2019 IMPACT REPORT FORWARD Greater Cleveland Sports Commission experienced its most impactful year as an organization by hosting 13 major sporting events in 2019 ranging from collegiate to professional sports. Due to the scale of these awarded events, Northeast Ohio saw an influx of an estimated $87,837,956 in economic impact. Cleveland started 2019 with welcoming 352 girls’ volleyball teams from across the nation during Junior Volleyball Association Rock ‘N Rumble. Additionally, 12 other major sporting events were held in Northeast Ohio between January and August including four NCAA Championships, Concacaf Gold Cup featuring U.S. Men’s National Team and 2019 Toyota USA Triathlon Age Group National Championships. This year, approximately 12,275 competitors visited the North Coast for GCSC-hosted events and 219 Northeast Ohio youth participated in our Youth Education through Sports programs that provided them unique opportunities to experience various sports and events. A major highlight of 2019 was MLB All-Star Week on July 5-9, which brought the top baseball athletes and their fans to Cleveland for events such as MLB All-Star Red Carpet Show presented by Chevrolet, T-Mobile Home Run Derby and the 90th MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard. The footprint of America’s favorite pastime extended beyond the ballpark including MLB PLAY BALL PARK at the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland and countless community festivities. This event provided an estimated $65 million in economic impact to Northeast Ohio. “This was by far the largest year of economic impact that we’ve experienced at the Sports Commission,” said David Gilbert, president and CEO of Greater Cleveland Sports Commission. “Having the opportunity to reach nearly $88 million in one year is a big achievement for our small non-profit. Our team is extremely thankful to the Northeast Ohio community and our partners, such as the Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Indians, Cleveland Cavaliers and the Mid-American Conference, as well as the City of Cleveland and State of Ohio for helping us make Cleveland the destination for large-scale sporting events.” In 2019, Greater Cleveland Sports Commission was also responsible for increasing its event portfolio through new and returning events that will create success within the organization and in the community for many years to come. ABOUT US 4 OUR SERVICES 7 2019 YEAR IN REVIEW 10 2019 HOSTED EVENTS 12 HIGHLIGHTS 14 AWARDED EVENTS 16 HIGHLIGHTS FROM HOSTED EVENTS 20 COMMUNITY 26 COMMUNITY PARTNERS 30 2020 EVENT PREVIEW 32 2020 HOSTED EVENTS 34 ABOUT US WE’RE MORE THAN A HOST CITY, WE’RE YOUR TEAM. Since 2000, Greater Cleveland Sports Commission is responsible for attracting over 200 sporting events which provide more than $811 million in economic activity to Northeast Ohio. Greater Cleveland Sports Commission (GCSC) serves to measurably improve the economy of Greater Cleveland and enrich the community by attracting, creating, managing and enhancing significant sporting and competitive events. GCSC supports the local economy, utilizes sports as a vehicle to forward community agendas and maintains a goal of producing events that are more successful when held in Cleveland than in other cities. clevelandsports.org 4 5 OUR SERVICES Greater Cleveland Sports Commission offers a variety of services to support our hosted sporting events. CORPORATE SALES Some areas that we offer support are as follows: & PARTNERSHIPS Strong partnerships are the backbone of our organization. EVENT OPERATIONS Greater Cleveland Sports Commission is well-positioned in Northeast Ohio to tie community partners to our hosted We don’t mean to brag, but our operations team is one sporting events. Our partnership department is dedicated of the best in the business. Our staff provides a wide to corporate sales and leveraging partners assets to range of operational services to elevate your event to increase the footprint and quality of a hosted event. the next level. Whether it’s event set up and tear down support, facility recommendations, hotel coordination, permitting assistance or navigating our community, we provide an events rights holder with all the necessary FUNDRAISING tools to host a successful event in Cleveland. Our non-profit organization is well-versed in fundraising for diverse sporting events. We have an experienced staff dedicated to securing funds on varying monetary MARKETING & levels to aid in event execution. Our strong position in the local community secures our place as a valued COMMUNICATIONS and trusted partner for many local businesses and philanthropists to support. Our team has a full-service Marketing & Communications department to provide your event ad buys, brand awareness, collateral creation, earned media, event-specific marketing, graphic design and public relations strategy. COMMUNITY PROGRAMMING Greater Cleveland Sports Commission’s programming team works to creatively tie hosted sporting events into the Northeast Ohio community. Our Youth Education through Sports program directly provides local underserved youth with unique sporting experiences directly related to your event. 