Connect Sports is proud to announce a partnership with the Sin City Classic that will ensure this year’s Connect Sports Diversity Summit will be the most engaging and productive in its five-year history.
Sin City Classic will be the presenting partner of the summit, to be held May 24-26 at Red Rock Casino Resort and Spa in Las Vegas. Connect Sports Diversity Summit includes three days of one-on-one appointments, networking, education and best practices, as well as memorable experiences unique to Las Vegas.
A multi-day sports festival featuring 24 sports held each January, the Sin City Classic draws more than 10,000 LGBTQ+ athletes, allies and fans to Las Vegas—making it the largest annual LGBTQ+ sporting event in the world. Sports include basketball, dodgeball, kickball, swimming, soccer, bowling, softball, flag football, volleyball, esports and many more.
Coordinating those efforts are sports leaders who are responsible for logistics, including site selection and operations of multiple sporting events outside of their Sin City Classic duties. Many of these planners will be in attendance at Connect Sports Diversity Summit and will share their experience in developing LGBTQ+ events to benefit planners and suppliers.
"We are excited to partner with Connect for the Diversity Sports Summit. This is a great opportunity for diversity sport planners to explore many great event venue options while also learning more about the specific needs and interests of the diverse LGBTQ+ community. It also offers a chance to network and discuss the challenges we’ll all face in pivoting back to live sporting events over the next few years", says Ken Scearce, Executive Director, Sin City Classic.
The partnership means that CVBs, hotels and venues will have a chance to connect with a greater number of elite event organizers who are tapped into the valuable LGBTQ+ travel and events markets. As an example of the power of the community, The Gay Games, which has sent representatives to the diversity summit each year, estimates its 2018 event had an economic impact of more than $100 million—with 40% of its 10,317 participants traveling from outside the Paris metropolitan area, where the 2018 Games were hosted.
“Sin City Classic is a leader in LGBTQ+ multi-sport events, and its wealth of experience and knowledge will greatly benefit attendees at the Diversity Sports Summit ,” says Patrick Higgins, Connect’s vice president of marketplaces. “Not only will this partnership bring a record number of LGBTQ+ sporting event organizers to meet with cities, hotels, and venues, but we’ll be offering some very impactful education and best practice sharing for our attendees as well.”
As it has throughout the pandemic, Connect will implement safety protocols to ensure attendees can have peace of mind while getting back to business.
