PUSH Magazine Volume 4, Issue 1

FIELD NOTES

It is a pleasure to welcome you to PUSH Magazine as we start Volume 4 of our publication!

This year brings about changes; while the core of PUSH is the same, you may see PUSH change a little. In Volumes 2 and 3, you experienced a theme to each issue. In Volume 4, we will be centering each digital magazine issue by focusing on a select number of core topics that we will rotate in and out: Money, Travel, Fitness, Exploration, and Technology. All the while continuing our Profile pieces on Conferences, Destination, Rights Holder, Facility Colleagues, and the ever-popular Industry Confidential. We hope you continue as a loyal reader and will welcome the changes to come.

We are inspired by the voices of our colleagues, specifically by the collection of voices within our industry. Do you enjoy writing? PUSH may be for you! Are you passionate about a current or hot topic? Think about PUSH! We hope you find your creative niche with us.

The intent and origin behind our name, PUSH, is simple: “PUSH,” as a noun, means “a vigorous effort to do or obtain something.” We are grounded in this never-ending effort by sharing the views, perspectives, and stories of sports tourism industry professionals.

Our mission is to help sports tourism professionals navigate the industry lifestyle personally and professionally. Please use our website to read past articles on a wide range of topics – they are as relevant now as they were when published. Anyone is welcome to submit their ideas for our digital publication. Do you have an idea? Is there a topic you would like to see us report on? Reach out… Let’s chat.

We are delighted to be furthering the mission of PUSH Magazine and to hear your success stories. We hope you will enjoy all that is to come in Volume 4.

X Matt Dunn

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

HEATH AUCOIN FORT WORTH SPORTS COMMISSION

What’s your current position? Director of Operations

How long have you been in this position?

I have done operations for Fort Worth Sports since March 2020 (I started a week and a half before COVID shut down the world). Have done event operations in sports tourism since 2004, beginning at the Baton Rouge Area Sports Foundation under the tutelage of the one and only Vince Trinidad

Can you give us a brief overview of what you do in your work?

Once we book an event, I am the middleman working with the governing body, the venue, and other spaces the event will use. De-

pending on the type of event, I can take a more hands-on operations approach in managing aspects of the tournament/championship or managing LOC’s.

What would you say most motivates you to do what you do?

I enjoy working with event organizers and athletes passionate about their sport. We partner with event organizers that sacrifice so much to produce events. I want to help make their job easier. If they can sleep easier when they come to Fort Worth, that is what I strive for.

What are you most excited about or passionate about?

Working on high-level events with good people. I enjoy taking an event with many moving parts and collaborating with others to make things come together.

What are the goals you most want to accomplish in your work?

To build long term relationships with clients.

What about the goals you hold personally?

A personal goal of mine is not to let the work consume me as it has in the past. We can do an excellent job for clients without running ourselves

into the ground. You can have a strong work ethic and know when to turn that on.

What led you to this industry?

I really stumbled into things. I was getting my MBA during the economic downturn, and finance jobs were not plentiful. I needed an internship, so one of my co-workers at LSU Career Services asked if I wanted to work on sporting events. I was paid with jambalaya and beer for the next two years, helping with their events. What led me to Fort Worth was being closer to my son, who was in New Orleans at the time but is now living North of San Antonio.

What were you doing before you came here?

Immediately before moving to the Sports Commission, I worked for the Cowtown Marathon doing road race operations. The Cowtown is a 20,000+ person two-day running event. Before that, I was Vice President of Operations for Tulsa Regional Tourism. I managed the event operations for Tulsa Film Commission, Visit Tulsa, and the Tulsa Sports Commission. I was also the Race Director for the Tulsa Run 15k.

What attracted you to work for the Fort Worth Sports Commission? Even though I moved to Fort Worth to work in the road race space,

I still wanted to stay involved with sports tourism. I didn’t want to close that door in my career yet, so I reached out to Jason Sands to say I would be more than willing to help with events by sitting on a committee. When the job opened, Jason gave me a call, and it seemed to be a good fit with what they were looking at doing to grow the organization.

Where did you grow up?

Berwick, Louisiana. Small town of about 4,000, about 60 miles South of Baton Rouge

What was it like to grow up there?

It was a great place to grow up. Everyone knew each other in our town. With not much to do we played a lot of sports in the streets of my neighborhood. I had the generic kid of the 80’s life. South Louisiana’s culture is special and a big part of who I am. I spent summers in Scott, Louisiana (Boudin Capital of the World) with my dad and stepmom.

I worked every summer starting at age 5, picking up cigarette butts around my dad’s shop. Taught me the value of hard work.

Did you go to college? Where did you go, and what was that like?

I attended LSU for undergraduate (Finance) and masters (Business Administration). My goal in life was to attend LSU. I was the first person in my family to go to college.

I had six majors, so I really didn’t know what I wanted to do with myself after college. With the guidance of student leaders and administrators, I gained the confidence to take leadership roles with some of the larger student organizations at LSU. Of course, I went to as many sporting events as I could. LSU Baseball was at the peak of its dominance in the 90’s, and even though our football team was not great, Tiger Stadium is always a special place to see a game.

