DistiNCtly Fayetteville’s recent Sports Commission Initiative is poised to sharpen the competitive edge of Fayetteville and Cumberland County’s sports tourism industry. Since the Commission's launch in April, they’ve only grown more intent on making Fayetteville and Cumberland County a go-to location for marquee events.
“In North Carolina alone, there are eight other sports commissions supporting their communities. Several rights-holders of events and tournaments will not consider destinations unless they have a sports commission to support it,” said Devin Heath, President and CEO of DistiNCtly Fayetteville. “In order for us to be competitive, we created the Fayetteville/Cumberland County Sport Commission.”
Sports Commissions across the country have positively impacted local economies, and Heath believes Fayetteville and Cumberland County are no different. He says they plan to attract tournaments and events by developing a comprehensive strategy, galvanizing the stakeholders, supporting the development of facilities, and developing resources. It’s a promising strategy.
The National Association of Sports Commissions describes this need for specialization in tourism promotion saying, “All across the nation, communities are realizing the massive economic and public relations impact sports can have on a city. Capitalizing on this impact requires special people with unique insights into this market. A special, dedicated effort led by community volunteers and ably assisted by quality staff members can make sports a major force in economic development or revitalization.”
With Heath’s 30-plus years of tourism marketing experience, they’re off to a running start.
Though momentum is building, DistiNCtly Fayetteville is still working overtime to position itself as an attractive destination for amateur and professional sporting events. They’ve booked a couple of tournaments since launching and identified several others that will not consider Fayetteville and Cumberland County on the basis that they do not have enough outdoor bleachers for their events.
Heath says they’re working on sourcing bleachers so they can attract those events. They also need volunteers to work on various aspects of the events. Volunteers fill crucial roles that ensure attendees can focus on enjoying themselves while the event infrastructure functions seamlessly in the background.
In the future, volunteers may have the opportunity to contribute to a signature FCSC sporting event. Heath believes a signature event would be in line with their overarching focus.
“This will promote wellness in our community
and ... provide educational opportunities for community members to learn the sports and tourism industry,” Heath said.
Benefiting the community is at the center of FCSC’s mission. According to DistiNCtly Fayetteville, the Commission will initially focus on building local partnerships and improving and developing sporting facilities.
“The community is critical to our mission to make Cumberland County a nationally known destination. Through the commission, we are bringing key players to the table to ensure we’re all working collectively to promote what makes our region distinct,” Heath said.
Heath is optimistic about what the region has to offer and says to expect good things from the Commission moving forward.
“The future is very bright for Cumberland County and with the partnership and forward-thinking efforts of the community, we will become the destination to beat.”
Those interested in volunteering with the Fayetteville and Cumberland County Sports Commission can contact Devin Heath or Rachel Obermeier, Director of Sales & Sports Commission, at their respective emails: dheath@distinctlyfayettevillenc.com and robermeier@distinctlyfayettevillenc.com