Michigan Business Beat | Meghan Ziehmer, Lansing Sports Commission, Tourism

Chris Holman welcomes Meghan Ziehmer, Executive Director, Lansing Sports Commission, Lansing, MI. The Lansing Sports Commission, a division of Choose Lansing, serves as the region's sports tourism organization by soliciting, creating, and fully operating sporting events — distinguishing itself from typical destination marketing organizations by being hands-on with event logistics. Summer 2024 was exceptionally active, highlighted by MHSAA finals in baseball, softball, and soccer, a USA play national championship that drew roughly 2,000 participants and 8,000 spectators, and numerous other events nearly every weekend. Fall is shaping up to be equally busy, with upcoming events including the Spartan Invitational cross country meet (3,000 participants), the Capital Area Autumn Classic soccer tournament (3,500 players), chaos softball, and the Capital City River Run. Executive Director Meghan Ziehmer emphasized the significant economic impact these roughly 9,000 visiting athletes have on the greater Lansing region through hotel stays, dining, and local spending. Looking ahead, the Commission is optimistic about 2025 and 2026, with several major event announcements pending, though the sports booking window tends to be shorter than other industries. » Visit MBN website: www.michiganbusinessnetwork.com/ » Subscribe to MBN’s YouTube: www.youtube.com/@MichiganbusinessnetworkMBN » Like MBN: www.facebook.com/mibiznetwork » Follow MBN: twitter.com/MIBizNetwork/ » MBN Instagram: www.instagram.com/mibiznetwork/