LSU taught me more about the value of people and how to be a leader than things that I learned in a book. I also went to a party or two there… My name is on a plaque in a bar.

Did you have any key mentors or people who profoundly influenced who you are, what you believe in, and what you’re committed to in your work and life?

My parents were great role models, and each showed me what it is to be a good person in their own way.

My dad is the most personable person you will ever meet and has never met a stranger. He did sales for a living and showed me that you are not only selling a product you are really selling yourself. A product is a product; people do business with someone because they trust that you will produce what you say you will. My dad also lived about an hour and a half away from where I went to school. He didn’t miss any of my baseball games during my senior year in high school. He showed me a model of commitment that I mirrored to see my son after I was divorced.

My mom pushed my brother and me to dream big, and she never said no if we wanted to do something. She let us try things out to allow us to get out there and succeed or fail. She trusted that we would make good decisions and gave us a leash to follow through.

My stepmother is a fantastic woman. I saw her struggle through being passed over because of her race and gender in the corporate world, and she still pushed through to become successful. She always has a positive mindset and puts others ahead of herself.

Professionally speaking

Vince Trinidad is my mentor and a friend. He is one of the most genuine people that I know. He hired me into this industry almost 20 years ago and has given me more than I could ever give in return. He is selfless, from throwing me into the deep end of events with no experience (and fully expecting me to get the job done) to giving me his appointment schedule at a show because my organization couldn’t afford the cost of setting meetings. I was lucky to work with him again in Tulsa, and he built a great team there. If I need anything, I know he is ready to give his help and advice.

What projects are you working on now?

USOPC

Currently, we are honing in on our USOPC strategy as an organization. Through the end of the

year, we have USA Table Tennis, USA Taekwondo, USA Fencing, and USA Wrestling in town. We are in talks with multiple other organizations about doing events in Fort Worth over the next few years. We know how the spotlight will shine even brighter on the Olympics in LA in 2028, so how do we position ourselves to best take advantage of this?

Our success stems from Jason and Cassie committing to putting dollars and resources toward USOPC events. They sponsored socials at TEAMS and put the time in one-on-one to get us over the hump with getting our first event a few years back.

Covid accelerated this plan with Texas being an open state. We positioned ourselves as a location to fall back on if previously selected locations could not host events. From this, we hosted USA Wrestling Olympic Team trials and were a few governing bodies first or second event coming out of the pandemic. - This also put stress on our staff as we had to turn the events in a few months most of the time once awarded. We knew this was an opportunity that we could not mess up, so there were many late nights and conference calls to ensure everything went smoothly.

To be honest, I never thought I would be in a place to work on an Olympic Trials. Being a part of an event that had some much on the line and so much emotion was memorable for me. Also, seeing the wrestlers who finished their careers take off their shoes on the mat was moving. Seeing the culmination of so much work put in by these athletes is always inspiring.

Upcoming Events

16th World Wushu Championships: We started

working on this event on March 10, 2020, the day before the OKC Thunder game was canceled to start the closure of events. Through various delays and adjustments with the event, we are finally a couple of months from hosting. This is also one of our first international events, so learning how international governing bodies communicate has been a learning process.

Halo Championship Series: After hosting the Rocket League World Championships last year we are focusing on larger Esports events. This is another feather in our cap for this part of sports tourism, and we are looking forward to learning more about these groups

Future Years: 2026 is a big year for us as the metroplex hosts the FIFA World Cup. That year we’ll also hosted the FEI Show Jumping and Dressage World Cup and NCAA Women’s Basketball Regionals. Next year we host NCAA Gymnastics again (host through 2026), PBR World Finals, MLB All-Star Game (working with Arlington). We have a few significant events that we are going to announce soon and are chasing a few events that will show we can continually host marquee sporting events.

Heath, you are known in the industry as a professional that cares and puts great drive and determination into his work… You’re an example of someone that can always be counted on. What gets you out of bed every day to continue this work ethic?

I don’t think I know of any other way to operate. My parents instilled a work ethic in me to do my best with everything I do and not disappoint people. You must earn the respect of others, and my goal is to show people they can trust me to get the job done.

We are lucky to be in an industry where we can do business with our friends, and I never want to let one of my friends down. I also want to ensure I support the Fort Worth Sports team. We can only be our best if I put everything I can into our events.

Over the years, your colleagues have enjoyed seeing your running race pursuits. What attracts you to the physical act of running?

I didn’t think I would ever be a runner, but when I became a race director, I needed to know what I asked people to do to participate in our race. I worked with various running groups and met a great community of people who were out to improve their lives through running. Many days are not easy, but pushing through lets me know I can get through anything with enough

mental fortitude. I also love the outdoors so I get out on trails as much as I can and truly disconnect.

What motivates you to do so?

