The economic benefits spill over to the community . “ Sports events , primarily youth sporting events , are great for any destination because they bring families ,” notes Tim Buckley , director of Sales and Marketing for the Ocean Center , the area ’ s most prime facility for major sporting events . Event organizers “ want places that people can bring their children to compete in the tournament and also make a vacation out of it ,” he says . “ It ’ s great for the hotels , shops and restaurants that all get to see an impact from these types of events .”
And “ families ” are exactly who tourism promoters are working to attract .
Tim Buckley
“ Hosting quality , family-friendly events is something every destination strives for and we are lucky to have a community and leadership that understands that ,” Little emphasizes .
A welcoming spirit and Daytona Beach ’ s facilities and natural features are key to the National Cheerleaders Association and National Dance Alliance returning for 2½ decades to host their most elite annual competition .
“ Our customers love the atmosphere . The city of Daytona Beach is the perfect backdrop to recognize these young people for their hard work , dedication and talent ,” comments Bill Boggs , director of the NCA and NDA College Programs . In past years , those “ customers ” have included up to 300 teams and upward of 8,000 registered participants – with
Bill Boggs
10,000-15,000 spectators , many of them family members . The Ocean Center , historic oceanfront Bandshell and also nearby Peabody Auditorium “ are a perfect setup for events like ours ,” Boggs says .
And the five-day event is arranged to enable the athletes and their families to enjoy at least one free day of the beach and area attractions .
Sport competitions are more resilient to economic downturns - even pandemics . “ Like everyone , 2020 was a struggle ,” says Buckley of Ocean Center activity . “ Sports events , however , were the first market to bounce back from the pandemic for us , and attendance for many of these events continues to exceed projections .” The Ocean Center has had more than 138,000 sporting event attendees in the first three-quarters of this year , more than the total for all of 2019 .
“ People look to sports as a way to get back to some sense of normalcy ,” adds Robert Eubank , director of Sales and Marketing
| 6 | EVOLVE BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEUR MAGAZINE National Cheerleaders Association