CONFERENCE REVIEW SPORTS EXPRESS

Staff Writer: Matt Dunn, Raconteurs & Salty Sports Society

After having co-created a new events company in the Fall of 2019, I was looking for opportunities to showcase our new brand and highlight our collective experience within our segment of aquatic sports. In October, I spoke with Roy Edmonson about the possibility of attending Sports Express. His enthusiasm for what he and his team set for the conference, combined with a short drive, it seemed like a no brainer. I also needed to be down in the Ft. Myers Beach area for a site visit in the same month. Something about two birds and a stone?

However, several questions came to mind. First, who’s attending? Will I be able to connect with destinations that have a safe body of water we can use? Second, with the holidays having just ended and the start to a new year, will it be well attended? And third, are we a good fit for the conference. If they’re going to kindly host us, can we do them justice and show a benefit to the conference organizers? Then I reminded myself of several things: At our organization, we keep preaching the value of communication, and maybe I should put up or shut up. It would be an opportunity to meet new folks in the industry and continue cultivating current relationships. As we’re preparing to make several significant announcements on the growth of our efforts, maybe the timing would be an ideal opportunity to spread the word to respected and serious industry professionals, all in a beautiful setting.

I’m happy to say my second thoughts were right on all counts. Just when I thought I’d encountered every concept and conference planning technique under the sun, the team at Sports Express succeeded in creating a schedule and participation concept that was surprisingly versatile and efficient.

Quickly for me, this conference became all about what sets it apart. My first pleasant encounter was the remote resort selected for the show. If you truly want to unplug and get off the grid, then the South Seas Island Resort should go to the top of

I must confess, I didn’t quite understand the meal credit plan going into the conference but quickly learned. Each attendee received a credit for $80 to be used in any way at the resort’s Captiva Provision Company, a small but impressive grocery store on the resort grounds, Starbucks or any of the restaurants or shops. Additionally, everyone received a gift card for $60 for two lunches at one of the resort’s restaurants, Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grill, named after the main character in most of Randy Wayne White’s novels.

The entire conference took a trip to the Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge for a morning of discovery, learning, teamwork and community service in the form of a beach clean-up. This off-site experience provided the perfect setting to break the ice with fellow attendees and give back a little It was flawlessly planned, not to short, not too long.

At about the halfway point of the conference, one thing that stood out was the realization that I never felt rushed. The schedule offered flexibility of options and time that allowed for conference calls, networking and even meetings with other attendees. There was a relaxed atmosphere among everyone, that opened doors for an enjoyable time, whether it be at the 80s dress up night, karaoke, listening to island steel drums or temperatures in the high 70s in January!

One highlight was the overwhelming hospitality of the Lee County Sports Development team and the Florida Sports Foundation. Both hosted an excursion to the Pine Island Sound and the Cabbage Key Inn and Restaurant. Only accessible by boat, it’s rumored that Jimmy Buffett wrote “Cheeseburger in Paradise” there after having enjoyed one of the most popular entrees on the menu. The boat ride to and from, complete with dolphin riding our wake, family style lunch and an island trail walk provided another ideal setting for talking with colleagues and clients about all that’s to come in 2020.

How often can you say you spent time exploring an island and having extended, and in depth conversation with people in the industry you’ve never met. For me, it had been a long time. But there I was, talking shop, working hands-on with paper and pencil, brainstorming new ideas from conversations had, and experimenting with new event concepts I hadn’t before seriously considered. If you have a chance to attend this show, do it! If nothing else, it’ll help you remember why you wanted to work in sports tourism in the first place.