Brian Ambuehl is a National Sports Sales Manager for Greensboro CVB in Greensboro, North Carolina. As a 2020 Connect Sports Game Changer, he discusses his passion for sports tourism.
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What I do: I am responsible for attracting people to Greensboro via sports tourism. I promote Greensboro as a premier destination for hosting sports events of all kinds and levels of competition.
How I got here: I started in sales after graduating from Appalachian State University. My mother worked at a hotel in Greensboro and suggested I apply for an open position at the CVB. I was hired in 1999 and worked in other markets for five years before transitioning into the newly created sports market position in 2004.
What I do outside of work: I have been involved with North Carolina’s statewide sports initiative, the NC Sports Association, since its inception. I am proud to have helped create by-laws and ultimately incorporate the organization that benefits cities of all sizes across the state. I served as Association Chair from 2011-2013, currently serve on the Board of Directors and chair the Membership Committee.
Why you are a Game Changer: In 2014, I identified a need for a multi-court facility, which evolved into a successful capital campaign to acquire Sport Court, basketball goals, volleyball standards and digital floor clocks for the Greensboro Coliseum Complex. The result cut down on the logistics of using multiple sites, which saves event organizers and teams time and expense. It established the city as a sports event destination and enabled us to pursue more and larger-scale events.
Greatest career accomplishment: In 2019, Greensboro hosted the AAU Junior Olympic Games for the first time. The bid process was a quest that was seven years in the making. The 18-sport event brought in a record 18,102 athletes and an estimated total attendance of more than 36,000. It was a monumental task to pull together, with so many moving parts. It was the largest sports event in Greensboro’s history.
Words that describe Ambuehl:
Committed
Enthusiastic
Helpful
