2024 Conference Schedule

In a year when women’s sports have had a breakthrough, one project stands out above the rest. Earlier this year, the KC Current of the National Women’s Soccer League opened the first stadium in the world devoted to a professional women’s sports team. In this session, hear from team and destination leaders on how the venue got built, what the team has experienced since, how the city has marketed the complex and what the venue could mean for women’s sports moving forward.

The NCAA is in a transformative era and that includes its championship landscape. Acrobatics and tumbling, equestrian, rugby, stunt,  triathlon and women's wrestling are working their way through the NCAA’s Emerging Sports for Women program with the hopes of gaining enough university participation to become NCAA championships — with some on the cusp of joining the ranks. In this session, hear updates from the leaders of these efforts on where they are in the process and what your destinations can do now to help build out other events leading up to a championship, including camps, clinics and combines. And come prepared with your own ideas for these sport leaders, who are looking to collaborate on their events in the years to come.

All Sports Events & Tourism Association members seeking their STS designation — and those not currently members of Sports ETA — can register for this exclusive education session; "Elevating Fan Engagement: The Key to Unleashing ROI for Sponsors and DMOs." The session will be led by Vipe Desai, a board executive, business strategist and philanthropist with more than three decades of experience in launching disruptive brands, brand building and cause-marketing strategies for both for-profit and nonprofits. 

Let’s be honest. It’s a competitive landscape and delivering an exceptional fan experience is paramount to the success of any event. Join us for an insightful and dynamic session where Desai will share innovative strategies and actionable insights gained over 30 years of event development and creative marketing strategies to transform fan engagement into a powerful driver of ROI for all your stakeholders. Discover how to captivate audiences, create memorable experiences, and drive local economic activity. Whether you're a destination or an event producer, this session will equip you with the information and inspiration needed to evolve your approach to fan engagement and sponsor satisfaction.

Sports ETA members can register through their Sports ETA account by clicking here.

Non-members should contact info@sportseta.org to register. 

This special course is $399 for Sports ETA members, and $499 for non-members.

Join us at Black Gold Golf Club, Orange County’s premier golf destination, for a unique and unforgettable experience. This par-72 layout, designed by Arthur Hills, spans 6,756 challenging yards and features scenic water elements, including a breathtaking waterfall near the 18th green, as well as gentle elevation changes, rolling hills, strategic bunkering, and stunning views of coastal Orange and Los Angeles Counties, including parts of the Newport Beach Coast and Catalina Island. The tournament is your ticket to quality time with your fellow TEAMS attendees. To register contact a TEAMS representative by clicking here. 

The TEAMS Expo will be open for appointments. Please be courteous of your appointment times.

This portion of the TEAMS Expo will feature 30 minutes of non-appointment time, which will include the opportunity to learn at the TEAMS Trends Showcase. Visit the showcase on the show floor for a presentation by Playbook365 entitled "Streamlining Team Travel and Logistics with Integrated Software." Playbook’s Trends Showcase will feature a live Jeopardy-style interactive game that will allow attendees to participate on their mobile devices for a chance to answer questions and win Apple AirPods Pro 2.

Looking to refresh your professional image? Visit the TEAMS Headshot Lounge Booth 620 during the TEAMS Expo hours and upgrade your personal brand.

The TEAMS Expo will be open for appointments. Please be courteous of your appointment times.

Looking to refresh your professional image? Visit the TEAMS Headshot Lounge Booth 620 during the TEAMS Expo hours and upgrade your personal brand.

Roughly half the states have some form of major event fund that destinations can use to help attract major events to their cities. For event organizers, knowing where you may have more support is crucial. But these programs look different in each state, and some states are having more success than others. In this session, hear about established, newly passed and proposed new funds in the works and come with your questions about how to mobilize your partner destinations or events to create new funds of their own.

