SportsEvents is edited for those who plan tournaments or other sports events.
Issue link: https://sportsevents.epubxp.com/i/76164
Advertise Directories Natural Venues Guide Convention Centers Guide In Their OWN WORDS what keeps themin the game Rob Martella We asked. They answered. Event planners representing a variety of sports dish on the most compelling aspects of their jobs and why they stay in the game. BY ALISON MITCHELL ZUNKLEI Larry Clark Promotions Consultant, Crappie USA Larry Clark sets up Cabela's Crappie and King Kat USA tournaments, secures sponsor- ships, and coordinates with convention and visitors bureaus and sports commissions. Organization: The purpose of Crappie USA is to establish and expand a family-oriented, cost-effective and competitive arena for amateur and semi- pro crappie anglers. Events: We plan 20 to 25 crappie tournaments and 15-25 King Kat tournaments per year that attract from 100 to 450 participants. What do you look for in a destination? Typically, we look for appropriate- sized lakes, facilities, ramps, parking and motels with outside doors. What is the best part about your job? Working with all of the people involved in setting up a fishing tournament, such as those at the weigh-in site, kids' rodeo event and seminar sites. ■ Michael Tyrell President, Archery Shooters Association, LLC In addition to his duties as president, Michael Tyrell is responsible for the selec- tion of all national tourna- ment venues. Events: We hold seven National Pro/Am 3-D Archery tournaments that draw an average of 1,300 participants. Director of Operations, US Youth Soccer Rob Martella oversees the organization's programs (National Championship Series, ODP, National League, National President's Cup, Soccer Across America, TOPSoccer, and ODP Championships) and the IT and building space. Organization: US Youth Soccer is a nationwide body of more than 600,000 volunteers and administrators and more than 300,000 coaches. US Youth Soccer registers more than 3 million youth players between the ages of 5 and 19. Events: We plan four events from the national office and assist with eight region- al events. The events are tournaments (Regional and National Championship Series, National President's Cup) league play (national league) and our annual workshop and coaches convention (administrators, coach- es and referees). Regional events have 3,500 to 5,000 par- ticipants, national events have 1,500, and workshops have 1,500 to 1,800. Where do you typically hold your events and what do you look for in a destination? We move our events around the country. We look for quality fields, hotels that meet our price point, meeting room space and the avail- ability of international airports, etc. ■ What do you look for in a destination? We need a combination of things for our events, including 200- plus acres of wooded area adjacent to a developed area for our sponsors with dedicated electrical/water, parking for 700-plus vehicles and access to a min- imum of 800 hotel rooms. What's the greatest challenge you've ever had to overcome in planning an event? More than a foot of rain falling on our event site in Myrtle Beach. ■ Archery Shooters Association Want to share your insight & best practices on planning sports events? E-mail info@sportseventsmagazine.com with your ideas. www.sportseventsmagazine.com July 2012 19 ▼ Crappie USA Crappie Kids Fishing Rodeos encourage youth to actively participate in the preservation of lakes, the sport of fishing and their own education. Participants are eligible for the six $2,000 college scholarships awarded annually. We conduct the largest national tour series of 3-D archery competitions in the United States using life-like animal tar- gets made of foam and set in a natural environment to simulate bow hunting. Competitions are open to 6-year-olds to 70-year-olds.