6 7 Thank you for hosting the Triathlon championships here in Cleveland. We are from Denver [Colorado] and have been singing Cleveland’s praises since we first visited last year. This year we brought the whole family [of seven] to enjoy the events. [We] loved the historic areas near Little Italy and Gordon Square. Cleveland will be discovered and well regarded by thousands because of this event alone…it sure seems like you’ve got a good thing going here in CLE. Bo Brustkern, proud father of a USA Triathlon Age Group Nationals triathlete 8 9 2019 YEAR IN REVIEW In 2019, Greater Cleveland Sports Commission (GCSC) Additionally, GCSC attracted USA Beach Rugby saw growth in many of its hosted events. Some of these to the shore of Lake Erie. Cleveland was one of six events have been held in the community for multiple cities to host the rugby tournament’s festival-like years and had seen a significant increase since economic atmosphere which overtook Cleveland Metroparks impact was last calculated. These increases led to a new Edgewater Park on July 20, 2019. The event featured estimated economic impact of $87,837,956 in direct over 400 athletes competing in several divisions spending to Northeast Ohio. This impact number is including contact and non-contact games during roughly $2.4 million higher than projected. a 5-on-5-person competition held on a sandy pitch that provided an estimated impact of $275,000. Contributors to this economic increase are based on larger than anticipated athlete attendance for USA Fencing March NAC and NCAA DII Men’s Wrestling Championships. In addition to the recalculation of Concacaf Gold Cup and the growth of USA Wrestling U23 World Team Trials since the event was previously calculated; the adjusted numbers are more reflective of the current landscape of the event. 10 11 $3,150,000 $1,370,000 $7,000,000 ECONOMIC IMPACT ECONOMIC IMPACT ECONOMIC IMPACT 2019 JUNIOR VOLLEYBALL ASSOCIATION NATIONAL TOURNAMENT USA FENCING MARCH NAC NCAA DII MEN’S WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS JAN. 19-20, 2019 MAR. 1-4, 2019 MAR. 8-9, 2019 $350,000 $250,000 $2,000,000 HOSTED ECONOMIC IMPACT ECONOMIC IMPACT ECONOMIC IMPACT EVENTS This past year of events was full of highlights for Northeast Ohio. Greater Cleveland Sports Commission reached a new organizational milestone as the following NCAA FENCING CHAMPIONSHIPS NCAA WOMEN’S BOWLING CHAMPIONSHIPS NCAA DIII MEN’S & WOMEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS hosted events totaled nearly $88 million in direct MAR. 21-24, 2019 APR. 11-13, 2019 MAY 23-25, 2019 pending within our community. $360,000 $1,200,000 $4,000,000 $87,837,956 ECONOMIC IMPACT ECONOMIC IMPACT ECONOMIC IMPACT ECONOMIC IMPACT MAC BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS USA WRESTLING U23 WORLD TEAM TRIALS CONCACAF GOLD CUP MAY 22-26, 2019 MAY 20 - JUNE 2, 2019 JUNE 22, 2019 $65,000,000 $275,000 $750,000 $6,500,000 ECONOMIC IMPACT ECONOMIC IMPACT ECONOMIC IMPACT ECONOMIC IMPACT MLB ALL-STAR WEEK USA BEACH RUGBY WORLD YO-YO CONTEST USA TRIATHLON AGE GROUP NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS JULY 5-9, 2019 JULY 20, 2019 AUG. 7-10, 2019 AUG. 10-11, 2019 OVER ECONOMIC IMPACT 27,127 TOTAL VOLUNTEER HIGHLIGHTS $87,837,956 HOURS 219 SOCIAL VOLUNTEER SHIFTS NUMBER OF YOUTH IMPRESSIONS PARTICIPATING IN YES PROGRAMS FROM EVENTS 50 STATES REPRESENTED VOLUNTEERS 2,446,462 7,371 AT HOSTED EVENTS 2,731 NUMBER OF EVENT NUMBER OF COMPETITORS HOSTED EVENTS 12,275 NUMBER OF COMMUNITY PROGRAMS 34 5 COUNTRIES REPRESENTED AT HOSTED EVENTS MEDIA CLIPS EARNED MEDIA VALUE MEDIA IMPRESSIONS 506 $206,618,541 730,870,121 14 13 15 AWARDED EVENTS Based on estimates from previous host cities, the CLEVELAND READY NFL Draft is expected to boast 150,000 or more in daily attendance and provide a projected $100-million TO ‘ROCK THE CLOCK’ in economic impact to the local community.* Following the announcement of the NFL Draft, DURING 2021 NFL DRAFT Northeast Ohio has entered a unique window of Cleveland is expected to garner more than opportunity to host four high profile and economically $100 million in economic impact during the significant events over the next six years; an achievement 2021 NFL Draft which few destinations are able to accomplish. Through these events, the State of Ohio will have the platform Cleveland is looking forward to “rocking the clock” to showcase its communities at an international level, in 2021 when it hosts the NFL Draft. The league which started with the 2019 MLB All-Star Week and announced in a press release on May 22nd that will continue through 2024 with the 2022 NBA All-Star Northeast Ohio will be the home of the 86th Weekend and 2024 NCAA DI Women’s Final Four. NFL Draft; which was followed by a formal press conference and free fan tailgate hosted in Cleveland’s *Other NFL Draft host cities have reported a 250,000 to 500,000 attendance range.