The 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games program in Los Angeles will include several sports making their debut, or appearing for the first time in generations. In this session, hear from executives of these sports on how they plan to make the most of the Olympics and Paralympics — and a U.S.-based event at that. And learn what this new exposure will mean for event organizers and potential future host cities as these sports prepare for their lead-up to the Games.

SportsLink sessions are open to all TEAMS attendees.

It may sound odd to have sumo wrestling in a hockey arena, or a volleyball match in an outdoor football stadium. But the ability to activate sports venues for events other than their main purpose is one way to keep facilities activated throughout the year. And for event organizers and destinations, it’s a chance to showcase an event’s versatility and grow social media branding. In this session, hear from experts in event management on how they approach unique events in their venues and tips you can take away on how to make the most of your own potential creative use.

Join your fellow attendees as we announce the winners of the 2024 SportsTravel Awards in this celebration of the sports-event industry. The National Congress of State Games will also present its Athlete of the Year Awards and lifetime achievement recognitions, and Compete Sports Diversity will honor recipients for their diversity efforts.

You'll also get to hear from one of the unexpected heroes of the 2024 Olympic Summer Games, Stephen Nedoroscik. He became a sensation known to many as the "Pommel Horse Guy" following his routine that secured a bronze medal for Team USA's men's gymnastics team. Hear what the experience was like for him, his background in gymnastics and what the future holds for an instant legend. 

Enjoy a beverage courtesy of Trip Mate as you settle in to register for TEAMS ’24.

There has never been a bigger spotlight on women’s sports, which has been a huge driver for U.S. Olympic and Paralympic success for decades. At the professional level, leagues in basketball, soccer, volleyball and softball, among others, are flourishing. Team USA, which again saw a majority of women making up the team, is seeing a similar effect with athletes becoming household names even in years when the Games aren’t held. In this session, we explore how the USOPC is supporting visibility for these athletes, how NGBs and their athletes are capitalizing on the interest in women’s sports and how this moment is inspiring the next generation of Olympic and Paralympic supporters.

SportsLink sessions are open to all TEAMS attendees. Lunches will be available to attendees of this session.

Our closing general session will set the stage for next year’s TEAMS and beyond. Attendees will receive a special invitation to TEAMS ’25, October 13–16, 2025, in Columbus. Be on hand for a new tradition with our future host cities that you won’t want to miss, as well as the announcement of several more future hosts of TEAMS!

Afterward, settle in for a high-level discussion of how sports events are driving not only the travel industry, but the future of travel policy as well. With several mega sports events on the horizon for North America — including the World Cup and the Olympic and Paralympic Games — you’ll hear from industry leaders on how these events are driving important travel policy discussions, how destinations should position themselves for the future when it comes to sports, what your destinations and events should think about in anticipation of the events to come, and how the rising profile of sports will allow you to advocate for the work you do for your communities, participants and clients.

The TEAMS Expo will be open for appointments. Please be courteous of your appointment times.

This portion of the TEAMS Expo will feature 30 minutes of non-appointment time, which will include the opportunity to learn at the TEAMS Trends Showcase. Visit the showcase on the show floor for a presentation by EventConnect entitled "What Should CVBs/DMOs Expect From Their Housing Partners."

Looking to refresh your professional image? Visit the TEAMS Headshot Lounge Booth 620 during the TEAMS Expo hours and upgrade your personal brand.

The TEAMS Expo will be open for appointments. Please be courteous of your appointment times. Appointments will start at 2:30 p.m.

Looking to refresh your professional image? Visit the TEAMS Headshot Lounge Booth 620 during the TEAMS Expo hours and upgrade your personal brand.

Welcome to TEAMS ’24! In this Opening Session that serves as a kickoff for TEAMS, the USOPC’s SportsLink program and the NGB Best Practices Seminar, receive welcomes from Jason Gewirtz, vice president of the Northstar Meeting Group Sports Division, and other local dignitaries as we get the conference off to an energetic start.

