Frank Lett

DMO/SPORTS COMMISSION PROFILE

What is your title and how long have you held the position with Visit Kingsport?

Senior Associate Executive Director, employed at Visit Kingsport since 2005.

What is your current organization structure?

Private non-profit contracted with the City of Kingsport. The City’s Board of Directors is made up of local hoteliers and community stakeholders that meet once a month. I report to Jud Teague, the Executive Director and provide quarterly reports.

What is the % breakdown of your revenue?

We are 100% funded by the City lodging tax.

Is your organization focused on quality of life events, room night generation or both?

We are focused on room night generation.

What would you say are your “bread and butter” sports?

Baseball, Basketball, and Wrestling. We have great facilities for each of those sports. In addition, we have invested in owning our own portable basketball courts and wrestling mats that we can set in our convention center.

Our retention rate for sports events is over 90%, so we are continuing to work on enhancing them year over year, by making the visitor experience the best it can be in Kingsport. In addition we own and operate a BBQ and Music Festival, “Racks by the Tracks.” This annual event is continually progressing and growing. As a summary, in typical years we host and/ or operate close to 30 sports events, 2 Festivals (Racks by the Tracks – 13th year, and Fun Fest – 40th year), an 8 week downtown concert series, and manage Hunter Wright Stadium, home of the Kingsport Mets, New York’s Single A Rookie Affiliate.

Describe the seasonality of Visit Kingsport tourism and how you use it in your approach to recruit and create new events.

When I first arrived in Kingsport most of the sports events and special events were only held in the Spring and Summer. Over the past 14 years, we have made a very intentional effort to create and operate events more evenly throughout the year. We diversified the organizations we partnered with and successfully worked toward hosting events in shoulder times. Fast forward to 2020, we host events in nearly all 12 months of the year. We are always looking to add created events that we own and operate, that can moveus closer to 100% retention.

What are your goals in 2020 surrounding your work with the Tennessee state sports tourism effort and your Committee work?

Chairman of Play Tennessee for 2020 & 2021, Sports ETA Board term expiring in April (hopefully I get renewed) Cattails Golf Course at Meadowview Marriott Advisory Committee, K-Play Sports Council Director (local non-profit for the betterment of youth sports facilities).

For Play Tennessee, our goal is to continue to build our brand and make sure we are top of mind with event organizers and rights holders. We have great leadership and support from our State Department of Tourism and we plan to continue carrying the momentum we currently have in making Tennessee the top destination for amateur and professional sports.

Is there an issue you are pushing for facility upgrade, new facility, new market, etc.

Continued support and funding are two things that are always in the forefront! We couldn’t do what we do without both of those items working in tantum. We have had some really great elected city leaders and city staff in Kingsport who have always seen tourism and sports tourism as an economic growth engine. We are a revenue generator for the city and create a great return on investment from the lodging tax, nearly $30 to every $1 collected.

Our community supports us in all tourism efforts, our hotels, restaurants, local business and community members truly make it a great place to work, live and play! This continued support and the option to bringing new facilities and assets online when needed is the key to our success in Kingsport.

Golf has been a big part of your life outside of work and family responsibilities, how has the sport impacted your life and what positive attributes do you take from it?

Arnold Palmer said “ Golf is deceptively simple and endlessly complicated.” I believe this translates directly to life. The harder you work at it, the better you get. Also, the harder you work at it, more often than not, things tend to go your way…you get the breaks that you need.

Golf has provided me several opportunities during my career. It’s giving me the chance to see some of the most beautiful places in the country with friends, colleagues and clients. It creates great fellowship and competition. And in some instances, you get the chance to host great golf events in your destination like we have done with Golf Channel hosting Tennessee Big Shots benefitting Niswonger Children’s Hospital.

Besides your hobbies, what do you enjoy doing when you are not working?

Spending time with my family. Everyone in this industry spends a ton of time on the road and managing events. Getting that quality time with family is precious and very important to me. Additional fun fact, probably one of my favorite things to when not playing golf or spending time with my family is cooking. Grilling, smoking meat, and spending time in the kitchen are things I enjoy doing as often as possible.

What’s the most prized possession you have in your office?

Golf ball collection. I try to get a ball logoed ball from every significant golf course I play. I have to play it to display the ball, currently there about 60 on display.

What is your favorite sporting event annually?

The Masters! The history and beauty are amazing! Also, to me it means the beginning of Spring and beautiful weather.