City looks into supporting a local sport council
By Collin Gallant on September 12, 2017.
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com @CollinGallant City council is likely prepared to support a non-city effort to arrange, encourage and help local groups bid on bringing sport tournaments and other events to town. The idea of a Medicine Hat Sport and Event Council has been floating around for several years. Such a group would aid smaller-scale groups with a template for writing bids, seeking sponsorships, marketing events, and even blocking off weekends to avoid double-booking facilities or hotel rooms. Now, that could be accomplished via a joint effort of the Medicine Hat Games Society and the city’s contracted tourism provider, a committee heard on Monday. At this stage, the city is not being asked for financial support, though that request could appear in 2019 when the new city budget is due. “There is competition out in the world for sports tourism — provincial, national and international events,” Ron Webb of the Games Society told the public services committee. “Other communities are bidding on these events and we want (Medicine Hat) to be on an even footing.” The society brought the Alberta Winter Games to the city in 2016 and is now working to secure the 2018 World Under 17 hockey challenge. The Destination Marketing Organization is a private group of industry professionals that won the city’s tourism services contract three years ago. That group would take the lead, and with a $25,000 grant from the Games Society, to begin formal discussions about scope and partnerships. The money is half the surplus left over from the Alberta Winter Games budget which was earmarked for legacy projects. “It’s an increase in scope for a community of our size to help provide supports,” said Jace Anderson, executive director of the DMO. “At the end of the day it goes back into the community in terms of economics or community pride to bid on projects we might not otherwise.” Coun. Les Pearson has brought up the idea several times over the past two years, and on Monday said he fully supported the move. He said the city has made several attempts to cajole groups like the Medicine Hat Accommodation Association and sports groups into becoming better aligned, but efforts driven by tourism industry and community seems to have better traction. “When it was city-led, it didn’t lead anywhere,” he said. “There’s a need for this; the city has always been a partner and in the long-term, we’ve always provided our share.” Chair Coun. Julie Friesen said the two groups have a successful history and the partnership could be fruitful. Coun. Celina Symmonds said combining existing expertise and enthusiasm from a variety of groups is exciting. “I’m a big fan of collective impacts,” she said. Webb said the working group could promote partnerships among local groups, give advice about approaching national sport organizations, provide some networking for sponsorship and marketing purposes and co-ordinate plans. Ken Sauer, one of the founders of the Games Society, told committee that local landscapes have “wonderful” organizations working already within their sports and activities. The goal is not to replace them, he said. “With every bid there’s a standard set of resources (required) in the bid process,” said Sauer. “Rather that having them reinvent the wheel every time, we could provide some of that.” Administrators recommended council’s support the initiative, but stressed there is no extra money available in the 2017-18 city budget. Future funding would be part of negotiations on an extension of the DMO contract, said CAO Merete Heggelund. Event-specific grant applications to host events would continue to go through the regular channels at city hall, not through the DMO, said Anderson. 23
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