The TEAMS 2009 Conference & Expo - the world's largest gathering of event organizers and travel planners from the sports industry - attracted a record-setting number of attendees October 13-17 in New Orleans.
With 1,426 total registrants and a record-setting number of event organizers, TEAMS 2009 posted nearly a 20 percent increase in attendance.
Presented by SportsTravel magazine, TEAMS: Travel, Events And Management in Sports, provides a dynamic environment for deal-making between event organizers, host destinations and suppliers to the sports-event industry.
In addition to nearly 12,000 pre-scheduled one-on-one appointment sessions during the TEAMS Expo, TEAMS 2009 also featured its trademark Mating Session, which featured brief presentations from nearly two dozen event rights holders and on-site appointment setting with more than 100 sports organizations.
Headline-making educational sessions included:
- An Olympic Update with former USOC CEO Jim Scherr, who reviewed Chicago’s unsuccessful bid for the 2016 Olympic Games and predicted U.S. team performance for the Vancouver and London Olympic Games.
- A report from the president and CEO of the Association of Chief Executives for Sport on that group’s call for the resignations of USOC Acting CEO Stephanie Streeter and USOC Board Chairman Larry Probst.
- A General Session with Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, on the current state of the travel industry and its prospects for a near-term recovery.
- An off-site General Session held on the field at the Louisiana Superdome featuring an emotional look back at Hurricane Katrina and the role the facility has played in the rebirth of New Orleans.
- The SportsTravel Awards Luncheon with a keynote address from Paralympian Chris Waddell, who just returned from reaching the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro--the first paraplegic to achieve that feat.
"We truly appreciate the support and participation of the sports-event organizers, sports commissions, convention bureaus and industry suppliers who made TEAMS 2009 in New Orleans such a wonderful success," said Timothy Schneider, publisher of SportsTravel magazine.
"The success of the TEAMS Conference reflects the health and vitality of the sports-event industry, even during difficult times. We feel privileged to connect so many of the stakeholders in the sports world in ways that result in a positive impact for all."
The SportsTravel Awards Luncheon concluded with the announcement of Charlotte, North Carolina, as the host of TEAMS '10, which will be held October 19-23, 2010. An advance TEAMS '10 registration form with a money-saving early-bird registration rate is available at TEAMSconference.com.
The TEAMS Conference & Expo is organized by Schneider Publishing, the Los Angeles-based company that publishes SportsTravel and Association News magazines. Earlier this year, TEAMS was named one of the 50 fastest-growing trade shows across all categories by Tradeshow Week magazine for the fifth time.
For more information, visit TEAMS '10 Conference & Expo
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