a state-of-the-art, multi-purpose stadium and home to the Normal CornBelters, a minor league baseball team in the independent Frontier League, and Heartland Community College athletic teams. The playing field is Sprinturf and the stadium is lighted. There’s seating for 4,200 and parking for 1,200 vehicles.

Bloomington-Normal Area Offers Lots to See and Do There’s more than a half-dozen public courses, including favorites The Den at Fox Creek, Highland Park, Ironwood, Prairie Vista and Weibring Golf Club at ISU. A behind-thescenes tour of The Corn Crib includes lawn tickets to a future game. The Children’s Discovery Museum in Normal delights children of all ages. The David Davis Mansion State Historic Site in Bloomington provides a glimpse into the life of a major Lincoln supporter, while the McLean County Museum of History shares the story of Lincoln’s law practice. The Bloomington-Normal area has a wide assortment of restaurants. Avanti’s is known for its pizza and pasta, and Biaggi’s Ristorante Italiano promises a relaxing dining experience.

FACILITY SPOTLIGHT

A Central Location Makes Getting Here a Breeze Just two hours from Chicago and 2.5 from St. Louis, the Bloomington-Normal area is served by Interstates 55, 74 and 39. American, Delta, Allegiant and Frontier Airlines service the Central Illinois Regional Airport with daily flights to Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Detroit and MinneapolisSt. Paul. Normal features an Amtrak station, which is served by connecting buses to Davenport, Galesburg, Peoria, Champaign/Urbana and Indianapolis. There are more than 3,000 guest rooms in the Bloomington-Normal area.

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Social media marketing for the event Vendor recruitment Volunteer staff ■ Sponsorships Event creation ■ Publicity Site selection ■ Logistical support Assistance for securing local transportation Hotel accommodations ■ Welcome services Bid process ■ Coupons for attractions/restaurants

BLOOMINGTON-NORMAL AREA CVB Matt Hawkins, Sports Marketing Manager 3201 CIRA Dr., Suite 201, Bloomington, IL 61704 Phone: 309-665-0033 • Fax: 309-661-0743 BloomingtonNormalCVB.org

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5 Sports Planning Guide

new stores is underway. The beautiful Paramount Theatre features world class Broadway entertainment.

Aurora, Second Largest City in Illinois Easily accessible from I-88, Aurora is only 37 miles west of Chicago and equidistant from Midway and O’Hare international airports. There are more than 1,100 hotel rooms in the area, and hotel parking is always free.

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The Aurora area, with a variety of impressive venues, lodging and amusements in 10 communities, is the ideal sports event destination.

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Social media assistance Volunteer staff Grant programs PR/media coverage Signage Site visits Transportation assistance Mobile app connected to website Housing services/booking via website Welcome packages VIP coupons/discounts to local attractions

From Bike Trails to Multi-Purpose Centers

AURORA AREA CVB

1. Vaughan Athletic Center

Mike Pfeiffer, Group Sales Agent 43 West Galena Blvd., Aurora, IL 60506-4129 Direct: 630-256-3194 • Fax: 630-256-3199 sales@enjoyaurora.com EnjoyAurora.com

The 225,000-square-foot athletic, fitness and aquatic center features nine indoor tennis courts, four basketball courts suitable for multi-use, two indoor tracks and the VAC Cafe.

2. Stuart Sports Complex The 135-acre complex features 37 soccer fields of various sizes, eight lit baseball/softball diamonds, a dog park and trails.

3. Great Lakes Center

Open Your Arms to the Aurora Area

The center covers 60,000 square feet, with 12 spacious, soft-surface volleyball courts, weight training, a retail store, concessions, a 10,000-square-foot viewing area and a parking lot with spaces for more than 300.

4. Bike Trails and Running Routes Where hundreds of miles of trails intersect, the Aurora Area is the best place to begin and end an event. The trails host the Batavia Peapod Half Madness 13.1 Half Marathon in August. Downtown Aurora hosts the American Diabetes Association Tour de Cure every year.

The Best Mix of Urban & Suburban

Fiery Fun and Historic Sights to See The Aurora Regional Fire Museum, housed in the 1894 Old Central Fire Station, spotlights the area’s firefighting history. On the Fox River in Plano, Farnsworth House is a worldfamous architectural wonder created by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. The 120-store Chicago Premium Outlets is the most popular shopping destination in the region; an expansion with 80 SportsPlanningGuide.com

43 West Galena Blvd., Aurora, IL 60506 Phone: 630-256-3194 • Fax: 630-256-3199 Sales@EnjoyAurora.com

EnjoyAurora.com Sports Planning Guide

1 3 WISCONSIN DELLS Space for Big-Time Sports Events

Athletes beg to have a tournament in Wisconsin Dells not only for the grand facilities and top level competition, but also because they know they will have an unforgettable time once they step off the field or court. The town is recognized as one of the top family destinations in the Midwest and the No. 1 tourism spot in Wisconsin.

4. Poppy Waterman Lake Delton Ice Arena Built in 1996, it is a full-size NHL rink with concessions.

1. JustAgame Fieldhouse The fieldhouse has 50,000 square feet of hardwood; 10 volleyball courts; six high school basketball courts; one championship court (94-foot floor with seating for 1,700+, media access and balcony for additional seating or VIP area); locker rooms; concessions; and a Sports Impressions sporting goods store.

2. Woodside Sports Complex Mauston The complex has 8 fields (4 baseball and 4 softball fields) and features a unique country-western atmosphere. Woodside Sports partners with area hotels to provide the best rates and a variety of accommodations for your teams.

3. The Wisconsin Dells Center Owned by Woodside Sports Complex, it has 90,000 square feet of column-free space; a 13,000-square-foot pre-function area; 70-foot ceilings; 1,200 outside parking stalls; a full kitchen and concession area; ticket area; retail store area; and offices and meeting rooms. The dome dimensions inside are 220 feet wide by 380 feet long. The center can feature sport court and turf for volleyball (16 courts), wrestling, softball, soccer, lacrosse, baseball and one full-sized football field.

Sports Planning Guide

5. Municipal Parks Rotary Park is located north of Broadway at the intersection of Race Street and Indiana Avenue. It includes two baseball fields, restrooms, shelter, playground and concession stand. Veteran’s Park is located on Veteran’s Drive behind the post office. It includes two baseball/softball fields, a swimming pool and wading pool, a basketball court, playground equipment, a fitness course, picnic tables, shelter, restrooms and grills.

6. Convention Facilities The total community meeting and event space is 400,000 square feet. These facilities have hosted cheer and dance, wrestling and power lifting events. Waterpark: Chula Vista Resort, Kalahari Waterpark Resort Convention Center, Wilderness Hotel & Golf Resort. Gaming: Ho-Chunk Hotel & Convention Center.

Entertainment Makes Waves The Wisconsin Dells area is home to more than 90 individual attractions. Noah’s Ark Waterpark is “America's Largest Waterpark” and the premier Wisconsin Dells @SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

attraction with more than 80 activities. The park features 51 water slides, two endless rivers, two wave pools, bumper boats, arcades, gift shops and restaurants. Original Wisconsin Ducks® provides one-hour, half-land, half-water tours that take you through the most scenic parts of the Wisconsin Dells. Land and water capable vehicles called “Ducks” were originally developed to transport troops and supplies from ship to shore during World War II. On this tour, your Duck maneuvers with ease through deep ravines, rugged rock formations and water. Tommy Bartlett Show is a 90-minute live performance featuring a mix of extreme water-skiing, mastered boat maneuvers, comedy and dare-devil stunts. WildThing Jet Boats takes you on a wild ride through Upper Dells Glacial Park on the Wisconsin River, complete with 360-degree spins, sprays of water and powerful bursts of speed. Mt. Olympus Theme Park & Water Park features a 300-acre outdoor park with 44 water slides, seven rollercoasters, a wave pool with nine-foot waves, eight go-kart tracks and several kiddie rides. The indoor parks offer yearround water slides and coasters. Lodging options include more than 1,300 rooms and a campground. Wilderness Hotel & Golf Resort offers diverse lodging options including 444 guest rooms, 40 villas, 76 condominiums and 35 cabins. Waterpark passes are included with your stay; there are four indoor and four outdoor waterparks. The resort also features mini-golf, bumper boats, go-karts, zip lines and a ropes course.

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Easy Access, Lots of Rooms The Baraboo Wisconsin Dells Airport, just 15 minutes away from the Dells, is located on Highway BD near Ho-Chunk Casino. Dane County Regional Airport in Madison is one hour (about 50 miles) south of Wisconsin Dells. The Dells is situated in the middle of the southern half of Wisconsin and about 115 miles northwest of Milwaukee. Wisconsin Dells has more than 8,000 guest rooms/units in the area ranging from standard guest rooms to luxury suites and vacation homes. Condos and villas/multi-bedroom units accommodate a wide range of budgets.

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Site visits Grant programs Pre-event mailing (including vacation guide) Social media marketing for your event Welcome bags Information booths Volunteer contacts

WISCONSIN DELLS VISITOR & CONVENTION BUREAU Sales Contact: Tifani Jones 701 Superior Street, P.O. Box 390, Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965 888-339-3822 ext. 345 • sales@wisdells.com PlayInTheDells.com

Sports Planning Guide

7 AKRON/SUMMIT COUNTY, OH Flexible Facilities and Killer Complexes 1. Canal Park This downtown ballpark is home of the Cleveland Indians’ AA affiliate the Akron RubberDucks. Designed by the same architecture firm that did Cleveland’s Progressive Field and Camden Yards in Baltimore, the park’s classic setup features some of the best views of Akron’s skyline. The field has fine Kentucky bluegrass and the type of drainage system you would expect at a professional venue. With seating for over 9,000, Canal Park makes a great championship venue for high school baseball tournaments in the Akron area. Enjoy delicious cuisine in The Game restaurant.

2. James A. Rhodes Arena Known by students as the JAR, James A. Rhodes Arena is home to the University of Akron’s men’s and women’s basketball teams and its women’s volleyball squad. The 125,538-square-foot building seats 5,000 and can be arranged to accommodate basketball, volleyball, cheerleading and wrestling competitions. The arena’s ground level features locker rooms and meeting rooms, while the second floor has a 2,600-square-foot lounge and several multi-purpose rooms that can be used for archery, badminton or dancing.

3. Akron Sports Center This 40,000-square-foot facility has 28-foot ceilings and is great for indoor basketball, volleyball and soccer tournaments. Four regulation basketball courts, eight volleyball courts and four indoor soccer courts all play on a state-of-the-art sport court flooring system. To really get creative when it’s cold outside try hosting an indoor lacrosse event, which the facility 88

Sports Planning Guide

Strategically located in the heart of northeast Ohio, the contiguous communities of Akron, Canton, Kent and Medina offer planners accessibility, affordability and flexibility, making the four-county region the perfect destination for any sports event.

can accommodate by taking out its volleyball nets and basketball hoops. The venue has also hosted karate and roller derby events.

4. Ocasek Natatorium Home to the University of Akron’s swimming and diving programs, the Ocasek Natatorium is just eight years old and cost $6.5 million to build. The 64,000-square-foot facility’s Olympic-size pool has eight lanes and seating for 1,000. Events can choose whether they want to use three- or five-meter starting platforms, or one- or three-meter springboards. Diving events take place in the same 835,000gallon pool, and the venue has the added plus of nine handball and racquetball courts in addition to two weight rooms.

5. Tallmadge Recreation Center and North Avenue Soccer Complex Just 15 minutes outside of downtown Akron in the town of Tallmadge you’ll find both the Tallmadge Recreation Center and North Avenue Soccer Complex. The recreation center is a 100,000-square-foot facility with four full-size basketball courts and an indoor soccer court. The venue is flexible and can be made to fit your event—from badminton to kickboxing. Five minutes down the road the outdoor soccer complex has three full-size fields, three junior fields, restrooms, a concession building and parking for 180 cars.

6. Canton Memorial Civic Center This 24,000-square-foot facility with seating for 4,200 spectators can accommodate basketball, indoor football and wrestling. @SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

7. Firestone Stadium This facility, with two full-size softball fields and seating for 1,100 with bleachers, is home to the Akron Racers, 2005 national champions.

