February 8, 2012

Who would have thought a commercial for Chrysler could have stirred up as much reaction as Clint Eastwood's Super Bowl ad? If you watch it closely, some of the clips (including the one of the U.S. flag that still flies in what used to be center field of the old Tiger Stadium) were recycled from Eminem's 2011 commercial (see links below).

While we're on the topic of automobile commercials, General Motors has a beautiful spot airing called "Morning in Hamtramck," (click here) which showcases another area of Detroit. It's hard not to love those Chevy commercials with Michigander Tim Allen providing the voiceovers.

February 5, 2012

Here it is. The sequel to Eminem's spot from last year's Super Bowl. And Chrysler's done it again. Makes us proud to be going to Detroit! Click here.

February 1, 2012

The announcement that TEAMS '12 is going to be held in Detroit has been met with an incredibly positive response! We're glad to see everyone is as thrilled as we are about heading to Motown in October.

People are still buzzing about the "Imported from Detroit" ad Chrysler aired during last year's Super Bowl (click here to watch it). All of the Big Three automakers will be airing commercials again this weekend during Super Bowl XLVI, and we're all excited to see what they have in store. Go Pats! Go Giants! Go Detroit!

January 23, 2012

This year we're doin' it in the D! I am happy to report TEAMS '12 will take place in Detroit, a great American sports mecca, October 1-4 at the Cobo Conference & Exhibition Center. The city of Detroit is built on the themes of renewal, reinvention and renaissance and we look forward to partnering up with our hosts—the Detroit Sports Commission and the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau in partnership with Pure Michigan Sports—and embracing those themes at TEAMS '12.

Since 60 percent of the U.S. population lives within a 90-minute flight of Detroit, I hope to see you all on the trade show floor. Please stay tuned throughout the next couple of months for more exciting details.

To get in on the action and join me in the D, give me a call at (877) 577-3700.

January 20, 2012

Friends and colleagues! The big announcement on TEAMS '12 is just around the corner. Stay tuned for information on dates, location and more! Looking forward to seeing you all in one of America's greatest sports cities...

We’d like to thank everyone who made TEAMS ’11 possible, and hope everyone had as much fun as we did in fabulous Las Vegas! We had a blast at the Big League Dreams Sportspark and at Haze Nightclub at Aria, and were happy to see another Expo full of appointments and enlightening sessions at the Encore Theater and Las Vegas Convention Center.

And while they say what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, we’d like to invite all TEAMS ‘11 attendees to take a few minutes and complete our brief TEAMS ’11 Conference Evaluation Form, available here. We’re always trying to make each TEAMS Conference better than the last, and this is just one more way for us to continue to make TEAMS as fun and productive as possible.

And remember, check back here for our announcement of the dates and location of TEAMS ’12! An advance registration form with the money-saving early bird registration rate is available by clicking on the “Register Now” button on top of this page.

Our morning General Sessions have ended, but the Expo floor remains open until 5 p.m. this evening! Be sure to be on hand at 3 p.m. when we announce the winner of the Event Organizer Prize Contest, and award one organization an iPad 2!

And remember, from 7:30 p.m. - 10 p.m. we will be hosting the TEAMS '11 Closing Party at Haze Nightclub at Aria, one of the hottest spots in town. We'll see you at the club!

The TEAMS Unconference has just wrapped up, and Jim Knight of the Hard Rock Cafe has just finished his "Culture that Rocks" session in the expo hall. One main sentiment was echoed by all who presented this afternoon: Keep it real. No matter the size of your city or event, keep it as authentic as possible and you'll see positive results.

That wraps up the day's sessions, but we're not done yet! Our late-night plenary session with Johnny Avello at the Wynn Sports Book starts at 10 p.m. And until then, enjoy the strip!

Welcome to TEAMS '11 in fabulous Las Vegas! We're already looking forward to the Opening Celebration tonight. Rain or shine, we will be heading to the Big League Dreams Sportspark, where we have a lot of surprises waiting!

Can't wait to see you there! 

It's time to tee it up at TEAMS '11! TEAMS '11 attendees interested in 18 holes of championship golf can sign up now for the Seventh Annual TEAMS Golf Tournament! The tournament is being held at the Canyon Gate Country Club's private golf course, and will be played as a four-person scramble, with a shotgun start at 12:30 p.m.

Attendees will be provided with round-trip transportation from the Encore to the course, with buses departing from the hotel at 11 a.m. 

To register for the TEAMS ’11 Golf Tournament, click here. Should you wish to rent clubs (the rental fee is $50), please e-mail  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call her toll-free at (877) 577-3700. Long and straight my friends.

The TEAMS ’11 Exhibitor Manual is now available online! Please click here if you’ve purchased a booth and are planning to exhibit. The Exhibitor Manual includes all of the information an exhibitor or sponsor needs in planning for their exhibits at TEAMS ’11.

