By Erin Reed, The Sun News, Myrtle Beach, S.C. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News
Apr. 12--Archers, agile dogs and wannabe baseball stars are helping Myrtle Beach grow its sports tourism agenda, a fairly new initiative the city started last year.
The three events, one of which has already passed, are new to the city's sports tourism program this year and, combined with three events returning from last year, make for six such events in Myrtle Beach this year.
Though professional sports have experienced some tough knocks along the Grand Strand, most recently with the cancellation of the Stingrays indoor football team's franchise, Myrtle Beach's sports tourism initiative has grown since City Council approved it in September 2002.
City Council earmarked $50,000 toward the program last year and $40,000 this year. City staff use that money either as incentive for tournaments to come here or to help the tournaments with equipment, setup and staffing.
What the city gets in return is millions of dollars pumped back into the local economy through hotels, meals, accommodations taxes and other expenses, and first-time visits from new tourists.
About 5,000 people from as far away as California and Colorado came to Myrtle Beach last year for sports tourism events, according to city figures.
'They're coming from some of our nontraditional markets,' said Jimmie Walters, the city's Cultural and Leisure Services director. 'We are, hopefully, building a base for people to come back and spend their vacations here.'
The first four events, lured here in 2003 with city money, had a $1.4 million economic effect on the city, according to city figures.
Along the Grand Strand, 23 events brought more than $30 million to the area, according to Coastal Carolina University's Coastal Federal Center for Economic and Community Development. Leading that group was the DuPont CoolMax World Amateur Golf Tournament. Other events included in the estimate were the Bi-Lo Myrtle Beach Marathon and the Beach Ball Classic high-school basketball tournament.
Area tourism leaders also have stepped up efforts to lure sports events. The Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce has a full-time employee focusing on sports tourism and has plans to attend trade shows sponsored by the National Association of Sports Commissions and the Amateur Athletic Union.
Of the four events brought to Myrtle Beach in 2003 -- the National Quiz Tournament, National High School Coaches Association Golf Tournament, Triple Crown Sports Eastern Regional Championships and the National Karate-Do Federation Tournament -- only one decided not to return.
The National Quiz Tournament won't be back because it couldn't guarantee enough room nights for the Radisson Plaza Hotel in relation to how much space it needed at the Convention Center.
Six events have been confirmed for 2004, and two are pending: a paintball tournament and the U.S. Conference of Mayors golf tournament.
Discussions are under way for other events, as well.
City Superintendent Nancy O'Connor was put in charge of the program in June, and she said she looks for nontraditional tourism events such as the archery tournament.
'I'm pleasantly surprised at how enthusiastic some of the groups I've approached have been about coming to Myrtle Beach,' O'Connor said.
She said groups don't always require monetary incentives; sometimes they just want a little help from the city in setting up or providing staffers.
City officials say the biggest detractor in luring events here are limited facilities. They'd like to see more ballparks and other fields.
'There's only so much you can do in our existing space,' O'Connor said. 'Sports tourism is out there ready for us to take advantage of. And I think if we get to the point where we can grow our facility capabilities, our program could be really successful.'
NEW EVENTS THIS YEAR:
--Archery Shooters Association tournament: April 1-4 near Crabtree Gym and Southpark Village
--The U.S. Dog Agility Association competition: April 23-25 at Coastal Federal Field
--Extreme Dreams baseball reality TV show: tryouts May 8 at Coastal Federal Field
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(c) 2004, The Sun News, Myrtle Beach, S.C. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.
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