8. Kent State University Venues include Dix Stadium, Schooner Stadium, Convocation Center and soccer/football fields.

Home to Ohio’s Only National Park and the Pro Football Hall of Fame Top attractions include the Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio’s only national park) and Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, Akron Zoo and Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, the historic estate of the Goodyear Rubber co-founder. The Pro Football Hall of Fame is a half hour south of Akron in Canton, where guests can follow the game of football through the years and see the greats of the game enshrined in the hall. Cleveland, just 45 minutes north, is home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum and pro teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Indians and Cleveland Browns. Like many stops in Ohio, Akron is known for serving up good old-fashioned Midwestern comfort food. Swenson’s Drive-In is known for its juicy burgers. Crave in downtown Akron puts an elegant spin on comfort food classics. The area has everything from seafood shacks and steakhouses to fine Italian and Middle Eastern cuisine.

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Just South of Cleveland The communities of Akron, Canton, Kent and Medina are located within less than a one-hour radius of each other. The Akron-Canton Airport is 10 minutes south of downtown, and Cleveland Hopkins International Airport is just 45 minutes north of Akron. Drivers from Pittsburgh and Columbus can expect the trip to take about two hours, while Detroit is three hours away and Cincinnati and Buffalo are both about a three-and-a-half-hour trip. With more than 65 hotels, motels and suite options in Greater Akron, there are rooms to match every budget.

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Personalized site visits Welcome letters & press assistance Welcome signage & hotel staff lapel buttons Printed visitor information Tour/off-site activity development/coordination Concierge programs (personal & digital)

AKRON / SUMMIT CVB Mary Tricaso, CSE, CSEE, Director of Sales John S. Knight Center, 77 E. Mill Street, Akron, OH 44308 Direct: 330-374-8926 • 800-245-4254 mtricaso@visitakron-summit.org SportsOhio.travel • Akron.travel

Sports Planning Guide

CANTON/STARK, OH Impressive Facilities for Any Event 1. Canton McKinley High School/ Pro Football Hall of Fame campus Pro Football Hall of Fame: This 115,000square-foot interactive attraction and museum is also a meeting and event center. Fawcett Stadium/Pro Football Hall of Fame Field: Home to the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony and NFL/Hall of Fame Game, this Canton venue offers additional grass practice fields and a turf practice field. Fawcett Stadium is slated to break ground on a $23-million renovation in 2015. C.T. Branin Natatorium: This acclaimed swimming facility features an eight-lane pool that can be converted from short course 25-yard format to Olympic 50-meter distance. McKinley High School: The school offers the 4,800-seat Canton Memorial Fieldhouse (gymnasium) and Umstattd Performing Arts Hall.

2. Diamond Community Sports Complex This Canton complex features 42 acres of athletic fields, plus an indoor sports field.

Mind-Expanding and Fun Attractions Enjoy memorabilia and videos at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The William McKinley Presidential Library & Museum features a life-size replica of a historic town, as well as Discover World’s science and history exhibits and Hoover-Price Planetarium. Other attractions include Sluggers & Putters Family Fun Park and Clay’s Park Resort Adventure Swim Lake.

A Quick Trip from Almost Anywhere Canton is located in Northeast Ohio with easy access via highways I-77, I-76, I-71, SR-30 and SR-62. Akron-Canton Regional Airport is serviced by five airlines offering flights from 13 cities. Additional airport options include Cleveland (60 miles) and Pittsburgh (75 miles). The area offers 2,300 hotel rooms. With seven new hotels, the inventory will grow to 3,000 by the end of 2015.

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3. Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium The stadium hosts the Malone University (NCAA DII) baseball team and Ohio Men’s Senior Baseball League. A second field opened in 2014 and a third is slated for completion in 2015. 90

Sports Planning Guide

Sports planners prize Canton/Stark County’s high level of professional experience and elite amenities.

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Social media marketing for your event Volunteer staff ■ Grant programs ■ Site visits PR/media coverage ■ Housing services Discounts to local attractions

CANTON/STARK COUNTY CVB Tonja Marshall, Director of Sports Tourism 222 Market Ave. N, Canton, Ohio 44702 330-458-2084 • Tonjam@visitcantonstark.com VisitCantonStark.com

@SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

Things to Do When Not Watching a Horse Competition Kings Island Amusement Park, one of the largest theme and water parks in the Midwest, is a short drive away. Shopping opportunities abound at the 140-store Tanger Outlet Mall in Jeffersonville, or stay local and check out the Caesar Creek Markets or Shoppes at the Old Mill.

Convenient Midwestern Location

1 CLINTON COUNTY, OH While sports teams get into the spirit of competition, they also enjoy the countryside of Southwest Ohio.

Facilities for Equine Competition at its Best 1. Roberts Arena A premier show facility, Roberts Arena hosts a wide variety of elite horse shows. The Wilmington sports venue includes two outdoor and two indoor arenas. The indoor facilities are Bradley Arena and Lamar Arena, with seating capacities of 480 and 268, respectively. The outdoor venues are Freedom Arena and Liberty Arena, and each features bleacher seating. Roberts has 514 stalls, 91 camper spaces, a party hall, announcer stalls and a restaurant. Roberts Arena will be making improvements to its facilities in preparation for the 2015 show season. Additions will make the indoor arenas among the largest heated show facilities in the country.

Clinton County is within an hour from two major airports— Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport and Dayton International Airport—and has its own Clinton County Regional Airport. The area is easily accessible through major highway I-71. Once in the region, teams will find it is easy to get around since most facilities, hotels and attractions are within close proximity.

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Dedicated staff conduit between facilities and organizers Assistance with securing room blocks at special rates Site visits ■ Welcome packets

CLINTON COUNTY CVB Debbie Stamper, Executive Director 13 N. South St., Wilmington, OH 45177 937-382-1965 • dstamper@clintoncountyohio.com www.ClintonCountyOhio.com

There are advantages to being a big fish in a little pond.

2. Wilmington College The campus features three regulation soccer fields, a 3,500-seat football stadium, and an arboretum used for cross country. Hermann Court, the college’s athletics complex, includes the 3,500-seat Fred Raizk Arena for volleyball, wrestling and men’s and women’s basketball. There are also six lighted tennis courts with 200 seats; the all-weather, eight-lane Beckett Track; Tewksbury-Delany Field, for baseball and softball matches; and an Olympic-size swimming pool.

3. Wilmington City Parks The parks feature seven baseball/softball fields that can accommodate 200 fans each, four lighted tennis courts and three grass soccer fields. SportsPlanningGuide.com

Smaller cities really appreciate a sporting event coming to their community. You can expect to receive top-notch personal service and affordable destinations. Wilmington, Ohio, is such a place. Located in the middle of Cincinnati, Columbus and Dayton, we’ve hosted events to include tennis, softball, baseball, gymnastics, equine, soccer, football and wrestling. Let us show you how you should be treated. Call today. Clinton County Convention & Visitors Bureau 877-4-A-VISIT www.clintoncountyohio.com Sports Planning Guide

One Name: t Sports Planning Guide, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve created one consolidated platform that connects you with inspirational and actionable information to help you through the planning stages of your event. The perfect companion resource, SportsPlanningGuide.com is a community-focused website featuring hundreds of destination reviews, facility reviews, insider advice and planning tools, updated year round. We understand that time is a precious commodity, so when designing the website, two concepts were paramount: First, our fully responsive design provides you with the best possible user experience regardless of whether you are on a pc, tablet or smartphone. Second, we aimed to provide a variety of information so that you can pick what best suits your needs. Within every piece of content we will provide you the means you require to take the next step, whether it is booking a facility, finding hotels, contacting a destination or sharing information with colleagues. We also know that on occasion you may not have the time to come to us, so through our InSite on Sports Events newsletter and social media, we provide the latest updates and happenings from our community and trends in sports event planning.

Responsive

Community-Focused 92

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@SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

Many Faces What You’ll Find Inside We make it easy for you to find all the information you need with our locationbased architecture. Using our dedicated search page, enter the location you are interested in, for example, New York or California, and instantly be delivered relevant information on ONLY that location. If you happen to already be reading one of our articles on, let’s say, Birmingham, the sidebar of the website will provide you with the latest content we have on Alabama, such as Site InSpections, Top Lists, New Facilities, etc. So just what ARE all these content types we keep talking about?

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Site InSpection

In depth and focused, Site InSpections provide you with critical and timely information about a destination, indoor and outdoor facilities, local attractions, nearest airports and interstate highways, plus X Factors the sports commission/cvb provides to help ensure your event runs smoothly.

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Top Picks

From soccer to baseball, gyms to arenas, centers and water parks, we provide you with the best of the best in each installment of Top Picks by Sports Planning Guide editors.

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Best Practices

We interview the industry’s trendsetters in sports event management and provide insight into what makes them successful in each installment of Best Practices.

Latest News

We keep you informed and updated with the latest news from the sports events industry. From new facilities breaking ground, personnel changes, new and trending events, look to us for meaningful news.

Next Steps Get Our Newsletter by Sending an Email to: signup@sportsplanningguide.com Engage us on Twitter: @SportsPlanGuide Connect with us on LinkedIn: Premier Travel Media Visit us Online: SportsPlanningGuide.com

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Sports Planning Guide

SOUTH REGION

hether you’re looking for a place to hold a rowing competition, an equestrian event or a softball tournament, sports-minded cities across the South are eager to host your group. Thanks to superior facilities and a wide range of accommodations and attractions, planners can take heart in knowing the folks at each destination in this regional section are old hands at coordinating events of all sizes. They make it look easy.

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Sevierville, TN

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Gatlinburg, TN

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Pigeon Forge, TN

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Knoxville, TN

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Savannah, GA

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Myrtle Beach, SC

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Greenville, SC

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Palm Beach County, FL

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Ocala/Marion County, FL

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Sarasota, FL

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Conway, AR

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Monroe-West Monroe, LA

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Greensboro, NC

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110 Palm Beach County, Florida offers first-rate facilities and great weather year round.

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3 SEVIERVILLE, TN

From America’s most visited national park—Great Smoky Mountains National Park —to Tennessee’s most visited attraction—Dollywood—and amazing outlet and high-end retail stores, Sevierville is the place to host your next sports event.

Fairways and Greenways to Flexible Indoor Space

play. An expansive grass driving range, putting green and chipping/pitching green complement the courses. Additional amenities include an outdoor pavilion, golf shop, locker rooms with showers, meeting space and restaurant.

1. Sevierville Convention Center 3. Smokies Park

A regular stop for volleyball and competitive arts events, the Convention Center easily accommodates up to nine basketball and 21 volleyball courts. The facility’s flexibility shows in its 108,000-square-foot exhibit hall with 32-foot ceiling. Four ballrooms can be combined into more than 19,000 square feet with 22-foot ceilings. The latter is perfect for dance, cheerleading and other competitive arts events. The center has hosted varsity cheerleading UCA Championships and Encore Championships. The 2014 K2 Wilderness at the Smokies Volleyball Tournament attracted more than 2,500 athletes and 10,000 spectators.

Home to the Tennessee Smokies, an affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, the ballpark serves a dual purpose. Sitting close to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the facility houses the Smoky Mountain Visitor Center. When the Smokies are in town, taking in a game is an enjoyable family experience. The stadium also hosts a series of premier annual baseball events—Tennessee Smokies Wood Bat Showcase, High School Summer Wood Bat Classic, Fall Wood Bat Classic and High School Baseball Showcase.

2. Sevierville Golf Club

4. Greenways

Located just outside the Sevierville Convention Center, the Golf Club features two 18-hole championship courses. The Highlands is a par 70, while The River course is par 72. Both tracks utilize the natural topography of the Smoky Mountain foothills to create challenging golf in a memorable setting. The 7,155-yard Highlands course winds through ponds and streams with water coming into play at varying degrees on 10 holes. Water is a factor on 10 of the River course holes. Both courses can be set up for tournament

Sevierville is committed to preserving undeveloped land for recreational and environmental use. Currently there are more than nine miles of developed greenways. Sevierville recognizes their importance to the health of the community and improving the economy through tourism. As a result of this commitment, gentle rolling terrain and a pre-established route, Sevierville is a regular host for running events like the Santa Smokies Hustle 5K and Half Marathon.

Sports Planning Guide

@SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

5. Sevierville City Park Three fields are set for mobile mounds and corresponding base paths, while the other two fields have permanent mounds at 50 feet and 46 feet. All fields can be lighted. Three fields regularly host softball tournaments. City Park welcomed the Independent Sports Association (ISA) Fast Pitch Softball Tournament in summer 2014. Between the Sevierville City Park and nearby Sevierville Community Center, the city’s Parks and Recreation Department offers eight newly renovated tennis courts, indoor and outdoor basketball and volleyball courts, 10 lanes with state-of-the-art GSX Nex Gen Brunswick bowling machines and a 2010 newly renovated 25-meter, six-lane indoor pool.

