PROVIDING NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES
Forum Review: Highlighting Medford’s Success with Sports Tourism Speakers: T.J. Holmes, Senior Vice President of Travel Medford; Angela Wood, Director of Sales & Sports Development at Travel Medford; Ashley Cates, Creative Director at Travel Medford Sponsored by: Travel Medford D uring the May Forum, a panel of speakers from
Holmes then directed his attention back to sports tourism. With the rise in youth sports, Holmes said families are now combining sports tournaments with vacations — aptly named, “tournacations”. And those families want to maximize their time in between games by visiting local attractions, restaurants and shops. “The latest industry reports show that direct spending for the sports tourism sector was $39 billion in 2021, with an economic impact of $92 billion,” he said.
Travel Medford discussed how Medford is leading the charge in sports tourism by developing a regional brand to stake a flag in Medford as the sports and recreation hub of the West Coast. Upon launch of
the new brand campaign, Travel Medford aims to continue to move the needle in sports tourism for Medford through sports advocacy, venue development and event procurement.
T.J. Holmes, Senior Vice President of Travel Medford
Ashley Cates, Creative Director at Travel Medford
According to T.J. Holmes, Senior Vice President of Travel Medford, Medford is the eight largest city in Oregon, and destination marketing plays a vital role in overall economic development. “In 2021, we saw an increase in tourism spending,” he said. “Medford is also tracking a record year in hotel occupancy.” He explained that Travel Medford’s mission as a Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) is to drive overnight visitation to increase economic impact. When more people visit the area, they spend money at other local businesses. Additionally, Travel Medford is dedicated to serving the community and elevating its stakeholders and partners. “To accomplish this, we advertise Medford as a premier travel destination,” he said. An integral part of this mission is the Tourism Council — a 13-person, volunteer group. The board is composed of people who represent local restaurants, wineries, sports, the performing arts, lodging, the airport, attractions, downtown, and more.
To help capitalize on this movement, Travel Medford is creating and launching a new sports brand. Holmes passed the presentation onto Ashley Cates, Creative Director at Travel Medford, to introduce the new brand. Cates described the strategic steps taken to create an identity around sports. “We had to discover who we are as a community and how to create an ‘X factor’ that’s unique to us. That eventually becomes a brand identity,” she explained. During their brand strategy work, Cates said they discovered it’s nearly impossible to find a sport you cannot do in the Rogue Valley, whether that’s soccer, baseball, whitewater rafting or one of many others. As they developed the new brand, several words and phrases came to the forefront when describing Medford and the Rogue Valley. “We’re diverse, inclusive and adventurous. But our most unique factor is that Medford is centrally located on the West Coast, making it a mecca for sports of all kinds,” she said.
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The Business Review | May 2022
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