I am working on running a half marathon in all 50 states. I am on state number 18 so that keeps me hitting the pavement. When you sign up for a race you must put in the work, or you will pay on race day. Is running a coping method for the stresses of everyday life and responsibilities? Running helps with stress levels and my mental health. I can either disconnect from the world on a run or think through things I need to process that could be a struggle to sit with. I also know that when I am running, I am putting my health and myself first, which we sometimes sacrifice for getting our work done.

What would you say are your best skills?

I put myself in other people’s shoes and think from their perspective. I enjoy working on complex event logistics and problem-solving on the fly.

What do you bring to the table that helps you rise above the rest?

My work ethic to complete a task, no matter how big or small, is essential for my success. I think

critically about how to solve problems and go through various situations before making a decision.

Where and how did you learn those skills?

Over the years, I tried to copy the best characteristics of the leaders I saw in the industry and copy them. Being aware of how someone got to a final decision or completed a process (good or bad) is invaluable.

What’s next for you in your work?

I just take things day by day. We have a lot of exciting events over the next three years here in Fort Worth, so I want to make sure we are well-prepared for those. We are growing our team, and I want to ensure we have a great culture to participate in. How our team gels with growth gets us to the next level as an organization.

What are you looking forward to down the road in your career?

I am trying to figure that out as we speak. I have done operations for 20 years now, and my next step is still up in the air. I still help with road races when I can, and I hope to assist if there are other events that people need help with. If you have an event that you need help with, let me know! I also look forward to winning the lottery.

Produce Impactful Client Experiences

Lift your brand to create memorable client connections.

Today’s society has more choices than any other generation has ever experienced. Technology has provided us with many options that cover all aspects of life.

Just as we have seen the number of event rights holders grow, so too are a destination or facility’s options when considering their solicitation efforts. Therefore, clients and customers have become increasingly savvy by researching organizations that provide needed products and services and have a reputation of trust.

Even though innovation can drive impressions and revenue, more is needed

to set yourself apart from your competitors. Nothing could be more accurate when factoring in decision-making characteristics by generation type. When it comes to younger generations, developing trust and integrity are the approaches to take, thus making sure your organization will rise to the top.

Below are a few ways in which you can focus on just that and produce impactful experiences for your clients.

1. Suggest Custom Experiences

A very effective method to develop trust with your clients is to suggest custom experiences. Doing so will increase the value of your product offerings and fast-track your relationship-building simply

by showcasing that you listened to their interests and passions.

Whether you bring in a client for a site visit and extend their stay by a night or two after hearing how much they need a few days for rest and relaxation after running hard for a stretch. You can book a bucket list golf course for a client that has a passion for the sport and has always wanted to experience highend golf. Offering personalized experiences can drive growth for any sports tourism effort, no matter which side of the fence they play on.

There are many methods to create custom experiences, but the easiest is to be as flexible as possible. No matter what, if every one of your agreements follows the same offerings, your clients will not feel listened to. Focus on customized experiences, and loyalty will follow.

2. Select a Niche Above Scale

Choosing a niche over scale can help establish a visible model for what you are striving to accomplish. When concentrating on a niche, your team will become subject matter experts quicker, translating to increased collaboration, innovation, and efficiency. Many sports tourism professionals miss this mark, though easily avoidable because they are too focused on being everything to everyone.

Visit Tallahassee prioritized a niche opportunity years ago by catering

to the sport-specific needs of cross country. By focusing on a niche segment within the sports tourism industry, they could better understand their clients, the sport, and their greater audience… cross-country and endurance athletes.

By doing so, you will also attain the common language and terms of your clients, which results in attracting and retaining their business. This has led to Visit Tallahassee being awarded every major cross-country championship they have ever bid on.

focus on that and prioritize its development for you and your team. This will allow your organization to offer a better solution to your clients, resulting in your organization becoming the go-to solution. Create the niche, build the expertise, and focus on your organizational strengths before concentrating on scale, not the opposite.

3. Strive for Authenticity

Many organizations try to adapt to the latest trends and fail miserably, creating more problems than they started. An absence of authenticity can be challenging. Whether it is with family, friends, clients, or even brands, authenticity is appreciated by all. Prioritizing authenticity in everything you do will pay off, as people believe what you say when you are true to yourself and others.

In 2021, they hired The Collective BEST to help write their bid to host the 2026 World Athletics Cross Country Championships.

Their hosting and sports-specific knowledge led to being awarded the World Championships, which will take place in the United States for the first time ever.

Determine your organization’s strengths to narrow the scope. Answer the question… What audience or sport has the most to gain from your strengths? Then

To truly be authentic, you must know who you are. Ask yourself questions: Is your organization serious and professional, or is it playful or all-encompassing? Do your actions portray your company values? What is your mission?

Once you classify your brand’s voice, it’s crucial to deliver messaging consistent with that voice across all channels and platforms. Your clients will detect if you are not being authentic, and if you are, they will remember you for all the wrong reasons.

Get Your Luggage Quickly at Baggage Claim

On a tight schedule and need to get moving to meet a client? This advice may help on an upcoming trip.