A Prime Family Vacation Region

FACILITY SPOTLIGHT

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, one of the largest and the most visited in the national park system, welcomes nine million visitors annually. There are camping, picnicking and fishing, programs and special events, and 800 miles of trails to explore. At Dollywood theme park, the FireChaser Express, Thunderhead and new Mystery Mine are just a few of the 45 rides available. More than a half-dozen daily entertainment events are featured throughout the summer. NASCAR SpeedPark offers eight family-friendly tracks. Foxfire Mountain Adventures covers 150 acres with 15 zip lines. Adventureworks Climb Zip and Swing is brand new to the area. Caves, museums, petting zoos and interactive mini-golf also await the Sevierville visitor. Tanger Outlet Center Sevierville features brand names at discounted prices. The Music Outlet, Two Rivers Outlet and Vanity Fair Outlet round out a host of outlet centers and mall shopping opportunities.

From Wherever You’re Coming, Sevierville Isn’t Far Away Easy to reach by automobile, Sevierville is within a day’s drive of more than half the nation’s population. Atlanta, Birmingham, Charlotte, Chattanooga, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Lexington, Louisville and Nashville are all less than six hours away. McGhee Tyson Airport in Knoxville, less than an hour away, is serviced by six major airlines, with direct flights from 18 cities. With more than 4,000 places to stay, Sevierville offers the largest selection of new lodging options in the region. Accommodations range from campsites, mountain cabins and RV parks to condos, national chain hotels and moderate family motels. Sevier County can comfortably accommodate 40,000 guests. From mountain-style home cooking to international fare, there are plenty of dining options.

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The Sevierville Convention Center offers Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter coverage ■ PR/media coverage for events Outside digital signage at the Convention Center ■ Site visits

SEVIERVILLE TN CVB Scott King, Director of Sales Dolly Parton’s Hometown 110 Gary Wade Blvd., Sevierville, TN 37862 865-453-6411 • sking@scoc.org VisitSevierville.com

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Sports Planning Guide

2 ROCKY TOP SPORTS WORLD, TN Everything You Need in One Place Rocky Top Sports World is an 80-acre, state-of-the-art sports campus in the heart of the Smoky Mountains. It comprises a major indoor facility and a plethora of outdoor fields to accommodate sports such as basketball, volleyball, wrestling, soccer and lacrosse, with space to configure for other indoor/outdoor sports. Rocky Top provides all the necessities for sports events—even Gatorade for the players. 98

Sports Planning Guide

Located in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, Rocky Top Sports World is a new indoor/outdoor sports tournament destination. An event organizer’s dream, it lies less than 10 minutes from the entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. 1. The Rock - Indoor Facility From volleyball and basketball to wrestling, martial arts, indoor rock climbing and table tennis, Rocky Top Sports World’s 86,000-square-foot, multi-sport and events center features six basketball courts (plus four more on site) and 12 volleyball courts (plus five more on site), space for up to 18 wrestling mats, a concessions area, and convenient drop-off and pick-up. Spectators can watch events from floor-level bleachers or from the upper level. There are three private team rooms, event planner work space and message boards throughout the facility. Champ’s Grill is available for convenient on-site dining. @SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

2. Outdoor Fields With seven state-of-the-art, lighted fields—including a championship field complete with a press box and seating for 1,500—event organizers and governing bodies will find everything necessary to host soccer, lacrosse, football, ultimate Frisbee, band and other turf-based tournaments and events. There are six Astroturf fields and one natural turf field, configurable for 12 youth soccer fields. Other amenities include ample parking, picnic tables, a children’s play area and bleacher seating.

FACILITY SPOTLIGHT

USA Today Includes Gatlinburg in Top 10 Towns for Teens Rocky Top Sports World is pedestrian-friendly; the facility and fields are within minutes by foot. When the games are over, a trolley service will escort you the four miles to Gatlinburg. Equally pedestrian friendly, downtown Gatlinburg features shops, restaurants, and arts and crafts. Whether you like seafood, steak, pizza or fine Italian cuisine, downtown Gatlinburg has the restaurant to satisfy any taste. Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies is one of the most popular attractions in Gatlinburg. WonderWorks, located just 15 minutes from Gatlinburg, features a building where everything is upside-down and you will enjoy more than 100 hands-on, family-friendly exhibits. Smoky Mountain Outdoors (SMO) is the leading rafting company in the region. Rocky Top is nestled in the foothills of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, where nature walks and adventures await nearby the sports event venue.

Within a Day’s Drive of Two-Thirds of the Population East of the Mississippi With the Great Smoky Mountains being a popular tourist destination, the area is not hard to get to. Rocky Top, located at the intersection of I-75 and I-40, is one hour from McGhee Tyson Airport and close to Pigeon Forge and Sevierville. Rocky Top Sports World partners with many properties to provide discounted rates during tournament visits. There are 14,000 rooms in Gatlinburg, offering one of the widest ranges of lodging, including hotel and motel rooms, campgrounds, condos and cabins. Cabins, which can comfortably house up to 50 people, are popular among teams and families.

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Social media assistance Volunteer staff ■ PR/media coverage Signage ■ Site visits Transportation services ■ Housing services Welcome packet for each athlete

ROCKY TOP SPORTS WORLD Lori McMahan Moore Marketing and Business Development Director 1870 Sports World Blvd., P.O. Box 364 Gatlinburg, TN 37738 Office: 865-325-0044 • Cell: 865-548-8001 lori@rockytopsports.com RockyTopSportsWorld.com

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2 3 1 PIGEON FORGE, TN New Facilities and Another on the Horizon 1. LeConte Center at Pigeon Forge Soon after opening in October 2013, the center hosted its first competitive arts event, Make It Count Gymnastics, which used almost half of the 232,000-square-foot space. The 30foot ceilings in the clear-span exhibit hall were ideal for staging and spectators. Additional gymnastics, cheerleading, dance and drill events are committed to the LeConte Center. City-owned, the $45-million, multi-purpose center was planned to host trade shows and large assembly groups as well as competitive arts competitions, volleyball and similar activities. Pre-function and dedicated registration space, food and beverage facilities, 1,600 parking spaces and front door trolley service were designed for convenience.

2. Wear Farm City Park The first phase of this park features a 40-acre sports facility. There are five 300-foot lighted baseball/softball fields, one lighted football field, a multi-purpose field and a basketball court. Two playgrounds, walking trails, two concession stands and restroom buildings, and ample parking complete the facility. Opened in spring 2013, the park already has seen its share of major tournament action with the USSSA Youth Baseball Southeast Memorial Day Classic, ASA Regional Qualifier Girls Fast Pitch and SEAA Youth World Series.

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A growing facilities inventory and a history of hospitality bode well for tournament planners. 3. Ripken Experience - Pigeon Forge Construction is underway on Ripken Baseballâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s newest Ripken Experience complex, which plans to host major tournament action in spring 2016. The facility will house six brand new, state-of-the-art fields modeled after minor and major league ballparks. The premise for this new complex and its ballparks is for the players to feel as if they are moving up the professional baseball ladder. In addition to the six lighted, synthetic turf fields, the Ripkin Experience will include a lighted synthetic turf training area, batting cages, a 14,000-square-foot clubhouse with concession, restroom facilities and a pavilion. Starting at rookie level with a scaled down version of Calfee Park (Seattle Mariners, Rookie Level), the players who visit Pigeon Forge will gradually advance through the complex by visiting miniature versions of Fluor Field (Greenville Drive, A-ball affiliate of the Boston Red Sox), historic Engel Stadium (former home of the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts), BB&T Stadium (Charlotte Knights, Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox), Isotopes Park (Albuquerque Isotopes, Triple-A affiliate of the LA Dodgers), and finish their big-league journey with a full-scale replica of Baltimoreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Camden Yards.

Fun Times for All Ages and Interests With more than 40 major attractions, daytime and nighttime fun in Pigeon Forge is guaranteed. Recognized as one of the best theme parks, Dollywood combines thrilling rides and live @SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

shows with tempting restaurants and seasonal festivals. Its craftsmen keep mountain culture alive. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, America’s most visited national park, provides a picturesque backdrop for Pigeon Forge and a wealth of outdoor activities. Shoppers delight in the more than 300 stores in Pigeon Forge. Pigeon River Crossings outlets and the Incredible Christmas Place are favorites. Pigeon Forge shows offer a variety of entertainment, from comedy and magic to music and dinner shows. Broadway, rock ’n’ roll, bluegrass, country and gospel genres are appropriate for all ages. Looking for something a little more extreme? Try the Smoky Mountain Alpine Coaster, the longest downhill ride in the U.S., with more than one mile of track. Flyaway Indoor Skydiving and the indoor ropes course at WonderWorks will certainly get your adrenaline moving. Zip lines for every skill level are located throughout the Pigeon Forge area. When it’s time to eat, you certainly won’t go hungry. There’s something for every appetite and budget, from locally owned restaurants to national chains. Good food and entertainment await at Dixie Stampede Dinner & Show, Lumberjack Feud and Hatfield and McCoy Dinner Feud.

Stay in a Variety of Ways

Indianapolis; Louisville and Lexington, Kentucky; and Roanoke, Virginia. Interstates 75, 81 and 40 are connected to the city by Route 66 and Highways 441, 411 and 321. Knoxville’s McGhee Tyson Airport is 47 miles from Pigeon Forge. Allegiant Air, American Airlines and American Eagle, Delta Airlines, Frontier Airlines, United Airlines and US Airways Express serve the airport. More than 13,000 lodging units offer a wide variety of options. Cabins and chalets, campgrounds and RV parks, condos, hotels and motels are available.

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Social media platforms – Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube and blog PR/media coverage Signage Site visits Transportation for teams Housing bureau Discounts to local attractions

PIGEON FORGE

Pigeon Forge is within a day’s drive of two-thirds of the population east of the Mississippi River. These metropolitan areas are less than six hours away: Atlanta; Birmingham and Huntsville, Alabama; Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio;

Jennifer Smith, Facility Sales Manager 865-429-7432 • jsmith@mypigeonforge.com MyPigeonForge.com/Sports

There’s nothing like a little friendly competition; Pigeon Forge is the perfect place for youth sports. And there are no losers here, because when the players step off the ﬁeld, they step into the Land of More. More roller coasters. More go-carts. More entertainment. More bungee jumps. More smiles. More fun.

MyPigeonForge.com/Sports

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2 KNOXVILLE, TN

With sites like the world's largest basketball at the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, Neyland Stadium, a bronze statue of legendary coach Pat Summitt and much more, it’s clear that this city loves sports and loves to host sporting events.

Accommodating Anything from Powerboats to Tennis Matches Notable events of 2014 include the USA Diving AT&T National Diving Championships, Knoxville Powerboat Super League Classic, Atlanta Braves Alumni Golf Tournament and Ozone Invitational, which will return in 2015 with the Shawn Johnson Signature Series.

3. Thompson-Boling Arena This 21,000-plus-seat arena features full-service locker rooms, including a video room, sports medicine center and 900 square feet of meeting space in each room. As a multi-sport complex, the arena is a popular choice for basketball and volleyball tournaments as well as opening/closing ceremonies for events of all kinds. It’s accessible from both major interstates (I-40 and I-75) and just a few minutes away from McGhee Tyson Airport.

4. Knoxville Coliseum & Auditorium 1. Knoxville Convention Center Located just minutes from Knoxville’s walkable downtown, the 500,000-square-foot venue serves as the cornerstone of Knoxville’s meeting facilities. The Knoxville Convention Center’s 120,000-square-foot exhibition hall has hosted a number of fencing and gymnastics competitions. As host for the Ozone Invitational, the center welcomed 3,000 gymnasts. The center offers bleacher seating for 2,200 with hundreds of floor seats available.

2. Allan Jones Aquatic Center This facility boasts a 50-meter, competition-ready pool, a professional diving well and seating for 2,000 spectators. It also features state-of-the-art coaching rooms, a sports medicine facility and an aquatic sports-specific strength-training center. The center has hosted a number of USA Swimming and Diving events and served as a training facility for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Swim Team.

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This multi-use facility in downtown Knoxville is home to Ice Bears Hockey and the Hard Knox Roller Girls Roller Derby. It offers seating for up to 6,400 people with additional capacity in the civic auditorium, which features theater-style seating for more than 2,500. The floor space at the coliseum makes it ideal for exhibits and demonstrations. The coliseum has served as a facility for Junior Olympics.

