Great Communities Don't Wait for Success. They Create It.
By Mark Calitri, President & CEO, Visit Owensboro
One of the questions I get asked is, "How does a community become a sports tourism destination?"
The answer is simple.
You don't wait for someone else to create the opportunity. You build it yourself.
That's the thinking behind the Bluegrass Clash Sports Summit, taking place July 10–12 and July 17–19 in Owensboro, Kentucky.
This wasn't about creating one new tournament. It was about bringing together successful events that were already happening in our community and telling one larger story. Visit Owensboro partnered with the City of Owensboro Parks & Recreation Department, local event directors, facility managers, and community partners to package these events into one destination experience.
Over two weekends, Owensboro will host USSSA Baseball and Softball at Fisher Park, the ACO Cornhole World Championships at the Owensboro Convention Center, the Summer Classic Tennis Tournament at Moreland Park Tennis Center, the Rudy Rumble Trail Run and Bluegrass Mountain Cup Mountain Bike Race at Rudy Mines Trail Course, the Bluegrass Clash Open Disc Golf Tournament at Yellow Creek Park, the Battle of the Bluegrass Taekwondo competition, the Dust Bowl Basketball Tournament, Bourbon & Bowling, and the Forge Challenge Run & Strength Race.
Every one of those events stands on its own. Together, they become something much bigger.
That's what destination leadership looks like.
When athletes, coaches, officials, and families travel to Owensboro, they don't just attend a tournament. They stay in our hotels. They eat in our restaurants. They shop in our stores. They visit our attractions. They enjoy Friday After 5, Live on the Banks, and our downtown riverfront.
That's how sports tourism creates economic impact.
What excites me most is that this is only the beginning.
Our original vision included programming at the new Bluegrass Fieldhouse, but construction timing didn't allow that to happen this year. Looking ahead, the Fieldhouse and the new pickleball complex will create even more opportunities to grow the Bluegrass Clash Sports Summit into one of the premier multi-sport events in Kentucky.
Leadership isn't always about building something new.
Sometimes it's about connecting great people, supporting local event organizers, helping existing events grow, and creating something that's bigger than any one organization could accomplish alone.
That's the role of a destination marketing organization. We don't just market what exists. We help create the future.
As I often say, communities don't accidentally become tourism destinations. It takes vision, partnerships, and a willingness to think bigger than the next event.
That's exactly what we're doing in Owensboro.
About Mark Calitri
Mark Calitri is President & CEO of Visit Owensboro, the official destination marketing organization for Owensboro-Daviess County, Kentucky. He has more than 30 years of experience in tourism, destination marketing, and economic development. Mark serves on national and state tourism leadership committees and is a frequent speaker on tourism strategy, sports tourism, destination leadership, and community marketing. Learn more at VisitOwensboro.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment