12 Ways to Hit It Out of the Park with Housing Companies

The youth sports industry was estimated at $37.5 billion worldwide in 2022 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 9.2% until 2030. The number of youth sports-related events is increasing yearly and attendance is soaring. Event organizers are managing more fields and courts to accommodate thousands of young athletes and their families arriving in destinations every weekend.

As sports tourism grows, so do group housing needs. Many organizers are turning to third-party housing companies to ease the load. Housing companies help event organizers find and manage hotel needs for their events. Once contracted, they work with teams to manage hotel blocks, oversee compliance with stay-to-play policies and handle all customer service from parents and coaches.

If you’re thinking of working with a housing company, consider these best practices below to build a successful partnership that boosts profits and enhances the experience for players and their families.

Maximize revenue and savings: Effective housing companies have a background in hospitality and understand hotel contracts. They’re well-equipped to negotiate favorable room rates, concessions, and numerous other extras. Many event organizers miss opportunities to increase revenue and cut costs because they lack the time or bargaining power to secure better deals. Let your housing partner handle the details of hotel negotiations. Better rates and concessions drive bigger crowds to your events.

Push for proximity. Experienced housing companies have vast databases with family-friendly hotels near sports venues. Proximity means a smoother, more enjoyable experience for your players and fans.

Improve outcomes. Ask your housing company to track performance throughout the event lifecycle. Are families booking within the team block? Is housing on pace to achieve your goals? Do you need to add rooms to accommodate more teams? Let real-time data reveal potential issues and adjust on the fly to enhance event outcomes.

Prove economic impact. Your housing partner will provide a room pick-up report after each event. Use it to show economic impact and gain destination support for future events.

Ditch the back-and-forth. Managing team blocks and locking in room rates require  phone calls, emails and texts with hotels. Skip the back-and-forth and let your housing company handle the logistics.

Manage compliance. Do you have traveling team policy? Your housing company is equipped to manage compliance requirements. A great partner puts tremendous effort into matching room blocks with team lists and tracking reservations. The result? You save time and grow reservation capture.

Reduce risk. Anything can happen in sports, from injuries to bad weather. Housing companies know what to negotiate to mitigate or avoid stiff attrition and cancellation fees.

Maintain rate integrity. Housing companies work to guarantee the lowest available rate in hotel contracts. If a family finds a better offer, let your housing partner know. Good travel planners go back to the hotel to secure the best possible deal.

Present options. Some families prefer premium accommodations, while others insist on budgetfriendly rates. Ask your housing company to provide options. You’ll increase participation and customer satisfaction.

Make it easy. Empower parents to book faster with an intuitive booking platform they can use anytime, anywhere.

Streamline operations. With sports travel booming, the volume of housing requires professional organizations that have robust technology. You want a partner with tools to manage group blocks and provide hotels with real-time reservation data. Keep attendees and hotel partners happy with seamless check-ins.

Win with service. Families today are dealing with a lot, causing some to change plans and shorten or cancel their stays. As a result, teams must add or remove players from rosters, sometimes at the last minute. Attendees need customer service to answer their questions and ensure everything runs smoothly.

Other families extend their stays and turn sports events into fun getaways. They expect the same level of service during the event that they receive on vacation. Event organizers know it’s the experience that brings families back year after year. That commitment to service defines and grows their tournament business. Housing companies are in the business of customer service. Clearly define your vision so they check all the boxes on exceptional customer care.

Open communications, ease, and service are essential for successful partnerships. As sports tourism grows, so do group housing needs. If you outsource event housing management, consider these best practices. They’ll help you move faster and generate more revenue. Plus, you’ll deliver incredible experiences that make teams and families thrilled to come back.

As president of EventPipe, Mike Mason works with many third-party housing companies. EventPipe is a provider of event housing management software. The platform simplifies group housing throughout the event lifecycle, from room block management and RFP tools to fan housing, analytics, and reporting.