SEEN Saturday Series

Editor's Note: This episode was recorded live at the 2026 Sports ETA Symposium in April. As a result, some discussions reference upcoming events and opportunities that have since taken place. Inclusion isn't an event; it's a lifestyle.  In this episode, we sit down with Special Olympics' North America Vice President of Sports to discuss the massive, year-round scale of Special...

Editor's Note: This episode was recorded live at the 2026 Sports ETA Symposium in April. As a result, some discussions reference upcoming events and opportunities that have since taken place. The sports events and tourism industry continues to evolve—and Sports ETA is leading the way. In this episode of SEEN, we sit down with Sports ETA's new Chairman of the Board to discuss the future o...

Editor's Note: This episode was recorded live at the 2026 Sports ETA Symposium in April. As a result, some discussions reference upcoming events and opportunities that have since taken place. The West is Wide Open—and It's Winning. Fort Worth may be known for its iconic Western heritage, but beneath the cowboy culture is one of the most dynamic sports destinations in the country. In this...

Editor's Note: This episode was recorded live at the 2026 Sports ETA Symposium in April. As a result, some discussions reference upcoming events and opportunities that have since taken place. Sports tourism leaders are constantly being asked to make faster, smarter, and more strategic decisions — but what happens when you finally have the data to back them up? In this episode, Sports ETA Pres...

Editor's Note: This episode was recorded live at the 2026 Sports ETA Symposium in April. As a result, some discussions reference upcoming events and opportunities that have since taken place. In this episode, we sit down with Bart Lowen, Price Brothers' VP of Development,  to explore the massive shift in sports tourism: the rise of the mixed-use district.  Using projects like Bluhawk and...

Editor's Note: This episode was recorded live at the 2026 Sports ETA Symposium in April. As a result, some discussions reference upcoming events and opportunities that have since taken place. What happens when a natural disaster threatens to wipe your destination off the map? You don’t just rebuild—you reinvent. In this episode, we sit down with the powerhouse team from North Little Rock Tour...

Editor's Note: This episode was recorded live at the 2026 Sports ETA Symposium in April. As a result, some discussions reference upcoming events and opportunities that have since taken place. Following their impactful panel at the recent Women’s Summit, we are going behind the scenes with three powerhouse leaders from WISE Arizona.  In this episode, Yolanda Mendez, MBA, SPHR, is the Vice Pres...

Editor's Note: This episode was recorded live at the 2026 Sports ETA Symposium in April. As a result, some discussions reference upcoming events and opportunities that have since taken place. In this episode, we’re joined by Greg Pepitone, Associate Director at Tourism Economics, to unpack the findings from the groundbreaking 2026 State of the Industry Report presented by Northstar Meetings G...

Editor's Note: This episode was recorded live at the 2026 Sports ETA Symposium in April. As a result, some discussions reference upcoming events and opportunities that have since taken place. What does it take to bring the magic of an NCAA Championship to your city? In this episode, we sit down with Anthony Holman, Vice President of Championships and Alliances at the NCAA, to discuss the incr...

Editor's Note: This episode was recorded live at the 2026 Sports ETA Symposium in April. As a result, some discussions reference upcoming events and opportunities that have since taken place. In this episode, we sit down with the 2026 Sports ETA Woman of the Year, Rachel Rogers. As the Vice President of Sports Sales & Engagement for Cobb Travel & Tourism and the Cobb Sports Alliance,...

Editor's Note: This episode was recorded live at the 2026 Sports ETA Symposium in April. As a result, some discussions reference upcoming events and opportunities that have since taken place. When we talk about host city readiness, we often focus on hotels, venues, and transit. But in 2026, there is a new "must-have" for every RFP: a comprehensive child safeguarding strategy.  In th...

Editor's Note: This episode was recorded live at the 2026 Sports ETA Symposium in April. As a result, some discussions reference upcoming events and opportunities that have since taken place. Live from Las Vegas, this is Symposium Sessions, featuring exclusive interviews and educational highlights from the 2026 Sports ETA Symposium. Join us as we dive into the latest trends in sports events a...

