SportsEvents is edited for those who plan tournaments or other sports events.
Issue link: https://sportsevents.epubxp.com/i/572890
www.sportseventsmagazine.com September 2015 43 t SPORT Report so they could be a little beat up. So we do like to use artifcial surfaces where available. That way, we don't have to worry about weather issues, and we don't necessarily have to wait for felds to dry out in the event of extreme weather. Ideally, we want a feld that's in quality condition and can hold up to a long event." Another concern, Porreca said, is fnding a quality volunteer base. "It's important to us that a CVB be well connected within the community and have the ability to reach out and get people there to help. Every event needs volunteer help. People who have expe- rience recruiting and that have a proven history of getting quality volunteers are helpful to us." Porecca said that for new venues or locales just emerging as lacrosse markets, initial talks with potential host sites typically address the availability of certifed offcials and coaches. "Our frst conversation with new bidders is about certifying offcials and having US Lacrosse-certifed coach- es, as well as ensuring that they have league play that supports both those aspects so that we could host an event there successfully." US Lacrosse trains and certifes coaches and offcials. Potential Payof US Lacrosse statistics show there were about 1,250 participants from several dozen states at the last U15 national championships, which meant approximately 7,000 people in total, counting spectators. They also show that, on average, US Lacrosse's major events draw two spectators for every one participating athlete. "We average between $3 million and $6 million in economic impact depending upon the size of the event and the location," Porreca said. "Our convention is even higher, in the $7 to $9 million range because of the number of participants, which includes many vendors." n Scott McCall/US Lacrosse