#5 Get Involved – The US Sports Congress is not a spectator sport. We invite top-notch professionals and industry leaders to the Congress. We know they understand their product and needs. You’ve got to get in the game and attend sessions, set up meetings to engage your clients or use the time presented to network. You won’t find a more target rich environment than at the USSC.
#4 We Don’t Set Appointments – That’s right, those 10 minute appointments are pretty much useless – so we don’t set them. That’s not to say people don’t have appointments at the Congress, they do. They’re just a whole lot longer and more in-depth. We balanced the ratio of Right Holders to CVB’s/Sport Commissions for a reason – to the create an atmosphere ensuring you have the opportunity to conduct real business. Reach out early, tell someone you have an idea you’d like to discuss with them or just take the time to get to know someone.
#3 Develop A Mentoring Mindset – There’s no greater joy than contributing to the development of colleagues in our industry. Whether you have your own staff or engage someone just entering the industry, everyone needs a sounding board. I’ve been in the industry over 25 years and several my mentors come to the Congress. They keep me on the right path, prevent me from making mistakes and contribute to our success. Take some time and develop a relationship where you can assist someone or some can assist you. You never know what you might learn.
#2 Year-Round Resource – The US Sports Congress comes around once a year. But we operate, like most businesses, 365 days a year. You’ve seen us attending the NASC Symposium, doing site visits, representing other clients, we’re all over the place. Call us, we’d love to hear from you! By that extension so would our industry supplier representatives and they’re a good resource too. From Randy Sparks at Team IP, Carlo Tato and the group at Traveling Teams and Kirsten Jenkins at Motel 6 and our other industry suppliers are all a great source of information.
#1 USSC Family – Like most families we continue to grow. We’re proud of our family. We were once told that coming to the Congress is like going to a family reunion. It’s comments like that which we take great pride in. We see our Congress family together at other industry events. We know you call each other for advice but what may be the best testament to the Congress is you keep coming back! We hope you feel like this is home. We built the Congress because we felt we had something unique to offer and after 10 years, thanks in large part to the USSC Family, we’re well on our way.
