The Roanoker - May/June 2018 - 14

The Momentum of
Sports Tourism
Visit Virginia's Blue Ridge has a new sports initiative, and
with it, a passionate new director to lead the way.

W

HEN VISIT VIRGINIA'S Blue
Ridge kicked off their new
initiative, VBR Sports, they
didn't have to look long for the ideal
candidate to lead the way. Bree Nidds,
the Director of Sports Development for
Visit Virginia's Blue Ridge, moved to
Roanoke in September 2017.
Nidds, now 26 years old, grew up in
Lenoir, North Carolina and attended
college at the University of Hawaii,
spending much of her time on the
sailing team and working in the athletics
department. After graduation, she
moved to Wilmington, first working as a
surf camp director and later in a tourism
position at their convention and visitors'
bureau.
With her background, along with
a communications degree, she was
building her resume in sports tourism
without even realizing it.
"I was stoked when [Visit VBR]
approached me," she says. "I wanted to
make change and they brought me on
board to see this vision through. To be
director of this new department, it's been
an amazing professional development
move, but I also feel like I'm bringing
14

MAY/JUNE 2018

something to the region that's a little bit
different."
VBR Sports launched in late January
2018 and will focus on making the entire
region a desirable place for sporting
events enjoyed by both athletes and
fans. The five jurisdictions-the cities
of Roanoke and Salem, and Roanoke,
Franklin and Botetourt counties-also
help comprise the sports council, with
members from each district representing
the wants and needs for this new
initiative. The team works closely with
their council, as well as the parks and
recreation departments. They have an
incredibly high percentage of sportsrelated group business, with goals to
not only maintain that number, but to
diversify their portfolio.
"We've done well in softball, baseball
and NCAA-the folks out in Salem have
been rock stars in that department," Nidds
says. "I want to be that extra support to
encourage them to keep building. We're
preparing ourselves so, if for instance, an
event does leave the region, we can easily
fill that void with another major sporting
event. We want to keep the momentum
of tourism business."

Nidds says the biggest part of sports
that brings people in are youth sports
("parents, siblings and grandparents want
to support little Johnny"), while adult
amateur and collegiate events are also
huge for the region. Not only do they
bring in events and host the athletes and
their family and friends, but Nidds and
her team reach out to local organizations
to support such events.
" I immediately connect event
organizers with Local Organizing
Committees (LOCs). That boots-onthe-ground approach ensures people in
the community are on board with what
we're doing, too," Nidds says.
When the U.S. Tennis Association
Mid-Atlantic chapter came to town
for a tournament, the Roanoke Valley
Tennis Association stepped up, gathered
volunteers and did everything they could
to make the event a success. That support
and passion makes a huge difference,
and urges organizations to return each
year. For Nidds, it's exciting to connect
so many enthusiastic people. It's a lot of
balls-and Frisbees and bikes-in the air,
literally!
Nidds is currently in an online
program earning her master's degree in
Parks Recreation Tourism and Sports
Management at NC State, building a
more formal education in tourism.
As a new resident, she often still
feels like a visitor, enjoying first-time
experiences around town. The greenway
was a large selling point, so much that
she's even convinced her family to move
here as well.
Her spare time is still very much
about athletics, as she spends nearly every
waking minute outdoors, particularly on
the water. A new member of the Visa
Yacht Club at Smith Mountain Lake,
she's excited to work on her fixer-upper
boat. When on land, she's usually found
on the greenway, road biking or, a more
recent addiction, golfing. Hiking is also
a favorite activity.
"Roanoke has all the amenities I could
need right now. Having nature in your
backyard and accessibility, like how close
we are to the Appalachian Trail, it's
perfect for me...to be able to walk from
downtown or where I live and be on this
hike where you're fully immersed in the
woods within minutes, it's incredible." I
-LIZ LONG

TheRoanoker.com

LIZ LONG

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The Roanoker - May/June 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Roanoker - May/June 2018

The Roanoker - May/June 2018 - Intro
The Roanoker - May/June 2018 - Cover1
The Roanoker - May/June 2018 - Cover2
The Roanoker - May/June 2018 - 3
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The Roanoker - May/June 2018 - Cover3
The Roanoker - May/June 2018 - Cover4
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