Though many of us in the sports tourism industry prefer to carry our bags on a plane, scenarios occur when we must all check a bag. Ever attend one of our national conferences that extend four or five days and have another trip before or after? Sometimes, that requires us to wait at a baggage claim carousel for what feels like hours. If you want to ensure you obtain your luggage quickly, there is no foolproof method. However, some “tricks of the trade” may help you see your luggage among the first bags off the plane and on the carousel at baggage claim.

Typically, those bags loaded into the cargo hold last are the first to be unloaded.

As a result, some passengers prefer to check their bags as late as possible. Though bags can be loaded on the plane in any order. One way to work around the order issue is to request that a gate agent check your bag before boarding. This means you must bring your luggage through security, limiting you to a carry-on size bag and no ability to pack liquids above the required size. Commonly, gate checking is free, and you will have a higher chance that your bag will be loaded into the cargo hold last. If you succeed, your bag should be among the first to come out at baggage claim. Though alas, as we all know, there are no guarantees.

One option designed to ensure quick recovery at baggage

claim on a few airlines is tapping into priority bag services. A priority baggage service is presented to frequent flyers with specific status levels and may be offered to first-class and business passengers.

When checking your bag, request that the agent attaches a priority tag to your luggage; each airline has a different tag. Typically, all checked baggage with priority tags are to be unloaded before all other bags. This is not always true, but it does not hurt to try.

Most airlines offer incentives for long waits at baggage claims. Delta Airlines gives customers on domestic flights additional miles if their bag does not appear within 20 minutes of the flight arrival. You’ll have to fill out a form online to claim those miles.

No foolproof method guarantees your suitcase will appear first at baggage claim. But there are several ways to track where your bag is. Many of our sports tourism colleagues have been using trackers such as Apple AirTags in their bags. This will help to notify you that your bag has been offloaded from the plane and is making its way to the baggage claim.

RFID tracking is also used by some airlines to show your bag’s process by providing a notification when it is scanned as it makes its journey from baggage checking to baggage claim.

Here are a few final thoughts to help make traveling with baggage a bit smoother:

Be sure to remove all previous flight bag tags from your luggage before checking. Add a personal tag with your contact information on your bag, just in case.

An agent will tag your bag at check-in. Never forget to look at your slip to ensure your destination is correct.

Select a distinctive piece of luggage or attach a flare to your bag, making it easy to spot at baggage claim. Some passengers use unique luggage straps, bandanas, or ribbon tied to a handle.

Check out which baggage claim number or letter your flight has been assigned to, as they may switch them while walking from your gate to the baggage claim area.

Developing a Wellness Mindset

A ton of time on the road, early mornings, and late nights at events, committees, and government meetings take time away from your routine, home, and family life. Being a sports tourism professional can challenge our bodies and minds. Prioritizing time to plan and act on taking better care of ourselves can benefit us all.

We have experienced slight shifts in conference and trade show schedules that help attendees accomplish more while away from home and the office to better utilize their time on-site. This has been a consider-

ation of previous jam-packed agendas, the need and willingness of hosted receptions and dinners, and the overall recognition of burnout. We, too, have witnessed an increased focus on a better approach to living with the acceptance of remote work, thus catering to a more balanced lifestyle.

While we all are interested in wellness, and we create programming to help our consumers accomplish just that in one way or another, we often overlook ourselves.

As sports tourism professionals with significant event planning responsibilities, we can sometimes experience considerable stress on the job. This drives home the importance of maintaining wellness practices while caring and preparing for athletes, spectators, vendors, officials, and clients. Ensuring you pay attention to your health while juggling many tasks can be daunting. One starting point is the creation of habits. Habits while working in your city, and habits while on the road attending site visits, calling in clients, and attending conferences and trade shows.

Movement Goals

We know from countless health-related articles that taking many steps daily can reduce your chances of several afflictions, such as cancer, heart disease, and even dementia. The set standard for an average healthy adult is 10,000 steps per day. That may be an aggressive number for many starting out. The most important activity is to move.

Reducing your chances of severe illness by moving is a motivating benefit. Though accomplishing those standards is much easier when you set goals and track your progress. Starting at 6,000 steps a day for 30 days can be significant. Then increase by another 1,000 steps per day the following month. Creating a baby-step process to build toward a goal will lead to a sustained pattern and consistent life-

style choices rather than attempting a lofty goal. Maintaining Activity While Traveling

Building a healthy lifestyle is imperative because if we are unhealthy, how can we contribute our maximum potential to others? This is a tricky question for extremely busy sports tourism professionals, especially those who spend much time on the road. Our schedules can be intense and seemingly nonstop. However, there are plenty of ways to focus on healthy practices during events and while traveling. First, you must prioritize sleep.

As we all know, event schedules can be hectic with networking, late nights, and early mornings. Proper rest is essential to a healthy lifestyle as it relates to all bodily systems. Arranging restful sleep habits is important when hosting an event or attending a conference. So, when considering having another drink or heading to another bar for one more, think again and put your health first.

Trying to sleep in an unfamiliar hotel room can be tricky too. When you do Rise and Shine, based on your schedule for the day, you may not have the ability to use the hotel gym. Still, you can squeeze in a few minutes for some simple exercises that can be performed in any location, such as stretching, sit-ups, push-ups, burpees, triceps extension, and planks.

