ECONOMIC WINS
All Sports Association’s impact goes beyond simple financial measure
The Oklahoma City All Sports Association has a saying: “When we win, the city wins.”
That couldn’t be more true when it comes to the association’s economic impact.
This is the association's 60th anniversary. And, looking back through its history, its annual economic impact likely has exceeded tens of millions of dollars each year.
Indeed, numbers provided to the association by the Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau show its average annual economic impact to the community since 1999 has been about $42 million — a total of about three-quarter billion dollars.
That impact generates both immediate and longer-term benefits for the community.
Tim Brassfield, executive director of the association since 1999, thinks the original organizers of the volunteer group probably weren’t thinking about its economic impact when they formed it in 1957.
“When the organization was founded, it was done by a group of guys who wanted to do it because they felt it would be a lot of fun,” Brassfield said. “They wanted to put on some great events that all of their families loved to attend.”
Then, of course, the group’s hallmark events were the All College basketball tournament and a concerted effort to bring professional baseball to Oklahoma City (a successful endeavor prompting the city to build All Sports Stadium at the city’s fairgrounds).
But over the years, the organization attracted various other sporting events to town involving college baseball, softball, basketball and wrestling.
It continues to work to bring additional sporting events in as well, forever eyeing both what initial organizers wanted — fun events people enjoy attending
— and continuing to promote the Oklahoma City brand on a national and international stage.
How impact is figured
The association calculates its economic impact using a formula provided by the Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Specifics aside, a general rule of thumb says that every dollar spent during one of these events for ticket sales, lodging, food, other entertainment and travel turns over (is spent) another seven times.
So, when 20,000 people show up in Oklahoma City for a six-day event — say, an NCAA wrestling tournament — that means a lot of money is being spent locally that otherwise might be getting used somewhere else.
Those people are staying in local hotels, eating in local restaurants, using local transportation and shopping at area stores.
This year, the All Sports Association will be hosting the Big 12 and College World Series softball events at the city’s Amateur Softball Association Hall of Fame stadium and fields complex, the Big 12 baseball tournament at the Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, and men’s and women’s basketball events at the Chesapeake Energy Arena, plus the association’s All College games.
It continues to annually compete to bring the NCAA wrestling tournament to town, and it hopes to someday bring rowing and soccer events here, too.
Psychology key
These events not only have a short-term benefit of putting some extra jingle in local businesses’ pockets. They also can make or break a community’s image, something that often is a big driver when it comes to economic development.
Fortunately, the All Sports Association does an excellent job of putting on events that are well organized, well attended and well operated. In turn, that makes Oklahoma City look good.
“I definitely agree that is the case,” said Cathy O’Connor, president of the Alliance of Economic Development of Oklahoma City.
“It is important for the community to have events that attract people from out of town, because the most efficient dollars we can generate, tax revenue wise, is from visitors.”
No doubt, she said, those tourism dollars help Oklahoma City’s local economy stay vibrant, since the business helps create jobs for local residents.
It also helps, she added, because it provides opportunities for people who live here to go and do things.
And that can be a big draw when recruiting new businesses to town, O’Connor said.
“When we talk to companies about relocating here, they ask what there is to do.”
“First of all, these events boost our name recognition with these companies. And it gives us a list of major events we can show them, things that make life here interesting.”
Nothing makes Oklahoma City look better than when the All Sports Association is hosting a major event where several different facilities are being used within the city at the same time, O’Connor said, because it showcases the great things the community has been able to accomplish.
“Oklahoma City really is becoming a tourism destination, and having these kinds of events really helps get people here so they can realize what a great place it is and, hopefully will return to another time.
“It really makes OKC a lot more interesting of a place to live and work.” Brassfield agrees. “It does showcase our city,” he said. “When people come here to attend one of these events, they talk to their kids and families, and ultimately, it all impacts, and it all works. That’s what a sports commission does.
“And that is why we are proud of what we do, because we do know we impact Oklahoma City’s quality of life.”