Photo courtesy of Sports ETA
LESSONS EARNED Al Kidd, president and chief executive officer of the Sports Events and Tourism Association, aims to expand the organization’s footprint.
Sports Tourism’s Evolution, Maturation to Returns on Investment, Mission & Effort
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By Nick Povalitis, Plus Seven Company
he expanse of sports tourism is a matter of past, present and future contexts, a series of evolutionary events, if you will. One such instance occurred during a transitional period within the Sports Events & Tourism Association (Sports ETA) in 2018 shortly after Al Kidd began his new role as president and chief executive officer at the Association. “It was clear from the onset that the value chain was much wider and broader than what we were engaged with. From a business standpoint, there was so much more opportunity,” says Kidd. “One of the goals was to expand the organization’s footprint and be fair and equitable across all the different categories. “The strategic roadmap and 2020 Vision was finalized in 2018 and refined as we went forward. The plan formed in
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Sports Planning Guide
June 2017 during the first couple weeks on the job. Once Jennifer came on board, we quickly solidified and expanded our vision. It was a seminal moment for the organization. We clicked immediately and set out to establish our key points of light to build the assets and services to establish a nationally recognized and prominent force. She and our team have been working with me on the execution of that plan ever since.” Kidd, who previously served as president of the San Diego Sports Commission with additional career stops in venture capital investing, online education services, marketing, advertising and strategic planning, possesses a penchant for data and research that aligns well with the philosophy of Dr. Jennifer Stoll, STS. After serving on the Sports ETA board while she was executive director of the Greater Grand Junction (CO) Sports Commission, Stoll was contracted by @SportsPlanGuide #SportsPG
