Visit Anaheim, the Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) for Anaheim and Garden Grove, today announced the formation of Sports Anaheim. The group’s mission is to strengthen and promote the destination’s sports culture by attracting diverse sporting events to Anaheim and Orange County.
Sports Anaheim will seek to bring in local, national and international sporting events into the destination, and will also serve as a resource for local organizations needing support in their bid to attract sports business. Spearheading Sports Anaheim under the Visit Anaheim umbrella is Roy Edmondson, vice president of sports development for Visit Anaheim. Recently promoted, Edmondson joined Visit Anaheim in 2015 and has already brought in 50 groups to the area, equaling 146,000 room nights.
“Anaheim is a sports town and it became obvious to us that inviting and hosting even more sporting events in the destination was another way to positively impact the local economy,” said Jay Burress, president & CEO, Visit Anaheim. “On average, the U.S. sports industry generates nearly $9 billion a year in revenue (nationally). Dedicating a team and Visit Anaheim’s resources is a strategic step to continue following our mission – to develop, market and sell Anaheim. With the addition of Sports Anaheim, we can offer the community our expertise in developing and producing world-class sporting events.”
Sports Anaheim will form an advisory council, managed by the Visit Anaheim team, comprised of local business representatives and key regional sports leaders to help attract and host sporting events. Anthony Brenneman has also joined Visit Anaheim’s Sports Anaheim division as sports events manager, to engage with local vendors and sporting groups, while building the division’s prominence in the destination. Previous to Visit Anaheim, Brenneman served as sports sales manager for Snohomish County Sports Commission, where he worked to market the area as a premier sports destination and attract diverse sporting events.
Ideally located in the epicenter of Southern California, Anaheim is already home to world-class, professional sporting teams, the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Sports Anaheim will continue adding to the region’s rich sports heritage, while positively impacting the overall economic vitality of the community. To date, Sports Anaheim has already brought in United States Futsal Federation, North American Chinese Invitation Volleyball Tournament, Varsity Spirit Corporation sporting events (among others), while courting additional high-profile national events.
Past Sporting Events in Anaheim:
- NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament First and Second Round (2008)
- NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Western Regionals (1998, 2001, 2003, 2011, 2014)
- 1999 NCAA Frozen Four
- UFC 63, UFC 59, UFC 76, UFC 121, UFC 157, UFC on FOX 1”
- 2006 World Gymnastics Championships
- 2004 U.S. Team Trials – Gymnastics
- 2005 World Badminton Championships
For more information on Sports Anaheim please visit: www.SportsAnaheim.org
