Program

All attendees are required to visit the TEAMS ’26 Registration Center to pick up their credentials, which must be shown for all TEAMS sessions, transportation and social functions.

Need a place to meet up? Connect with business colleagues old and new in a relaxed setting at the TEAMS Welcome Center.

In partnership with the Sports Events & Tourism Association, take the next step toward earning your Sports Tourism Strategist (STS) designation while gaining practical insights from industry leaders and peers.

Your destination has great facilities, hotels, restaurants and attractions. The question is: Why should the event organizer or rights holder choose you?

In this interactive Sandler session, you’ll discover how to move beyond pitching your destination and uncover the business problems, priorities and motivations driving the decision. You’ll learn how to ask strategic questions that differentiate you, create stronger sales conversations and help you get into the W column more often—while generating greater economic impact for your community.

You’ll leave with a practical Sandler Questioning Plan you can apply immediately in your next conversation with an event decision-maker.

This course costs $399 for Sports ETA members, $499 for non-members. 

To register, click here.

The best endurance events are more than a course, a finish line and a race weekend. They are partnerships built around a clear understanding of the event, the destination, the community and what success should look like for everyone involved. This interactive conversation brings together perspectives from event development, destination strategy and the global mass participation industry to explore how destinations and rights holders can build stronger, more sustainable endurance event partnerships.

The discussion will begin with “The Discovery Gap,” examining the initial questions destinations and event owners should be asking before a deal is signed. From there, the conversation will move “Beyond Race Day,” exploring how destinations and event organizers can responsibly build experiences around an event to encourage athletes and their supporters to arrive earlier, stay longer, explore the community and create greater value without losing the authenticity that made the event attractive in the first place.

What would happen if we stopped asking how to make something 10% better and started asking what the 10x move could be?

In this presentation, Toni Will explores the mindset required to think significantly bigger, using the Kalamazoo Wings’ move into a brand-new downtown arena in 2027 as a real-time example of what 10x thinking looks like in the sports industry. From there, she turns the conversation toward women in sports and the ways we can unknowingly limit our own vision, opportunities and ambitions by thinking incrementally.

Blending professional and personal stories with practical application, Toni challenges attendees to identify where they may be playing smaller than they realize and what could become possible if they expanded the vision. Attendees will leave with a 10x worksheet designed to help them move beyond inspiration and begin building their own 10x vision.

In addition, get information about the Women in Sports Tourism group and how you can get involved in their efforts across the industry.

What if bidding on sports events were simpler for everyone involved? Brandon Esler of EventConnect and Angel Natal of Perfect Game explore how rights holders, CVBs and sports commissions can reduce the manual work and friction in the bid process using new tools, connected data and automation.

From event requirements and hotel performance to economic impact and shared measures of success, they’ll look at how technology is making the entire process faster, smarter and easier for both sides.

Sports tourism destinations increasingly recognize the opportunity to host disability-inclusive sporting events—but true readiness goes far beyond ramps, parking and accessible bathrooms. From the athlete and fan journey to transportation, hotels, venues, communications, staff training and event operations, every touchpoint can determine whether an experience is simply accessible or genuinely welcoming. This interactive panel brings together experts to share real-world lessons and challenge common assumptions about what it takes to host inclusive events.

Drawing from the Blueprint for Hosting Disability Inclusive Sporting Events, developed by Lakeshore Foundation and All In Sport Consulting, we will explore practical strategies for preparing destinations before the bid, during event operations and beyond. Attendees will learn how to assess readiness across five key areas—People, Places, Process, Information and Partners—and how to leverage existing facilities, engage people with disabilities in decision-making, and move beyond compliance to create experiences that athletes, fans and visitors want to return to. The goal: Don’t just make your event accessible. Make your destination ready.

How can a volunteer-run venue collaborate with the right stakeholders to attract major event producers? This panel shares the story behind bringing America’s oldest professional ballpark to a nationally broadcast, major-league stage for MLB at Rickwood Field, a tribute to the Negro Leagues. To meet modern code, the entire project had to preserve its historic resonance while rebuilding almost everything underneath it. Hear from the people who bridged history for modern baseball audiences, working on the ground in Birmingham to set the conditions needed to convince the League that MLB at Rickwood Field was possible. This session is a playbook for anyone trying to bring a marquee event to a non-traditional location.

