Sports Organizations
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Derek Bouchard-Hall has been named president and CEO of USA Cycling. He will take the helm in June, replacing Steven Johnson, who is stepping down after nine years in the position. Bouchard-Hall currently works at Wiggle, an online cycling and triathlon retailer. An Olympian, Bouchard-Hall previously served as a consultant for Ernst & Young and McKinsey & Company.

Competitor Group Inc. has named Josh Furlow as president and Wendy Godoy as chief administrative and chief financial officer. Furlow previously was executive vice-president of events for CGI, which owns and operates the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series and publishes magazines including Women’s Running, Triathlete, Velo and Competitor. Godoy previously served as senior vice-president and CFO of Terramar Retail Centers.

Jeffrey Orridge has been appointed commissioner of the Canadian Football League. He most recently served as executive director of sports and general manager for the Olympics at the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. In his role as chief strategist and negotiator, he secured the media rights to the 2014 and 2016 Olympic Games, the 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Games and the 2018 and 2020 Olympics. Orridge also previously served as COO and head of global business development for Right to Play International and as vice-president of corporate strategic planning for Mattel Inc.

Chandini Portteus has been named president and CEO of the Livestrong Foundation in Austin, Texas. Portteus spent nearly 10 years working at Susan G. Komen, where she most recently served as the organization’s chief mission officer.

Peter Griffiths has been appointed chief operating officer of NFL International. Griffiths has held several senior positions at IMG, most recently running its Indian Premier League cricket business.

Kevin Lennon has been named vice-president for Division I governance at the NCAA, most recently serving as vice-president for academic and membership affairs. He succeeds David Berst, who started his career with the NCAA in 1972.

Major League Baseball has named Tony Reagins senior vice-president for youth programs. Reagins served as the general manager of the Los Angeles Angels from 2008–2011. In addition, Chris Park has been appointed senior vice-president of growth strategy. Park previously worked at MLB as vicepresident of labor economics and deputy general counsel.

The USA Pro Challenge has announced the creation of an elite women’s cycling race, the Women’s USA Pro Challenge, to take place in Colorado over three days in August in conjunction with the men’s race. The women will race on parts of the men’s race course and for the same prize money as the men. The invitation-only event will be sanctioned by USA Cycling.

Major League Soccer has announced that Minnesota has been awarded an expansion team that will begin play in 2018. The new team will be owned by a group led by Bill McGuire, owner of the Minnesota United FC of the NASL, and will play in a new soccer-specific stadium in downtown Minneapolis.

2Thrive, a newly established nonprofit, has secured the exclusive rights to stage the World Corporate Games across the United States through 2023. 2Thrive expects to begin collecting interest from U.S. cities for hosting opportunities, with the goal for the first event to be staged in fall 2016.

Hosts & Suppliers

James Rooney has been named president and CEO of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, effective July 1. He will succeed Paul Guzzi, who has led the organization for 19 years. Rooney currently is executive director of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority. Prior to that, Rooney served as chief of staff to former Boston Mayor Thomas Menino.

Aaron McCreight has been appointed CEO of the Cedar Rapids Area (Iowa) Convention & Visitors Bureau, effective May 11. McCreight currently serves as the CEO of the Casper Area (Wyoming) Convention & Visitors Bureau and Casper Sports Alliance.

Mike Waterman has been appointed president of the Greater Houston Convention & Visitors Bureau and executive vice-president of Houston First Corporation. Waterman has held a series of executive positions with Marriott International over the last 14 years, where he currently serves as vice-president of sales for the Southwest region. He officially begins his role on May 11.

AEG Facilities has appointed Jason Hull as director of sales, meetings and conventions, a newly created position. Hull most recently worked for Starwood Hotels & Resorts in Atlanta. Additionally, AEG Facilities has announced an eight-year agreement with Quebecor’s Sports & Entertainment Group. AEG will provide venue services to the 20,000-seat Quebec City Arena, which is expected to open in September. AEG Live will provide booking support.

The NFL has partnered with Bruin Sports Capital and RedBird Capital Partners, which will invest money and assume operational control of NFL On Location, the league’s premium events and hospitality business. Bruin Sports and RedBird will form a new holding company, which has yet to be named.

Airbnb has signed an agreement to be the official alternative accommodation services supplier for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. This is the first time Airbnb has signed on as an official partner for the Games.

Sites & Venues

Washington, D.C., has been awarded the 2018 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. It will be the fifth Midsummer Classic in Washington but the first at Nationals Park, which opened in 2008.

