Data: Events

Continuing with our series on data focused Monday Huddle Ups, this week we look at destinations that rank highly in the area of hosting events. What does the data say about the host destinations that are viewed as “best-in-class”? Here are the common characteristics of the top 10 event hosting organizations ranked by the Sports Tourism Index™.

• All but one (1) either has an advisory group or board of directors. Two (2) of the 10 organizations analyzed have both.

• All but two (2) have a dedicated sports development person.

• All but one (1) employ a dedicated sports services person.

• Interestingly, all cities have a bus network as part of their public transportation system.

• All host more than 10 locally owned events.

• All have at least three (3) legacy events that take place every year.

So what would your key takeaways be from this information? Here are ours…..

Several of these best practices are around investment in human capital (people). Dedicated staff to go after the business. Dedicated staff to then service the business. Community focused volunteers to help advise and govern. Each of these characteristics in high performing host destinations are centered around activating people to get the job done.

Created events that can become annual “pillars” on a community’s sports tourism calendar is a key strategy for top tier destinations. While it takes time to build up newly created events, once they are stabilized these events can provide tourism stability year over year.

Invest in your people. Create and build legacy events. Generate steady economic impact for your community each and every year.