OVERLAND PARK, Ks. – Visit Overland Park (Visit OP) has named Chad McFarland as director of sports and hotel services.
McFarland will serve as the liaison between national sports events rights holders and respective entities in Overland Park including the convention center, hotel community, sports facilities, and venues. This new role, alongside vice-president of sports tourism and events, Eric Olson, will continue to engage Overland Park hotels, sports facilities, and venues in an effort to maximize economic impact for the community.
According to a news release, the hiring of McFarland is a step in the advancement of Visit OP’s Sports Tourism Strategy announced last fall–which charged the organization to leverage the community’s sports facilities to drive increased overnight visitor spending and economic impact in Overland Park.
“This is a pivotal step for Visit Overland Park and the Overland Park hotel and sports communities, as we now have increased ability to focus on attracting sporting events that align with our goals as a community, and servicing those events to our greatest ability,” says Olson. “In a short amount of time, we have made incredible strides in connecting the OP sports and events community and look forward to continued engagement with stakeholders.”
McFarland comes to the organization as the current vice-president and long-time board of directors member at the 3&2 Baseball Club of Johnson County and was recently voted onto the board of directors for the Kansas Sports Officials Association. He has had an extensive sports officiating career, serving both high school and collegiate sports such as football, baseball, and basketball.
“Overland Park as a visitor destination has much to offer, especially with its extensive spread of sports facilities,” says McFarland. “I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to be part of a team whose work will improve OP’s economic impact through sports and the visitor experience.”