New to TEAMS—or returning after a few years? This session is your insider’s guide to making the most of every moment. Learn how to navigate the expo floor, get the most from your appointments, pace yourself through a busy week, and turn your attendance into measurable business success. Hear firsthand from veteran event organizers, destination representatives and Northstar Meetings Group organizers as they share practical tips, proven strategies and real-world examples of how to thrive at TEAMS. Walk away confident, prepared and ready to make your investment in the conference pay off.

Welcome to TEAMS ’26! In this Opening Session that serves as a kickoff for TEAMS and the Olympic and Paralympic SportsLink program, receive welcomes from Jason Gewirtz from the Northstar Meeting Group Sports Division, local Birmingham dignitaries and the USOPC as we get the conference off to an energetic start.

Then settle in for a discussion with some of the heroes of the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Games as we reflect on the key moments and lessons learned from one of the most memorable Games in history.

During this fast-paced reverse trade show, meet with event organizers to fill available spots on your appointment schedule or discuss other times to meet during TEAMS. The marketplace is designed for quick check-ins so make sure you are not depriving others of their time to meet with event organizers, who will be stationed at designated tables.

Open to event organizers, exhibitors and sponsors only.

Enjoy a relaxing, unstructured hour on the TEAMS Expo Floor, getting to know key contacts in the sports-event industry whom you haven’t met and reintroducing yourself to the people you do know.

Buses will run on a loop to and from the TEAMS '26 Opening Celebration.

Baseball has been part of Birmingham for more than 125 seasons. And since 2013, the home of the Birmingham Barons has been downtown’s Regions Field. The Barons have been home to such players as Bo Jackson, Frank Thomas and Michael Jordan. And now the team’s stadium will serve as host to our Opening Celebration, where you’ll be able to explore history and take the field for some fun interactive experiences. Meet new people, learn about Birmingham’s rich past, and enjoy our home run of a celebration with your fellow TEAMS ’26 attendees!

Start the morning off with a sunrise yoga session before the busy day ahead.

All attendees are required to visit the TEAMS ’26 Registration Center to pick up their credentials, which must be shown for all TEAMS sessions, transportation and social functions.

Need a place to meet up? Connect with business colleagues old and new in a relaxed setting at the TEAMS Welcome Center.

Start your day with a fast-paced, information-packed session unlike any other at SportsLink. Leaders from multiple Olympic and Paralympic national governing bodies will deliver rapid-fire updates on upcoming events, membership initiatives and strategic priorities. Speaking for a few minutes each, they’ll share the key insights and opportunities your organization needs to know to plan future events, build partnerships and stay connected to the Olympic and Paralympic Movement. Walk away with a wealth of knowledge across a variety of sports—and what your destination can do to attract more events.

SportsLink sessions are open to all TEAMS attendees.

One-on-one appointments will be held on the expo floor.

Join your fellow attendees as we announce the winners of the 2026 SportsTravel Awards in this celebration of the sports-event industry. Sports ETA will provide an high-level overview of the the industry; The National Congress of State Games will also present its Athlete of the Year Awards and lifetime achievement recognitions; Compete Sports Network will honor its Person of the Year for their diversity efforts; and The Above and Beyond Foundation will bestow a special award to an outstanding individual in the hospitality industry who has exceed the mark on a daily basis.

One-on-one appointments will be held on the expo floor.

 

Step inside one of the nation’s leading centers for Paralympic sport during this exclusive offsite experience at the Lakeshore Foundation in Birmingham, Alabama—the first USOPC-designated Paralympic Training Site in the country.

For nearly a century, Lakeshore has been at the forefront of adaptive and Paralympic sport, combining elite athlete development with a deep commitment to creating opportunities for people with disabilities throughout Alabama and beyond. Today, it serves as the official training site for Team USA’s wheelchair rugby, powerlifting and boccia teams, while its newly opened Sports Science and Performance Center is helping redefine what’s possible for the next generation of Paralympic athletes.

Hear directly from Lakeshore leaders and athletes, experience Paralympic sports through live demonstrations, and get an inside look at the facilities and programs driving Lakeshore’s impact. The session will offer destinations, sports organizations and event professionals a firsthand look at how a world-class training center can simultaneously develop elite athletes, engage a community and advance the Paralympic movement.

Attendees must RSVP for this event. Sign-up details to come.

Continue your networking by joining us for a networking happy hour near the convention center. 

