CLEVELAND — After another year in which it continued to attract some of the top sports events in the country to Cleveland, the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission has been named 2019 Sports Commission of the Year by the Sports Events & Tourism Association.
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“To be recognized by Sports ETA means so much to the credibility of our organization and validates all the hard work our employees, interns, board members, volunteers and valued partners put into planning and executing our hosted events year in and year out," David Gilbert, President and CEO of Greater Cleveland Sports Commission, said in a release. Our team takes a significant amount of pride in what we do for our community, and this award embodies that pride."
The 2019 calendar year was a significant one for the GCSC, as it led efforts to be awarded 10 future events, including the 2021 NFL Draft. The total of these events are expected to provide an estimated $117.6 million boost to Northeast Ohio, moving the GCSC closer to its goal of an $850 million impact by 2022.
In addition to the 2021 NFL Draft, the sports commission hosted 13 national and international competitive events during 2019, including four NCAA Championships, USA Triathlon Age Group National Championships and Major League Baseball All-Star Week. These events helped generate an estimated $87.8 million for the local economy.
The Sports Commission of the Year award is presented annually to "a destination member who has made the most exceptional impact on their local community through sporting events and visitor spending during the 2019 calendar year." The Greater Cleveland Sports Commission previously received the honor in 2007.