How sports act as a community driver and what planners can learn
There’s nothing that draws conversation toward you like wearing a hat for your favorite sports team. If you haven’t been a part of it, you’ve probably seen this conversation unfurl before your eyes:
“Hey, are you a [insert favorite team] fan?”
“Of course! Are you?”
Following this could be minutes to hours of relating to one another—be it about sports, business or personal matters. The point being: Strong connections can be made through sports and sporting events; as a meeting professional—new or seasoned—you understand that connections are at the center of meetings and events. Outside of the direct event, designed to bring people together, sports can bring your groups together in an altogether different way, through engaging shared experiences.
Much like how meeting planners create engaging experiences for your group, cities, their respective sports teams and sports venues also have a way of engaging and creating memorable experiences with their local community, something meeting planners can leverage to make their events even more memorable by getting their groups involved during and around sporting events and engaging with the local community.
Why a sports venue?
Sports venue developments across the United States have been booming in recent years, with events like FIFA World Cup playing in two sports venues in Orlando and two in Atlanta in 2025 and 2026.
In 2028, Las Vegas will be the recipient of the much-anticipated MLB A’s Stadium on the Las Vegas Strip, whose team is scheduled to move to the city in 2028 and whose stadium broke ground just last month. “The new infrastructure that these stadiums and arenas bring to the destination provides additional world-class venue options for exceptional group events,” says Rebecca DeLuca, vice president of destination sales for Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
Read More: Notes from the Road: Las Vegas
Jamie Bruce, president of Teneo Hospitality Group, a luxury hotel representation firm, agrees with DeLuca regarding Las Vegas’ ability to host exceptional group experiences. “Las Vegas continues to stand out as the ultimate destination for large-scale spectator events—home to iconic viewing parties, professional boxing and championship-level MMA [mixed martial arts] fights,” he says. “The city’s infrastructure is purpose-built for spectacle, and planners can create high-energy experiences for groups even when they’re not in the stadium itself.”
Last year, Las Vegas was the host of UFC 306, dubbed “Noche UFC,” in celebration of Mexican Independence Day at Sphere. And it wasn’t only championship-level MMA fighting. This was the first time UFC held an event with such a high level of production, with stories highlighting Mexican culture shown between fights on its 366-foot, 270-degree screen.
“Beyond traditional meeting spaces, sports venues offer a unique energy,” says Charlene Lopez, executive vice president and chief sales officer of Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau (ACVB). “Entering a state-of-the-art facility, you can almost hear the stadium roar and picture defining moments. From the scent of fresh turf in a football stadium to the clean court of a basketball arena, the experience is unmatched from a traditional venue.”
Bruce says sports venues offer three things: atmosphere, exclusivity and emotion. “Sports venues allow planners to tap into high-energy environments and deliver unexpected moments—like dinners on the field, behind-the-scenes access to locker rooms or programming in premium skyboxes. These venues also lend themselves well to brand storytelling and sponsorship integration,” he says.
“Beyond traditional meeting spaces, sports venues offer a unique energy.”
– Charlene Lopez, executive vice president and chief sales officer of Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau (ACVB)
Along with offering live sports, sports venues also provide meeting spaces for groups of all sizes, Matej says. “For example, Kia Center, home to the Orlando Magic, or Camping World Stadium, which hosts traditional college football games, can be the perfect venue to host a closing night concert.”
Camping World Stadium and Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando and Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta are hosts of FIFA Club World Cup in 2025 and 2026, driving major economic stimulus and attention to the cities’ local businesses and attractions.
“These not only provide our residents and visitors, including business travelers, with more activities to create meaningful memories with family, friends and colleagues,” Matej says, “but also provide Visit Orlando and our destination partners increased opportunities to leverage these events to enhance our national and international visibility by showcasing that Orlando has the large-scale venues and infrastructure to host major events.”
Why engage in a city’s sporting culture?
“More than ever, we’re seeing many meeting planners tapping into the energy of Atlanta’s deep sports culture,” Lopez says. “As sporting events continue to evolve into more immersive experiences, planners are using that energy to engage attendees in creative and meaningful ways.” Atlanta is home to several sports venues, like Mercedes-Benz Stadium, where the MLS’s Atlanta United and the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons play, and State Farm Arena, where the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks play.
“Orlando’s local sports landscape is as diverse as it is dynamic, and with group options ranging from VIP seating at an NBA game to pre- and post-game experiences with our two pro soccer teams, it will enhance any group’s event,” says Casandra Matej, president and CEO of Visit Orlando. Orlando is home to a long roster of teams, including the NBA Orlando Magic, MLS Orlando City Soccer, NWSL champion Orlando Pride and the new Pro Volleyball Federation Orlando Valkyries; the last two are defending champions.
For meeting professionals looking to include any of these teams to heighten their group’s experience in the city, they all offer group packages. Another idea Matej suggests planners consider: hosting a sports-focused event at an Orlando bar. “Connected to Orange County Convention Center (OCCC), planners will find Descend 21 at Hyatt Regency Orlando and FastBreak at Hilton Orlando. Just walking distance from OCCC is Tom’s Watch Bar on International Drive and Sport & Social, which is part of the new Live! at the Pointe entertainment district, which can also accommodate large groups. Nearby the Convention District is the recently opened Stadium Club at Caribe Royale Resort.”
“Orlando’s local sports landscape is as diverse as it is dynamic, and with group options ranging from VIP seating at an NBA game to pre- and post-game experiences with our two pro soccer teams, it will enhance any group’s event.”
