PHOENIX, Ariz. – Sports tourism industry consultancy the Huddle Up Group (HUG) has announced the promotion of Dean Polk, to vice president of data and strategy.
Since joining the HUG team in December 2020, Polk has overseen the company’s consulting project processes as well as the Sports Tourism Index + Scout, one of the sports tourism industry’s largest technology platforms.
Polk is a sports events veteran with extensive experience in various industry sectors. A West Virginia native and a former Disney Sports team member, Polk most notably worked with USA Baseball and the Hershey Harrisburg Sports & Events Authority prior to joining HUG.
Founder + CEO Jon Schmieder commented on the promotion, “Our company has seen record growth over the past two years. Dean’s leadership has been a huge part of that,” says founder and CEO John Schmieder. “He is a thoughtful and strategic thinker and his contributions have changed the trajectory of our company. He has earned every opportunity to take on more leadership responsibilities. This is the obvious next step for Dean in his professional journey.”
In his expanded role, Polk will lead all aspects of the company’s data analytics division tied to the Sports Tourism Index + Scout platform. Dean and his team will also lead the onboarding of all strategic planning projects going forward.
The Sports Tourism Index + Scout is utilized by more than 450 destinations and more than 150 event rights holders. The searchable event database includes more than 1,100 events, making it the largest of its kind in the sports tourism industry.
