Gaylord, Nashville Sports Scene Come Out Winners
Posted by Will Ng under Sports
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The turn of the year always means college football's bowl season, so it was no surprise that on New Year's Eve, all the major TV networks were fixed on the big games. I'm not a college football fan, but as I flipped through the networks, one game did catch my eye, because of its sponsor: the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl, which took place in Nashville.
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Respond to article (0)Speaking of Steroids…
Posted by Vincent Alonzo under Sports
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The Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association was all set to have native son Roger Clemens speak about, “My Vigorous Workout,: How I played So Long,” on January 12. Clemens’ prominent mention in the Mitchell Report on the use of illegal steroids among Major League baseball players has pretty much put quotation marks around the “vigorous” part of that presentation.
Association coaches are meeting today to decide whether the event should go on. That should be an interesting meeting. As a speaker on the topic of physical fitness, Clemens has about as much credibility as car thief working in a parking garage. But, he is a celebrity who would draw big attendance.
It’s an extreme example of a problem association planners face all the time: How do you strike a balance between finding a speaker with a valid message for your audience and someone who’s going to help boost attendance to your event? Getting someone famous who’s also relevant to a narrow audience is tough. Here’s an idea—forget looking for a famous person, go with an unknown who works for a famous company. Find someone who works for a high profile company in your industry and have them speak. That can help you bridge the glitz/relevance gap. And you don’t have to worry about them testing positive for steroids.
Emery Bored
Posted by Will Ng under Sports
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I love playoff time in sports. It’s when the mayors and other politicians of destinations playing for championships enter into good-natured wagers with one another in the grand interest of “civic boosterism.” In past years, numerous bets have been made between mayors, usually involving the loser sending the winner a care package of the losing city’s finest foods and beverages.
If It's Team First, You'll Finish First
Posted by Rob Carey under Sports
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Yes, I know this is a meetings and hospitality-industry web site and blog page, but I want to digress for just one moment: My New York Rangers are going to the pro hockey playoffs!
You see, they had not been there for seven consecutive years, and now they have made it to the post-season tournament two years in a row under a new coaching staff. That staff made a change in the style of play the team engaged in, and thus much of the team's on-ice talent changed too, so as to fit that new style of play.
And herein lies the business lesson:
There's the Sports Bar, Then There's the Sports Hotel
Posted by Will Ng under Sports
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Yesterday I went with some friends to a hockey game between the New York Rangers and New York Islanders out in Uniondale, NY, about 20 miles from Manhattan. With game time set for a 12:30 pm matinee, we got there a little after 10 am to do a little pre-game tailgating.
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Olympics, Marked By Superlatives, Raises Concerns
Posted by Mariana Lemann under Sports
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With 506 days to go, Beijing 2008 promises to be the grandest games ever. <i>The Wall Street Journal</i> reported yesterday that Beijing is building a monster infrastructure with many new venues for the $40-billion sports event.
There are jaw-dropping figures about the Olympics in Beijing, and the games’ lasting effects:
Per economists estimates, it will cost 43 percent of the total spending on all summer games since Montreal 1976. Beijing’s Olympic Green will be six times the size of Athens’ and three times the size of New York’s Central Park.
By 2015, Beijing’s airport will handle annual traffic of 60 million people—that’s nearly the population of France.
A central question is this: How will this infrastructure will be maintained after the Olympic month is over? Historically, cities that host Olympics end up bleeding money to keep maintain the facilities that were built for the event. Sydney’s Olympic Park still running at a loss since the 2000 Games, and the estimates are that the city will remain in the red until 2015.
According to the <i>WSJ</i> article, Beijing expects that the population growth, combined with complementary development such as museums, hotels, and shopping malls will keep the area vibrant after the Games. We’ll see if more meetings and trade shows go there after the 2008 games and keep the venues making money.
Bottom of the Ninth for U.S.?
Posted by Vincent Alonzo under Sports
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Well, the World Baseball Classic ended last night and Team USA was no where in sight. Our millionaire-laden team did not win the title. In fact, they didn’t even make it out of the second round. That left the Japanese and the Cubans to slug it out for baseball supremacy.
But the fact is they didn’t slug it out—both teams got to the finals by sticking to the fundamentals. Each featured stellar defense and strong pitching. Long-ball homerun hitters, such as those that filled the lineup of Team USA, were in short supply on both teams.
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