Once ready to tackle the day, we must also be

mindful of our menu choices. Hydration and foods high in protein and fiber, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats, will keep you full of energy and focus till the end of the day. Do your best to avoid foods containing sugar, salt, and saturated fats, as they will leave you drained.

Positive Mental Focus

We can all count well over 10,000 steps daily, but the total number does not account for anything if your thoughts have shifted negatively.

We all need mental breaks throughout the day to maintain a positive mindset. That may feel impossible while you accomplish your never-ending to-do list. Still, these short breaks can provide the needed opportunity to disconnect. A phone call to loved ones, reading a book chapter, a ten-minute walk away from the action, or even a non-work or event-related conversation during a lunch break can go a long way.

Preserving Your Wellness Initiatives While at Confer-

ences

Beginning with food and beverage offerings at conferences, menu selections play a massive role in how you, as an attendee, feel throughout the day. Do your best to include as many plant-based offerings as possible, protein, and an increase in fruit. Work to avoid rich, heavy foods. Be prepared to bring healthy choices to supplement your nutrition if needed. Use your conference breaks wisely by going outside.

If you have 30 minutes before your next appointment, sit outside in the sun and take in all that a new city has to offer. In addition to taking advantage of breaks, be mindful of your start and end times of each day. While conferences wish to provide as many sessions and networking functions as possible, balancing everything happening back home in the office or personally can be tough. Prioritize your responsibilities; it is OK to step away from a conference, keeping in mind your workload and being able to manage your rest and recovery.

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

PATRICK HIGGINS CONNECT SPORTS

What’s your current position?

Senior Vice President

How long have you been in this position?

I have been with Connect for almost 11 years.

Please give us a brief overview of what you do in your work.

Like many others in our industry, there isn’t a short answer, but I’ll try. Every day, I wake up and head to my dream job. I work with the Connect and BizBash teams to design, plan, and execute our events and services that serve the sporting event industry.

What would you say most motivates you to do what you do?

Aside from my family, what motivates me is creating a meaningful impact. Everything we do at Connect Sports and BizBash Sports has a huge ripple effect. Here’s what I mean: At Connect Sports this August, a sporting event organizer will be surprised by what a city offers. They’ll start discussions and ultimately discover they’re a good fit for each other. Fast forward a little while, and now the hotel salesperson hits their sales goal and earns a bonus for their family. The server at the restaurant that helped feed the volleyball team makes an excellent tip that helps with college tuition. The athletes that visit the city form great memories that they’ll look back on for years. It goes on and on.

What are you most excited about or passionate about?

I’m excited and passionate about continuing to evolve the experience we offer our attendees and maximizing our impact. There are a lot of really great tools out there that we’re researching.

What are the goals you most want to accomplish in your work?

A few goals I’d like to accomplish most in my work are contributing to equality in the sports tourism industry – that’s very important to me. Connect Sports was the first sporting trade show to acknowledge the LGBTQ+ sports community and welcome them to join us. I’m also pas-

sionate about leveling the playing field for women to rise to the ranks. It’s been an honor and a privilege to get to know the individuals behind their sports communities, and it’s my goal to see our unique initiative continue to advance. Another goal is to see the Connect Sports trade show attendee experience reach new heights in 2024 by introducing new technology and experiences on the show floor. We will be incredibly ambitious in what we’ll be rolling out.

What led you to this job?

I was a Connect attendee before working here. I worked with Rick Hatcher and Christy Strong-Simmons when I attended the 2011 Connect Marketplace in New Orleans to find new locations for USA Fencing events. That’s where I met Chris Collinson, and we began exploring the concept of a sports-specific event. The people at Connect immediately attracted me to the position. They were enthusiastic, hilarious, ambitious, and unafraid to try new things and concepts. Connect is just as passionate about having fun while being the industry leader in getting business done now as they were 12 years ago.

Where did you grow up? What was it like to grow up

there? Did you go to college? Where did you go, and what was that like?

I grew up in South Jordan, Utah – about 20 minutes south of Salt Lake City. It’s hard to imagine a better place to grow up. We’d ride our bikes everywhere (usually farther than where our parents told us that we could) and play every form of basketball available, including 3-on-3, 5-on-5, and on trampolines. They never complained, but I’m sure that our neighbors didn’t like hearing basketballs bouncing well after everyone else had turned off their porch lights. After high school, I joined the US Navy to serve my country and earn money for school. After boot camp and additional training, I reported to the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center (TOPGUN). I was able to take some college courses on base, and after the Navy, I enrolled at Brigham Young University (BYU). BYU was great, and I loved it, although anyone who knows me knows I’m much more of a U of U fan…I love the Utes!

Did you have any key mentors or people who profoundly influenced who you are, what you believe in, and what you’re committed to in your work and life?

My first mentor is, without a doubt, my dad. He always treated everyone with respect and friendliness, would leave his job at the office, was always a husband and dad when he got home, and showed me what a meaningful work ethic looks like.

