PARTNERSHIPS
All-Star Destination Partner
Celebrates a destination marketing organization, sports commission, or CVB that has gone above and beyond to support event planners and deliver memorable participant experiences.
1. Virginia Beach CVB
The Virginia Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau is known for delivering more than just events—it creates experiences. Through a hands-on, highly collaborative approach, the bureau partners closely with sporting event planners from the earliest stages of planning through the final moments on-site, ensuring every detail is thoughtfully supported. Its Sports Tourism team serves as a trusted local resource, assisting with venue coordination, hotel and accommodation needs, city services, and overall logistics, allowing planners to focus on delivering exceptional competition.
Venues such as the Virginia Beach Sports Center and the Hampton Roads
Soccer Complex are paired with one of the East Coast’s most iconic coastal settings. From the vibrant oceanfront and boardwalk to nearby arts districts, dining, and attractions, the destination offers an energy that elevates the experience for athletes, families, and fans.
To enhance that experience even further, the bureau activates on-site Visitor Center stations at select events, providing a welcoming touchpoint for visitors. These stations offer local insights, maps, event support, and access to digital savings passes, encouraging exploration and creating meaningful connections to the destination.
Beyond event operations, the bureau supports organizers with strategic public relations and media outreach, helping shine a spotlight on the athletes, competitions, and community. Together, these efforts leave participants with lasting memories—and every reason to return.
2. Compete College Station
College Station offers championship-level experiences for sporting events, anchored by its role as home to Texas A&M University and its top-tier athletic facilities. The city provides a wide range of hotels and event venues, along with convenient access from major markets across Texas. Event organizers benefit from walkable districts, a diverse dining scene, and a strong volunteer culture that supports competitions of all sizes. The community’s enthusiasm for sports and its reputation for hospitality help set College Station apart as a host destination.
The team at Compete College Station provides complimentary planning support and works closely with event organizers at every stage of the process. From facilitating group hotel rates and coordinating hospitality arrangements and welcome gifts to assisting with volunteer coordination, the team goes the extra mile to ensure a seamless planning experience.
In addition, Compete College Station has awarded select rights holders thousands of dollars through our Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) incentive program. This funding provides valuable supplemental resources that help enhance tournament operations and overall event success. With a welcoming spirit often described as “Howdy hospitality,” College Station continues to attract planners looking to host, compete, and celebrate at a high level.
3. Snohomish County Sports Commission
Dedicated to service, the Snohomish County Sports Commission acts as a true partner from concept to completion, offering hands-on assistance with event logistics, funding opportunities, volunteer recruitment, hotel accommodations, marketing, and connections to key local resources. Its collaborative approach helps planners streamline operations while elevating the overall quality of each event.
Snohomish County’s portfolio of top-notch venues allows the commission to host a wide range of sports, including baseball, basketball, disc golf, esports, football, soccer, softball, Ultimate Frisbee, artistic swimming, and triathlons. The region’s proven track record includes hosting premier events such as the Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Qualifier, WWA Wakeboard National Championship, USA Archery Field Nationals, United States Australian Football League Western Regionals, and Skate America. Through personalized support and exceptional facilities, the Snohomish County Sports Commission ensures events that leave lasting impressions on athletes, fans, and organizers.
Best Long-term Partnership between Planner & Destination
Acknowledges a successful, sustained collaboration between an event planner
and a destination that continues to produce exceptional results year after year.
1. National High School Coaches Association & City of Virginia Beach
The partnership between the National High School Coaches Association (NHSCA) and the City of Virginia Beach earned the Best Long-Term Partnership between Planner & Destination award for more than a decade of shared vision, growth, and impact. Since 2010, Virginia Beach has hosted NHSCA championship events, developing one of the nation’s largest annual gatherings in high school wrestling.
In 2025, the collaboration was strengthened with a new five-year agreement, ensuring the NHSCA High School Nationals and National Duals remain in Virginia Beach through 2030. The partnership has expanded the athlete and fan experience by creating a connected two-venue campus between the Virginia Beach Sports Center and the Convention Center, featuring 79 mats for High School Nationals and 85 mats for National Duals, solidifying the city as a leading stage for wrestling.
The impact extends well beyond competition, welcoming roughly 30,000 attendees annually and generating significant economic activity for hotels, restaurants, and local businesses. By fostering athlete development and showcasing future NCAA champions and Olympians, the NHSCA–Virginia Beach collaboration serves as a model for how destinations and planners can evolve together, adapt to growing needs, and set a standard for long-term sports tourism partnerships.
2. MADE Hoops and Valley Forge, Pa.
The partnership between MADE Hoops and Valley Forge has spanned five years and elevated basketball in the region. What began as a single tournament has grown into three major annual events, each drawing more than 150 teams, showcasing the sustained success of this partnership.
