SportsEvents is edited for those who plan tournaments or other sports events.
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www.sportseventsmagazine.com August 2014 15 ▼ GAME Plan baseball tournament events while attending the College World Series games at night, it's a win-win for everyone," Hardy said. Even two sports that appear not to have anything in common can be successful when held together. Because both events need water—the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series Aug. 1- 3, 2013, run by Chris Bowes and Michael Mulone, and the Iron Girl Syracuse Women's Triathlon, held Aug. 4 and organized by Ken Hammond—they were an ideal fit, according to Jeff Mickle, sports develop- ment director for New York's Syracuse Convention and Visitors Bureau, who said both events took place at Oneida Shores County Park. Mickle touts flexibility as a crucial com- ponent when holding these events together. "I think they were as successful as they were mainly due to good communication and organization and flexibility by both organizers and by Gary Lopez and his staff at County Parks," Mickle said. Piggybacking, Festival Style Festivals add a quality, of, well, festivity, to events. When considering holding events together, a festival that is in a differ- ent arena than athletics can bring added promotion and attendance among other benefits to a sporting event. You might not think about a festival focusing on art as the most obvious place for an athletic event, but that is exactly what happens during the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts held with The Sue Crowe Memorial Arts Festival Races, now in its 39 th year with the festi- val. Andy Rupert, director of marketing for the Central Pennsylvania CVB explained that piggybacking the events draws a large crowd. "We have around 100,000 people that come into town for the combination of the two events. The events feed off one another and allow people to have a great weekend when they come in for a visit." Holding the race as part of the festival boosts attendance as one great benefit. "It has been a tradition to add a race to most large downtown or campus events. The streets are closed, thus adding to the events and helping increase attendance to the fes- tivals and to the races," said Shirley Smith, director of sales for the Central Pennsylvania CVB. The Hangout Music Festival in Gulf Shores, Ala., draws a huge crowd, making it an ideal event to piggyback with the AVCA Collegiate Sand Volleyball National Championships. This year, the tournament was held May 2-4, two weeks before the festival, with both sponsored by Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Tourism Office and other sponsors, according to Kathleen DeBoer, executive director of the Lexington, Ky.-based American Volleyball Coaches Association. "The music festival is an internationally known event that draws tens of thousands of people. The setup requires staging, bleachers, tents, TV towers, VIP areas ➤