What a week in Palm Beach! The Playeasy team had an unforgettable time at the TEAMS Conference + Expo in The Palm Beaches. We want to extend our gratitude to our partners at SportsTravel & The Palm Beaches for hosting us! It was exciting to reconnect with familiar faces, make new connections, & explore the beauty of the Palm Beaches. Check out our recap of the week below!
What is TEAMS?
“TEAMS: TRAVEL, EVENTS AND MANAGEMENT IN SPORTS, is the world’s leading conference & expo for the sports-event industry. Presented by SportsTravel magazine, TEAMS ’23 will be held October 2–5, 2023 in The Palm Beaches. Launched in 1998, TEAMS attracts more than 1,000 attendees including CEOs, executive directors & event managers from sports organizations as well as representatives from sports commissions & convention bureaus, corporate sponsors, event suppliers & other hospitality industry opinion leaders. For more than 20 years, TEAMS has helped define the sports-event & appointment-based trade show industries.”
Hosts
Our hosts & partners at SportsTravel, Discover the Palm Beaches, & Palm Beach County Sports Commission orchestrated an incredible conference! The Palm Beach County Convention Center served as an ideal venue for the event. The 350,000 sq. ft. center was conveniently located just minutes from the host hotels, shops & restaurants. It boasted a 100,000 sq. ft. exhibit hall, a 22,000 sq. ft. ballroom, & more. The expo floor was transformed into an impressive array of exhibitor booths from across the country. All in all, it was a perfect Destination, venue & fun-filled week of conference events in sunny Florida!
Partnership Announcements
We were thrilled to announce our partnership with Simpleview just before heading to Palm Beach for the TEAMS conference. Our booth was busy with partners stopping by to walk through a live demo of the integration with Playeasy Co-founder & CTO, Jon Gorin. It was incredible to hear excitement from our partners about how this partnership will benefit them in their roles & feedback on how we can continue to integrate our platforms. We are so appreciative of everyone who stopped by to chat & provide feedback on our integration. Learn more about our partnership with Simpleview here.
Tuesday Highlights
The team arrived ready for a jam-packed week of events on Tuesday. After checking out the Palm Beach Convention Center, we headed to the National Croquet Center for the TEAMS ’23 Opening Celebration. The energy was high as the industry reconvened for the 25th annual TEAMS Conference + Expo. We enjoyed learning how to play croquet with center’s croquet experts & some of our partners – it was definitely an opening celebration to remember!
TEAMS Educational Session: The Shifting Economics of Hosting Events
- We were thrilled to listen to our partners speak in Tuesday’s sessions! US Sports Club Insurance, SportsTravel, Sports ETA, IHG Hotels & Resorts, & Perfect Game chatted about what the future may hold when it comes to the economics of hosting successful events.
Wednesday Highlights
The Playeasy team was excited for day 1 of meetings & sessions! We had lots of great conversations with exciting Organizations, Destinations & Partners making strides in the industry. The booth was buzzing with activity! Here are some of the day’s highlights:
SportsTravel Awards Luncheon (sponsored by ASM)
- The Awards Luncheon celebrated the winners of the 2023 SportsTravel Awards, the National Congress of State Games’ Athlete of the Year Awards & special lifetime achievement recognitions, & Compete Sports Diversity & the USOPC’s honorees. We also listened to members of the Florida Atlantic University basketball team share about their journey to the 2023 NCAA Men’s Final Four.
- Congratulations to our partners at Sports Salt Lake on the Best Host City Award & Visit Knoxville for the Best Professional Event, the 2023 Bassmaster Classic! Also, congratulations to the 2023 NCAA Tournament Women’s Final Four for Best Collegiate Event & the rest of the 2023 SportsTravel Award winners!
SportsLink/TEAMS Sessions: Collegiate Bid Cycles — What to Know and How to Win, NGB Updates,Opportunities in Adaptive Sports (Sponsored by Fort Wayne, Indiana)
- In Wednesday morning’s educational session, we heard from the NCAA & NJCAA on how to position Destinations for success in the upcoming championship bid cycles. Next, we heard key updates from leaders at a variety of national governing bodies about their upcoming plans. We also listened in on Opportunities in Adaptive Sports to learn the new strides being made for athletes in adaptive sports, from new competitions to potential new sports on the Paralympic program.
Spending Time with Our Partners
- We were grateful to spend time exploring Palm Beach with some of our partners! On Wednesday, the team enjoyed time at Barrio with Destination DC, Luau Night at E.R. Bradley’s with South Carolina Sports Alliance, & the Canopy by Hilton Rooftop with TEAMKentucky. Huge thank you to all who hosted us!
Thursday Highlights
Thursday began in full force with hot topics in several educational sessions. From how to diversify your sports events to the importance of collegiate sports, there was lots to learn for conference attendees! The Playeasy team wrapped up the conference with meetings, the closing luncheon, & said our farewells to our partners on the expo floor. Finally, we ended the week at E.R. Bradley’s for the the TEAMS ’23 Closing Party. Here are some of the day’s highlights:
SportsLink/TEAMS Session 3: The Importance of Collegiate Sports
- The collegiate sports ecosystem is a key pipeline for Olympic & Paralympic athletes. In this session, we heard how the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee works to support the collegiate sports system & what college campuses are doing to protect this important landscape & its events.
SportsLink/TEAMS Session 4: The Sustainability Factor
- In this session with Sail GP, Olympic Regional Development Authority, US Biathlon, & Salt Lake City–Utah Committee for the Games, we listened to how the issue of climate change being addressed within national governing bodies & from destinations that are factoring the climate into their event planning as a result.
TEAMS ’23 Closing Party
- To wrap up the week, the team headed back to E.R. Bradley’s for the TEAMS ’23 Closing Party. It was great to close out the conference together & celebrate the inspiring individuals & organizations in the industry!
A huge thank you to our hosts & partners at SportsTravel & The Palm Beaches for an incredible week. To all of our partners & new faces, it was great to see you! For any questions regarding your Playeasy profile, the Simpleview integration, or if you’d like to set up a time with our team, please contact us here anytime!