You'll also get to meet two members of the U.S. artistic swimming team that took home the silver medal in Paris — the first Olympic medal in the sport for Team USA in 20 years.

The Opening Session will also examine the incredible opportunities for the sports-events industry in the decade to come. Los Angeles is officially on the clock for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games. The event will mark the first time a U.S. city has hosted the Summer Games in three decades and a return to the destination that revolutionized the current Olympic marketing landscape. And Salt Lake City is officially a decade away from hosting its second Winter Games this century when the event arrives in 2034. As Los Angeles prepares for what’s next, hear from those who experienced the historic 1984 Los Angeles Games about how they live on today, what’s to come for the Games ahead, and how your organizations can be involved in the efforts in the years to come.

Receive a warm welcome to Olympic and Paralympic SportsLink from emcee and two-time Olympian Cullen Jones.

SportsLink sessions are open to all TEAMS attendees.

In this rapid-fire session, you’ll hear timely updates from leaders at a variety of national governing bodies about their upcoming plans. Updates will include important information about future events as well as specific NGB membership and strategic initiatives that will help position your organization with the latest information to partner with the Olympic and Paralympic Movement.

SportsLink sessions are open to all TEAMS attendees.

During this fast-paced reverse trade show, meet with event organizers to fill available spots on your appointment schedule or discuss other times to meet during TEAMS. The marketplace is designed for quick check-ins so make sure you are not depriving others of their time to meet with event organizers, who will be stationed at designated tables.

Open to event organizers, exhibitors and sponsors only.

This past summer saw not only the Olympic and Paralympic Games but a series of Trials held in destinations throughout the United States. The Trials are not only important athletic events, they give cities big and small the chance to capture the Olympic and Paralympic magic. As the next cycle turns to the United States, hear from those involved with these events on what went well and how destinations can capitalize on opportunities leading up to the Los Angeles Games.

SportsLink sessions are open to all TEAMS attendees.

This happy hour will be an opportunity for sports-organization representatives to connect with each other in a relaxed, informal setting. Highway 39 Event Center is a museum-quality venue that showcases an incredible collection of professionally restored classic American cars, vintage neon signs, original 1950s gas pumps and Cushman scooters. The unique and polished 1950s auto shop theme is sure to rev up extra interest and fun to our happy hour. Buses will depart from in front of the Anaheim Convention Center Arena on Katella Avenue starting at 4:30 p.m.

Open to NGB representatives and other event rights holders only.

This is your opportunity to enjoy an open night and discover all that Anaheim has to offer! 

Looking for ideas on nearby places and attractions? Click here for a list of ideas.

Get ready to take off for your TEAMS ’24 experience at Hangar 21, Orange County’s aviation-themed event space located at Fullerton Municipal Airport! Network with your fellow TEAMS attendees in one of the coolest spots around as we showcase the unique spaces and culture of Orange County, California, whose aviation history dates back over 100 years. And several lucky attendees will have the opportunity to get a bird’s-eye view in a helicopter high above the venue. It’s a perfect way to embark on your TEAMS journey as we begin a productive week ahead.

Celebrate the end of TEAMS ’24, courtesy of our future host cities, as we look forward to TEAMS ’25 and beyond! After enjoying dinner in Anaheim, join us at Splitsville in Downtown Disney, where you can build on the relationships formed during the week and take your competitive spirit to a new level with bowling, darts, pool and more. Enjoy drinks and snacks with old and new friends alike as we celebrate a bright future for the industry.

And be sure to be on hand at 8:30 p.m. to hear the winners of the Event Organizer Contest, who will take home a total of $5,000 in cash prizes!

Complete your night out in Anaheim and rejoin fellow TEAMS ’24 attendees at the TEAMS Late-Night Lounge, the extended-hours networking opportunity pioneered by the TEAMS Conference. Our venue is the legendary House of Blues Anaheim, including the exclusive VIP Foundation Room, where you’ll be treated like a rock star by our sponsors at the Kentucky Sports Alliance.