Four Northern Virginia counties united in their proximity to the nation’s capital have joined forces to attract sporting events to the Washington, D.C., suburbs. SportsNOVA is comprised of Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William and Stafford counties. When pooled together, its resources compare favorably to any sports tourism destination.

There are some obvious advantages to planning events in Northern Virginia. Reagan National Airport and Dulles International Airport are both located across the river from Washington. Among the many options at rights holders’ and event planners’ disposal are a major university (with a historic Final Four trip in its back pocket), several outdoor sports complexes, a large expo center, ice sheets and an aquatics center.

In general, costs drop outside the capital’s borders, and interstates 66 and 95 provide access to many of the area’s venues. Beyond sports, the region showcases many historic sites that would bring educational components to youth events, including Mount Vernon and Bull Run. The Udvar-Hazy Center, an annex of the National Air and Space Museum, is also in Fairfax County.

And while the organization is new, its sales representatives—Eric Kulczycky (Fairfax), Torye Hurst (Loudoun), Michael Rojas (Prince William) and Lisa Logan (Stafford)—are industry veterans with trusted reputations. To that end, the counties are all used to hosting marquee events, including:

• USSSA Nationals
• USA BMX Nationals
• Senior PGA Championship
• Tough Mudder
• World Police & Fire Games
• Several statewide championships in myriad sports.

Major sports venues include:

• George Mason University, Virginia’s largest public university with multiple facilities
• ION International Training Center, a 90,000-sq.-ft. facility with two NHL ice sheets and 3,500 seats
• PWC Stadium Complex, a championship baseball stadium with three 300-foot softball diamonds and an eight-lane USA BMX track
• Jeff Rouse Swim and Sports Center, a 76,000-sq.-ft. sports complex housing a 50-meter Olympic-size pool

The SportsNOVA team will provide event planners with a variety of support services, including assistance with sports facility and hotel selection, tourism information and special offers, vendor recommendations, volunteer recruitment, and event marketing and promotion.

Regional alliances between counties is an ongoing trend, particularly among sports tourism officials. Already, five communities work together at Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge. Further north, Discover Lehigh Valley (Pennsylvania) operates under similar principles. The expectation is that the new joint effort will net similarly successful results.

“It’s a huge benefit to Virginia whenever neighboring destinations can forge strategic partnerships to bid on and book major sports events,” says Danish Saadat, national sales and marketing manager for Sports Virginia, Virginia Tourism Corporation’s sports tourism division. “By ensuring a seamless planning and hosting experience for rights holders and their athletes, SportsNOVA has set itself up to compete for and land major tournaments and competitions.”

Photo courtesy of SportsNOVA