5. Chilhowee Park Located minutes from downtown, Chilhowee Park is a cityowned, 81-acre multi-use facility built for the 1910 Appalachian Exposition. The park features multiple shelters, picnic tables, a concession stand and restrooms. Additionally, the venue includes a 4,500-seat amphitheater, a three-acre lake and ample parking and RV hookup availability. Wrestling and other indoor events are held in the Jacob Building, a two-story exhibition hall with approximately 57,000 square feet. Chilhowee Park has hosted the National Street Rod Association, F-100 Ford Super Nationals, Harley Owners Group Hog Rally, rodeos and tractor pulls. @SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

Near Great Smoky Mountains National Park Knoxville offers a wide variety of entertainment options for your down time. Two of Knoxville’s most popular places, namely Market Square and Turkey Creek, each offer shopping, live music and entertainment options all within walking distance. The Knoxville Zoo, the city’s largest attraction, gives visitors the chance to experience wildlife up close. Because of its success in breeding baby red pandas, the zoo is considered to be the Red Panda Capital of the World. The Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame is the only facility of its kind dedicated to all levels of women's basketball and boasts the world's largest basketball, the Baden Ball, which measures 30 feet tall and weighs 10 tons. Maintained to pay tribute to one of the last successful World’s Fairs, Knoxville’s World’s Fair Park is a great place for everything from reunions and concerts to picnics and afternoon strolls. The park has innovative water features, the Performance Lawn (greater in size than two football fields), a two-acre festival lawn and amphitheater. It is also home to the East Tennessee Veterans Memorial and Sunsphere, which offers 360-degree views from the observation deck. Volunteer Landing, along the Tennessee River, is where visitors enjoy fishing, biking, paddle boarding and other activities. It’s also a venue for events like powerboat racing. The riverfront is a sight to see during University of Tennessee home football games when the Vol Navy lines the river along Volunteer Landing to create a sea of orange. Since the 1860s, Market Square has been one of Knoxville’s most popular places to shop, play and dine. It is home to outdoor concerts and movies, festivals, markets and Shakespeare on the Square.

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Within a Day's Drive of Nearly Half the U.S. Population Knoxville is at the crossroads of three major interstates (I-75, I-40 and I-81) and within a day's drive of cities like Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis and Pittsburgh. Atlanta is about a three-hour drive from Knoxville. McGhee Tyson Airport is located 20 minutes south of downtown Knoxville.

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Social media marketing for your event Volunteer staff (Team Knoxville) PR/media coverage Signage ■ Site visits Transportation for teams Mobile apps Discounts to local attractions

VISIT KNOXVILLE Steve Winfree, Director of Sports Sales & Services 301 S. Gay St., Knoxville, TN 37902 800-727-8045 • swinfree@knoxville.org VisitKnoxville.com

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SAVANNAH, GA Top Facilities Host Hundreds of Sports Events a Year 1. Savannah International Trade and Convention Center Among the city’s versatile sports venues, the Savannah International Trade and Convention Center features a 97,750square-foot exhibit hall, the 25,000-square-foot Chatham Ballroom, Oglethorpe Auditorium with 367 ergonomically designed fixed seats with retractable writing surface, 13 meeting rooms and the River Concourse. The center is conveniently located on the northern shore of the Savannah River across from the city’s famed River Street and Historic District. The center has hosted numerous sporting events, including the Rock ’n’ Roll Savannah EXPO, Diamond Cheer & Dance, YMCA National Gymnastics Championships and Courtney Kupets PINK Gymnastics Invitational.

2. Savannah Civic Center With an arena and theater, Savannah Civic Center is able to accommodate all types of events and entertainment. It has played host to sporting events including AAU Gymnastics Age Group National Championship, Savannah Tire Hockey Classic and Courtney Kupets PINK Gymnastics Invitational. The center’s Martin Luther King Jr. Arena has a 7,832 seating capacity, 25,000 square feet total floor space, two dressing rooms, two loading docks, concessions and a box office. The Johnny Mercer Theatre offers 2,566 total seating capacity, eight two-person dressing rooms, an indoor loading bay, concessions and a box office.

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Savannah’s beauty is rivaled only by the city’s reputation for Southern hospitality—and its commitment to hosting outstanding sports events. 3. Grayson Stadium The historic 4,000-seat lighted stadium is a time machine to Savannah’s baseball past, which saw baseball legends such as Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle and Jackie Robinson grace the field at the corner of Bee Road and Victory Drive. Today, it serves as the home of the Savannah Sand Gnats, a Single-A affiliate of the New York Mets. There are 1,000 parking spaces, two locker rooms, a third base picnic area and kids inflatables.

4. Colleges and Universities Armstrong State University is home to a basketball arena that seats 4,000. The school also has a baseball stadium, softball field, soccer field and an auxiliary gym that seats 1,000. Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) features the Roland C. Waranch Equestrian Center, which is an 80-acre venue for horse shows of all disciplines. Savannah State University boasts an 8,500-seat football stadium with championship track and field capabilities, as well as a 6,000-seat arena that can host a variety of events.

5. Bacon Park Sports Complex Bacon Park Golf Course offers 18 holes designed by Donald Ross, a pro shop, driving range and locker rooms. The Bacon Park Tennis Complex is a public tennis facility with 16 lighted courts, a pro shop, concessions and locker rooms. The Bacon Park Sports Complex also features the Jennifer Ross Soccer Complex, which has eight lighted fields; Allen E. Paulsen Softball Complex with five lighted fields; Chatham County Aquatics Center with an eight-lane, 50-meter pool with seating for 750; Memorial Stadium, a 10,000-seat football field; and 11 more softball/baseball fields at the Ambuc, Guy Minick and Scarborough complexes. @SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

6. The Club at Savannah Harbor The Club at Savannah Harbor features 18 championship holes that have hosted both professional and collegiate events. The club includes a pro shop, practice range, spa, lockers rooms, private dining and grill.

FACILITY SPOTLIGHT

Draped in Spanish Moss and Bursting with Natural Beauty, Savannah Charms Visitors This city welcomes those who come to enjoy sports, events, art, architecture, cuisine and its quirky downtown culture. Forsyth Park and 22 scenic squares play host to peaceful afternoons spent people-watching, dog-walking and relaxing. Historic monuments and architecture can be found on every corner, and tours are offered daily allowing visitors to explore Savannah’s distinctive past. Whether you choose to travel by trolley, horse-drawn carriage, bike or even Segway, getting around Savannah is half the fun. “Visitors to Savannah have many options to customize their experience. With one of the most authentic and walkable historic districts, unique coastal cuisine, an arts scene to meet every taste, and the latest in shopping, spas, music and nightlife, it’s no wonder Condé Nast Traveler named Savannah one of its ‘Top Ten Cities in the U.S. to Visit,’” said Joseph Marinelli, Visit Savannah president. Whether you spend time enjoying the arts, in a museum, shopping at local boutiques or walking around the pedestrianfriendly, 2.5-square-mile Historic District, Savannah will enthrall you.

Minutes From its Own International Airport Located just 15 miles from Savannah’s Historic District, the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport offers 14 non-stop destinations and approximately 44 daily flights in and out of Savannah. Scheduled airlines include American Eagle, Delta, JetBlue, United Express and US Airways. Savannah is best accessed via Interstate 95 (North/South) or Interstate 16 (East/West). The city is centrally located between Atlanta, Jacksonville, Charleston and Columbus. With 155 hotels and inns, Savannah is home to 15,000 available hotel rooms in a variety of price ranges. From historic bed and breakfasts and charming (and sometimes haunted) inns, to luxurious boutique hotels and familiar national chains, Savannah knows how to create a memorable experience.

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Social media marketing ■ Dedicated sports staff PR/media coverage ■ Event production Booking assistance

SAVANNAH SPORTS COUNCIL Ben Wilder, CSEE, Director Savannah Sports Council 912-644-6414 • BWilder@VisitSavannah.com SavannahSportsCouncil.com

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3 MYRTLE BEACH, SC New Facility Joins Impressive Line-Up 1. Myrtle Beach Sports Center The NEW Myrtle Beach Sports Center will be 100,000 square feet with 72,000 square feet of hardwood flooring. Managed by Sports Facilities Advisors and Sports Facilities Management, the center is on schedule for a March 1, 2015 opening. Configurable to numerous indoor sports, it can feature eight basketball courts, 16 volleyball courts. An indoor/outdoor cafe, a seating capacity of 1,500 and a mezzanine level are significant amenities. Located adjacent to the Myrtle Beach Convention Center, the complex has a special partnership with the Horry Georgetown Technical College Sports Tourism program. Paid internships provide organizers a full support system, lessening the burden of putting on a major event.

2. Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium – Ashley Booth Field The stadium is home to the Myrtle Beach Seahawks football team and a growing number of regional and national track and field events. The eight-lane, full pour polyurethane synthetic surface with embedded texture track has hosted the Coastal Carolina/Shamrock Invitational, Coach O Carolina Club Challenge and Big South Track & Field Championship. There’s seating for 4,500 spectators. The stadium is lighted and features a Daktronics video board. Ashley Booth Field is adjacent to the stadium. In 2013 the surface was converted from natural grass to Field Turf and permanently lined for football, soccer and lacrosse. The field has seating for 300 spectators, concessions, a press box, public address system and lighting. 106

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Tournament planners can expect maximum participation for their events in this family-friendly coastal resort city.

3. Grand Park Athletic Complex The complex is home to seven large, lighted Field Turf multi-purpose fields and two youth fields. Baseball, softball, soccer, lacrosse and football can all be accommodated. Seating, scoreboard and public address availability vary by field. Cameras on all nine fields provide a video stream for watching live action of tournament games. Grand Park Athletic Complex is located in The Market Common area, a destination within a destination. Shopping, dining, accommodations and entertainment are within walking distance of the fields.

4. Myrtle Beach Convention Center The major contributor to Myrtle Beach sports tourism, the Convention Center has a legacy of hosting major events. For more than 30 years during the week after Christmas, it has hosted the prestigious Beach Ball Classic. Powerhouse boy’s high school basketball teams from across the country venture to Myrtle Beach. The week prior to Christmas the CRESCOM Bank Holiday Invitational features girl’s high school basketball at its best. On Wednesday evening of the tournament, six college teams take center stage for a tripleheader. National dance and cheer competitions along with regional volleyball and wrestling tournaments complete a full schedule of sporting events at the center.

5. Ned Donkle Field Complex Adjacent to Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium, Ashley Booth Field and Pepper Geddings Recreation Center, the complex features seven natural grass baseball/softball fields. In addition to the five youth and two adult fields, the complex features batting cages, restrooms, concessions and press boxes. @SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

6. Pepper Geddings Recreation Center The center has a well-equipped weight room, a cardio room, indoor track and 25-meter, six-lane swimming pool. Two gymnasiums accommodate basketball, volleyball and pickleball.

FACILITY SPOTLIGHT

Wide Sandy Beaches and Much More From the gentle ocean breezes on wide sandy beaches and 100 area championship golf courses to amusements, shopping and shows, there are thousands of area diversions. Watersports include boating, fishing, scuba diving, windsurfing and parasailing. On the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk, visitors discover oceanfront shopping, restaurants and fun, plus views of the beach atop the Myrtle Beach SkyWheel. Myrtle Beach has three major water parks offering everything from lazy rivers to exciting water rides. Also check out the seven go-kart tracks at Broadway Grand Prix, the new Twist ’n’ Shout roller coaster at Family Kingdom Amusement Park or some old-time favorites at Pavilion Nostalgia Park. Nationally acclaimed entertainment takes place at The Palace Theatre, Legends in Concert, Alabama Theatre, The Carolina Opry, Good Vibrations and Big Laughs Theatre. For a full evening, enjoy dinner and a show at Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament or Pirates Voyage Dinner Attraction. Shopping meccas include Barefoot Landing; Broadway at the Beach, home to attractions like Ripley’s Aquarium, WonderWorks, MagiQuest and Hollywood Wax Museum; Coastal Grand Mall; Myrtle Beach Mall; The Market Common and two Tanger Outlets.

Centrally Located on the East Coast The Myrtle Beach area is located off I-95 halfway between New York and Miami. Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia and Ohio are major points of origination for Myrtle Beach visitors. Six airlines serve Myrtle Beach International Airport, with non-stop flights from about 30 cities. The area’s more than 70,000 accommodation options range from hotels and motels to resorts, condos, beach homes and campgrounds.

