Best Practices is your go-to resource for expert strategies, actionable tips, and proven insights to elevate every aspect of your sports event planning. From choosing the right venues to optimizing team logistics, our articles are designed to help you create unforgettable experiences for athletes, fans, and communities alike.
There are many great ideas for new facilities. In most communities, the idea for a new sports complex begins during a visit to another city’s facility when a visionary leader or group asks themselves, “Why can’t we do this in our community?” Then, with research and...
As the sports tourism industry has grown, so has the size of the sports destination project. These massive developments, sometimes up to $100 million in development costs, require new levels of expert planning, strategic partnerships, political will and community...
Planning successful sports tourism facilities requires a good process. With intimate experience in dozens of sports and recreation projects, we have developed the Concept-to-Concrete model as a road map for the major elements required to turn ideas into action. In far...
In a few weeks, the Final Four will descend on our home town of Phoenix, Arizona. It will be the first time Arizona has hosted college basketball’s most important weekend. The event will also mark a long-awaited return of the Final Four to the West, the last time it...
This week we pose to you a question….. What is the best learning experience you have ever had? I bet the answer has little to do with classroom setting, and more to do with an experience you had watching or working with someone else. There is a good chance that this...
The selection of a competition venue is just as important as the event budget and event date.
The organization of an event is not a one-person task, but it does require a leader who takes the responsibility of making the important and/or final decisions.
Volunteers are the foundation of nearly every successful nonprofit organization and competition organizing committee.
Over the past few years several sports commissions and even some convention bureaus have entered into the event creation business. While some have struggled, others have had success in this space. By creating their own events destinations are developing assets that...
Let the Idea Run Typically beginning with community requests or the insight of a few key leaders, the early visioning phase for a new sport, special events, or recreation center is an exciting time. Once the idea progresses and community leaders begin to get behind...
The trend that began in 1997 with Disney’s Wide World of Sports now ESPN Wide World of Sports – has become a national movement.
Jason Clement, CEO and founding partner of SFM, is contributing a series of three articles discussing why they were built and what makes them work.
Explore our State-by-State Sports Planning Guides to discover top venues, local resources, and expert insights for hosting a successful tournament or competition. Whether you’re looking for world-class stadiums, multi-sport complexes, or hidden gems, our guides provide everything you need to plan with confidence. Select a state to get started!
