Many sports commissions and CVBs have expanded into the special event business (such as music festivals and Harley-Davidson rallies).  After all, the skills it takes to put on a music fest are very similar to those that sporting events require.  Several event rights holders have expanded into new sports (such as Little League Baseball now running softball leagues).  Some sports have evolved from relative obscurity to national prosperity (think Quidditch, Ultimate, and Pickleball).

Over the years, it has been great to watch this evolution.  Especially in cases where communities or sports organizations have promoted their products in a new and profoundly awesome way.  Here are some of our favorite examples…..

  • Leaping the Competition – Anthony is a small town in southwest Texas.  Just north of El Paso, Anthony has proclaimed itself the “Leap Year Capital of the World.”  Every four years Anthony hosts people that were born on February 29th and throws them a massive birthday celebration that lasts four days.  Anthony created a new market where nobody else was competing (a “Blue Ocean”).  Awesome idea, and a differentiator for their community.
  • The Herd – Fort Worth, Texas is a cowboy town.  So the CVB naturally has a Herd of 18 longhorn steer.  The Herd participates in two cattle drives each day in the Stockyards, a historic gathering place in town.  Each longhorn in the Herd has its own story, and (you guessed it) its own trading card.  Check them out at this link –https://www.fortworth.com/the-herd/about-the-herd/meet-the-longhorns/.
  • To be or not to be? – Did you know Ashland, Oregon hosts one of the world’s largest Shakespeare festivals?  What started as a brief summer series of shows in the 1930s has evolved into an event calendar that spans from February to October.  Not bad for a town of 20,000 people.  You don’t have to be big to go big.
  • Ride On – Over 50,000 people each year attend the West Virginia Mountainfest, making it one of the world’s largest gathering of Harley-Davidson enthusiasts.  Going into its 12th year, the event is supported by the Morgantown CVB’s sports and events staff, and has grown to five full days of music and celebration.  Another example of how sports skills can cross over into different yet similar ventures.
  • Creative Fundraising – USA Luge conducted a unique fundraiser using lacrosse balls.  Very creative and quite successful.  Check it out at this web domain – content.adirondackdailyenterprise.com/?p=561150/USA-Luge-fundraiser-has-a-ball.html.

There are many additional examples of these prosperous promotions across our nation.  These are just a few to get your thought process flowing.  The big questions to ask are these…..

What can we do that is different with the skills and resources we already have?  What can we do that will garner attention?  What can we do that will WOW the industry?  What can we do that can drive value back to our stakeholders?

Talk to people outside of your organization.  Ask those that don’t know much about your company/event what they think would be cool to try.  Get as much external input as you do internal.  It’s a great exercise to go through.  You never know, you may be the next big thing – like the Herd.

About the Author: 

Jon Schmieder is the Founder of the Huddle Up Group LLC, a consortium of three sports related companies led by award winning executives.  Schmieder has over 20 years of experience in leading sports tourism and events organizations through strategic growth and increased community collaboration.  Huddle Up Group clients and partners include USA BMX, Detroit Sports Commission, Fort Worth Sports Marketing, Eugene Cascades & Coast Sports, Connect Sports, Veteran Tickets Foundation, Arizona Football Coaches Association, Evansville Sports Corp, Travel Medford, Des Moines CVB, Las Cruces CVB, Morgantown CVB, Monroe-West Monroe CVB, Visit Mississippi Gulf Coast, Visit Hershey Harrisburg, Hamilton County Sports Authority, Bryan College Station CVB, USA Volleyball, USA Badminton, the Association of Chief Executives of Sport (ACES), Visit Duluth, Delaware Sports Commission, Arlington CVB, and Visit Norman.  The Huddle Up Group can be reached at Jon@HuddleUpGroup.com or 602.369.6955.  To receive the weekly “Monday Huddle Up” sign up at https://tinyletter.com/JonSchmieder.