The destination marketing organisations of Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William, and Stafford counties have announced the launch of SportsNOVA, a new regional sports tourism partnership that will market Northern Virginia as a premier destination for sports travel events.
With the goal of generating economic impact and fostering community development in the US region, destination partners will work collaboratively to attract multi-sport and large single-sport events that can only be accommodated through a collective effort.
Along with this new brand announcement, the group also launched its website – SportsNOVA.com – to promote the region’s top-tier sports facilities, full- and select-service hotels, world-class attractions, shopping, award-winning wineries and breweries, and convenient access to major airports, Amtrak, and Metrorail service.
“As sporting events continue to be the catalyst for America’s recovery post-COVID, SportsNOVA is an innovative approach to creating a community collaborative to market Northern Virginia,” said Al Kidd, president and CEO of Sports ETA, the trade association for the US sports events tourism industry. “SportsNOVA is a smart solution to attract event rights holders to the area’s diverse portfolio of venues.”
Located just west of Washington, D.C. and within a day’s drive of 50% of the US population, Northern Virginia features an array of tournament-capable indoor and outdoor venues, from universities, mega sportsplexes, and arenas to sites with large clusters of rectangular and diamond fields, basketball and volleyball courts, sheets of ice, pools, and other facility types.
Major sports venues include George Mason University, Virginia’s largest public university with multiple facilities; ION International Training Center, a 90,000-square-foot facility with two NHL ice sheets and 3,500-seats; PWC Stadium Complex, a championship baseball stadium with three, 300-foot softball diamonds and an eight-lane USA BMX Track; and Jeff Rouse Swim and Sports Center, a 76,000sqft sports complex housing a 50m Olympic pool.
To ensure the success of tournaments and competitions hosted in the region, the SportsNOVA team will provide event planners with a variety of support services, including assistance with sports facility and hotel selection, tourism information and special offers, vendor recommendations, volunteer recruitment, and event marketing and promotion.
Previously hosted events in the Northern Virginia region include the World Police and Fire Games, USA BMX East Coast Nationals, Senior PGA Championship, Virginian and WAGS Soccer Tournaments, Virginia Special Olympics Basketball Championships, and MYHockey Tournaments, among many others.
“It’s a huge benefit to Virginia whenever neighboring destinations can forge strategic partnerships to bid on and book major sports events,” said Danish Saadat, national sales and marketing manager for Sports Virginia, Virginia Tourism Corporation’s sports tourism division. “By ensuring a seamless planning and hosting experience for rights holders and their athletes, SportsNOVA has set itself up to compete for and land major tournaments and competitions.”
For more information see SportsNOVA.com
Main image: PWC Stadium Complex in Prince William County, VA