– Casandra Matej, president and CEO of Visit Orlando
Groups that want not just to watch sports but also to engage have a list of activities to keep blood flowing. Bruce mentions a couple of Florida-based venues that, while they aren’t at the city’s stadium, offer sports-related activities. “Properties like Saddlebrook Resort in Tampa, known for its world-class tennis and golf training academies,” he says, “and Trump National Doral Miami, home to PGA-level courses, give planners the opportunity to integrate sport-specific programming, training and team-building into the agenda. These destinations deliver the same high-touch emotion and exclusivity as stadiums—but with a resort-style backdrop and built-in programming.”
Bruce says Teneo is seeing a significant uptick in event planners leveraging sporting events to create more memorable experiences for their attendees. “With the 2026 World Cup, 2028 Olympics and Rugby World Cup on the horizon, we’re seeing planners get proactive—building incentive trips and VIP experiences around these events and others,” he says.
“They’re going beyond just attending the event and creating tiered programs around it. We’ve already seen advanced compression in host markets like Los Angeles, Miami, Dallas, Atlanta and New York, where many of our clients are fielding early RFPs and premium buyout interest well into 2026 and beyond.”
“Sports venues allow planners to tap into high-energy environments and deliver unexpected moments….These venues also lend themselves well to brand storytelling and sponsorship integration.”
– Jamie Bruce, president of Teneo Hospitality Group
Why involve and showcase the community?
Matej notes that the Orlando Magic and its players regularly engage with the local community, often by hosting interactive fundraising events at Orlando’s hotels and attractions. “The Magic also offers groups exclusive game-day experiences, which can include cutting down the nets after the game, participating in a flag presentation prior to tip-off, taking a group photo (for up to 200 people) on the court and creating special on-court recognition presentations,” she adds.
Just a few examples of the Magic giving back to its community:
- The Orlando Magic Youth Foundation’s signature fundraising event, the Orlando Wine Festival & Auction, held on March 1 at Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World, raised a record of nearly $2 million for the Orlando Magic Youth Foundation (OMYF), benefiting at-risk children in Central Florida.
- The Magic’s annual Pick, Read and Roll program offers over 4,500 fourth and fifth graders from low-income, Title 1 schools in Orange County the chance to attend a special event at the Kia Center with Magic players.
- Magic center Wendell Carter, Jr. hosted his Topgolf & Spades for Service fundraiser to benefit A Platform² Foundation and the VA Center for Development & Civic Engagement STEM programs—enabling the organization to kickstart the innovative initiative designed to empower veterans with valuable skills.
Much like the teams who give back, Orlando gives meeting planners who stop by plenty of opportunities for their groups to get involved with the local community. Matej offers a couple of examples of past success stories, such as when members of the Tile Council of North America Inc. (TCNA) donated custom, handcrafted tiled doghouses to the Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando during Coverings 2025, the largest ceramic tile and natural stone conference and exhibition in the U.S. and North America, held at OCCC.
Reaching across the chasm of misunderstanding between meeting profs and audiovisual teams, InfoComm 2025, the largest exhibition and conference in North America for the pro AV industry, takes place at OCC and has hosted off-site Integrated Experience Tours. These tours, given at both “Drawn to Life,” the creative collaboration between Cirque du Soleil and Disney, and Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, present attendees with the opportunity to see real-world AV applications and learn directly from the local technical teams involved.
Atlanta’s spirit weaves its way through its sports venues, thanks to its art and culinary offerings. “Here, you can truly immerse yourself in the city’s unique spirit, from savoring local chef-driven cuisine to admiring artwork curated by Atlantans,” Lopez says. “It’s an incredible way for visitors to experience authentic Atlanta while cheering on our home teams.”
“Mercedes-Benz Stadium…has one of the largest public art displays in Atlanta and the Southeast, showcasing sports and the history and culture of Atlanta,” Lopez says. “The stadium also has an array of local restaurants to try, including Williamson Brother’s BBQ, H&F Burger and Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks.” Lopez also highlighted the culinary experiences on display at State Farm Arena, where Atlanta native and award-winning chef G. Garvin serves as “Chief Culinary Officer.”
Lopez explains, “He oversees the food experience across the arena and has integrated the best aspects of Atlanta’s culinary scene into it, including J.R. Crickets, a famous Atlanta wing spot. For a unique game-day experience, visitors can visit Killer Mike’s S.W.A.G. Shop in the arena, a barbershop where you can watch the Hawks play while getting a fresh cut.”
What are the logistical considerations?
While hosting an event around a sporting event is packed full of fun, it isn’t without its problems. “Compression is intense in primary markets,” Bruce says. “Cities like Los Angeles and New York are already showing signs of group displacement and inventory scarcity. Planners should start earlier than usual, stay flexible with timing and consider adjacent destinations that offer more value and availability.
Where Bruce says he’s seeing success is with shoulder-season events and hybrid programs that leverage a main sporting event without dealing with peak pricing and inventory constraints. High-demand sporting windows mean steep competition for hotel space, transportation and dining,” he says. “It’s essential to lock in block space well ahead of time, build flexibility into your event timelines and explore alternatives in adjacent or secondary markets.”
Matej says timing is something planners should always keep top of mind to ensure that there is a sporting event occurring during a group’s time in our destination. “Fortunately, it’s easy to align a group’s agenda to Orlando’s sports calendar as sporting events occur year-round,” Matej says. “Orlando is a hub for major international soccer events, so there is a strong chance if a group meets during the summer months, they can catch some of the top international teams and superstars on the pitch.”
