Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/125252
insight on Tourism By Connie Fellman & Team Building Bases loaded for business Sports tourism scores big for New North regional economy Beyond the ballpark Snow still blanketed the infield as the Timber Rattlers gave local media a sneak peek of the newly expanded Fox Cities Stadium in March, just days before completion of its $6.2 million renovation. "This gives us the opportunity to open the stadium up to concerts, festivals and other year-round events, rather than just during the April to September baseball season," says Rob Zerjav, Timber Rattlers president and general manager. In fact, the most significant portion of the stadium construction, the second-level addition behind home plate, will double as banquet space and be available for use 365 days a year. w w w. i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m c o u r t e s y W i s c o n s i n T i m b e r R at t l e r s / B o l d t C o n s t r u c t i o n W hen it comes to sports tourism in Northeast Wisconsin, you don't have to go far for the gold. It's right there next to the green. "We draw 800,000 people each year just with Packer games and Family Night," says Aaron Popkey, director of public affairs for the Green Bay Packers. While the current south end zone expansion of Lambeau Field may garner most of the media spotlight, the iconic stadium is just one of several sports complexes throughout Northeast Wisconsin undergoing major renovations with the goal of drawing more visitors to our area, both in and out of the sports arena. An artist's rendering shows the entrance of the renovated Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium. The Timber Rattlers are one of several important draws for the sports tourism industry in the New North. Already a destination for fans from across the country with the annual Donald Driver softball game, Fox Cities Stadium owners hope the latest improvements will expand their reach even further beyond the ball diamond. "Hopefully all the expansion is going to create more of a buzz to get more people to use the facility, possibly looking into hockey or other sports that happen in the winter," says Zerjav. Teaming up for success Capitalizing on what happens in winter, Ashwaubenon's Synergy Fields, LLC recently teamed up with the Green Bay Blizzard to become the professional indoor football team's official practice facility. The new 13,500-square-foot all-synthetic turf field opened in December and will host the Blizzard's tryouts, training camp and regular season practices. The field is an expansion of Don Beebe's House of Speed, an indoor training facility for athletes of all ages, from youth sports to the professional level. "The new field allows us to bring more athletes to our facility where they can get in and do good work during the winter months," says Scotty Smith, owner of Synergy Fields and House of Speed. While it doesn't draw the stadiumsized crowds of Lambeau Field or Fox Cities Stadium, Synergy Fields does play for the same team when it comes to attracting visitors from [continued] » M a y 2 013 • Insight | 29