Since expanding in 2022, registration and participation have continued to rise, reflecting both the strong reputation of MADE Hoops events and the seamless coordination between the organizers and Valley Forge staff. Jordan Tillotson, senior director of operations at MADE Hoops, and his team consistently praise Montgomery County as the “Mecca for basketball,” citing its accessibility, premier facilities, and positive experiences for athletes, coaches, and families.
This long-standing collaboration has strengthened the region’s sports tourism footprint while enhancing the overall participant experience. Through shared vision, meticulous planning, and a commitment to excellence, MADE Hoops and Valley Forge have built a model partnership that continues to grow, ensuring premier basketball events that attract repeat participants and highlight the area as a top destination for youth sports.
3. Champion Cheer Central and Erie, Pa.
Champion Cheer Central and the City of Erie have had nearly a decade of successful collaboration, transforming the region into a premier cheer and dance destination. Since 2014, Champion Cheer Central has hosted multiple major events in Erie, including the Winter Beach Bash Cheer and Dance Championships, Lights! Camera! Action! Cheer and Dance Extravaganza, and the Lake Erie National Cheer and Dance Championships.
Over the past five years, the partnership has fostered consistent growth, culminating in 2025 when registration for the Lake Erie National Cheer and Dance Championships sold out for the first time—marking the largest event ever held in Erie by Champion Cheer Central. Collectively, these events have attracted over 37,000 participants, more than 64,000 spectators, and generated an estimated $17 million in economic impact for the region.
Through shared planning, strategic promotion, and a commitment to high-quality experiences for athletes, families, and spectators, Champion Cheer Central and Erie have built a model long-term partnership. Their collaboration continues to elevate the local sports tourism landscape, showcasing the city as a premier destination for national-level cheer and dance competitions.
Best Community Engagement by a Sports Event
Recognizes a sporting event that makes a meaningful impact beyond the field by actively engaging local communities through outreach, volunteerism, charitable partnerships, or youth involvement.
1. USA Ultimate Beach Championships
The USA Ultimate Beach Championships earned the Best Community Engagement by a Sports Event title for its ongoing commitment to youth development, inclusivity,
and local outreach. Hosted in Virginia Beach for the eighth consecutive year this past May, the event goes beyond competition to create meaningful connections with the community. Central to this effort is the annual Learn to Play Clinic, where children ages five to 15, many from diverse backgrounds, are introduced to ultimate frisbee by some of the nation’s top athletes.
During championship week, USA Ultimate volunteers extend their impact by visiting local middle schools, teaching students about the sport, promoting healthy lifestyles, and providing an accessible avenue for youth engagement. Led by David Raflo and a dedicated team, the organization distributes complimentary discs and offers free clinics, ensuring that its influence continues long after the tournament concludes.
These sustained efforts have helped grow youth ultimate participation across Virginia Beach while fostering inclusivity and mentorship. By prioritizing outreach, education, and community connection alongside athletic excellence, the USA Ultimate Beach Championships set a high standard for sports events dedicated to meaningful, lasting community engagement.
2. Valley Forge 2025 Revolutionary 5-Mile Run
Hosted within Valley Forge National Historical Park, the Valley Forge 2025 Revolutionary 5-Mile Run is a unique five-mile course—the only one in the country entirely inside a national park—that attracts runners and walkers from across the U.S., with more than 1,200 participants from 19 states joining this year’s hybrid event. Since its inception in 2006, the Revolutionary Run has raised nearly $700,000 to fund park infrastructure improvements, educational programming, and visitor amenities, including recently installed water bottle filling stations in high-traffic areas.
The Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board plays a vital role in the event’s success, coordinating sponsors, directing logistics, and supporting volunteers to ensure a seamless experience. In 2024 alone, 43 sponsors helped raise a record $80,000 to enhance the park ahead of America 250 in 2026.
Beyond fundraising, the event fosters community engagement by bringing together local businesses, organizations, and residents to celebrate health, fitness, and history. By combining competitive sport, civic pride, and historical preservation, the Valley Forge Revolutionary 5-Mile Run exemplifies how a sporting event can create a lasting impact on both the community and culture.
3. U.S. Senior Pickleball
U.S. Senior Pickleball brings together players age 50 and above from across the United States, offering a competitive yet welcoming environment where athletes can showcase their skills, challenge themselves, and build lasting friendships both on and off the court.
What sets U.S. Senior Pickleball apart is its emphasis on community and connection. Beyond the high-level competition, the event fosters a supportive atmosphere for players, families, volunteers, and fans, promoting healthy living, teamwork, and intergenerational engagement. Senior athletes serve as role models, demonstrating that sport has no age limit and that dedication, strategy, and performance can continue to thrive at every stage of life.
By combining spirited competition with meaningful social interaction, U.S. Senior Pickleball creates an experience that extends beyond the court. The event highlights the vitality and resilience of senior athletes while strengthening the national pickleball community, making it a premier platform for both sport and connection.
