When Portland looks in the mirror, what does it see? When the light reflects, what is staring back at it? 

It sees makers, doers, and craftspeople. It sees passion, resilience, and grit. It sees beauty. And fantastic quirks. And personality. Loads of personality.

It sees a city both on the rise and firmly here. And a town uniquely intertwined with its sports. 
With the power and innovation of locally-established giants Nike, adidas, Columbia Sportswear, and Under Armour, Portland holds a deep and undeniable connection with athletes, fans, and consumers. Simply put, there isn’t another zip code on Earth more uniquely linked to sports and the business surrounding it.   

Our sporting spirit isn’t really even about sports. It’s about identity. It’s about how the city’s thriving arts scene bleeds into basketball, where our beloved all-star point guard isn’t just a Trail Blazer, but a respected recording artist. Or how we’re home to a world-renowned dining scene, as well as a four-time Olympian whose cookbook also happens to be a New York Times bestseller. We are a renaissance city; one of the few places where you can surf and ski in the same day, with spare time to grab a donut and show off your new sneakers – designed just a few miles away - before catching a game. 

Strolling past Providence Park, you’ll see streams of fans clad in red and black. As the most successful women’s sports franchise in the world, you might expect fans of the Portland Thorns to be made up of little girls in too-big replica jerseys, or die-hard fans of the Women’s National Team. Both groups are definitely present, mixed in with bearded soccer bros and grizzled octogenarians. With corporate groups engaging in team-building right next to scarf-wearing, IPA-sipping hipsters. Because that’s Portland, Oregon. Where sports are for everyone. 

When your event lands in Portland, it will be about sports, as it always is. It will be about the competition, and it will be about the athletes, and it will be about the experience. But hosting your event in Portland will be anything but typical. Because we can’t help it. When our city rallies around an event, we welcome it with our whole personality. 

When Portland looks in the mirror, it sees a city fit for a champion. 

And we look forward to crowning yours here. 


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