At TOPGUN, I worked for a naval aviator named Captain Brad Goetsch. As the only enlisted person in our department, part of my job was to go around each night and empty every garbage can in the offices and cubicles of the instructors (there were 25+ of them). Captain Goetsch, the highest-ranking person in our department, would empty his garbage can and walk out each night with a small trash bag in one hand and his flight bag in the other. That was just one of the ways that he showed me what it means to be a good leader.

Scott Beck and Mark White are mentors of mine from my time at Visit Salt Lake (Scott now leads Destination Toronto). They showed me what it means to work with a hospitality community and how to be a good partner, and they taught me a lot about how best to serve meeting planners and sporting event organizers. They both have great energy and made Visit Salt Lake a great workplace.

What projects are you working on now?

Project 1: Redesigning the Connect Sports attendee experience.

Project 2: BizBash Sports launch

Were there any key turning points in these projects?

Project 1: The most significant turning point of Connect Sports must be our industry’s evolution because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Like so many of our industry colleagues, we made difficult decisions regarding our staff and team, and we also quickly realized that we needed to realign our event experience to meet the most urgent needs of our attendees – which was and still is getting sports business done.

Project 2: Late last year, we were researching the BizBash audience and subscribership, and we noticed that the number of professional and collegiate sports event professionals consuming BizBash content was growing substantially without any specific sports programming.

We formed the BizBash Sports Executive Advisory Board earlier this year to explore potential opportunities. We unanimously decided to launch the BizBash Sports Summit this November in Washington, DC.

Were there any surprises?

Project 1: When we shifted our resources from traditional conference-style programming, like breakout sessions, to improving internal systems like our 1-on-1 appointment technology, I was surprised at how quickly the volume of business getting done increased. The number of leads distributed by sports planners and received by suppliers increased by almost 35% this year.

I knew that number would go up, but I didn’t expect it to jump that much that quickly. There is a lot of sports business this year!

Project 2: With BizBash Sports, I’ve been surprised at how much the is to learn. I grew up watching the NBA All-Star games, reading Barstool Sports and Bleacher Report features, and watching the World Series. Watching and learning from the men & women behind designing the experiences around those events has been fascinating. It made me realize that after 20+ years in this industry, there is still so much out there to learn.

What were the key relationships that mattered most? What were the key sources of support or resistance you encountered?

able to design site selection resources for sports planners during the day, coach youth sports at night, and travel with my wife to tournaments on weekends allowed me to have an instant perspective on what Connect Sports has to offer.

-What was most challenging? What did you do to deal with these challenges?

When I was in the Navy, once a year, the TOPGUN school would bring in pilots from the Air Force and Marine Corps. While there were some key differentiators between these types of fighter pilots, there are many similarities, and there was great value in bringing them together to share ideas, learn from one another, and build relationships. The Connect

It may sound cliché, but relationships are everything in our industry. I’ve been very fortunate to have leaned heavily on our executive advisory boards to hold us accountable, share their honest feedback, and provide support.

Outside of the workplace, the relationships that have mattered most to me are those with my family. Being

Marketplace is similar in that we bring together planners from different communities and allow them to learn from one another regarding site selection, negotiation, sponsorships, and contracting.

The challenge and opportunity for Connect Sports is ensuring that sports planners can access the other planners if they want it and creating a

sports-only environment for those who don’t.

Did the work fail in some ways? How? What might you have done to prevent those areas of partial failure?

We’ve had years where feedback told us we offered too much cross-over between the Connect Sports audience and the meetings & conventions audience, and we’ve had years where feedback said we needed to provide more. This year, we’re working hard to allow Connect Sports attendees to “choose their own adventure” on the trade show floor.

What was most rewarding?

Hearing stories of events that contracted because of interaction at Connect Sports is always rewarding. Knowing that we play a small role with athletes, family members, coaches, and friends who create memories through sports is beautiful.

Patrick, it has become apparent that you are on a mission to re-invent all things Connect Sports. What gets you out of bed every day to continue this drive? What motivates your work ethic?

There are a few things. Every year, 17% of attendees indicate that ours is the first sports tourism trade show they’ve attended. This 17%, along with the other 83% of our attendees, look to us as partners to help them get sports business done.

They trust us with their time away from the office, their time away from their friends & family, and their resources. We take that very seriously and want to meet that trust with a great experience that helps them professionally and personally.

I also genuinely love the people that I get to work with each day. We hang out after work, our families are friends, and we care about one another.

What would you say are your best skills? What do you bring to the table that helps you rise above the rest? Where and how did you learn those skills?

That’s a tricky question for me to answer, so I decided to ask those who know me the best – my family. My kids (Jackson – 17, Crew – 15, and Jane – 11) said that I’m organized, I’m good at talking to all different kinds of people, I’m good at finding ways to help people, I absorb information, and that my “dad joke game is fire.”

