FLW Cups Named Champions of Economic Impact
Sports Destination Management awards both 2017 and 2018 Cups
Sports Destination Management, a leading publication with the largest circulation of sports event planners and tournament directors in the sports tourism market, announced Monday the 2018 Champions of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism. Among the winners was the 2017 Fishing League Worldwide (FLW) Forrest Wood Cup in Columbia, South Carolina, hosted by the Capital City/Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board, and the 2018 FLW Cup in Hot Springs, Arkansas, hosted by Visit Hot Springs and the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism. Other winners include the 2018 NCAA Final Four in San Antonio, Texas, the 2018 NFL Draft in Dallas, Texas, and the PGA’s Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
The 2017 FLW Cup was declared a champion in the mid-market category. The event, which took place August 11-13, 2017, aired on NBC Sports, the Outdoor Channel and the World Fishing Network and was broadcast to more than 564 million households internationally, resulting in excellent exposure for both the destination and the event itself, as well as the sport of bass fishing as a whole. The three-day event benefitted youth fishing and additionally showcased regional barbecue chefs. According to the Capital City/Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board the average visitor spend was tracked at $304.12 per person. More than 68,000 spectators attended this event.
“Capital City/Lake Murray Country is proud to be recognized for the 2017 Forrest Wood Cup,” said Miriam Atria, CEO of Capital City/Lake Murray Country. “We appreciate the economic impact from hosting the event and continue to reap the economic benefits in our community, region and state.”
The 2018 FLW Cup was declared a champion in the small-market category. The event, which took place August 10-12, 2018 drew more than 66,000 fans and anglers to Hot Springs to watch the world’s best anglers compete on Lake Ouachita and had a total economic impact of more than $24.4 million dollars. The FLW Expo was also held at the Hot Springs Convention Center, drawing hundreds of exhibitors offering the latest and greatest tackle, gear and family-friendly activities and games. The event was such a success that FLW announced Hot Springs will host the event again in 2019 – this time on Lake Hamilton – making it the first city to host back-to-back Cups in the FLW Tour’s history.
“We were excited at the news that the FLW Cup was honored by Sports Destination Management,” said Steve Arrison, CEO of Visit Hot Springs. “It was a great event put on by a class organization. We are already hard at work preparing and looking forward to again hosting the 2019 FLW Cup in Hot Springs.”
All winners of awards have been recognized in a special feature published in the November/December 2018 issue of Sports Destination Management magazine. The entire article with full details on the winners can also be found online:
This year’s winners are responsible for contributing more than $700 million to the national economy over the past year.