George Page, executive director Valdosta-Lowndes Parks and Recreation Authority, and Tim Riddle, general manager of the Valdosta-Lowndes Tourism Authority.
It’s a winning combination—great location, excellent facilities, and attention to details.
That’s the playbook that George Page, executive director of the Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks and Recreation Authority (VLPRA), has been using to recruit sports tournaments to the community.
Page has been representing the VLPRA at national sporting association conferences since 2012, and it’s paying off.
Last year, the VLPRA reported a $6 million economic impact based on 35 tournaments, with 16 requiring an overnight stay, resulting in approximately 8,000 room nights. In the past three years, the economic impact of sports tourism has reached approximately $16 million in Lowndes County.
“We have not scratched the surface in Valdosta and Lowndes County when it comes to sports tourism,” said Page, who arrived in Valdosta in 2011. “We are just rounding first base.”
To help accelerate the marketing efforts, Page has teamed up with Tim Riddle, general manager of the Valdosta-Lowndes Tourism Authority, to help promote a more unified effort in recruiting tournaments.
With an inventory of more than 4,000 hotel rooms, an abundance of restaurants, shopping, and entertainment, Valdosta-Lowndes County’s hospitality industry plays a significant role in accommodating overnight visitors.
Last year, Page and Riddle attended the National Association of Sports Commissions (NASC) conference to recruit tournaments that would be a “good fit” for Lowndes County.
Riddle explained that having both the sports facilities and tourism representatives recruiting at the same conference shows a community partnership.
“Teamwork is the key,” Riddle said. “A lot of our counterpart communities have either the tourism professional or the parks and recreation professional in attendance, but few have both—that sends a message that Valdosta and Lowndes County is serious about bringing tournaments and sporting events to our area.”
The competition is fierce, and Valdosta is vying against communities throughout Georgia and the entire Southeast for the opportunity to host tournaments.
“It is beneficial to have both of us there. George knows the ins and outs of the facilities and I can answer questions about accommodations, tourism, and financial assistance potential for events,” said Riddle. “Neither of us has to say, ‘I’ll get back with you on that question,’ because we are there working together.”
Page said it’s important for tournament organizers to know that they are dealing directly with the people who can make the decisions.
“Having both of us at the table allows us to make some immediate decisions,” Riddle said. “If there is a deal to be made, we are working together to make that deal.”
Their first trip to the NASC conference paid off. With an initial pitch to a representative with the Senior Softball Association, followed up by a site visit, Lowndes County was able to secure its first senior softball tournament.
Mike McDowell, VLPRA chairman, explained that it is the sports tourism side of the program that allows the VLPRA to continue growing.
“Overall, it’s a winning formula,” McDowell said. “Sports tourism allows us to build and maintain top-of-the-line facilities, which brings more tournaments, more tourism dollars, and a huge economic impact. It also means superior fields and complexes for the people we serve every day—the residents of Valdosta and Lowndes County.”
The VLPRA manages 19 fields at three parks—Freedom, South Lowndes, and Vollotton—scattered throughout the county. Thanks to a solid partnership with Valdosta State University, and the Lowndes County and Valdosta City school systems, the VLPRA also has access to enough fields to host larger tournaments.
“Everyone goes above and beyond to work together as a team to allow usage of the facilities not only for local recreational play but for tournament play as well,” Page said. “The reason our community has become so successful in the sports tourism industry in such a short amount of time is that we are reading and learning from the same playbook. We are committed to working together without barriers.”
Located equal distance between Atlanta and Orlando, Lowndes County’s geographical location makes it a gateway to South Georgia.
“Our prime location on I-75, with access to I-10 and I-95 as well as air travel, makes us an easily accessible destination, while our superb facilities are a draw for tournament directors,” said McDowell. “We continue to encourage tournament recruitment through facility maintenance, improvements, and construction.”
McDowell further explained that maintaining the current VLPRA facilities and adding new sports venues is the key to growing the sports tourism efforts.
The VLPRA is in the process of constructing eight new soccer fields and six new tennis courts.
“A new soccer complex and additional tennis courts will be critical as we broaden our tournament options,” McDowell said. “Our main focus has been baseball and softball, but the new construction allows for a diverse mix of sports.”
