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 Marcia Greenslate, director of the Lincoln Park District, set the
tone for the morning. She told the gathering that the latest census
report showed a decline in smaller communities. She said it is
important that we not just try to survive, but that we try to
prosper and thrive through creative partnerships.
Tourism director Geoff Ladd facilitated the morning conference
and introduced guest speaker Pete Garlock.
Garlock is chairman of Sports Illinois, a niche tourism group
under the umbrella of the Illinois Council of Convention and Visitor
Bureau. He is also director of sales for the Elgin Area Convention
and Visitors Bureau and seven years ago helped create a sports
commission in Elgin.
Throughout his PowerPoint presentation, Garlock discussed the
best practices for putting together a sports commission and
explained the advantages that such an organization has in attracting
tournament and sporting events.
Some beneficial numbers to consider
Garlock confirmed Greenslate's comments, saying there is a great
opportunity for Logan County to infuse a lot of money into our
community through the hosting of sporting events.
To bring home the point, Garlock had these numbers: One bus of 55
people equates to 25 hotel rooms per night with an approximate
economic impact to the community of $9,150.
A sports tournament of 40 teams that fields 15 players each would
mean 600 hotel rooms per night, yielding an economic impact of
$135,000.
He added that day visitors, people who don't stay overnight,
still spend on average $75 each.
Garlock explained that the numbers come from the total impact
visitors can bring to a community. Not only are hotel and motel
rooms booked, but also retailers, restaurants, and gas stations all
garner added revenues from visitors.
He also explained that once visitors come to a community, if they
are well-received and enjoy their stay, they will come back, plus
tell friends and family about their experience.
"They become salesmen for you," he said.
Plenty of sports to host
Garlock offered a list of 100 possible sports that a new
commission could look into trying to host. Besides the obvious,
there were such sports on the list as badminton, horseshoes, croquet
and tumbling, just to name a few.
He advised how to find events to go after once a sports
commission is created. Included were rights holders to tournaments,
as well as national governing bodies that might be looking for
additional sites to hold events. These people can be found by
attending sports trade shows, subscribing to industry periodicals
and by purchasing a market directory with listings and contact
information on sports groups everywhere.
What does it cost?
According to Garlock, many big events require a bid fee just to
solicit them. He suggested ways to pay such costs: sponsors, hotel
rebates, community funding and grants.
He added that public relations announcements, press conferences,
poster and flier distributions, local demonstrations, and use of the
media are all important in hosting any event.
Volunteers are also essential for a successful event, and that
list includes service groups, youth groups, college students and
senior groups as potential pools of volunteer help.
You must be ready to exchange information with event prospects
Already known logistics about the community are important,
according to Garlock. For example: How many venues do we have to
host events?
When talking to prospects, it is important to learn what their
needs would be: How many park districts, schools and universities,
private facilities, and city areas are needed to support the event?
How many parking spots, concessions, locker rooms, meeting rooms, PA
systems and scoreboards would be needed?
[to top of second column]
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 Sports tourism is already here and growing
When Garlock was finished, Lincoln Junior High School Principal
Kent Froebe spoke about the weekend tournament that the school is
putting on for the 14th year. Froebe said the event has grown from
16 teams five years ago to almost 100 this year.
Froebe surmised the increase is because families are cutting back
on their lengthy vacation expenses but will continue to invest in
their children's activities.
Froebe said that this year seven gyms will be used to host the
games and that they have received the generous assistance of 50
sponsors to help with the costs involved in such a large tournament.
Why embrace sports
Katherine Hepler also spoke to the group. Hepler has
verbally committed to play golf for the University of Illinois
starting in 2012. She has successfully played in competitions at the
local, state and national levels Hepler has become the youngest
girls' state champion and nearly won the Illinois Women's Open (a
professional event), finishing third behind two LPGA veterans.
Hepler also set a course-record 10-under-par at Pasfield Park Golf
Course en route to her ninth straight Drysdale title.
She said that golf helps teach discipline, organizational skills
and time management, which are skills that can be used in all facets
of a person's life.
Accompanying Hepler was her golf coach, Rick Slone, and U of I
Hall of Fame golf coach Renee Heiken Slone, who also pointed out how
sports such as golf can develop traits that can serve a person long
after their sports days are over.
Local medical professionals would enhance events
Another interested party at the meeting was a group from Memorial
Health Systems SportsCare. They said their group of sports medicine
professionals would be available for certain types of events where a
trained professional would be welcome relief to concerned parents.
Often their attendance is pro bono.
Garlock interjected that telling event holders that professionals
in the sports care field will be in attendance is a positive when
trying to land new events.
Sporting events a stable element in tourism
In a prepared statement, tourism director Geoff Ladd said: "We
have always had a great sports tourism component in the county
(sporting events that bring in overnight stays to the local
hotels/motels). This new organization (sports commission) will bring
all interested parties together to plan and coordinate existing
events, recruit and develop new events, and ramp up our promotion
efforts."
The tourism bureau is taking on the role of developing the sports
commission, but Ladd said that the group's goals should be to
organize as an independent nonprofit.
"These events put people in our community for a number of days,
spending money and enjoying what we have to offer. This form of
tourism also tends to be recession-proof," he said. "Economic times
may force people to cancel their vacations, but they won't cancel
their sports tournament trip for their child."
[Text from files received; LDN]
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