Hosting and Managing a Major National Participatory Sports Event

Situation: As part of our company’s ongoing mission to develop a niche in running and managing major participatory sports events, BWF won a bid from USA Hockey on behalf of the Reston Raiders Youth Hockey Club to host a national youth ice hockey championship in Northern Virginia.

Objective: As the goal was to position BWF as a major player in an industry dominated by Conventions and Visitors Bureaus and Sports and Entertainment Commissions, BWF had to first win the bid and then stage and operate the finest professional event the national organizing body had ever experienced.

Approach: Drawing upon our dual skills as a sports-oriented public relations firm and a special events company, BWF took the 2010 U12 and the 2011 U16 national championships to a completely new level.  In addition to engaging the participation of every member of our professional staff, BWF tapped an army of vendors and volunteers to manage every element of the tournament ranging from admissions and merchandising to hospitality, statistics, scorekeeping, medical support and security. To enhance the overall nature of the games, BWF engaged the services of SportsAnnouncing.com, widely-acclaimed local company that specializes in public address services for sporting events.  The company personalized introduction and songs for each team, based on both their individual preferences and the parts of the country from which they hailed.  They staffed every game of the tournament which consisted of four simultaneous matches in two rinks.

BWF also created one of the most memorable opening ceremonies ever staged by a tournament host beginning with a parade of teams through a mixed-use retail development, culminating with a live musical concert under a covered pavilion by the hockey-rock band, the Zambonis. The competition itself was flawless.  By creating a tournament atmosphere representative of an Olympic-hockey event, BWF created the image and aura of something truly special.

Results: On reputation alone, even prior our staging of the 2010 games, BWF was also awarded the 2011 games.  Furthermore, we were granted the U12 games for 2012 – making us the first venue to ever host three consecutive USA Hockey Championship Tournaments.  The agency also landed the American Collegiate Hockey Division 1 and 2 Women’s Championships for 2013.