This is your opportunity to enjoy an open night and discover all that Birmingham has to offer! 

Transportation to and from the Late-Night Lounge will run on a loop.

Complete your night out in Birmingham and rejoin fellow TEAMS ’26 attendees at the TEAMS Late-Night Lounge, the extended-hours networking opportunity pioneered by the TEAMS Conference. The lounge heads to an amazing destination where family and friends of all skill levels come together for fun and exciting experiences. Play competitive games on world-class simulators; listen to some great music; and get some unstructured time with your fellow TEAMS ’26 attendees. Whatever your speed, Fairway Social has something for you.

Start the morning off with a sunrise yoga session before the busy day ahead.

All attendees are required to visit the TEAMS ’26 Registration Center to pick up their credentials, which must be shown for all TEAMS sessions, transportation and social functions.

Need a place to meet up? Connect with business colleagues old and new in a relaxed setting at the TEAMS Welcome Center.

One-on-one appointments will be held on the expo floor. 

This session will feature TEAMS Trends Showcase presentations on forward-looking topics of interest to the industry.

TEAMS Trends Showcase sponsored by:

9:45 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
"Do’s and Dont’s of Representing Your Brand or Event"

10:05 a.m. to 10:20 a.m.
"The API Myth: Why 'Connected' Isn't the Same as 'Built Together'"
 

 

The Olympic and Paralympic Games are coming to Los Angeles in 2028 — but the opportunity to be part of that experience extends far beyond Southern California and far beyond LA28. In the lead-up to the Games, Team USA intends to spark a ground swell of community engagement — unifying and activating ecosystems partners to ignite excitement and tell the stories of where the journey began: our local gyms, community pools and hometowns. 

What could that mean for your community, your athletes and your events? Hear directly from the USOPC about their ambitions, where destinations and sports organizations can plug in, and how communities can use the momentum surrounding LA28 as a springboard to engage fans, celebrate athletes and create lasting connections to the Olympic and Paralympic Movement. 

SportsLink sessions are open to all TEAMS attendees.

The event may belong to someone else—but that doesn’t mean you can’t own the fan experience. U.S. Soccer didn’t organize the FIFA World Cup, yet the organization saw an opportunity to strengthen its role as the national governing body and bring fans closer to the sport. By creating a dedicated watch-party experience in Venice Beach, staging beach soccer demonstrations, partnering with host committees in markets such as the Bay Area and Seattle — and navigating FIFA’s rules around commercial and promotional activity — U.S. Soccer found creative ways to make its presence felt. The result was more than fan engagement: local businesses benefited from increased foot traffic, communities gained new opportunities to connect with the sport, and U.S. Soccer gained valuable insight into new ways to activate around a major global event. 

In this session, U.S. Soccer will share what worked, what they would do differently and the lessons they learned along the way—offering NGBs, host cities and event organizers of all kinds a playbook for building brand awareness, creating meaningful fan experiences and finding new ways to make a major sporting moment their own as the world turns its attention toward LA28.

SportsLink sessions are open to all TEAMS attendees. Lunches will be available to attendees of this session.

In our closing session, we'll pass the TEAMS flag from our hosts in Birmingham to our 2027 hosts in Milwaukee — a ceremony you won't want to miss! You'll also get a welcome to TEAMS Europe in Manchester, UK, and TEAMS Asia Pacific in Singapore. And be on hand to hear the winners of the Best Booth Contest sponsored by TrophySmack.

And then settle in for a discussion with one of the most influential leaders in the sports industry — SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. In a fireside chat with SportsTravel Managing Editor Ted Keith, Sankey will discuss the changing landscape of collegiate athletics and what it could mean for events in the future.

One-on-one appointments will be held on the expo floor. Appointments begin at 2:00 p.m.

Buses will run on a loop to and from the TEAMS '26 Closing Party.

Celebrate the end of TEAMS ’26, courtesy of our future host cities, as we look forward to TEAMS ’27 and beyond! Enjoy an evening at Back Forty Birmingham, located near historic Sloss Docks. Back Forty brings innovation to both the brewhouse and the kitchen, pairing fresh, locally brewed craft beer with a chef-driven menu rooted in classic culinary techniques. Wind down our TEAMS experience with some great live music and a look ahead to TEAMS ’27 in Milwaukee and beyond.

And make sure to stay to find out which event organizers will win our Event Organizer Incentive Contest!