Greater Des Moines was an excellent fit for the TYR Pro Swim Series, this past March, due to the recently opened MidAmerican Energy Company Aquatic Center at the Wellmark YMCA, the proximity of hotels to the YMCA (several are connected by the city’s Skywalk system), and the city and community support when hosting sporting events in the metro area.
“Catch Des Moines helped create and submit the bid (for the event) with the YMCA,” said Jordan Powers, Communications Manager, Catch Des Moines. “In that bid, Catch Des Moines worked with local hotels for the event to secure housing for teams, USA Swimming staff, and attendees.”
Outside of planning the actual events, there was also behind-the-scenes planning with hospitality, media appearances, hotel arrangements, transportation, and marketing which began months before the event. “A major help in planning was sending Catch Des Moines and YMCA team members to the TYR Pro Swim Series event in Knoxville, TN, to gain first-hand knowledge on how the event was prepared and executed,” expressed Powers.
Several key planning items were put into play in preparation for the TYR Pro Swim Series. Eight weeks prior to the event, in conjunction with the ticket sales launch, Catch Des Moines helped co-produce a media day with Olympic swimmer Kathleen Baker. The day included media appearances on TV and radio, a press conference, and a meet-and-greet with the local youth swim team.
A challenge faced was the simple fact that Greater Des Moines had never hosted a professional swimming competition of this caliber before – “mainly because, until this year, we did not have a facility capable of hosting such an event. We had no history or built-in audience for this style of competition,” Powers explained. This challenge was overcome by involving the local swimming community from the very beginning, including them in the planning and execution of the event. Powers stated, “We also offered incentives to our local sponsors and downtown business neighbors to attend the event and by educating the public on this nationally-televised swim series through earned and paid media. As a result of these efforts, the venue was sold-out for the final two nights of the series.”
“Catch Des Moines helped create and submit the bid (for the event) with the YMCA,” said Jordan Powers, Communications Manager, Catch Des Moines. “In that bid, Catch Des Moines worked with local hotels for the event to secure housing for teams, USA Swimming staff, and attendees.”
Outside of planning the actual events, there was also behind-the-scenes planning with hospitality, media appearances, hotel arrangements, transportation, and marketing which began months before the event. “A major help in planning was sending Catch Des Moines and YMCA team members to the TYR Pro Swim Series event in Knoxville, TN, to gain first-hand knowledge on how the event was prepared and executed,” expressed Powers.
Several key planning items were put into play in preparation for the TYR Pro Swim Series. Eight weeks prior to the event, in conjunction with the ticket sales launch, Catch Des Moines helped co-produce a media day with Olympic swimmer Kathleen Baker. The day included media appearances on TV and radio, a press conference, and a meet-and-greet with the local youth swim team.
A challenge faced was the simple fact that Greater Des Moines had never hosted a professional swimming competition of this caliber before – “mainly because, until this year, we did not have a facility capable of hosting such an event. We had no history or built-in audience for this style of competition,” Powers explained. This challenge was overcome by involving the local swimming community from the very beginning, including them in the planning and execution of the event. Powers stated, “We also offered incentives to our local sponsors and downtown business neighbors to attend the event and by educating the public on this nationally-televised swim series through earned and paid media. As a result of these efforts, the venue was sold-out for the final two nights of the series.”
A challenge faced and overcome was the simple fact that
Greater Des Moines had never hosted a professional
swimming competition of this caliber before.
Powers offered a word of advice for other sports planners looking to bring a swim series to their area:
“We’d strongly suggest reaching out to the local swimming community and ensuring they are invested and involved from the beginning. We received compliments from USA Swimming about our fans’ knowledge of competitive swimming and their appreciation for the caliber of professional athletes in attendance. Their enthusiasm for the sport is contagious and makes this type of event something an entire city can be proud of!”
And don’t forget about volunteers! “For the TYR Pro Swim Series, the YMCA dipped into their pool of volunteers used for local meets, as well as reaching out to parents and swim team athletes who love to be around all swimming events,” said Powers. “Wells Fargo, the local gold sponsor of the TYR Pro Swim Series at Des Moines, also put a call for volunteers through its in-house volunteer program. Greater Des Moines is lucky to have corporate sponsors who not only support these events with their dollars, but with the personal efforts of their employees.”
Collaborate closely with the local CVB, sponsors, and sports clubs to get your next sporting event to make a splash — even if it doesn’t involve swimming.
“We’d strongly suggest reaching out to the local swimming community and ensuring they are invested and involved from the beginning. We received compliments from USA Swimming about our fans’ knowledge of competitive swimming and their appreciation for the caliber of professional athletes in attendance. Their enthusiasm for the sport is contagious and makes this type of event something an entire city can be proud of!”
And don’t forget about volunteers! “For the TYR Pro Swim Series, the YMCA dipped into their pool of volunteers used for local meets, as well as reaching out to parents and swim team athletes who love to be around all swimming events,” said Powers. “Wells Fargo, the local gold sponsor of the TYR Pro Swim Series at Des Moines, also put a call for volunteers through its in-house volunteer program. Greater Des Moines is lucky to have corporate sponsors who not only support these events with their dollars, but with the personal efforts of their employees.”
Collaborate closely with the local CVB, sponsors, and sports clubs to get your next sporting event to make a splash — even if it doesn’t involve swimming.
