Doing Your Homework: Evaluating Events Before the Bid Every destination recognizes sports as a major contributor to the overall tourism economy. Oftentimes, it’s necessary to evaluate an event to truly prove the value in terms of overall destination benefits in addition to economic impact including: likelihood of future business, sponsorship potential inside and outside the community, media coverage and exposure, destination brand exposure, quantity and quality of event facilities needed, room rates, conflicting local events, bid fees as well as other considerations. In this session, the panelists will discuss aspects of event evaluation to explore for your event and/or your destinations!

1. DOING YOUR HOMEWORK:
Evaluating Events Before the Bid
2012 NASC SPORTS EVENT
SYMPOSIUM
APRIL 17, 2012

2. Panelists
John Gibbons, CSEE , Executive Director
Rhode Island Sports Commission
Kindra Fry, CSEE, Director of Group Sales-Sports & Conventions
Bryan-College Station Convention and Visitors Bureau
Heath Aucoin, Event Manager-Sports Sales Manager
Jackson Convention Complex (Jackson, MS)
Gina Mintzer, CMP, MHA, Director of Sales
Albany County (NY) Convention & Visitors Bureau

3. Learn what you don’t know
How communities evaluate events
EVALUATE INFRASTRUCTURE
Local, Regional and State Community Venues
EVALUATE INVENTORY
Current Events, What do you have now, What do you want
(National Guard)
TYPES OF EVENTS
Small, medium, large – Logistics of Each
PARTNERS NEEDED FOR EVENT SUCCESS
Have meeting with Local Organizing Committee in advance of
bid

4. Learn what you don’t know
EVALUATE INFRASTRUCTURE
Local, Regional and State Community Venues
EVALUATE INVENTORY
Current Events, What do you have now, What do you
want

5. Learn what you don’t know
National Guard FLW College Fishing
Regional Championship
FLW Needs
• Needed space on Texas A&M Campus
• Needed to be held on Home Football Game
Weekend
• Must have a Lake
• Host a Site Visit

6. Learn what you don’t know
National Guard FLW College Fishing
Regional Championship
Planning Process
• Created a Written Agreement
• Secured Additional Funding Through State Funding
Program and CVB Rewards Incentive Program
• Worked with Hotels in Bryan-College Station for Staff
Only
• Contacted Nearby Partner in Brenham for Participant
Hotel Rooms
• Contacted Somerville Lake for Fishing Venue

7. Learn what you don’t know
National Guard FLW college Fishing
Regional Championship
Planning Process
• Worked with Texas A&M for Festival/Tailgate Space on
Campus
• Secured Volunteers from Texas A&M Sports
Management Students
• Marketing, Advertising and Public Relations
• Event Days
• Post Event Wrap Up

8. How communities evaluate events
TYPES OF EVENTS
Large, medium, small – Logistics of Each
Major Events for Discussion
NCAA Basketball Tournament
Arena, College Sponsors, Services Based (airport-hotel-
arena)
Amica Ironman 70.3 – July 2008-2010
State Tennis Tournament
Convention Center Sports – Variety

9. NCAA Men’s Basketball
March Madness
• Solicit RFP from the NCAA
• Solicit local University or Athletic Conference to
operate event
• Secure Venue Space
• Complete RFP and return to NCAA
• Lobby hard
• You have the event
• Finalize space at the venue
• Begin period meetings with your university or
conference partners

10. NCAA March Madness
• Prepare security plan for venue
and community
• 14 months prior NCAA Site Visit
• 12 months prior all hotel contracts should be signed
by university
• Begin planning monthly meetings to cover topics
such as security, hospitality, special events, signage,
volunteers, public relations
• Form subcommittees with strong chairpersons

11. NCAA March Madness
• Meet on a monthly basis to fine
tune your plan.
• As the event approaches make sure your volunteers
are secured, security plan fine tuned, venue staff in
place, hospitality plans complete and special event
planning finalized
• 2 weeks out volunteer training

12. NCAA March Madness
• 1 week out selection Sunday
assign team hotels,
coordinate transportation,
police escorts, practice
schedule, team ambassadors,
check all final arrangements and let the games begin.
• Oversee off day events and hospitality
• Post event meeting

13. Amica Ironman 70.3 Planning Process
• Review RFP
• Initial Discussion with
Ironman Representatives
• Site visit for proposed
venues to include swim, bike and run courses
• Tentative approval from Ironman
• State stakeholders meeting with all departments and
Ironman Representative

14. Ironman Planning
& Event Day
• Secure venue permits
• Hotel contracts
• Secure volunteers incl. medical
• Marketing & Public Relations
• Street Signage
• Notify local residents and churches for traffic
changes
• Event Day
• Post event wrap up meeting. How can we
improve for next year.

15. Convention Center Complex Events
• Logistically – What to look for within the CC
– Columns/Bleachers - Electricity
– Registration Space - Concessions Area
• Types of Events
– Mixed Martial Arts - Archery
– Roller Derby - Table Tennis
– Volleyball - Wrestling
– 3 on 3 Basketball - Horseshoes
– Cheer - Fishing Weigh In
– Tai Kwon Do - Handball
– Gymnastics - Fencing

16. If Rights Holder/Planner is
interested….
Produce bid proposal that makes sense, then
invite planner to meet the community
stakeholders and evaluate the destination,
then move from there…

17. Local Organizing Committee
• Sports Commission/CVB
• Venue staff **Not every event
• Parks Department will need every
community
• State Police/Local Police
partner involved.
• Department of Transportation
• Traffic Engineering
• Mayor/City Manager Aide
• Airport
• Public Transportation
• Fire/Rescue

18. Q&A
John Gibbons, CSEE , Executive Director
Rhode Island Sports Commission, (401) 456-0240
jgibbons@pwcvb.com
Kindra Fry, CSEE, Director of Group Sales-Sports & Conventions Bryan-
College Station Convention and Visitors Bureau, 979-595-2686
kindra@bcscvb.org,
Heath Aucoin, Event Manager-Sports Sales Manager
Jackson Convention Complex (Jackson, MS), 601-960-2321
haucoin@jacksonconventioncomplex.com,
Gina Mintzer, CMP, MHA, Director of Sales
Albany County (NY) Convention & Visitors Bureau, 518-434-1217
gmintzer@albany.org