The 2015 World Horseshoe Pitching Championships will be held at the Kansas Expocentre in Topeka. The event, to be held July 13–25, will attract more than 1,500 pitchers competing for approximately $200,000 in prizes.

The U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Women’s Boxing will be held at the Memphis Cook Convention Center in Tennessee, October 25–31. The final qualifying tournament for the Olympic Trials for men’s boxing will be held at the same location in conjunction with the women’s event.

The Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance has announced that Sport Events Congress will be held in Ottawa in 2016, 2017 and 2019. The event attracts more than 400 delegates annually.

The National Invitation Tournament and Madison Square Garden have reached an agreement that will keep the NIT semifinals and championship in New York City through 2018. The arena has hosted the tournament’s final round since the event began in 1938.

The USA Hockey Foundation has purchased Compuware Arena in Plymouth, Michigan. The facility, to be called the USA Hockey Arena, will serve as the home of USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program.

The 2016 USA Fencing National Championships will be held at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas, June 29–July 9. It is expected to feature nearly 100 events with more than 4,000 competitors.

The Gridiron Classic, a high school kickoff event, will be held at Lubbers Stadium on the main campus of Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan, on August 29. The West Michigan Sports Commission has partnered with GVSU and the OK Conference to launch the event.

The locations for the Group A matches of the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup have been announced. After playing Honduras on July 7 at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, the United States will play Haiti at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on July 10, and then wrap up group play against Panama on July 13 at Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kansas.

Sponsors & Licensing

The NCAA and IMG have entered a 10-year partnership that will center on marketing rights with the National Association of Basketball Coaches and Women’s Basketball Coaches Association. Details also include extended rights for publishing programs, licensing agreements and assistance with championship ticketing sales.

The North American Soccer League has extended its agreement with ESPN for the 2015 season. A minimum of 120 league matches will be carried live on ESPN3, ESPNPlay and ESPN Player in 75 countries.

Majestic Athletic and Major League Baseball have extended their partnership through 2019. Majestic will retain exclusive rights to produce on-field uniforms, Authentic Collection apparel, replica jerseys and a broad assortment of fan apparel.

Tough Mudder and Sony have entered a sponsorship agreement, making Sony the official smartphone and SmartWear sponsor of the obstacle challenge for 2015. The deal will highlight the features of the Xperia Z3 smartphone and other devices.

The IOC has announced that Toyota Motor Corp. will join The Olympic Partner (TOP) Program, a global sponsorship program. The agreement, which runs through 2024, covers the mobility category, which includes vehicles, mobility services and solutions.

Grand Hyatt/New York has been named the official hotel partner of New York City Football Club, a new MLS franchise. The property will serve as the preferred hotel partner for visiting teams and will have a regular presence at Yankee Stadium.

The Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau has become the signature sponsor of MLS team Dallas City FC. The CVB also has entered a three-year partnership with the FCS Cycling women’s team and local FCS cycling club to sponsor Visit Dallas Cycling, a national women’s racing team.

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series and iHeartMedia have announced a collaboration for the 2015 tour. An exclusive Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series station will be available on the iHeartRadio digital streaming service.

And Finally…

For the second year in a row, Major League Baseball’s San Diego Padres and Mercury Insurance have partnered to assemble baseballthemed care packages for Marines and sailors from I Marine Expeditionary Force in Camp Pendleton, California. More than 50 Mercury employees and agents, Padres players and community representatives gathered in Petco Park to stuff 1,000 backpacks containing a Padres hat, notecards and baseball, as well as a bag of Cracker Jacks and toiletries.

This current issue of SportsTravel can be viewed in digital format online by clicking here.

SportsTravel, the sports world’s event magazine, is published by Los Angeles-based Schneider Publishing Company, which also publishes Association News. Founded in 1997, SportsTravel was the first magazine to identify and serve the sports-related travel and event industry. Schneider Publishing organizes the TEAMS Conference & Expo, the world’s largest gathering of sports-event organizers, which will be held November 9–12 in Las Vegas. In addition, Schneider Publishing organizes the Meetings Quest trade-show series for corporate and association meeting planners. The travel markets served by Schneider Publishing generate 106 million hotel room nights annually. For more information, visit SchneiderPublishing.com or call toll-free 877-577-3700 or 310-577-3700 if dialing from outside the United States.
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Media Contact:
Timothy Schneider
310-577-3700
Schneider Publishing Company, Inc.