Industry Spotlight-Jason Sands, Kemper Sports
How did you first break into the world of sports tourism, and what hooked you for good?
My first job in the sports tourism world was with the EVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour, where I helped the owner and his wife with all aspects from marketing to operations (setting up 50 nets at midnight on Chicago’s North Ave beach lol) to sponsor sales. It was such a fantastic experience for a 24-year-old sports nut that grew up on the shores of Lake Michigan – I was hooked! When we did an event in Lake County, Indiana, I met the Sports Tourism representative there and saw that he got to work on 20+ events in a year, consisting of everything from golf events to professional bowling events and youth tournaments – that’s when I was really hooked. I knew that’s where I needed to be! I jumped on with them, and here I am 20 years later, so grateful and appreciative of all the amazing people I’ve met along the way.
What’s a recent project or event you’re especially proud of, and what made it stand out?
I’m just proud of what my team and I accomplished in Fort Worth. We built Fort Worth into a force to be reckoned with in the sports tourism game, and we did it one relationship at a time – one event at a time. We focused on delivering for our clients, and we did it with integrity and good old-fashioned hard work.
How have you seen the sports tourism industry evolve over the past few years, and where do you think it’s headed next?
We all know the industry has been steadily growing the past 20 years, but the pandemic made city leaders step back and take notice. We are seeing communities starting to invest in nice sports facilities that their residents can enjoy and be proud of, but also facilities that will drive tourism and economic growth on the weekends. The strategy of investing in sports tourism has been proven out time and time again, and you are going to see more and more communities build these demand generators to kick start their local economies.
If you could fix one misconception people have about sports tourism, what would it be?
I don’t think most people understand how much work goes into executing a successful sporting event. There are 20+ different things you have to make sure are on point, from marketing plans, sponsorship sales, volunteer coordination, hotels, community engagement, and on and on. Often, the sports tourism department is one or two people responsible for all of that – for one event! If you multiply that times the 30+ events or so that most are hosting in a year, you start to get a better sense of the ground these professionals cover.
What role does community impact play in your business development strategy?
Incorporating the community into your sports tourism efforts is so important. We have the opportunity to have a profound impact on the communities we live in through the relationships we build and the events we bring in, and you have to make that connection when you can. We talk about leveraging the power of sports, and that goes beyond driving heads in beds. Sports can inspire kids to be great, and if we can help create that spark in a kid, that’s what it’s all about.
What’s one sports moment (personal or professional) that changed your life or career path?
I don’t know if I can choose one moment, but I know that sports were a big part of my childhood, and I think that helped shape me into who I am today. My dad was a huge sports fan – Notre Dame football, IU Basketball, and all Chicago sports teams (except the Cubs – go Sox!) – and he would take our whole family to games all the time, and it's memories I’ll cherish forever.
Outside of work, what sport, team, or athlete do you enjoy following the most?
I was fortunate enough to grow up during the Jordan era in Chicago, so there is no debate in my mind who the GOAT is. MJ was just on another level, and those Bulls teams were so fun to watch.
If you weren’t working in sports tourism, what would you be doing instead, and why?
If you’re in sports tourism you are service-oriented, so I think I would be in the service business in some way, shape, or form.
You’re working on a dream project within your dream destination. Where are we going and what’s happening?
The great thing about my job today is I get to work with communities all over the country to help them build their dream facilities for their residents, and that’s extremely rewarding. We know how much of an impact a nice sports facility can have on local kids and a city as a whole, so to be able to help our partners realize these dreams and build facilities that will change the trajectory of a community is something I take great pride in.
Who’s someone in the sports world (living or legendary) you’d love to grab coffee (or a cold one) with, and what would you ask them?
I wouldn’t mind spending some time with Tiger to see if he could help me with my golf game.
What’s in your “event day survival kit”? (No judgment here… Energy drinks, lucky socks, secret Scooby snacks?)
Caffeine – in all forms!
What’s the most unexpected or hilarious thing that’s ever happened at one of your events?
We used to manage a half-marathon on the shores of Lake Michigan, and part of the course was a 5-mile stretch of a very narrow running trail. As I was setting up at 4 am, I took the rental van down that trail and made the wise decision to try to turn around. I ended up getting the van stuck – completely blocking the trail! As you can imagine, I was FREAKING OUT! It took me about 45 minutes, but I finally got it out. I’ve never lived that down.
If sports tourism were an Olympic event, I’d take gold in…
Parking – you give me a grass lot and a thousand cars, and I can make magic happen!
What’s your go-to hype song when you need to get pumped for a long day on-site at an event?
Can’t go wrong with Rage Against the Machine.
If PUSH Magazine gave you a free billboard in Times Square for one day, what message would you put up for the world to see?
Let’s GOOOO!!!