April 22

Thank you for your patience as we have worked through many of the details of the impact of COVID-19 on CSTA, and in particular Sport Events Congress. I know it has affected everyone in the sport tourism industry significantly, and we continue to prepare for the time when sport can contribute to the recovery of the economy and the country from this devastating time. We do have some good news to share!

Sport Events Congress 2020 – 2024

We are pleased to announce that SEC21 will be held as originally planned on March 8-10, 2021 at The Westin Ottawa. We look forward to holding SEC22 in Edmonton and will announce the exact dates once they are confirmed. We appreciate the gracious collaboration of our SEC host partners at Ottawa Tourism and Edmonton Events, as well as Richmond Sport Hosting and Tourism Winnipeg. In the case of Richmond and Winnipeg, they have each agreed to delay their hosting opportunity of SEC by one year, to 2023 and 2024 respectively. This is a remarkable example of what our sport tourism industry can accomplish together. Anyone who had registered for SEC20 will receive a separate email in the coming days from a member of the CSTA team with updated information.

2020 PRESTIGE awards

The 2020 PRESTIGE awards presentation, recognizing outstanding sport events, sponsors and people from 2019, has been postponed. It will now take place at Sport Events Congress 2021 in Ottawa in March of 2021. We look forward to honouring all of our finalists during the PRESTIGE Awards Luncheon at that time.

Because so many sport events have been postponed or cancelled in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the nomination period for 2020 and 2021 will be combined, with those awards planned to be presented at the Sport Events Congress planned for 2022.

Anyone affected by the changes to the PRESTIGE program in 2020 will be contacted in the coming days by a member of the CSTA team with respect to each person’s particular situation.

2020 Sport Events Directory

The Sport Events Directory is now available. The 2020 edition contains profiles of over 300 sport events that are available for bid. It can be downloaded from the Members Only section of the website.

CSTA COVID-19 Recovery Webinars

We had tremendous participation in the first of our complimentary series of COVID-19 Recovery Webinars. We have more planned and hope to incorporate some of the speakers and presentations originally scheduled for SEC20 as part of the program. The schedule of webinars is updated regularly on the CSTA website. The next one Using Economic Impact Data in Your COVID-19 Recovery Strategy​ (Presenter: Derek Mager) takes place on April 23rd at 1:00 p.m. Eastern. If you can’t participate in person, the sessions are recorded and posted online.

COVID-19 Response and Recovery Resource Center

The pandemic is uncharted territory.  While the magnitude of closures and distancing measures are still unknown, we do know that we will turn this corner. More importantly, we know consumer behaviour and event protocols will forever be changed. To help you manage your response, and plan for your recovery, we have developed an online resource center. It includes links to many of the current resources available, including practical guidance, access to experts, updates on projections and revised best practices.

Sport Tourism Advocacy

History has shown us that sport is an essential part of the economic recovery for our communities. However, we need the support of all levels of government to ensure that Sport Tourism is well positioned to make this happen.  We have launched a COVID-19 advocacy campaign and will continue to assess the needs of the sector through feedback from our members and lobby to drive the change and support needed.

Industry Surveys

We have conducted one survey of our municipal members and another of our provincial, national and multi-sport organizations and other rights holders to gain insights on how the pandemic is affecting their operations. Your feedback is invaluable in our continuing efforts to advocate on behalf of the industry with our elected officials.

Sport Tourism Recovery Task Force

Sport tourism will be a central element in recovery strategies as we emerge from this current crisis. We are leading the creation of a national Sport Tourism Recovery Task Force, and we are excited to share the details of this initiative as it unfolds.

There is no playbook for situations such as these, but we share the belief that sport tourism will be a central element in recovery strategies across Canada and around the globe. I am confident and reassured that, supported by our dedicated human resources complement and our Board of Directors, we will weather this challenging period. We are here to support you through the challenges,  and work with all of our stakeholders to rebuild our vibrant sport tourism industry.

Best regards,

Rick Traer, CEO