Of everything that they mentioned, I take great pride in being able to help people. With Connect Sports and BizBash Sports, I’m very fortunate to work with a team as passionate about finding ways to help our community as I am. I always try to ask questions, listen, and then process what’s been shared to identify new tools and resources for Connect Sports to continue leading in getting sports business done.

What’s next for you in your work? What are you looking forward to down the road in your career? Next up for me is our 2023 Connect Sports Marketplace next month in Minneapolis! I’m looking forward to seeing our community come together and experience some of the new things we’ve been creating. Beyond that, as many of you are aware, we were recently acquired by Informa. Informa is the world leader in events, digital products, and academy research, and their tagline is “championing the specialist”. Everyone that attends a Connect Sports event is, by definition, a specialist. Working with Informa will put Connect Sports on the fast track to event innovation, new experiences, and more. It’s been a fun, challenging, and rewarding first ten years for Connect Sports, and the next ten will be even bigger and better!

When It Comes To Competition, We’re Ahead Of The Game.

Central Florida’s Polk County is where you’ll discover a true paradise for athletes, organizers and attendees of sporting events large or small. At the award-winning Diamond Plex, five top-notch softball fields await, with all the accompanying facilities to match. Lake Myrtle Sports Park offers nine collegiate baseball fields and 11 multipurpose fields, while Northeast Regional Park houses four brand new collegiate baseball fields and six multipurpose fields. The RP Funding Center is home to the NBA G-League Lakeland Magic, and Florida High School basketball finals. AdventHealth Fieldhouse and Conference Center boasts 60,000 sq. ft. of multi-use gymnasium space ideal for wrestling, gymnastics, martial arts, cheer and dance competitions and basketball tournaments. Plus, Central Florida’s Polk County has been the Spring home for the Detroit Tigers for 86 years. Add it all up, and you’ll find Polk County to be the sweetest spot for sporting events in the Sunshine State.

For more information, visit CentralFloridaSports.com

mindfulness

40 Cheat Codes You Wish

You Knew Early On

When you think something nice about someone, let them know right then.

Never think twice about investments in yourself. They pay dividends for a long time.

Put your alarm clock in the bathroom. If you have to get up to turn it off, you won’t snooze.

If you want to get better at anything, do it for 30 minutes per day for 30 straight days.

Hire a writer to document your parents’ childhood stories. Print it with old photos.

Write down three things you’re grateful for before bed. Read them out loud when you wake up.

Go for a 15-minute walk every morning. It has a positive impact on your mood, sleep, metabolism, digestion, and more.

Tell your partner one thing you appreciate about them every single day.

Always pursue the path that has the larger luck surface area.

Do a few things that you will be excited to tell your kids about someday. Create stories worth telling.

Spend 15 minutes every evening preparing for your first focus tasks the next morning.

If someone tries to put down your accomplishments, cut them out of your life.

Take yourself out for a meal alone once each month. It’s insanely freeing - a meditative experience.

When you’re starting your career, swallow the frog for your boss to get ahead. Observe your boss, figure out what they hate doing, and take it off their plate. Easy win.

When someone is going through Hell, just say “I am with you.“ Advice is minimally impactful. The notion that someone is with you is 10 times more powerful.

If someone regularly brags about their wealth, income, or success, just assume the reality is about 50% of what they say.

Reread your favorite books annually. You may read thousands of books in your life, but there will only be a few that deeply change you. Reread them every single year.

Never delay difficult conversations. If you are nervous, do it on a walk, it makes it much easier.

Make decisions that your 80-year-old self and 10-year-old self would be proud of.

Do one hard thing every day when you could do it the easy way.

Spend more time doing things you never regret.

When trying to break a bad habit, wear a small rubber band on your wrist and snap it (lightly) on yourself each time you do the thing you’re trying to stop.

If you’re trying to make conversation with someone intimidating, ask what they’re currently working on that they are most excited about.

If you’re about to take an emotion induced action, wait 24 hours.

Be interested in everyone you encounter.

To start the day with energy, try my 5-5-5-30 morning routine: when you wake up, do five push-ups, five squats, five lunges, and a 30 second plank.

If you are about to say yes to something on the assumption that you’ll have more time for it in the future, say no instead.

Give people a second chance, but never a third.

If you want something – and have put in the work to deserve it – ask for it. Remember: Closed mouths don’t get fed.

Learn one dance move that you can reliably bust out when you inevitably get pushed into the center of a dance circle at a wedding or event.

Be bored for at least 15 minutes per day. Boredom unlocks creativity.

Invest in personalized stationery and use it regularly.

If you are struggling to fall asleep, try the 4-7-8 method: Breathe in through your nose for a four second count, hold your breath for a 7 second count, and exhale for an 8 second count.

To eat healthier, do your shopping on the outer perimeter of the grocery store.

Treat your credit card like a debit card.

Create an automated deposit for a small amount of money into an investment account every month.

Carry a notebook everywhere you go. Stop trying to remember things and just write everything down. Or use the Notes app on your cell phone.

Have one thing in your life that you are bad at (but love doing).

Do the “old-fashioned“ things well. Look people in the eye, have a firm handshake, and always stay true to your word

Never take advice from people on the sidelines.

