With more than 20 years in the industry, veteran hospitality executive Roy Edmondson announced Monday his new series of tourism-based conferences across all market segments. The first-class, Express Conferences, will focus on intimacy and affordability and will include events in the Association, Corporate, Incentive, LGBTQ+, SMERF, Sports and Student-Youth industries.
Unlike other industry events, the Express Conferences are founded upon maximizing interactions with the industry’s most active event rights holders. The first event, Sports Express, is scheduled to take place in January 2021, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and will bring together some of the industry’s top national governing bodies and event rights holders to meet with C.V.B.’s, sports commissions and other sport destination organizations, suppliers and vendors.
“With Sports Express in its fifth year, the proven model allows attendees the unique opportunity to meet with high-level decision makers in an intimate setting,” said The Express Conferences President and CEO Roy Edmondson. “Sports Express will serve as the foundation to provide an all-inclusive, four-day experience that is unlike any other in the respective industries.”
The unique format is focused around limiting attendance to assure a 2-to-1 ratio of sellers to buyers, which allows for an abundance of relationship-building opportunities. The small U.S. based business will limit attendees to 90 individuals per conference.
“There is a need now, more than ever, for intimate events with limited attendees to ensure safety and a high level of return on investment. The Express Conferences fill that need,” said Edmondson.
Additionally, the conferences also include a half-day community service effort for all attendees and a portion of registration fees go directly to charity. The Express Conferences will feature 10 events in 2021 and the association and corporate market will be divided into three conferences based on the total meeting space required by the planner. Beginning after Sports Express 2021 in Myrtle Beach, the sports market will be divided by outdoor sports, indoor sports and esports.
Joining Edmondson as Director Sports/Esports Business Development is Jeff Dyrek, a highly successful sport management executive with experience in Olympic, professional, and youth sports. Dyrek has spent over a decade working within the Olympic movement with National Governing Bodies (NGB) as the National Events Director at USA Triathlon, Director of Marketing at USA Water Polo and most recently, Chief Executive Officer for USA Badminton.
With seven years in the tourism and hospitality industry, Rashika Patel will serve as Director of Events. Patel comes from Visit Anaheim, formerly known as Anaheim Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau, where she held numerous roles in tourism, administration/finance, marketing, sports and events.
Joining as Director Sports/SMERF Business Development, is sports management professional Rob Coggin. With more than 15 years as the Director of League Operations for the National Collegiate Roller Hockey Association (NCRHA), Coggin has also worked with USA Hockey and USA Volleyball and has produced the National Collegiate Roller Hockey Championships since 2006.
Jake Mason will round out the team as Director LBGTQ+ Business Development. Mason brings 10 years of experience as the USA Dodgeball President and as the founder of WeHo Dodgeball, has mentored LGBTQ+ athletic organizations nationwide.
For more information on The Express Conferences please visit: http://theexpressconferences.com
For more information on Sports Express please visit: https://sports-express.org/
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