Greensboro No. 2 on 2024 Best Sports Business Cities for Attracting and Hosting Events
Sports Business Journal (SBJ) has released its 2024 Best Sports Business Cities (BSBC) rankings and Greensboro has been ranked No. 2 as SBJ’s Best Sports Business City for Attracting and Hosting Events without a Big Five team.
The rankings are a comprehensive analysis focusing on U.S. cities that have demonstrated recent success in attracting and hosting a diverse array of sporting events.
“This recognition underscores our city's unparalleled dedication to hosting world-class events and showcases our ability to thrive in the sports industry,” said Greensboro Area Convention and Visitors Bureau president/CEO Henri Fourrier. “It's a testament to the collaborative spirit and unwavering commitment of our community to create unforgettable experiences for athletes, fans, and visitors.”
In unveiling this year’s rankings, SBJ highlighted Greensboro's exceptional achievements and the city’s critical role in the ever-growing sports business industry.
“Greensboro continues to add some impressive sports events to our resume,” said Greensboro Sports Foundation president/CEO Richard Beard. “And with our City Council making youth and amateur sports and sports tourism top priorities, this recognition validates our progress and energizes our community to seek even more sports tourism opportunities. Greensboro should be very proud of our ranking and our standing above some major cities with major league sports franchises.”
SBJ's 2024 BSBC rankings are the result of an extensive database, including 1,500 events that took place or were awarded from January 1, 2017, through December 31, 2023, while considering cities with their own convention space, sports venues, and dedicated sports commission/CVB staff as stand-alone markets.
"The comprehensive methodology involved weighing each city's contributions, from new venue constructions to the diverse array of hosted events,” said Abe Madkour, publisher and executive editor at Sports Business Journal. “The result of this year’s list is not just a ranking but a testament to the dedication, competition, and dynamism within the sports travel and tourism sector. This list is a reflection of the cities that have truly embraced and excelled in the people-based industry of hosting remarkable sporting events."
The top five cities in this list are: Fort Worth, Greensboro, Birmingham, Louisville and Palm Beach County. The full list can be found in the March 18, 2024, edition of Sports Business Journal.
About Greensboro Area Convention and Visitors Bureau
The Greensboro Area Convention and Visitors Bureau is an independent, non-profit governmental authority whose mission is to aggressively market Greensboro’s assets, maximizing economic impact while providing excellent visitor service.
Travel and tourism generated more than $1.5 billion in Guilford County in 2022, employing more than 11,000 in travel-related jobs, according to “The Economic Impact of Travel on North Carolina Counties” study prepared for Visit North Carolina by Tourism Economics.
About Greensboro Coliseum Complex
The Greensboro Coliseum Complex is a versatile multi-building facility that serves the community of Greensboro and its surrounding areas. It hosts over 1,100 events per year including athletic competitions, cultural arts showcases, concerts, theater performances, educational activities, fairs, exhibits, as well as public and private gatherings, including conventions, convocations, trade shows, and consumer shows. It plays a crucial role as a hub of community activities and significantly contributes to the regional economy. The Complex is made up of nine venues, the largest being the renowned 22,000-seat Greensboro Coliseum.
About Greensboro Sports Foundation
The Greensboro Sports Foundation is the local organizing committee for the major sports events contested at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex and throughout Greensboro including those presented by the ACC, NCAA, U.S. Figure Skating, USA Swimming, USA Gymnastics and the Amateur Athletic Union, among others. Greensboro Sports Foundation’s sports tourism efforts create economic development that benefits not only Greensboro but also central North Carolina.