Warren County CVB Named National Sports Tourism Organization of the Year

WARREN COUNTY, OH (May 15, 2023) – Warren County Sports, a division of the Warren County Convention & Visitors Bureau (WCCVB), has been named the Sports Tourism Organization of the Year by the Sports Events & Tourism Association (Sports ETA). The award was presented on May 10 during SportsETA’s Annual Symposium in Kansas City, Missouri.

Sports ETA, an industry group consisting of more than 600 member organizations and 2,400 sporting event professionals, recognized the WCCVB in its “population under 500,000” category.

The association praised Warren County – a community of 240,000 people – for “hosting events in 14 different sports in 2022, driving more than $88 million in economic impact for its local community and generating more than 100,000 nights at local hotels”. Among the 90+ total events hosted by the WCCVB last year were the World Ultimate Club Championships – an internationally prestigious Ultimate Frisbee tournament which brought 128 teams from 31 different countries to the region in July.

“The mission of the WCCVB has always been to drive economic development through tourism, and sports tourism is an absolutely integral part of that mission,” said Phillip S. Smith, President & CEO of the WCCVB. “The work our sports team does brings hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world to Warren County each year, and those people spend millions at our local attractions, restaurants, shops and hotels. Our sports team truly does an amazing job, and we couldn’t be happier to see the team honored by Sports ETA.”

Ben Huffman serves as Director of Sports Enterprises for the WCCVB and received the award on behalf of his team last week. He attributes a large part of his organization’s success to the support it receives from its local community. “We are blessed to have a sports tourism community in Warren County that supports what we do and helps us succeed in driving impact through sports,” said Huffman. “Last year, 2022, was an amazing year for sports tourism in Warren County and we look forward to building on that success in the year ahead.”

Warren County Sports plans to host more than 100 events in 2023, including such high-profile events as the USA Ultimate College National Championships and the Big East Baseball Championships, among others.

More than half (48) of the events Warren County Sports hosted in 2022 were held at the Warren County Sports Park (WCSP), a 128-acre destination sports facility owned and operated by the WCCVB. Events at the WCSP brought an estimated 962,000 people to Warren County, accounted for 67,400 hotel room nights and generated an estimated economic impact of $67.1 million.
Currently, the WCSP is undergoing an expansion project which will allow the WCCVB to host even more events going forward.

Known as Ohio’s Largest Playground for its wide array of tourist-friendly events and attractions, Warren County welcomed a record 13.1 million visitors in 2022, accounting for more than $1.45 billion in annual economic impact.

About the Warren County Convention & Visitors Bureau:
Warren County is Ohio’s Largest Playground®! With easy access from Interstates 71 and 75, visitors to Warren County can enjoy more activities within a 30-mile radius than anywhere else in Ohio. The Warren County Convention & Visitors Bureau is a professional destination marketing and management organization whose mission is to strengthen the community by advancing economic growth and vitality through tourism and overnight stays by encouraging significant participation by visitors in the local tourism economy. Tourism is the leading industry in Warren County. More than 13 million yearly visitors drive an economic impact of $1.45 billion and more than 12,000 tourism-related jobs. For additional information, visit OhiosLargestPlayground.com, call 513-204-1900 or visit the WCCVB on social media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

About Sports ETA:
As the only trade association for the sports events and tourism industry, Sports ETA is the most trusted resource for sports commissions, destination marketing organizations (DMOs), and sports event owners. Sports ETA is committed to the success of more than 600 member organizations and 2,400 sports event professionals. We promise to deliver quality education, ample networking opportunities, and exceptional event management and marketing know-how to our members to protect the integrity of the sports events and tourism industry. For more information, visit SportsETA.org.