In this episode, we sit down with Latasha Causey, President of Phoenix Raceway and the first African American woman to hold that title in NASCAR history. Ahead of her keynote address at the 2026 Women’s Summit, Latasha pulls back the curtain on what it takes to lead a high-stakes sports venue and the intersection of operations, community, and culture. We discuss her transition from corporate leade...

When the final ball rolled at the 2025 USBC Open Championships, Baton Rouge didn't just celebrate a tournament; they celebrated a $125 million economic victory.  But how does a destination turn a 150-day marathon event into a repeatable blueprint for success? In this episode, Kathrine sits down with Triston Monte, Sports Development Manager at Visit Baton Rouge, to go behind the scenes of one...

Join us for a high-energy debrief with Emily Jaenson, keynote speaker and best-selling author.  Fresh off her Women’s Summit address, Emily joins the Sports ETA SEEN podcast to share her "Let’s Go!" philosophy. We dive into her journey as a Triple-A baseball GM and learn actionable strategies for building confidence, overcoming rejection, and leading winning teams in the sports industry.

When a high-profile motorcade enters your city, the margin for error disappears. For event planners and local officials, hosting a VIP isn’t just a logistical task—it’s a high-stakes performance under a global microscope. Whether you are managing a major sporting event, a political summit, or a summer festival, the challenge remains the same: How do you keep the VIP moving when the rest of the cit...

Sports ETA is home to more than 800 member organizations across destinations, rights holders, and industry partners—but are members fully taking advantage of everything the association offers? In this episode of SEEN Saturday, we sit down with members of the Sports ETA Membership & Engagement team to explore how professionals across the sports tourism industry can maximize the value of the...

Youth football is evolving, and the traditional tournament model is being left behind. In this kick-off session for the 2026 season, we outline the exact roadmap for destinations looking to partner with Legends2Legacy. We discuss the six core pillars of a successful bid, the operational grit required for Bowl Week, and the first steps to becoming a host city that leaves a legacy long after the fin...

In this episode, we sit down with the team from Tempe to pull back the curtain on what it actually takes to evolve a national sports tourism powerhouse. While Tempe has long been a staple in the regional and national landscape, staying at the top requires more than just resting on your laurels—it requires a bold approach to rebranding and urban revitalization. We dive deep into the strategic &quot...

Landing a national event requires more than just a great venue—it requires a strategic partnership. This week, we sit down with USA Fencing’s Director of Events, Glen Hollingsworth, to discuss the scale and complexity of modern fencing tournaments. Glen shares his perspective on why certain destinations consistently rise to the top of the pile and how your city can position itself as a premier fen...

What happens when you trade 22 years of high-stakes police work for the adrenaline-fueled world of professional triathlon racing? In this episode of the SEEN Saturday Series, host Kathrine Nero sits down with Jason Chance, the powerhouse behind TCR Event Management and the owner-operator of the iconic Revolution3 (Rev3) brand. Jason spent over two decades in law enforcement, but today, he’s applyi...

When a city hosts a marathon or an Ironman, the spotlight usually shines on the elite finishers and the local heroes. But behind the scenes, there is a complex, high-stakes choreography happening between event producers and local governments.  How do you balance the needs of a race director who wants a world-class course with a community that just wants to get to the grocery store on a Sunday morn...

We’ve all heard of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL), but the conversation is changing. It’s no longer just about who has the most followers on Instagram—it’s about who has the most sustainable brand DNA. In this episode of the SEEN Saturday Series , Kathrine Nero sits down with Stephen Bienko, a former D1 multi-sport athlete turned tech-driven entrepreneur.  Stephen is the CEO of 42U, a New Jersey-...

In this episode, we sit down with Janette Roush, the powerhouse behind Brand USA’s AI strategy. As the industry’s first Chief AI Officer for a national DMO, Janette bridges the gap between complex technology and practical application for sports tourism leaders. We dive into the "what now" and "what next" of generative AI, exploring how destination executives can move beyond the...

Christine Brennan isn’t just a journalist; she is a chronicler of the most significant shifts in sports history. From covering 21 consecutive Olympic Games—including the era-defining scandals and triumphs of the Winter Games—to breaking the news on Augusta National’s first female members, Brennan has had a front-row seat to how sports impact culture, commerce, and global identity. In this first ep...