Page said the new fields are not being constructed with a “build them and they will come” philosophy.
“They are already coming,” he said. “We are running out of room, and the current fields have been here for years. It’s time to build more, not just fields but tennis courts and possibly a multigenerational facility that can be accessed by the community during the week and used on weekends by out-of-town visitors.”
You’ve heard it said, “Don’t sweat the small stuff,” well Page believes in “sweating” every detail. From clean restrooms to well-maintained facilities, the VLPRA staff takes pride in making a good first impression and an even better lasting one.
“When tournament directors and players get to town, the first thing they look for is to see if the park and facilities are clean,” Page said. “Are the bathrooms clean; are the fields properly mowed; has trash been picked up? With VLPRA, we are all about making sure our parks are clean when they arrive, and throughout their stay, on the hour, every hour, trash is being picked up.”
It is this high level of expectation and attention to details that has helped earn the VLPRA State Agency of the Year by the Georgia Recreation and Park Association (GRPA) for three years in a row. Page also received the 2016 Distinguished Professional of the Year from GRPA for his leadership in growing a parks and recreation program that meets the quality of life of its local community and continued recruitment of top tournaments.
“When we recruit tournaments, we make a promise that we are going to deliver excellent facilities and customer service,” Page said. “And while they are here we are following up on that promise.”
Page gives credit to the VLPRA staff for making each event a success and helping in the efforts to generate repeat business.
“The VLPRA staff is truly second to none,” said Page. “Our athletics and parks teams work tirelessly to get fields and facilities in pristine shape for tournament participants, sometimes working into the night or coming to the park at 3 or 4 in the morning to get fields ready. These tournaments simply wouldn’t be possible without these dedicated individuals.”
“The competition is tough, and we have to be on our toes,” said Page. “Other communities are doing all they can to take the business away, so when an event comes to our town, we go above and beyond, even the small stuff.”
Page said the goal is for VLPRA to retain current tournaments for future years while recruiting new events.
“Our goal is to continue increasing our economic impact each year,” Page said. “With two additional tournaments in 2017, I hope we can reach the $7 million [economic impact] before Dec. 31.”
The two new tournaments in 2017 will bring in more than 100 teams requiring over 2,500 room nights.
Tennis anyone?
Suzan Prince, president of the Tennis Valdosta Community Tennis Association and a member of the Valdosta-Lowndes Parks and Recreation Authority Board.
The VLPRA is in the process of constructing six new tennis courts at the Henry B. Anderson Tennis Center, located at McKey Park, across from Valdosta Middle School.
With the new courts, the total number is 18, which greatly benefits Lowndes County’s growing tennis population and provides enough courts to begin recruiting state championships at the junior and adult levels.
The VLPRA and Tennis Valdosta Community Tennis Association (CTA) have hosted numerous regional youth and adult tournaments. The regional tournaments last two days and have approximately 400 participants.
“Having 18 courts will mean we can attract state level championship tournaments that would bring about 800 players for a three-night stay,” said Suzan Prince, president of the Tennis Valdosta CTA. “There is a checklist of requirements, including having a minimum of 45 lighted courts to host state tournaments.”
The 45-court inventory must include courts that are lighted and similar in structure within a short distance from each other. In addition to the 18 courts at the McKey Park, the Tennis Valdosta CTA partners with Valdosta State University and the Lowndes County Schools to use courts.
In selecting a host community, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) looks at the proximity of the courts, availability of hotel rooms, restaurants, and entertainment opportunities.
“We have everything within proximity to each other, including the hotels, restaurants, shopping, Wild Adventures and movie theaters. These are the things that the USTA is looking for when selecting a community,” Prince said. “The USTA wants the players to be happy when they come to a community, to be entertained and taken care of, not just while they are on the court but also off the court as well.”
Prince is confident that with the additional new tennis courts Valdosta has everything it needs to be selected for an USTA state level championship tournament.
“I am proud of our community,” said Prince, who competes in USTA tournaments throughout the Southeast. “I think we have a lot to offer, especially after visiting other communities. We rank a lot higher with entertainment and things to do. Really, the only thing lacking is the number of courts available.”