Just because you might be able to play anywhere doesn't mean you should. Bring your next sporting event to Pensacola for the facilities and hospitality. Stay for the historic culture, unique adventures, and award-winning sugar-white beaches.

IT'S NOT IF YOU WIN OR LOSE, IT'S WHERE YOU PLAY THE GAME

PensacolaSports.org

money

Easy Technique to Manage Vacation Spending

Many Americans stress about vacation spending. A new attitude, not a new bank account will solve that.

Advertising today would have you believe that all vacations are a time of rest, relaxation, and pure joy. Though we all know the real world is much different. Vacation planning, travel, and experiences may seem blissful, but they can also become super stressful... and the financing to have the experience is usually to blame.

Many of us create and experience stress about paying for a family vacation beyond life’s normal financial responsibilities. Travel choices can really drain what may already be a tight monthly budget. Even worse, vacation stress can sometimes drive people to not take a much-needed vacation, leading to burnout and more. If you are not careful, it can become a vicious cycle.

So, what is the solution? Of course, many websites, books, and articles are out there with advice, but even more important is changing how you think.

A detailed budget will not stop vacation overspending

Suppose you have anxiety over controlling your vacation spending. In that case, you will find no shortage of expert tips: set a fixed budget for travel and meals, avoid shopping, get familiar with alternative, inexpensive methods of transportation, etc.

Most of these tips provide solid advice but focus on simply not overspending rather than addressing why we feel the need to go overboard in the first place. If you genuinely wish to dial down vacation spending, you must adjust your attitude, not just your budget.

While on vacation, instead of setting boundaries around your spending, work to get a better idea of what vacation elements you enjoy the most. How can this be done? Simple… Gratitude.

The solution to vacation overspending

If stressing about vacation spending can send some to shop and spend even more, would intentionally celebrating what we have help us curve our spending?

Try this… When feeling anxiety or stressful financial thoughts before or even during a vacation, train yourself to stop and take a few minutes to think about a moment in life that you were honestly grateful for. What parts of that moment made it so special? Often you will find the most enjoyable moment of past vacations did not revolve around big moments of spending. If you give this exercise a total effort, it will make you pause and think about what you want most out of your upcoming vacation. You will escape those stressful feelings and showcase financial patience. The more grateful you are, the more patience you will possess. These fond memories of gratitude can be your best defense again stress and overspending.

Absolutely take steps to create a thorough budget before each vacation, but before you whip out the debit or credit card, remember to take one more action and count your blessings.

We will all find that the most straightforward technique to hinder stress and vacation overspending is to be thankful for what you have. Solid advice at any time of the year, but particularly helpful during the summer when taking a vacation may be upon us.

INDUSTRY CONFIDENTIAL

Check in every issue for the unfiltered thoughts of our guest writers and contributors as they discuss the hottest topics in sports tourism.

In this issue, our guest writer discusses the subject of toxic work environments.

If you’ve been in the industry long enough, you’ve likely heard the saying, “Well, we don’t do it for the money.” Sports is a fun industry. Those of us who have spent time in this space have often had the opportunity to experience things that the average person doesn’t. Our industry is high energy, it’s sexy, we are the conversations people want to hear when new people ask “So what do you do?”

While our industry is considered more fun than most, that can not disguise that it can fall into the trap of a toxic workplace. We’ve all seen it, hell, many of us have been wrapped up in it. All the free tickets in the world won’t make up for being undervalued. Traveling to new places loses its magic when you don’t see an opportunity to grow. And no amount of swag can offset being surrounded by negative people. Whoa…. Way to be a downer right?

This actually isn’t that kind of note. This is instead an opportunity to take a brief minute and do a quick evaluation. What are we doing here?

As a leader, you must know what the hell is going on in your organization. Are people leaving? Why? Do people look happy? Have you designed a workplace where people can learn and be mentored? Does the environment feel like one team on a mission or many small silos just focused on their own success? At the end of the day, the goal of leadership is to craft strategy and equip the team with everything they need to deliver the company mission. If the workplace under your leadership is turning toxic, the first place you need to look is in the mirror.

As an employee, you have to know what you want out of your career and what role you want work to play in your life as a whole. Are you tired because you’re passionately chasing a goal, or are you just burnt out? Can you see a path of growth and a chance to challenge yourself, or are you just cranking out To Dos? Do the people that swing by to say hello bring ideas, or just office gossip?

Have you identified a few things that may be toxic? Great, now rather than wade in the waters of woe is me, what can we do about them? What conversations or actions need to be taken to back on track? An honest conversation with your boss about your goals, asking for support to get you out of the weeds, or finding a way to politely tell Karen you’ve got better things to do than talk about others, are simple actions that can have a major impact if approached with the proper attitude. While it’s on leadership to create a strong foundation, everyone in an organization must do their part to build and keep a positive and enjoyable workplace.

Hopefully, you have read the words above as an upbeat plan on how we can help detoxify our places of work. The sports industry is fun, hard, and gratifying work, we all just have to do our part to keep it there.