“Different organizations have unique talents and resources - our organization identifies events that will work in our region, devel- ops an understanding of the event, creates relationships with the event rightsholders and coordinates the bid production/presenta- tion,” said Chris Roseman, Vice President of the St. Louis Sports Commission. The Sports Commission offers expertise in marketing, sponsor- ship, event operations, communications, volunteer coordination and event management. These types of services and the amount of staff and talent are crucial components to consider when seeking the right community to host sporting events. Some cities struggle to do this without the right type of funding. CVBs and Sports Commissions are varied when it comes to funding sources; ranging from city room tax, tourism related funding through state programs and private funding. In the case of the St. Louis Sports Commis- sion, they are currently privately funded and must be very selective in the events they pursue. “Since all organizations do not have a full time staff that can manage sponsorships, volunteer coordination, financial planning and event execution, it is important that the rightsholders, as well as the CVB and/or Sports Commission identify their goals and ob- jectives from the start to make sure that they are the right fit and can honestly help them succeed. In St. Louis we focus on high pro-
file events that make sense for the event and our community. We also have advantages in working very closely with rightsholders and targeting the events we know our region can support in terms of attendees, venues and overall community support. We can take events to the next level,” notes Roseman.
A little known fact non-local residents may not be aware of is the Olympic heritage of St. Louis where the Summer Olympics of 1904 were held for the first time in the US. Due to this leg- endary connection, the city finds itself the perfect welcoming spot for Olympic related events that include USA Gymnastics, Div- ing, Track & Field, Figure Skating and other national governing bodies. In addition, they’ve had the opportunity to work with the numerous NCAA championships including wrestling, men’s and women’s basketball, hockey, soccer, volleyball and other events. As a lifelong resident of St. Louis, Roseman feels strong ties to his hometown and is able to do what he does best with his or- ganization, “I especially understand our community and what we have to offer. It’s thrilling to work for an organization that brings our community together to host a wide range of exciting sporting events. Our priority is our stakeholders, community and the right- sholders. This focus creates a win-win for everyone involved; it’s our relationships in the community that make the events we host so successful.”
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