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Social media marketing City employees, interns and volunteer staff Local PR/media coverage Signage Site visits Transportation for teams Housing services Discounts at local restaurants and attractions

VISIT MYRTLE BEACH Mike Anderson, Executive Director Sports Tourism 843-916-7264 • mike.anderson@visitmyrtlebeach.com MyrtleBeachSports.com

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GREENVILLE, SC A Top Cycling City Offers Venues for All Sports 1. MeSA Soccer Complex Considered South Carolina’s premier soccer facility, MeSA Soccer Complex is a 60-acre facility with 16 lighted, full-size rectangular fields, two concession stands, two playgrounds, two bathrooms, Wi-Fi Internet service, walking trails and nearly 1,200 parking spaces. Part of the Greenville County Parks, Recreation & Tourism park system, MeSA is home to the Carolina Elite Soccer Academy (CESA). A second place finisher in a recent National Soccer Championship, CESA provides its members competitive soccer programs. CESA and MeSA hosted the 2012 US Youth Soccer Southern Regional Tournament. Located in Greer, the complex is less than 20 minutes from downtown Greenville. In addition to soccer, it hosts men’s and women’s lacrosse, rugby, football and Ultimate sports.

2. Westside Aquatic Complex Team Greenville Swimming and the Westside Aquatic Club will co-host the Southeastern IMX/IMR Games in October 2014. The indoor facility features a 20-lane, 25-yardby-50-meter competition pool and a five-lane, 25-yard heated therapy pool. Westside Aquatic Complex features the Paddock Evacuator System, which removes the chlorine odor. The Greenville County Parks, Recreation & Tourism facility recently installed new locker rooms.

World-class facilities, remarkable urban assets in a spectacular natural setting and a “can do” attitude have put this Southern destination on the sports map. in the highly competitive Atlantic Coast Conference. Recognized as one of the top 50 venues in the world, the $63-million arena is also utilized for mat competitions, karate, boxing, hockey, world-class ice skating and countless other sporting events.

4. Greenville Health System (GHS) Swamp Rabbit Trail Running along the Reedy River for 17.5 miles from Greenville to Travelers Rest, the trail was a factor in attracting the USA Cycling Professional Criterium National Championships coming in April 2015. The course, running along streams, over bridges, through parks and into the foothills, will utilize parts of the GHS Swamp Rabbit Trail and Furman University campus. Greenville is considered one of the top cycling cities in the U.S.

5. Pavilion Recreation Complex Home to an ice arena, the Pavilion hosts skating and hockey events. Outdoor rectangular fields, also part of the complex, host soccer, football, rugby and Ultimate competitions. Six tennis courts, meeting rooms and restrooms complete the complex.

6. Fluor Field at the West End This is home to the Greenville Drive, Class A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox and a member of the South Atlantic League. It includes a 30-foot-high “Green Monster” replica from Boston’s Fenway Park.

3. Bon Secours Wellness Arena

7. Conestee Park

A premier entertainment and event destination, the 15,000-seat facility is home to the Greenville Road Warriors that play in the South Division of the Eastern Conference of the ECH AA hockey league. Clemson University will be using the court for their 2014/2015 home basketball season

The park features a stadium field with a permanent pitching mound at 60’6” and 400’ to the center field fence. Two additional 60- and 90-foot fields and two youth fields are available for competition. A pavilion with event seating for 200 and three restrooms complete the park.

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@SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

Family-Friendly Downtown Enhances Any Greenville Visit Readers of Parade Magazine thought enough of Greenville to consider it a favorite for “America’s Best Main Street 2014.” Downtown boasts more than 100 restaurants, many of them chef-owned. From Greenville’s beginning, the Reedy River has sustained the community. Falls Park on the Reedy is a tranquil spot in the heart of downtown featuring the Liberty Bridge, waterfalls, and landscaped gardens. The Heritage Green complex, just three blocks off downtown’s Main Street, provides an art, learning and entertainment experience. For the kid in all of us, The Children’s Museum of the Upstate is the nation’s seventh largest and a Smithsonian Affiliate, with more than 100 hands-on activities. The Upcountry History Museum’s multimedia exhibits take visitors through 300 years of South Carolina Upcountry history. Sit back and enjoy a musical or play at Greenville Little Theatre, Greenville's oldest volunteer-based live theater, dating back to 1836. Also at Heritage Green, the Greenville County Museum of Art is one of the premier American art museums in the South and the Sargent-Wilson Museum & Gallery provides both the art enthusiast and the curious an opportunity to experience fine art. See a Greenville Drive baseball game at Fluor Field at the West End or catch a Greenville Road Warriors hockey game at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. The Peace Center and Bon Secours Wellness Arena each present a variety of concerts, stage performances and family entertainment options throughout the year. Greenville Zoo exhibits wildlife from around the world.

New Hotels on the Horizon Greenville is easily accessible by car on I-85. GreenvilleSpartanburg International Airport is serviced by a half-dozen airlines providing 53 direct flights. The Greenville market counts 8,500 guest rooms, including Hampton Inn Greenville/I-385 Haywood Mall that opened in July 2014. Fall 2015 welcomes the 144-room Aloft Hotel along with the 117-room Home2 Suites. Embassy Suites will open in summer 2016 with 156 rooms followed in 2017 by a 300-room Residence Inn.

FACILITY SPOTLIGHT

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Grant programs and bidding fees Housing RFPs to your specifications Volunteers available for major events Signage availability based on needs ■ Social media platform Coach transportation is available from four carriers Discounts to area dining and attractions ■ Site visits

VISITGREENVILLESC Robin Wright, Senior Sales Manager - Sports 148 River Street, Suite 222, Greenville, SC 29601 864-421-0000 • 800-351-7180 rwright@visitgreenvillesc.com VisitGreenvilleSC.com

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5 PALM BEACH COUNTY, FL Palm Beach County is a sports paradise with incomparable world-class facilities. With an extraordinary year-round climate, the county offers 47 miles of beaches, more than 160 golf courses, a 30,000-seat stadium with world-class amenities, a Major League Baseball spring training complex with a 7,000seat stadium, 1,200 tennis courts and an 8,000-seat tennis stadium, and more than 45 parks with vast multi-purpose playing fields, plus 346 acres of polo and equestrian facilities.

From Beaches and Lakes to Baseball and Polo Fields 1. Atlantic Coastline The 47 miles of coastline in Palm Beach County offers tournament-ready sand volleyball courts and beach tennis courts. The beach has also hosted USA National Wrestling tournaments, the Jupiter Fall Surfing Classic and the Offshore Powerboat Association World Championships.

2. Roger Dean Stadium Spring training home of the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals, this complex is the only spring training facility outside of Arizona that consists of one primary baseball diamond and 12 supplementary practice fields, with professional dimensions. The 7,000-seat stadium features luxury sky-box seating, permanent seating, parking and concessions, making the complex a one-stop baseball or softball tournament destination. 110

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Great year-round weather, first-rate facilities and proximity to major Florida cities attract sports planners to the Palm Beach area.

3. International Polo Club This world-class facility is a must-see polo facility in the United States. The club's pristine surfaces host all of the top polo players in the world during the January-April season. With eight polo fields operational, the club offers 60 acres of worldclass field space that can host up to 50 soccer or field hockeysized fields in one location outside of polo season. The club has hosted the National Field Hockey Festival and will be home to the 2016 American Youth Soccer Organizationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s National Championship.

4. Delray Tennis Center This grand tennis facility consists of 14 clay courts, seven hard courts and an 8,000-seat stadium. It hosts the ATP Tour International Tennis Championships each February. Nearby is the Delray Swim and Tennis Club, which features 28 additional tennis courts.

5. Florida Atlantic University Stadium The 30,000-seat, multi-purpose stadium, the home of FAU football, is equipped with a press level, five locker rooms and two suite levels consisting of 24 suites. It has hosted the Olympic Gold Medal-winning womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s soccer team, the 2012 Major League Lacrosse All-Star Game and international soccer matches, including a FIFA match between Ecuador and Germany, the current World Cup champions. This December, FAU plans to host the NCAA College Cup.

@SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

6. Palm Beach County Convention Center This 350,000-square-foot center boasts a huge Exhibition Hall, perfect for floor sports like cheer, gymnastics, wrestling and fencing. The upper level offers a ballroom, great for an after-tournament banquet. The state-of-the-art center is located right in the heart of downtown West Palm Beach and has plenty of parking adjacent to the complex.

FACILITY SPOTLIGHT

7. Okeeheelee Park Boasting the premier site in the United States for water skiing on five purpose-built lakes, Okeeheelee Park has hosted the sport’s world championships and regularly hosts the USA Water Ski National Championships. The park also has baseball, softball, soccer, golf and tennis facilities in addition to a nationally-classified BMX track, which hosted an Olympicqualifying series.

Fun in the Sun: The Perfect End to a Day in the Gym Between, before or after games, there is plenty to keep your group busy. Of course, you can always take them to the beach, some of which feature sand volleyball courts. Or enjoy big-time water rides at Rapids Water Park. A golfer’s haven, Palm Beach County has more than 160 golf courses. Lion Country Safari African Adventure offers a real live safari experience without needing a passport. The drive-through park abounds with lions, wildebeests, zebras and other animals from Africa and South America. You can also encounter exotic creatures at the Palm Beach Zoo or South Florida Science Center and Aquarium. For another wildlife adventure, consider a trip to the Everglades. The largest remaining subtropical wilderness in the nation is home to alligators, manatees, snakes, sea turtles, rare birds and more than 600 species of fish. Along the Atlantic, you can climb to the top of Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse, an 1860 landmark.

A Prime Location in South Florida Located 70 miles north of Miami and 152 miles south of Orlando on the Atlantic coastline, Palm Beach County affords visitors the transportation convenience of an international airport, an Amtrak station, Interstate 95 and the Florida Turnpike. With over 16,000 hotel rooms in the county, there is no shortage of accommodation space for any size tournament.

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Grant programs ■ PR/media coverage Social media marketing for your event ■ Logistical support Event planning assistance ■ Volunteer staff ■ Mobile apps Signage ■ Site visits ■ Transportation for teams Housing services ■ Discounts to local attractions

PALM BEACH COUNTY SPORTS COMMISSION Kris Pursell, Director of Event Operations 1555 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd., Suite 930, West Palm Beach, FL 33401 561-233-3180 • kpursell@palmbeachsports.com PalmBeachSports.com

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OCALA/MARION COUNTY, FL A U.S. Equestrian Olympian Training Site and More 1. Ocala Rotary Sportsplex The 80-acre facility includes 11 lit baseball fields, two lit and three unlit soccer fields, one multi-use field and 13 batting cages (four indoor). In 2010 and 2013, it hosted the 10U Cal Ripken World Series, as well as the 2014 Babe Ruth League 14U World Series. Each year, the Sportsplex plays host to district, state and regional baseball and soccer tournaments.

2. Ocala Regional Sportsplex The Ocala Regional Sports Complex is an 80-acre park on the west side of Ocala/Marion County. The park offers a variety of fields including four adult softball, one baseball and four football/soccer/lacrosse.

3. Shocker Park This is a premier destination for tournaments due to its convenient location in East Central Ocala/Marion County. It has six girls’ softball fields with three indoor batting cages. Shocker Park hosts many district and state tournaments, including the 2013 Babe Ruth League State Softball Championships.

4. Florida Horse Park The 500-acre facility is a celebrated venue for events, including international-level equine competitions, as well as adventure racing. The park features a newly constructed twoacre, 79,500-square-foot covered arena. It hosts competitions in virtually every equine discipline, from dressage to polo to versatility challenges and is an official training site for the U.S. Olympic equestrian team. 112

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Ocala/Marion County, Florida offers a unique combination of experience with international events, impressive sports facilities and an unmatched natural environment.

5. Southeastern Livestock Pavilion An Ocala landmark since 1945, the Southeastern Livestock Pavilion is Marion County’s premier agricultural showplace. It features a covered arena, a grandstand with seating for more than 4,200, an adjacent indoor air-conditioned sales auditorium with theater-style seating for 800 and 226 stalls with iron gates. Rental areas include a field events area, an open arena, air-conditioned reception hall, exhibition building and a picnic pavilion with showers.

6. Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club Designed by Ron Garl, this majestic course boasts a riveting 18-hole, 7,062-yard championship course and incorporates eight masterfully recreated tribute holes from some of the world’s finest courses including Augusta, Royal Troon, Baltusrol, Muirfield and St. Andrews. The club also offers a 10-acre short game area, two practice holes and a driving range. Host to 2015 LPGA Coates Golf Championship.

7. Juliette Falls Golf Magazine chose Juliette Falls as one of its “Top 10 New Golf Courses You Can Play” and Golf Digest named it a “Top 5 New Course.” Golf Week has Juliette Falls at #12 on its “Best Courses in Florida” list. Juliette Falls offers a 10-acre practice area, complete with chipping and pitching green, practice bunker, large undulating putting green and natural grass double-tee range, all just as well-groomed as the golf course. Play on more than 7,200 yards of this par-72 John Sanford-designed course, complete with rolling fairways, crisply manicured greens and five sets of tees fit for all levels of players.

@SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

8. Ocala Aquatics This venue boasts an Olympic-size pool that hosts yearround outdoor swimming events.

9. Big Sun Youth Soccer Complex The complex features all-grass fields including two full-size championship fields, five youth pitches and two small fields, as well as two mini fields for pee-wee or warm-ups.

10. Ft. King Tennis Center

glass-bottom boats that provide views of fish, turtles and alligators. Motorsports fans will enjoy exploring Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing and the competition at Bubba Raceway Park. Only an hour away are Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, SeaWorld Orlando and other themed attractions. Beaches on Florida’s west and east coasts are just an hour from Marion County.

In the Heart of Florida’s Horse Country

11. College of Central Florida

Ocala/Marion County, located in Central Florida north of Orlando, is an easy reach from anywhere along I-75. Driving times: Orlando and Tampa, 1.5 hours; Jacksonville, two hours; Tallahassee, three hours; Miami, five hours; Mobile and Atlanta, six hours.

CF has indoor basketball and volleyball courts, a collegesized baseball/softball field and six hard-court tennis courts.

X Factors

The center is perfect for year-round outdoor tennis, with eight lit clay courts and four lit hard courts.

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Surrounded by Nature with Famous Amusement Parks Close By Kayakers and canoeists enjoy paddling on hundreds of fresh-water springs, lakes and the Silver, Rainbow, Ocklawaha and Withlacoochee rivers. Hiking trails abound in the Ocala National Forest and the area’s many parks. Driving through Ocala’s horse country is another popular pastime and tours of working farms are available. For high-flying fun, The Canyons Zip Line and Canopy Tours takes guests through oaks and pines and over lime rock quarries. Silver Springs State Park, considered Florida’s original tourist attraction, is famous for its

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Social media marketing for your event Volunteer staff can be provided Grant programs ■ PR/media coverage Signage ■ Site visits ■ Transportation for teams/coaches Housing services/accommodations Discounts to local attractions

OCALA/MARION COUNTY SPORTS COMMISSION 112 N. Magnolia Ave., Ocala, FL 34475 352-438-2839 • Corry.Locke@marioncountyfl.org Sports.OcalaMarion.com

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8 1 SARASOTA, FL

The setting in Sarasota, Florida makes it a natural for water sports, but that’s not its only claim to fame. The roster of tournaments in the Sarasota area includes softball, equestrian events, swimming, tennis and golf.

Palm Tree-Lined Venues for Almost Any Sports Event In 2014, the YMCA Masters National Championship, US Rowing Southeast Championship, Modern Pentathlon World Cup Final, 30th Anniversary Super Boat Grand Prix and USA Ultimate Masters National Championship were just a few of the city’s sporting events. Sarasota has also been chosen to host the 2017 World Rowing Championships.

1. Nathan Benderson Park The park, selected as the site of the 2017 World Rowing Championships, is home to an internationally-acclaimed, 2,000-meter sprint course, plus all the facilities your group needs to row, canoe, kayak, paddleboard and dragon boat. This premier aquatic center can also be used for triathlons, adaptive sports and 5-10k runs.

2. YMCA Selby Aquatic Center It’s the place to go for diving, swimming, synchronized swimming and water polo. This outdoor facility’s highlights include a 50-meter pool, a scorer’s observation deck, an electronic scoreboard, covered bleachers, two movable bulkheads and four diving boards.

4. Sarasota Polo Grounds It’s the perfect place to watch polo, and so much more. At 130 acres, there’s room for soccer, rugby, flag football, lacrosse, field hockey and Ultimate. Other amenities include a clubhouse, a covered open-air pavilion and a playground for younger guests.

5. Siesta Key Beach More than just a pretty beach, it’s got enough acreage for two pavilions, five tennis courts and 10 full-sized permanent beach volleyball courts – plus space for up to 30 more. Its sandy shores are a great place to host beach volleyball or beach soccer, and the ocean’s waves are there for canoeing, paddle boarding, fishing, windsurfing and adventure racing.

6. The Resort at Longboat Key Club Tennis Gardens Where else can you get 20 USTA tennis courts in a facility that overlooks the bay and seats 2,500? This complex also offers a clubhouse, an on-site restaurant and locker rooms.

7. Youth Athletic Complex Need a place where you can host a multi-sport event? The Youth Athletic Complex is set up to cater to BMX, baseball, youth and flag football, lacrosse and tennis.

3. Ed Smith Stadium Also known as the “Spring Training home” of the Baltimore Orioles, this stadium offers four major league training fields, one practice field, a covered batting tunnel, a clubhouse and seating for 8,000 spectators. 114

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8. Fox Lea Farms Seven outdoor rings and one indoor ring – plus 250 permanent stalls and room for up to 500 temporary stalls – make this Sarasota’s finest equestrian event center. @SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

9. Miss Sarasota Softball/17th Street Park This facility features 10 softball fields, an archery range and four soccer/multipurpose fields. Use it to host an event dedicated to archery, softball, lacrosse, soccer or any combination thereof.

Staying in the area gives your group a wide choice of lodging options. Whether you need a parcel of suites in a beachfront hotel, a cozy vacation rental or a luxury-filled weekend at a resort, you’ll find them here. There is also a good mix of familiar mid- and budget-priced chain hotels and upscale boutique lodgings.

Sarasota is Home to Ringling Museum, Beautiful Beaches and Gardens

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Besides the beaches in Sarasota and its offshore islands, visitor attractions include Mote Marine Aquarium, Myakka State Park, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Sarasota Jungle Gardens, and The Ringling Museum on the estate of the famed owner of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

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Grants and incentive programs Volunteer staff Onsite Visitor Services Site visits Mobile apps Housing services Discounts to local attractions, restaurants and retail shops Social media marketing for your event

Easy Access off I-75 on Florida’s Gulf Coast Getting to Sarasota isn't a problem, whether you are coming by car or by plane. If your group is driving down, Sarasota is right off I-75, 60 miles south of Tampa and 75 miles north of Fort Myers. Sarasota shares an airport with nearby Bradenton, aptly named the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport. Nearby air travel options include Tampa International Airport (about 50 miles north) and Orlando International Airport (about 130 miles to the northeast).

SARASOTA COUNTY SPORTS COMMISSION Group Sales: Nicole Rissler, Director of Sports NRissler@visitsarasota.org 941-955-0991 ext. 105 SarasotaSports.org

Sarasota County is a destination filled with color, and our sports are no exception. Partake in soccer, lacrosse, rugby or polo on our vibrant green grasses. Surround yourself with vivid orange during Baltimore Orioles spring training or book your own ballgame in our major league facilities. Enjoy the brilliant blue waters of our championship swimming venues and new 2,000-meter, world-class rowing facility. Bask in the glow of our competitive white sand beach volleyball courts — or try your hand at fishing, tennis or golf. Our excellent weather keeps you playing all year long. Whatever the sport, you’re bound to find the perfect venue in Sarasota and surrounding areas.

NO MATTER WHAT YOUR SPORT... PLAY HERE!

History of Success: 2013 F18 International Sailing Regatta • 2013 USRowing Masters National Championships • 2013 Pan-American Masters Swimming Championship • 2012 – 2013 Rev3 Triathlon Florida • 2000 – 2012 USA Ultimate Club Championships •

Visit PlaySarasota.org or call 1.800.276.1170

COUNTY SPORTS COMMISSION LONGBOAT KEY | SARASOTA | LIDO KEY | SIESTA KEY | VENICE CASEY KEY

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5 CONWAY, AR

Modern athletic facilities and a welcoming environment make it easy to host a successful sports event in Conway

Venues Vary from Top College Facilities to Multi-sport Complexes

1. City of Colleges Park Built in 2010, this state-of-the-art softball facility has five lighted fields. It hosts a number of regional and national baseball and softball games, as well as collegiate-level tournaments.

4. Conway Station Park Built in 2011, Conway Station Park features nine fields. It continues to be a major host for the Arkansas USSSA baseball tournaments and events.

5. Don Owen Complex The multi-sport complex features three basketball courts, three lighted baseball fields, six volleyball courts and a walking track.

2. Centennial Soccer Complex The 51.5-acre complex features 10 full-size fields and two U10-size fields, four of which are lighted. The venue is home to the Arkansas Rush Soccer Club.

3. Conway Expo Center & Fairgrounds This multipurpose facility features an Expo Center with 40,779 square feet of covered space and an open-air pavilion with 55,000 square feet. These can be converted into various floor plans to accommodate a wide range of sports events. The venue has been used for wrestling and high school tournaments, as well as some offbeat sports events such as cornhole and horseshoes. 116

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6. Hendrix College Facilities Hendrix College offers a range of sports venues for organizers to use. Garrison Court at Grove Gymnasium, located in the Wellness and Athletic Center, houses Hendrix’s basketball and volleyball events. The stadium-style seating holds 1,100 spectators. Warrior Baseball Field plays host to the college baseball team. A brand new backstop and 361 chairback seats were added in 2012. The field features two full-sized batting cages, two bullpens and stadium-style lighting. Young-Wise Memorial Stadium, opened in 2013, is home to the college’s football, men’s lacrosse and track & field teams. The stadium seats @SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

approximately 1,500 people and features a new field house with weight rooms, locker rooms and training facilities. Built in conjunction with the Young-Wise Stadium, the Warrior Tennis Courts & Indoor Tennis Center includes three indoor courts and two grand stands. The outdoor tennis courts were resurfaced in 2012 and contain five courts for competition.

distance of one another. Conway offers 1,400 hotel rooms at a variety of price points, so sports planners are sure to find exactly what they need to fit their budget.

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Social media marketing for your event Volunteer staff Grant programs Signage Site visits Transportation for teams Housing services Discounts to local attractions

CONWAY CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU Rachel Earls Shaw, Director of Destination Marketing 900 Oak Street, Conway, AR 72032 501-932-5409 â&#x20AC;˘ Rachel@conwayarkansas.org ConwayArkansas.org

Small Town Charm Complements Top Sports Venues When teams are not competing, there is a lot to keep them busy. Conway has a great downtown area with lots of shopping, boutique stores, hip restaurants and attractions. The University of Central Arkansas has a lot for guests to do. Athletes and their families can peruse collections at one of the largest academic galleries in the state at the Baum Gallery of Fine Art, or catch a show at the Arkansas Shakespeare Theater. Teams can spend an afternoon bowling at Conway Family Bowl, or catch a film at the new movie theater. Visitors will have a great time wandering the streets of Pickles Gap Village, a tiny town with gift, souvenir, antique and craft shops, as well as the Pickle Barrel Fudge Factory with homemade fudge and pies. ZAZA's Fine Salad and Wood Oven Pizza is a local favorite dining option.

Good Location, Plentiful Hotel Choices Conveniently located 30 miles from Little Rock, Conway is located right off I-40. Most attractions, hotels and venues are within a short

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1. Monroe Civic Center While the Civic Center contains space for events of all kinds, it does have two venues specifically designed for sports: a 46,000-square-foot arena that seats up to 7,600 people, and a 30,000-square-foot equestrian pavilion with 76 commercialsized stalls, a separate warm-up arena and trailer parking equipped with electricity and other amenities.

2. University of Louisiana at Monroe

MONROEWEST MONROE, LA Monroe has the lodging and space to take on just about any kind of event, from rodeos to golf tournaments. Fans of the A&E network show Duck Dynasty will immediately recognize Monroe as the headquarters of the Robertson family and their duck-call business.

The Perfect Mix of Outdoor Venues and Collegiate Facilities You’ll find a facility for almost every type of sport, including golf, softball, baseball, basketball, volleyball, football and tennis. Neighborhood schools and parks provide a multitude of places to organize smaller sporting events. For larger events, consider these facilities:

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The sports complex of ULM offers top-notch facilities for field sports, swimming, basketball and much more. In addition to the venues listed here, there are many more, including a softball complex and 15 tennis courts.

