West Michigan makes great impression at Sports Event Symposium

The National Association of Sports Commissions (NASC), hosted its annual Sports Event Symposium in Grand Rapids on  April 3 through April 7.  It was the first time this conference, in its 24-year history, was held in the state. 

The symposium brought almost 950 sports industry professionals to DeVos Hall, many of whom  are rights holders: individuals directly responsible for a sports association and making decisions as to where they will be booking their events.

West Michigan Sports Commission President Mike Guswiler says this event is a key part of the process of making Grand Rapids a destination for sporting events from around the country.
 
“In this industry, this event is key,” Guswiler says of the symposium for the NASC, the country’s only member-based, nonprofit trade association for the $8.96 billion youth and amateur sports event industry.
 
Guswiler says that during the conference he was able to set up several meetings with representatives from multiple sports organizations and has begun the process to secure events in Grand Rapids for 2018-2022.

Besides acting as a West Michigan showcase and a deal-making platform, the symposium also served as a fundraiser for a local charity.  The conference concluded with a luncheon and awarded Mary Free Bed Wheelchair & Adaptive Sports and its wheelchair tennis program a check for $27,000, the largest amount ever raised at NASC.

Another beneficiary of Grand Rapids hosting the NASC Symposium was Riverside Park in the Creston neighborhood. Symposium attendees joined the Sports Legacy Committee in a morning community service to prepare the park for spring use.

Big events heading to West Michigan in the next 18 months include the U.S.A. Masters Track & Field Championships and the 2017 State Games of America.

The West Michigan Sports Commission, a nonprofit, works to identify, secure and host a diverse level of youth and amateur sporting events to positively impact the economy and quality of life in the region. Since its inception in 2007, the WMSC has booked 489 sporting events and tournaments that attracted 650,000 athletes and visitors, generating $190 million in direct visitor spending. For more information, visit westmisports.com.

Writer: John Rumery, Innovation and Jobs News Editor