SportsEvents Magazine

JUL 2012

SportsEvents is edited for those who plan tournaments or other sports events.

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Home SPECIAL FEA TURE Sports Vacation Planning Tips ■Contact the area CVB or sports commission as far ahead of the event as pos- sible to learn about area attractions, group discounts and special events your team might enjoy. ■Discuss on-site amenities with hotels in the destination city to see which offer vaca- tion-type activities. ■Check with area parks and other recreation facilities to learn about camping or other lodging available before or after the event. ■Find out if there are special banquet or picnic facilities near the tournament head- quarters hotel. ■If there are professional ath- letes or other celebrities at your destination, find out if photo or autograph ses- sions are possible. ■Provide athletes and fami- lies with information as far in advance as possible so they can get time off before or after the tournament. ■Poll athletes and family members to learn about their favorite pre- and post- event activities and encour- age them to sign up early so reservations can be made efficiently. ■ Subscribe Contact S.P.O.R.T.S. 2012 Making sure activities appeal to competitors' families is key to successful FLW fishing tournaments. Autograph sessions are always popular basketball tournament, for example, they usually aren't planning just to play ball and then head back to the hotel," he said. "It's helpful to the athletes and their fami- lies if they can combine sports competi- tions with at least a day or two of vacation experiences." He pointed out that most parents have limited time off from their jobs, so they prefer destinations where they can add a vacation before or after the sports event. AAU tournament organizers often work with hotels to get special team rates extended before and after the days of the event for this purpose, he said. Parker said that sports groups often find smaller cities, such as Kingsport, Tenn., to be great places to stay and play. "From banners placed across Main Street to front-page coverage in the local newspaper, the team is the story of the day. Additionally, these destinations often have some very family-oriented attractions that are easy to get to and less crowded." Diamondback Adventure Camp, Sands Resort, Myrtle Beach S.C. 24 July 2012 Right For Any Time Of Year At the same time, Parker said that Orlando remains a top choice for sports groups of all ages, partly due to all the attractions and partly because of the year-round warm weather. "Beyond Disney World and the other amusement parks, families can take day trips to the beaches or explore outdoor parks," he said. As the economy has tightened in recent years, more and more families have been turning travel for sports events into a vaca- tion, and the Orlando-Kissimmee area, which has a wealth of large sports facilities, is probably one of the most popular desti- nation in the country for combining the two, said Don Miers, sports development director at the Kissimmee (Fla.) CVB. "This July, for example, we have more than 300 teams, including several from Puerto Rico, coming here for the Youth Basketball of America tournaments," he said. "Many are extending their stay to spend a week going to the attractions after or before their week of tournament play." To entice the players and their families to enjoy a sports vacation, Kissimmee-area attractions offer special events for sports groups, such as an evening at the Fun Spot, featuring go-karts and other thrilling rides, said Debby Guertin, events services manager for the Kissimmee Area CVB. "Families like places like Gator-Land, an alligator theme park and wildlife pre- serve, which has a Gator Zip Line," she said. "They like to take air boat rides or go canoeing and kayaking in the rivers." www.sportseventsmagazine.com Sands Resorts FLW Outdoors

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