Conference Preview US Sports Congress

from PUSH Magazine, Volume 1, Issue 6

DMO/Sports Commission Profile

“There is no time like the present.” It seems odd to hear this, especially in the times we currently live. But that is our mantra as we forge ahead with this year’s US Sports Congress.

“We’ve never set out to achieve attendance records,” explains Lou Mengsol, President of the US Sports Congress. “Our focus is being a resource for the industry, creating quality content, and providing an atmosphere where business gets done. This year is no exception. Our teams’ focus has centered around maintaining the integrity of the event while complying with Federal and State mandated health and safety regulations.”

The US Sports Congress has always been and continues to be a very intimate event with balanced ratios of Destinations to Rights Holders. That is just one of the ways more business gets done. But this year, the concept takes on new meaning. The M Resort, serving as this year’s host hotel, is a good distance off the strip. It really is a bit of an anomaly for Las Vegas. The property has just shy of 400 guest rooms and isn’t the typical 3,000 room casino property you will find on the strip.

Additionally, our event occupies 100% of the resort’s meeting space, meaning no other groups will be present. Having a mid-week meeting helps too. There will not be many leisure travelers to contend with creating the perfect “bubble” of safety for the Congress.

The Congress is taking extra efforts around event design. While it is easy to put up hand sanitizing dispensers, we must consider additional elements. Gone, for example, are buffets. We focused on a better, safer experience, so we’ll be individually plating meals during the Congress. The trade show will be different, with wider aisles, including one-way traffic and larger booths. The registration area will feature a different feel with packaged and contained registration kits crafted to minimize the contact with other staff or attendees. The app for the event has been upgraded and will allow attendees to exchange contact information by “shaking” their phones near each other – without touching – of course—our version of a virtual handshake.

While some aspects of the event design will change, the quality of sessions will not. Sessions are designed so that everyone is encouraged to attend and learn together. This stimulates interesting conversations and ideas that everyone can share. The 2020 speaker line-up is sure to accomplish this. The USSC will kick off with a keynote chat with Lawrence Epstein, COO of the UFC followed by sessions on Leadership with author D.J. Allen, Special Olympics with Terrance Thornton, and a robust group of round table sessions on making your organization thrive in a different environment. Two different sets of round tables will feature conversations with both Rights Holders and Destinations in mind. Russ Yurk will lead these discussions – 129 Sports, Patrick Higgins – Connect Meetings, and the group from The Collective BEST, a consultancy with over 130 years of com17

Education is programmed on each day with both general sessions and round tables. Tuesday’s schedule allows for attendees to experience the host destination. The best illustration of this is their networking outings. This year we are featuring golf, a desert jeep tour, a culinary tour, and a historical tour of the Mob Museum. Attendees are treated to their choice of outing, but the secret is that this provides a break in their program to refresh and reflect while providing another channel to spend time with their partners.

There are other ways to connect with industry peers and partners, receptions at the Congress’s opening and closing, and a new Meet & Greet hosted by Virginia Beach at the M Resort. While the activities planned at the US Sports Congress will keep attendees busy, the open night will allow participants to gather on their own, meet with clients, and get back to business.

With input from our local hosts, Advisory Board, and industry professionals, the US Sports Congress is ready. Most importantly, moving into our fourteenth year, we have not sacrificed quality content, great networking, or an environment that stimulates business. In what may prove to be the only sports conference that will meet live in 2020, we feel like we have our finger on the industry’s pulse. While concerned about safety, we have a solid plan and are following suggested protocols. It certainly appears like “There is no time like the present.”