We’re on pace for a record-setting number of exhibitors at this year’s expo, which will be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center. There’s still plenty of time for you to reserve exhibit space if you have not yet done so. Please call Yvonne Garcia (Eastern U.S. and Canada), Ilana Edell (Western U.S.), or me toll-free at (877) 577-3700 if you want to be a part of TEAMS ’11--the world’s most dynamic deal-making environment for sports-related travel!

The TEAMS '11 Preliminary Conference Program is now available online! You'll notice the TEAMS Expo hours have changed and that the Mating Session will take place right in the expo hall. These changes are a result of the feedback we've received from past attendees combined with our efforts to keep TEAMS at the leading edge of the sports-event industry.

Click here to see the TEAMS '11 Preliminary Conference Program.

See you in Vegas!

An invocation and the National Anthem are hollowed parts of practically every sporting event.

In this video that's gone viral, you will discover, however, that "prayer" and "somber" are not necessarily one in the same. My prediction is that Pastor Joe Nelms will be showing up in a lot of different places...perhaps at an event near you!

Click here to see the NASCAR prayer.

As we prepare to travel to New Orleans for DMAI's Annual Convention, I am pleased to announce that Schneider Publishing has renewed its Alliance Partnership with DMAI. We truly value the terrific relationships we've built with DMOs and see our support of DMAI as way of strengthening this industry that is so important to the economic and cultural well being of our nation and world.

I'm also happy to announce that we'll be supporting the opening of what is sure to become an institution on the city's vibrant landscape, the I Club, owned by legendary New Orleans jazz musician Irvin Mayfield. DMAI members will be among the first to set foot in this new club as we'll be hosting the opening-night party at the I Club beginning at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 20 (following the conclusion of the DMAI Opening Celebration).

To join us at the I Club (which is located a short walk from the Sheraton), please This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or see any one of our team members during the DMAI activities on Wednesday, July 20, including the DMAI Opening Celebration. You must get an admission ticket from one of our team members in order to attend as this will be an exclusive, unique opportunity to support the New Orleans hospitality industry.

We look forward to seeing you in New Orleans and hope you'll also stop by and see us in Booth #500 at the DMAI Business Exchange! Guess the total number of poker chips on the craps table at our booth and win $1,000 toward your TEAMS '11 participation.

Mere hours after the NBA's CBA expired, check out what happens when you click on your favorite team's roster of players. Interestingly, no photos, no stats, no team! You immediately get redirected to NBA.com. I wonder, along with many of you, how long will this last? 

While I didn't sleep in all 151,000 hotel rooms in Las Vegas, I'm pleased to announce our choice for the TEAMS '11 Headquarters Hotel—Steve Wynn's latest masterpiece—the Encore at Wynn Las Vegas. 

Encore Las Vegas and its sister property, Wynn Las Vegas, collectively hold more Forbes five-star awards than any other casino-resort in the world and it is considered to be one of the world's finest hotels.

Always striving to provide the finest experience for our attendees, you'll enjoy a luxurious Resort Suite King with at least 700 square feet of space, floor-to-ceiling windows and 42" flat-panel televisions all for a special group rate of $169 per night!

I look forward to see you there!

Click here to book your room nights at the special TEAMS rate.

There's nothing better than America's pasttime for bringing people together and few things better than a stadium suite for promoting business networking in a relaxed atmosphere. That was certainly the case when the Association of Chief Executives for Sports (ACES) gathered for its Spring Conference, which was held at the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort in Phoenix. On the last evening of the conference, attendees were treated to a fun contest between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Atlanta Braves, courtesy of TEAMS and ACES sponsor SMG.

Special thanks to Derrick Hall and Tim Martin of the Diamondbacks for providing a great setting at Chase Field for an exciting game (the D'backs pulled out a win in extra innings). A little sports-related hospitality can go a long way toward achieving business and professional goals and I was glad to see our team members, including Managing Editor Jason Gewirtz, Event Organizer Liaison Nicole Goddeyne, Advertising Sales Manager Teri Burke and Publisher Tim Schneider, mixing it up with the NGB execs and SMG reps.

We're looking forward to seeing all of you again at TEAMS '11 in Las Vegas!

L-R Schneider Publishing's Teri Burke, Stephen Ducoff of ACES (who donned his retro Milwaukee Braves baseball cap), USA Wrestling's Rich Bender, David Askinas of USA Taekwondo and yours truly enjoying good times and my favorite sport at Chase Field in Phoenix.

Furthering my point, SportsTravel's Managing Editor Jason Gewirtz (left) interviews Joe Jacobi, CEO of USA Canoe/Kayak during the game. 

I'm happy to tell the sports world online registration for TEAMS '11 is now open. Register now. Register your colleagues. The more the merrier.

Click here for registration.

Hello sports fans! I invite you to check back regularly as I will be providing exciting updates on what will be happening at TEAMS '11 in Las Vegas. I'll also be sharing success stories from many of our exhibitors and sponsors as well as inside information on what it takes to be successful in the sports-event industry.