The Twin Cities of Louisiana Conveniently located on I-20 and US-165, Monroe is easy to reach. The Twin Cities of North Louisiana are approximately 270 miles northwest of New Orleans and 290 miles east of Dallas. Nearer metro areas include Jackson (120 miles), Shreveport (100 miles) and Little Rock (180 miles).

MONROE-WEST MONROE CVB Scott Bruscato, Director of Sales 601 Constitution Drive, West Monroe, LA 71292 P.O. Box 1436, West Monroe, LA 71294-1436 P: 318-387-5691 • T: 800-843-1872 • F: 318-324-1752 Monroe-WestMonroe.org

@SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

Convenient Travel Options Located in central North Carolina, Greensboro is less than a five-hour drive from Baltimore-Washington; Atlanta; Knoxville, Tennessee; Charleston, West Virginia; and Columbus, Ohio. Interstates 85 and 40 converge on Greensboro, with I-73 and I-74 planned for the future. Piedmont Triad International Airport is served by seven major carriers. Raleigh-Durham and CharlotteDouglas international airports are within a 90-minute drive. The 1,017-room Sheraton Greensboro Hotel at Four Seasons/ Joseph S. Koury Convention Center has housed numerous teams due to its central location and amenities. With 9,560 hotel rooms and more planned for the next few years, Greensboroâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s flag and independent properties fill every need and budget.

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GREENSBORO, NC

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These Facilities are No Stranger to Major Events

GREENSBORO AREA CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU

1. Greensboro Coliseum

Brian Ambuehl, Sports Sales Manager 336-335-1581 â&#x20AC;˘ bambuehl@visitgreensboronc.com VisitGreensboroNC.com

The Coliseum has been the site of basketball, indoor football, professional ice hockey and basketball, figure skating, tennis, boxing, track and field, professional wrestling and gymnastic events.

2. Greensboro Aquatic Center (GAC) Just three years since opening, the GAC, located on the Coliseum Complex, is hosting major high school, collegiate, youth and adult national events

3. Special Events Center Also in the Coliseum complex, this 167,000square-foot venue is easily set up to accommodate 11 basketball courts, six futsal courts or 18 volleyball courts, including seating.

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4. Bryan Park Soccer Complex Home of Greensboro United Soccer Association, it offers 17 perfect Bermuda grass fields.The 3,000-seat McPherson Stadium is ideal for championship tournament play.

Plenty to See and Do in Greensboro Family fun never stops at NewBridge Bank Park, home of the Greensboro Grasshoppers, a Class A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. The International Civil Rights Center & Museum is where in 1960 four students peacefully sat at a Woolworth lunch counter defying segregation. With completion of the Sky Line zip line, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one more reason to visit the Greensboro Science Center. Celebration Station has the latest arcade games and hot go-karts. Wet nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Wild Emerald Point is where teams and families cool off. SportsPlanningGuide.com

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EAST REGION

he sports-friendly communities in this regional section cater to all types of events, with experienced staff members offering the dedication and expertise to make your tournament shine. Conveniently located within range of a good chunk of the U.S. population, these areas take pride in their sports facilities as well as amenities and attractions off the field. Let them take care of the logistics for your next event. ■ ■ ■ ■

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Pocono Mountains, PA

128 The scenic woodlands of Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains abound with hiking and biking trails.

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1 LONG ISLAND, NY

Filled with high-quality venues and must-see attractions, New York’s Long Island offers sports planners the complete package.

From Olympic-level Swimming Competitions to Regional Baseball Championships

The complex also includes seven lacrosse fields, four lighted softball fields, two baseball fields, seven soccer fields and five football fields. Each one seats between 50 and 100 spectators.

1. Nassau County Aquatic Center

4. Stony Brook University’s Arena

Located in Eisenhower Park, this is one of the top aquatic centers in the country. It hosts international and domestic events, including swimming, diving, synchronized swimming and water polo.

The Stony Brook Arena will be the new home for the men’s and women’s basketball teams, and will also host volleyball, cheerleading, gymnastics and boxing events. The 40,000-square-foot arena features a new seating configuration providing an intimate atmosphere for more than 4,000 spectators; modern video technology; and a new competition basketball court and improved practice courts. The arena is set to open in October 2014.

2. St. Joseph College Outdoor Sports Complex Opened in April 2012, this outdoor sports complex in Patchogue is home to the men’s and women’s soccer, tennis, track and field, women’s lacrosse, softball and baseball teams. Danzi Stadium includes a 400-meter all-weather track, long jump pits and pole vault areas, and synthetic turf for soccer, lacrosse and football. Bleachers seat 1,500. Gregg Alfano Field features a synthetic turf infield and natural grass in the outfield. It has bleachers that accommodate up to 300 spectators. The Softball Stadium is a natural grass outfield that reaches 210 feet to center, with seating for 400 fans. The Tennis Courts feature six new tennis courts constructed with DecoTurf, the same surface the pros play on at the U.S. Open.

5. Baseball Heaven Sports Complex The complex, located in Yaphank, consists of nine baseball fields and features all the amenities of a professional ballpark.

6. Bethpage State Park This park is known for its five world-class golf courses, as well as miles of hiking and biking trails, dozens of playing fields, tennis courts and cross-country skiing trails.

3. Mitchel Athletic Complex

7. Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum & Exhibition Center

Located in Uniondale, the 49-acre complex serves a number of different sports events. It features a Track & Field stadium with a nine-lane, 400-meter synthetic track, along with a field suitable for football, soccer, lacrosse and field hockey. Seating 10,000, it features lights for night play, scoreboards, and plenty of concession stands and parking.

This complex consists of an 18,000-seat arena, a 60,000-square-foot exhibition hall and 15,000 square feet of additional space. Home to the N.Y. Islanders NHL hockey team, it can host a wide variety of sports tournaments, from basketball and volleyball to gymnastics and dance.

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@SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

8. Twin Rinks Ice Center at Eisenhower Park The 165,000-square-foot facility consists of two indoor NHL-sized skating rinks as well as one indoor rink that will host both roller hockey and deck hockey leagues. The facility has locker rooms, restrooms, concessions and a restaurant.

FACILITY SPOTLIGHT

Exciting Attractions Entertain Visitors Museum Row, located near Eisenhower Park, includes the Long Island Children’s Museum, the Cradle of Aviation, Nassau County Firefighters Museum and Education Center and Long Island Museum for Science and Technology. The Long Island Aquarium in Riverhead is ranked one of the top 10 in the country. In Suffolk County, visitors will find Adventureland, a small amusement park with more than 30 rides and attractions, while over in Calverton, they can enjoy 96 acres of water fun at Splish Splash Water Park, which features New York’s only water coaster. Long Island also has lots of shopping options, from small boutiques to outlet malls. At the gateway to the east end is Tanger Outlet Center, Long Island’s largest factory outlet. Or visitors can shop the merchants at Tanger Outlets at The Arches in Deer Park. As a top vacation destination, Long Island certainly has no shortage of top-rated restaurants, from quaint bistros to casual eateries to world-renowned institutions. Every city around the island features movie theaters and bowling centers that offer budget-friendly entertainment for teams.

A Short Drive from New York City Long Island is served by two major airports, John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport, as well as Long Island Islip MacArthur Airport, which offers regularly scheduled flights from domestic cities. The island is also accessible via major highways from New York City, making it easily accessible from most areas on the East Coast. With over 17,000 hotel rooms across Long Island, sports teams are sure to find a hotel with the right amenities and price point to suit their needs.

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Social media marketing for your event Volunteer staff Signage Site visits Transportation for teams (depends on certain factors) Housing services Discounts to local attractions

LONG ISLAND CVB & SPORTS COMMISSION Jennifer Rothman, Sports Sales Manager jrothman@discoverlongisland.com Phone: 631-951-3900 ext. 320 DiscoverLongIsland.com/Sports

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4. Harry Grove Stadium, Frederick As unbelievable as it may seem, when Harry Grove Stadium opened the doors in 1990 it was considered an innovation in stadium design because the entrance and concourse are at the top of the stands. And while just about every stadium today is designed the same way, after a 60-year baseball drought in Frederick it’s safe to say that Harry Grove Stadium will always be one of the county’s most treasured venues. 5. Bulle Rock Golf Course, Harford Winning many awards—including ranking as the No. 1 best course to play in Maryland by Golf Digest, No. 59 on Golf Digest’s “America’s 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses 20112012” and No. 26 on Golf Magazine’s “Top 100 Courses You Can Play 2011” – the 18-hole, 230-acre course delivers quality greens.

6. Covenant Park, Howard The Bob Lucido Fields at Covenant Park offers nine lighted soccer fields. Also located within the park are two pavilions, a clubhouse concession stand, walking paths to most fields and ample parking. The park is an ideal venue for any level of soccer training.

TOP FACILITIES IN MARYLAND: BROUGHT TO YOU BY MARYLAND SPORTS Maryland Sports attracts, promotes, retains and develops regional, national and international sporting events. Here are 10 of Maryland’s top facilities for hosting your next sports event.

1. Navy-Marine Corps Stadium, Anne Arundel This state-of-the-art facility hosts local, regional, national and international events including Navy football and lacrosse games. Home of Major League Lacrosse's Chesapeake Bayhawks, the stadium has a synthetic field surface, FieldTurf, which allows the stadium to be used 365 days a year. There are also two state-of-the-art video scoreboards, chair back seating, concession stands, end zone seating, luxury suites and additional sideline seating.

7. Municipal Stadium, Washington Home to the minor league Hagerstown Suns, the stadium was built in 1930 and now features a renovated playing surface, seating improvements and a state of the art video board. The 4,600 seat stadium is complete with VIP sections, a beer garden and picnic area.

8. Wicomico Youth & Civic Center, Wicomico Boasting a 5,600 seat, 30,000 square foot arena, in addition to 10,000 square feet of secondary space with a fixed stage, the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center is home to over 400 events drawing more than 200,000 people each year.

9. North Worcester Athletic Complex, Worcester The North Worcester Athletic Complex has one senior league field, one junior league field, three little league fields and five multipurpose field—two with lights. The complex features concession stands, covered dugouts, batting cages and warm-up areas, and is open year round.

2. SECU Arena, Baltimore

10. Roland Powell Convention Center, Ocean City

The 5,200-seat venue at Towson University hosts volleyball, gymnastics and basketball events in addition to concerts, commencements and more. The 17,000 square foot arena opened in the fall of 2013 and includes four luxury suites, 340 club seats and was awarded the LEED Gold certification for being energyefficient.

With 214,000 square feet on the inside and 10 miles of beaches on the outside, the Roland Powell Convention Center is a sporting paradise. Its performing arts center and over 50,000 square feet of exhibit halls allows the convention center to hold small and large conferences or cheerleading competitions of many sizes in the renovated rooms and Bayfront views.

3. Baltimore Arena, Baltimore City Named the No. 1 arena in the U.S. by Billboard Magazine and Venues Today, Baltimore Arena holds a variety of events, including the Miss USA competition, Maryland’s first Mixed Martial Arts event and the CAA Men's Basketball tournament. There are 11,000 seats in the arena, but it can hold up to 14,000 for certain sporting events. 124

Sports Planning Guide

MARYLAND SPORTS Terry Hasseltine, CSEE, Executive Director 333 W. Camden St., Suite 500, Baltimore, MD 21201 410-223-4158 • thasseltine@marylandsports.us MarylandSports.us

@SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

4 1 2 ERIE, PA

Four professional minor league teams and four colleges give Erie, Pennsylvania a wide variety of sports venues. Add in miles of shoreline along Lake Erie, and this city in northwest Pennsylvania holds great appeal for planners .

Top-Notch Facilities, Outdoors and In 1. Erie Insurance Arena This multi-use indoor arena has hosted tournaments like the Pennsylvania Junior Wrestling Championships, 2014 NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Elite 8 and the 2011 NCAA Division I Women’s Ice Hockey Frozen Four. Depending on the sport, it can seat up to 6,900 spectators.

2. Presque Isle State Park A 3,200-acre forested peninsula set along Lake Erie’s coastline, it is both a popular place to relax in the sand – there’s seven miles of beach on site – and host outdoor events. The park has been the site of competitive running challenges, beach volleyball and fishing tournaments, and other athletic contests. On average, it hosts 90 sports events each year. The park features 11 miles of hiking trails and 14 miles of multi-use trails.

