Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/518838
34 | I NSIGH T • J u n e 2 0 15 w w w . i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m 920-734-3358 FoxCities.org/bringithome SHARE WHAT IS To bring your event home to the Fox Cities, visit FoxCities.org/bringithome You may have just returned from an exciting convention or event in another city or state. Imagine that group meeting right here in the Fox Cities. We encourage you to get involved and work with us to "Bring it Home" to the Fox Cities. By booking an event with the Bring it Home program, you may receive Fox Cities area gift certificates. e event is expected to draw more than 3,500 players and up to 12,000 spectators as teams from 14 states travel to Wisconsin to compete. Regionally, that's expected to translate into more than 12,000 nights of hotel bookings and $6.5 million in visitor spending. is is the third time since 2006 the Fox Cities have hosted the event. ree factors have helped distinguish the Fox Cities from sites in the 14 states of Region II: quality facilities, an active and qualified volunteer base and the welcoming nature of the area, says Peter Mariahazy, director of technology and human resources at Modern Business Machines in Appleton and president of Wisconsin Youth Soccer. "One thing we consistently hear from the teams and fans that come is how warm and welcoming the people here are," Mariahazy says. "We work really hard to enhance the experience so teams feel it's more than a tournament, but a championsip." e Region II Championships are part of the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championship series. Additionally, the Fox Cities region will again host the Division III College World Series and the Wisconsin high school baseball championships, while Green Bay played host to the high school girls' basketball tournament. Each brings visitors — and revenue — from outside the community. During the course of the year, there are hundreds of youth baseball, volleyball, basketball, lacrosse, hockey and soccer tournaments of various sizes throughout the region. row in the marathons and hunting and fishing, and it's a big marketplace to tap into. Ten Haken says that of the estimated $11 million in sports- tourism spending in the Fox Cities, as much as 90 percent of it is related to youth sports and tournaments. And there is an opportunity for more. A study prepared for the Fox Cities CVB by the Huddle Up Group in 2014 found the area was missing out on opportunities to attract additional events to the region because of a lack of facilities, particularly hard court surfaces for basketball and volleyball. e Green Bay area faces a similar challenge, Toll says. "Our region could use additional facilities," Toll says. "Our dream is to someday have the old Brown County Arena and ShopKo Hall (a part of the Brown County Veterans Memorial Complex) turned into one large contiguous building that could hold these types of sporting events as well as large expositions and tradeshows." HUG recommended a plan of action for the Fox Cities area that included using an increase in the hotel- bed tax to finance the development of additional facilities. Ten Haken says the CVB is still evaluating the SPORTS TOURISM