Trends in Sports Venue Development

This webinar took place October 8, 2024, and is available on demand.

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The youth sports venue boom is continuing full-steam ahead with destinations around the country investing in new venues to meet the needs of a growing list of event organizations looking for homes for their events. But every venue is different as is every need in different communities. In this webinar, hear from leaders of one of the largest venue management companies in the country on the trends they are seeing in venue development as well as a case study on the Greater Ontario community as it develops a new venue of its own. What do event organizers need to know about the types of venues being built and how can their needs be addressed early in the process for the benefit of all involved?

Speakers

Panelist: Michael Krouse/GOCAL

Michael Krouse is president and CEO of GOCAL (Greater Ontario California), Ontario Convention Center, Toyota Arena, and the California Welcome Center at Ontario Mills where he directs business development, marketing and destination sales for conventions, meetings and events, national and international visitors plus the overall operations at the venues. GOCAL promotes the Greater Ontario region as a premier destination for meetings, conventions and tourism in Southern California, and to ensure the transparency, accountability and effectiveness of the Greater Ontario Tourism Marketing District, which was established under his leadership. GOCAL’s efforts produce more than $100 million in annual economic impact for the region. Toyota Arena hosts 2 million guests with 300 active days per year, and the Ontario Convention Center hosts 400 events per year and more than 1 million guests.

Panelist: Jim Arnold/Sports Facilities Companies

Jim Arnold is widely recognized as one of the leading designers and developers of youth sports complexes in the nation. In his role as the national director of business development for the Sports Facilities Companies, Arnold leads the expansion of the SF Network of sports and recreation destinations across the country. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, he has overseen the planning, design, development, and operations of many of the most innovative and successful sports facilities in the country.

Moderator: Jason Gewirtz/Northstar Meetings Group

Jason Gewirtz is the vice president of the Sports Division of Northstar Meetings Group and the executive editor and publisher of SportsTravel. Gewirtz joined SportsTravel in 2008 as managing editor and has served a variety of roles since, overseeing editorial coverage of the magazine and content at the Sports Division’s events, including the TEAMS Conference & Expo, TEAMS Europe and the EsportsTravel Summit. A veteran daily newspaper journalist and editor prior to joining SportsTravel, Gewirtz worked as a reporter and editor for the Press-Telegram in Long Beach, California, the Daily Camera in Boulder, Colorado, and at the Broomfield Enterprise in Broomfield, Colorado. He is a member of the board of directors for the Sports Events & Tourism Association.

This webinar is sponsored by: