SEEN Saturday Series

This week, we're talking all about wellness and how the practice and implementation of wellness programs can help you and your city thrive! You've likely seen Sports ETA's announcement re: the Sports ETA Health & Wellness initiative powered by WISe! Today, we're diving into what it's all about.  Simply put, Wise Wellness Guild, founded by Stevi Carr in 2019 works to he...

Welcome back! Today, join host Kathrine Nero and Angela Gandy, the Senior Sports Development Manager for Visit Albuquerque, and Kyle Knott, the National Events Director for USA Cycling. The two, alongside their fantastic teams took home the Event Partnership of the Year Award (population 500,000 and above). We'll learn about the work it took to bring that award home and the knowledge and expe...

Michelle Perry, the President & CEO of Gamechangers Consulting is back for another fantastic interview! During Symposium, her team took home the Superior Service Award for the 5th time! How do they do it? What's their secret sauce? Michelle says it's all about the organizations and great partnerships within the sports tourism industry. We couldn't let Michelle go without talking...

A career in News and a passion for sports led her to Sports ETA.  This week, we'll hear from Kansas City Sports Commission President & CEO, Kathy Nelson. Kathy chats with host, Kathrine Nero about her career and what led her to KC.  Additionally, she'll share with Kathrine the work it took to bring home the Event or Program Impact of the Year population 500,000 and above.  Hint: It h...

This week, our President & CEO, John David and your SEEN host Kathrine Nero walk us through the key takeaways, data & lessons from the 2023 State of the Industry Report.   We know you'll walk away with new tools & info, which can help you in your decision making.  A few of the topics covered: What happened in 2023 within the sports tourism industry?  What excites rights holders, v...

Join Host, Kathrine Nero and Warren Wilkinson, the President and CEO of Visit Overland Park, Kansas.  Warren will share his knowledge in the industry, the evolution of Visit Overland Park, its sports tourism strategy and advocacy efforts which support the local economy. Additionally, the two will chat about the College Baseball HOF, which is a massive attraction in the area.

Hannah Shiver tells us the award Visit Dothan recently accepted at Symposium - Event or Program Impact of the Year population under 500,000 - was truly a team effort.  Shiver, the Executive Director of Visit Dothan is a Dothan native, so you know her passion for the community will shine in every project her team works on. The project that won them that award - a partnership with another Dothan nat...

Do you know Ashley Whittaker? If you do, you're lucky! If you don't, get ready! Ashley's career started in sports (fun fact, she was a pole vaulter for the University of Illinois!). You'll learn about Ashley's career path, the work she currently does with Sports Facilities Companies' (a planning firm & so much more), The SF Network (where the company shares the su...

Last week we chatted with Danielle Vincenti who had just attended her 13th Symposium and had lots of great advice to share. This week, we’re lucky enough to have Dean Polk Bonfili, Director of Business Development, at Ripken Baseball joining us.  Just like Danielle, Dean has a ton of wisdom to share after attending Symposium! This was Dean's first Symposium from the right's holder side a...

 You’re back from the Symposium, now what?! Don’t miss this special episode with Danielle Vincenti, Director of Business Development, with Hershey Harrisburg Sports & Event Authority. Danielle has a ton of wisdom and advice to share after attending her 13th Symposium! Yes, 13th! She'll share what stood out to her and caught her attention, how important she says staying in contact and foll...

Meet Jason Suitt - he's the Director of Sports Development for Visit Baton Rouge and he's here to help your team grow. He'll share his experience with bringing The Savannah Bananas (who've achieved social media fame!) to Baton Rouge, and how the city's partnership with LSU made this a weekend to remember! It was a weekend "almost as big... if not bigger than Mardi Gra...

Are you preparing to head to Portland, OR for the 2024 Sports ETA Symposium?  This is the episode you want, no, you NEED to listen to. Host Kathrine Nero will chat with Sports ETA Board Secretary/Treasurer Matt Libber about maximizing your experience. His biggest piece of advice? Talk to as many people as you can!  Listen in for more advice from Matt, and get ready to network.

This week, we're introducing you to Sports ETA & SEEN partners, Conference Direct and Resiada. Conference Direct is a full-service meeting and event management company. Resiada works alongside Conference Direct and helps deliver a branded booking experience for your events.  In short, they make your events run smoothly.  We'll meet Trish Quillen and Dharmesh Dayabhai and they'll...

"Everything we do is based on relationships" - This week, John Shaner and Carey Harveycutter of Salem, Virginia chat with host, Kathrine Nero about the successes of their organization and why relationships within the industry are integral to your "wins". From lessons learned after hosting NCAA championships to massive sports complex changes, and building courts for one of the f...

Catch up with host, Kathrine Nero and Jerrine Lee, STS the VP for Richmond Region Tourism. We'll learn about Jerrine’s impressive career and a leap of faith she took, which landed her in the Richmond Region. Jerrine is thankful for her sales team at Richmond, Danny Bonifas and Gerald Taylor - they “are the force behind collaborating with our partners & community to recruit and execute spo...

Today’s SEEN episode gives us a history lesson by the President & CEO of the Pensacola Sports Commission. Ray Palmer takes us on a deep dive into Pensacola's history and sports events & tourism within the area.  It's one of the oldest sports commissions in the country (next to Indianapolis)! As you'd expect with a rich history like this, there are many lessons and best pract...

From the Cleveland Cavaliers and Guardians wins over the years, and most recently, the Browns, there's been a lot to celebrate in the City of Cleveland!  What is it about Cleveland sports teams that keeps fans coming back for more?  Cleveland Sports Commission rep, Monica Gustin and Dana Hart, with the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame will answer that question.  Additionally, the duo will...

Join host Kathrine Nero and special guest, David Broughton, the Research Director of Sports Business Journal for a bonus episode! David and Kathrine will chat about the Sports Business Journal’s ranking of the Best Sports Business Cities. How are the cities chosen? Did your city take top honors? You'll have to listen to find out!

Looking for a place dedicated to women's sports, the awesome stories that come out of it AND live league games? You've come to the right place! Today, host Kathrine Nero chats with the President of the Women's Sports Network, Carol Stiff. Carol and Kathrine chat about those fantastic stories told through the network and much more, including Carol's many years spent at ESPN. Wha...

Indiana Sports Corp is one of the oldest and largest Sports Commissions in the Country. It's known for hosting Final Four, A Super Bowl, March Madness and more over their 40 year history. In this episode, we'll dive into the organization's history with Indiana Sports Corp's VP of Bids & External Affairs, Melissa Thompson.  Melissa says her experience before working at India...

We're back with our second Sports ETA 4 S Awards Summit winner interview! Host Kathrine Nero chats with Tim Chambers - He's the VP of Destination Strategy & Marketing for Tulsa Regional Tourism & Joel Koester, the Director of Sports Sales at Tulsa Sports Commission. Learn from Kathrine, Tim & Joel as they chat about the work they do & their success with the company.  Both...

In this week's episode, meet the President and Chief Tourism Officer of Visit Kingsport, Frank Lett. Learn from Frank as he and Host, Kathrine Nero chat about his experience (decades!) in the sports tourism industry. Frank was part of a team who increased the number of events on Kingsport's calendar from 9 to upwards of 30! He'll explain the teamwork it took to make that happen for...

This week, hear from 2024 CE Summit Host and Education Speaker, John Poch! John is the Executive Director of San Jose Sports Authority. He'll talk with host, Kathrine Nero about the non-profit's best practices, the challenges & successes that come with it,  and advice for other standalone non-profits.  Additionally, John and Kathrine will chat about the upcoming promo session at the...

We're back with our third Sports ETA 4S Summit Award winner interview! Host Kathrine Nero chats with Ben Huggler, the Director of Event Services at Erie Sports Commission.  We’ll hear about Ben’s experience in the industry, his knowledge within the community (he's born & raised in Erie!), and who he attributes his success to. At the 2023 4S Summit, Ben and his team were awarded the M...

We're heading west in this week's podcast, as we join host, Kathrine Nero and her guest, Lisa Motley - The VP of Sports & Special Events with the  Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority.  Is Las Vegas becoming a sports capital? We'll hear Lisa's take on that question, plus, what the next few months look like for her team.  The Rock & Roll half marathon, Nascar we...