Chattanooga Sports Committee President Tim Morgan told members of the downtown Kiwanis Club on Tuesday that the city won a late bid to host the Ironman 2014 Triathlon, then "hit a home run" in carrying out the inaugural event.
The speaker said the organization's goal is to maximize sports tourism-related events and businesses that have an economic impact on the Chattanooga region.
This includes traditional sports such as baseball, tennis and soccer as well as non-traditional ones such as the triathlon.
In doing this, he does not want to leave any stone unturned, said Mr. Morgan. In the two years that the sports marketing expert has been involved with the CSC he has looked at the strengths and opportunities of the area and identified the beautiful, God-given natural resources and abundant brick and mortar facilities as being two tangible assets. The intangible qualities include interest from varying sectors of the community including the support of local government officials and the expertise of participants in many varying sports. He attributed the success of getting the triathlon to come to Chattanooga to collaboration with the community.
It started with an email from an area athlete asking why Chattanooga was not in the mix of locations vying to hold the event for 2014. At the time, Ironman officials were already in the process of surveying other potential cities when Chattanooga requested specs on the event. Because of coming into the process so late, it was expected that the Ironman competition would go elsewhere. , No one mentioned Chattanooga, said Mr. Morgan.
By the time the group came to see Chattanooga, the CSC, Bob Doak, president of the Convention and Visitors Bureau, Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke and County Mayor Jim Coppinger had all pledged support for the event. With grassroots and government collaboration, the region was showcased. The preview committee was taken by helicopter to see from above the beautiful terrain with hills and the river meandering to the viewing site of Ross Landing. They were then driven around to see the area from the viewpoint of the participants.
“It is our job to put our best foot forward,” said Mr. Morgan, and that succeeded in attracting the event to Chattanooga. “On Sept. 28, 2014 we knocked it out of the ballpark,” he added. And the community embraced it by being there at the swim exit, at the transition area to the bike ride and at the finish line. “It couldn’t have gone better except for the body found in the river and the tacks,” he said. This is the first of a five-year deal. Historically, the five-year agreements extend into 10 years. “I hope that is what we’ve created here,” he said. Officials with the Ironman organization told him they felt as if they had been in Chattanooga for 10 years.
This event represents a new revenue stream to the community by participants and their supporters filling hotels and restaurants and by shopping and going to area attractions. Mr. Morgan said it brings new money to Hamilton County and should help in relaxing the residents’ tax burdens. On the weekend of Sept. 28 not only was the Ironman competition in town, but there was also a soccer tournament so the hotels were “jam-packed.” He said he was anticipating seeing the increased tax collections from that weekend.
The way that the community and government came together, led by the CSC, to attract the Ironman will be used for attracting other sporting events to Chattanooga. The goal that the president of the CSC has is “to define this community as the next premier sports destination in the country.” He said. “We’re trying to capitalize on every opportunity from the youth, armature and professional perspective that we can. “