4. Bayfront Convention Center With 28,000 square feet of space and a lofty ceiling in its Great Hall, the Bayfront Convention Center is perfect for gymnastics and cheerleading events. The building is located on Lake Erie’s waterfront, and there is ample free parking on-site and at the adjacent Sheraton hotel.

5. Jerry Uht Park This 6,900-seat baseball mecca in downtown Erie is home to the Erie SeaWolves and comes complete with all the amenities, including a 40-foot video screen.

6. Erie Veteran’s Memorial Stadium The city’s largest outdoor stadium seats up to 10,000 fans and has the capacity to host multiple events at the same time. It is especially popular for football and soccer.

7. Mercyhurst University The school hosts basketball, ice hockey, football and soccer events at its various athletic centers.

3. Family First Sports Park The 17 outdoor fields and multiple indoor sites make it the area’s largest multi-sport facility. It regularly plays host to clinics, camps and tournaments of all kinds. In addition to its outdoor complex, the Sports Park also has two indoor soccer fields, four basketball courts, a turfed sports dome and a fitness center. It is especially suited for soccer, lacrosse, football, basketball, baseball, golf and cheerleading events. 126

Sports Planning Guide

8. Gannon University Basketball and volleyball events are held at the Hammermill Center, while University Field hosts various field sports.

9. Edinboro University Facilities include Sox Harrison Stadium, which was recently improved with new lighting and a scoreboard, and the 85,000 square-foot Zafirovski Dome for track and field meets. @SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

10. Penn State Erie, The Behrend College The Junker Center includes three all-purpose courts, an eight-lane swimming pool and a gymnasium and has the capability of hosting swimming, track, soccer, lacrosse and more.

Presque Isle State Park. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, it serves up everything from curly fries to foot-long hot dogs and other time-honored American staples.

Easily Reached on Two Interstates Water-Inspired Attractions Continue the Indoor-Outdoor Theme Aside from catching one of the pro and semi-pro games in town, guests can cool down at one of the area’s waterparks. Waldameer Park and Water World, in operation from Memorial Day to Labor Day, has water rides and slides, arcade games, and other attractions suitable for the entire family. The year-round Splash Lagoon Indoor Water Park and Resort offers visitors the chance to relax in a lazy river, splash around in a wave pool, swing through a ropes course and play in the arcade. For adults, the city of Erie is near Lake Erie Wine Country, a 45-mile stretch of vineyards and wineries that is the largest grape-producing region east of the Rocky Mountains. Presque Isle Downs and Casino is convenient to Interstate 90 and features more than 2,000 slot machines, 48 table games, a state-of-the-art thoroughbred racetrack and a new poker room. Erie-area dining reflects the presence of the Great Lake; waterfront restaurants and lakeside steakhouses mix with Mexican favorites and traditional American dishes to create a varied culinary scene. Especially popular is Sara’s Diner, a ’50s-style diner conveniently located at the entrance to

SportsPlanningGuide.com

This corner of northwest Pennsylvania is served by Erie’s own International Airport, with direct flights to major hubs like Chicago, Detroit and Philadelphia. US Airways, United and Delta provide commercial flights; charter flights can be arranged through North Coast Air. Driving to Erie is also easy, as the city is accessible from I-90 and I-79. It’s a drive of two hours or less from Erie to Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Buffalo. Erie offers numerous lodging options from bed-and-breakfasts to chain hotels. There are about 4,000 rooms available.

X Factors ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Venue/facility procurement Social media marketing for your event Volunteer staff ■ PR/media coverage Site visits ■ Hotel liaison Discounts to local attractions

ERIE SPORTS COMMISSION Ron Sertz, Executive Director 208 East Bayfront Parkway, Suite 201, Erie, PA 16507 1-800-524-ERIE (3743) • rsertz@visiterie.com ErieSportsCommission.com/spg/

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Nature’s Gifts, Competitors’ Challenges 1. Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort/ Revolution3 Pocono Mountains An exciting September weekend at Shawnee Inn Resort & Golf Resort includes an Olympic-distance triathlon and a Half REV. The Half REV is a professional race with a $50,000 prize purse. Races feature a lake swim, followed by a point-to-point bike with a 400-foot vertical feet plunge over the first four miles into the scenic Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.

2. Poconos Golf The Pocono Mountains has a storied history of tournament golf. The many classic courses are joined by modern gems to host events throughout the season.

3 POCONO MOUNTAINS, PA The Pocono Mountains region of Pennsylvania offers a tradition of family vacation fun and adventure sports competition

3. Pocono Raceway “The Tricky Triangle” is host to two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards races each year. A NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race was added in 2010. Pocono Raceway also hosts a newly added Pocono IndyCar 500 Race in July. The track hosts such events as April’s Tough Mudder, a 10-12-mile obstacle course designed to test all-around strength, teamwork and mental grit. Late August’s Warrior Dash Pennsylvania is a 3.32-mile wooded course with 12 obstacles.

A History of Hospitality The Pocono Mountains region and its four Northeast Pennsylvania counties have been welcoming visitors for decades. The Poconos is a year-round destination with skiing in the winter. Summers cater to the active traveler with hiking and biking trails, more than 35 golf courses, whitewater rafting, fishing and boating. The area has a living history museum, antique shops, outlet stores and delightful downtown districts.

An Outdoor Playground Close to Big Cities The Pocono Mountains region is located within 300 miles of one-third of the U.S. population and within 90 miles of New York City and Philadelphia. There’s a Pocono Mountains lodging facility for every budget and need, including family-friendly motels, cottages, condos, bed and breakfasts, campgrounds, and full-service hotels and resorts.

X Factors ■ ■ ■

Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube PR/Media Coverage ■ Signage ■ Site visits Discounts to local attractions

POCONO MOUNTAINS CVB David M. Jackson, CMP, Vice President of Sales 1004 West Main Street, Stroudsburg PA 18360 Direct: 570-236-1699 • djackson@poconos.org Phone: 570-421-5791 • Fax: 570-421-6927 PoconoMountains.com 128

Sports Planning Guide

@SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG

JON SCHMIEDER

Five Points to Follow in Building a Great Team

applies here.

ment to a group effort - that is what

when they know what the end goal

and there are TEAMS. Whether you

makes a team work, a company work,

is, and how they are expected to get

are an executive, a middle manager

a society work, a civilization work.”

there. Great team builders show their

or an entry-level person “in the

Over the years we have seen (and

followers what they want (verbally and

trenches,” you have a great opportu-

been a part of) the building of some

through their actions) and they articu-

nity to lead. It is rare that one great

great organizations. It is our belief that

late their goals consistently.

leader is like the next, but those

he great coach Vince Lombardi once said, “Individual commit-

Transparency – It is much easier for people to follow leaders

truly great companies, sports-related or otherwise, are built on the foundation of a teamwork concept.

There are groups that work together,

who exhibit transparency, show great

Energetic – You don’t have to

energy, advocate for their people,

have a wildly extroverted person-

employ 360-degree mentorship, and

ality to lead people. However, you do

think synergistically have a leg up

century England. It was first used to

have to have a drive and passion for

on the others.

describe animals working together to

what you are pursuing if you expect

pull a cart or wagon in one direction.

others to get on board.

The word “team” dates back to 12th

Isn’t that the goal of most leaders, to

A Japanese proverb says, "A single arrow is easily broken, but not 10 in a bundle." We need more arrows

one direction for a common cause?

Some synonyms of “team” include

own pet causes. We mean that great

your tribe. Recruit them, cultivate

army, band, brigade, company, crew,

team builders advocate for their people.

them, back them, lead them, and

outfit, party, platoon, squad and gang.

Seth Godin wrote a great book called

when called, be led by them. Build a

Think about some of those terms.

Tribes that outlines the best practices

culture of thinking “team first” and a

Several apply to the military (a very

of unifying groups for a common effort.

great foundation for success will be

important type of team), some apply

The best teams have each other’s

constructed. ■

to sports (think squad, crew and gang)

back, from the person on the top of

and others to causes (like band or

the pyramid all the way to the last

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

party). Whatever your definition is, it is

man on the totem pole.

Jon Schmieder is the founder of the Huddle Up Group LLC, a consulting consortium made up of experienced, award-winning executives. Schmieder has more than 16 years of experience in leading non-profits and sports tourism organizations through strategic growth and increased community collaboration. Huddle Up Group clients include USA BMX, Detroit Sports Commission, Eugene Cascades & Coast Sports, Connect Sports, Veteran Tickets Foundation, Arizona Football Coaches Association, Evansville Sports Corp, Travel Medford, Des Moines CVB, Las Cruces CVB, and the Association of Chief Executives of Sport (ACES). The Huddle Up Group can be reached at jon@huddleupgroup.com or 602-369-6955. To receive the weekly “Monday Huddle Up,” sign up at huddleupgroup.com/sign-up-monday-huddle-up.

get their groups moving together in

Advocate – When we use this

(talented people) in our quiver. Seek

term, we don’t mean just for their

out collaborative people to be part of

obvious that “team” is a widely recognized concept and one of vast importance in our society. If you are a non-profit leader, a

Mentorship – Great leaders are mentors, yes, but they are also

mentored. Every successful person has

rights holder, a coach, teacher, elected

others that they lean on when needed.

official or of another field, you un-

Take time not only to help others, but

doubtedly have a team that you must

also to continually educate yourself

lead. You don’t have to have a C-level

along the journey.

title on your business card to be a team Those who achieve success in the

sports tourism and events industry often

ners get farther than those who work

are talented at not only leading teams,

in silos. Strategic thinkers look for ways

but BUILDING them. These leaders

to align themselves (synergize) with

often display these five qualities in their

others for the common good. The old

ability to build great teams:

theory of “a rising tide raises all boats”

leader. Everyone leads someone.

SportsPlanningGuide.com

Synergistic – Those who can “connect the dots” between part-

Sports Planning Guide

129

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Akron/Summit CVB, OH Aurora Area CVB, IL Bakersfield CVB, CA Bloomington-Normal Area CVB, IL Branson/Lakes Area CVB, MO Bryan-College Station CVB, TX Campbell County CVB, WY Canton/Stark County CVB, OH Champaign County CVB, IL Chicago Southland CVB, IL City of Lewisville, TX Clinton County CVB, OH Columbia CVB, MO Conway CVB, AR Erie Sports Commission, PA Eugene Cascades & Coast, OR Fort Worth CVB, TX Frisco CVB, TX Greater Ontario CVB, CA Greater St. Charles CVB, MO Greensboro Area CVB, NC Holland Area Visitors Bureau, MI Knoxville CVB, TN Long Island CVB & Sports Commission, NY Lubbock CVB, TX Maryland Sports Monroe-West Monroe CVB, LA Motel 6 Myrtle Beach Sports Center, SC Ocala/Marion County Sports Commission, FL Palm Beach County Sports Commission, FL PhotoVision Pigeon Forge Tourism, TN Plano CVB, TX Pocono Mountains CVB, PA Reno-Sparks CVA, NV Rockford Area CVB, IL Rocky Top Sports World, Gatlinburg, TN Round Rock CVB, TX Sevierville CVB, TN Snohomish County Sports Commission, WA Source One Digital Sports Illinois Stockton CVB, CA Vallejo CVB, CA Ventura VCB, CA Visit Greenville, SC Visit Hamilton County, IN Visit Sarasota, FL Visit Savannah, GA West Michigan Sports Commission, MI Wisconsin Dells VCB, WI

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With great sports venues, a downtown rated among the Top 10 in the US by Forbes Magazine, over 8,500 hotel rooms and amenities ranging from world-class museums and theatres to the lakes and trails of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Greenville, SC has hosted a wide range of high-profile regional, national and international sporting events. Now it’s time to add your event to the growing number of tournaments and championships that are calling Greenville, SC home. Learn more about that Greenville today. Call us at 800-351-7180. · · · ·

“2nd Best Town in America” – Outside Magazine

“Top 18 Coolest Towns in America” – Men’s Journal

2014 UCI Para-Cycling Road World Championships · 2014 National Softball Association Eastern Girls Fast Pitch World Series 2014 US Youth Soccer President’s Cup · 2012 & 2013 Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA) National Championships 2012 & 2013 Southern Conference Baseball Championship · 2013 USA Karate Nationals & US Team Trials 2013 USA Swimming Southern Zone Age Group Championships · 2013 Nations Baseball 13U East Coast Nationals