Sport Tourism Canada has officially launched its fully redeveloped STEAM (Sport Tourism Economic Assessment Model) platform. This project represents a ground-up rebuild of both the online STEAM and STEAMPRO models, delivered in partnership with Canadian organizations Signal49 Research (formerly operating as The Conference Board of Canada) and Integra Design Studio.
The enhanced system features a modernized architecture, improved functionality, and expanded capabilities designed to support economic impact forecasting and event planning across Canada. By integrating community-specific data and an updated user interface, the tool utilizes current Canadian economic data to measure how sport hosting impacts local economies and social cohesion.
“The launch of this new STEAM tool provides our members with unparalleled precision and insights,” said Derek Mager, Sport Tourism Canada’s Project Manager of Economic Impact. “It is a vital step forward in demonstrating the true value of sport tourism to Canadian communities.”
“This redevelopment ensures that the Canadian sport tourism industry continues to have access to world-class tools for demonstrating the power of sport events in driving economic benefits,” explained Sheena McCrate, Chief Executive Officer of Sport Tourism Canada. “By integrating more granular, community-specific data and a modernized user interface, we are empowering our members to tell a more compelling story of how sport hosting strengthens local economies and fosters social cohesion across the country.”
All registered STEAM users and Sport Tourism Canada members should have received a personalized email with detailed instructions on how to activate and log into their new accounts for the first time. Members requiring assistance accessing their accounts or with questions about the platform can contact Sport Tourism Canada directly for support.
Testimonials
“I had a great experience using Sport Tourism Canada’s new STEAM platform. The user-friendly, visually appealing tool was well laid out and very easy to navigate, which is a blessing for people who are new to the sport tourism sector. In particular, the auto-save feature that saved my work as I pulled in information was very helpful so that I could come back and plug in more numbers as they became available to me, without any concern of losing my work. This new platform is a game-changer, and I would highly recommend using it to anyone in the industry!”
- Jeremy Hick, Sport Tourism Assistant, Tourism London
“For every destination serious about hosting sport events, STEAM is the best tool available. The new platform is easier to use, more efficient, and provides greater clarity throughout the economic impact assessment process. The enhanced reporting features and streamlined user experience have helped us better communicate the value of sport tourism to stakeholders, partners, and funders. This is a significant step forward for the industry and continues to be an essential tool for demonstrating the impact and community value of hosting sport events.”
- Eric McLoughlin, Tourism Product Development Specialist – Sport Tourism, Tourism Hamilton
“The STEAM tool has been very helpful in providing credible data to support discussions around sport tourism and event investment. What stands out to me is how it helps translate visitor activity into clear economic outcomes that decision-makers can understand. For smaller communities, having access to this type of data is especially valuable, as it allows us to demonstrate the economic benefits of hosting events and make informed decisions about future opportunities. Economic developers can also use the data to support funding requests, build business cases, engage stakeholders, and better understand how events contribute to local business growth and visitor spending. The upgraded platform is easy to use and provides insights that help showcase the impact sporting events have on local businesses, tourism, and the overall economy.”
- Lorie Watson, Economic Development Specialist, Town of Okotoks
About Sport Tourism Canada:
Sport Tourism Canada is a member-based, capacity-building, not-for-profit organization that promotes sport tourism as a grassroots economic and social development initiative at the community level, servicing over 100 municipalities, 90 national and provincial sport, multi-sport and major games organizations and other industry partners. We aim to increase Canada’s capacity to attract and host sport tourism events by: establishing Canada as a preferred sport tourism destination; enhancing the image and profile of the sport tourism industry; facilitating networking, educational and communication opportunities; developing and facilitating access to industry tools; building investment in sport tourism from public and private sectors and coordinating research and data collection of activity within the sport tourism industry.
Media Contact:
Josh Bell
Communications & Sponsorship Consultant
[email protected]
Are you interested in using primary data collected from event attendees at your event? Work with an STC Economic Impact Consultant to analyze the actual economic impact of your event in a specific Canadian community. Contact Sport Tourism Canada today to learn more.