TEAMS ’24 Looks Ahead With Record Attendance

The TEAMS Conference & Expo, presented by SportsTravel and hosted by Visit Anaheim, will celebrate its biggest edition ever of the conference designed for business development, education and networking when the sports-event industry gathers for TEAMS ’24 at the Anaheim Convention Center.

The conference comes as the sports event industry prepares to welcome the largest events in the world over the next decade in the United States, and while women’s sports have reached their highest level of fandom and engagement, two themes that will be explored during education sessions.

TEAMS ’24 — to be held September 23–26 — will feature programming in partnership with the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, which will host its NGB Best Practices Seminar for the national governing bodies of Olympic and Paralympic sport, as well as SportsLink, an educational series designed to unite NGBs with the destinations and venues interested in hosting their events.

The conference will again see the National Congress of State Games co-locate its annual symposium with TEAMS and recognize its Athletes of the Year and lifetime achievement winners at the SportsTravel Awards luncheon on September 25. Compete Sports Diversity will again honor its Person of the Year in the sports industry who has dedicated themselves to issues of diversity. The Sports Events and Tourism Association will also offer education that will count as credit toward its Sports Tourism Strategist certification.

“We will have record attendance at the TEAMS Conference this year and that is a sign of the power of sports events to drive meaningful travel and foster significant economic development,” said Jason Gewirtz, vice president of Northstar Travel Group’s Sports Division and the executive editor and publisher of SportsTravel. “With some of the largest sports events in the world headed to the United States over the decade to come, the timing has never been better for the industry to gather at the largest event in the world for sports-event organizers.”

Impactful Speakers

The Opening Session for TEAMS ’24 and SportsLink will examine what USOPC leaders are calling “The Golden Decade.” Los Angeles is officially on the clock for the 2028 Summer Games, the first time a U.S. city has hosted the Summer Games in three decades. And now Salt Lake City is a decade from hosting its second Winter Games in this century when it hosts in 2034. As Los Angeles prepares for what’s next, TEAMS attendees will hear from those who experienced the historic 1984 Games including the legendary hurdler Edwin Moses and hear what’s to come in 2028 and 2034, including from Olympian Janet Evans, who is now the chief athlete officer for LA28, and Paralympic gold medalist and Southern California native Ezra Frech. Later in the week, TEAMS attendees will also hear from the instant Olympic legend Stephen Nedoroscik — also known as the “Pommel Horse Guy” — who helped Team USA secure the bronze medal in the men’s team competition with a memorable and clutch routine in his specialty.

While looking ahead at future Games, TEAMS ’24 will also spotlight the destinations and organizations that hosted Olympic Trials ahead of this past summer’s Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games in Paris. The Trials are not only important athletic events that give cities big and small the chance to capture the Olympic and Paralympic magic. As the next cycle turns to the United States, attendees will hear from NGBs, recent Trials host sites and NBC on what went well and how destinations can capitalize on opportunities leading to the Los Angeles Games.

One of the best examples of the opportunities presented to attendees through the TEAMS Conference & Expo’s partnership with the USOPC will be September 25 as leaders at a variety of NGBs will give updates about their upcoming plans. Updates will include important information about future events as well as specific NGB membership and strategic initiatives that will help position organizations with the latest information to partner with the Olympic and Paralympic Movement.

Other SportsLink sessions will examine the new sports that will be part of the 2028 Games program and how the USOPC is supporting visibility for women’s athletes, how NGBs and their athletes are capitalizing on the interest in women’s sports and how this moment is inspiring the next generation of Olympic and Paralympic supporters.

The State of Sports-Related Travel

Along with SportsLink panels, TEAMS educational sessions will include a deep dive on the state of sports-related travel with a series of big events, in addition to the two Olympic Games, on the horizon. The next decade will see the FIFA Men’s World Cup, World Rugby and other international events spreading brand recognition throughout the country, giving destinations the chance to build international marketing ties. How organizations can plan to capitalize on upcoming events and what it means from a travel perspective will be addressed by Geoff Freeman of the U.S. Travel Association and John David of Sports ETA.

TEAMS attendees will also hear from Stefanie Tomlin of the NWSL’s KC Current, who will detail how the team built CPKC Stadium — the first stadium in the world built for a women’s professional sports team.

Other programming will focus on major event funds available to states to attract events; the emerging NCAA championship landscape; and the versatility of venues throughout the country to host multiple times of sporting events, sometimes even on the same day.

Celebrating All of Sports

Attendees will also get an opportunity to experience one of the standout venues in Orange County. The TEAMS Invitational Golf Tournament will return on September 23 at Black Gold Golf Club for a unique and unforgettable experience. This par-72 layout, designed by Arthur Hills, spans 6,756 challenging yards and features scenic water elements, including a breathtaking waterfall near the 18th green, as well as gentle elevation changes, rolling hills, strategic bunkering, and stunning views of Orange and Los Angeles Counties.

In addition to education and off-site activities, TEAMS will include the annual SportsTravel Awards, which will be handed out during a special luncheon on September 25. The awards will honor the best events on the amateur, collegiate and professional level over the past 12 months, as well as the best new venue of the year and the best sports host city as voted on by SportsTravel readers. The National Congress of State Games as well as Compete Sports Diversity will also hand out their own awards during the luncheon.