How Sports Salt Lake Built More Than a Sports Brand

When people talk about Sports Salt Lake today, they often point to the numbers.

More than 90 sporting events annually. Roughly 30% of Visit Salt Lake’s group business now driven by sports tourism. An Olympic host city preparing for another historic Games.

But according to Sports Salt Lake Vice President Clay Partain, none of that happened because of a logo or a marketing campaign.
It happened because they started with relationships.

“We don’t own anything we sell. The only thing we have is the relationships we develop and maintain.”

When Clay joined Visit Salt Lake in 2014, sports tourism was still a relatively small piece of the organization’s work. There wasn’t a dedicated strategy, established funding model, or even a clear roadmap for growing the market.

Instead, the team focused on earning trust—from venues, hotels, event organizers, and community partners, and proving that sports tourism could become a meaningful driver for the destination. As events began coming to Salt Lake, each success created momentum for the next.

Building a Destination Around Athlete Experience
While many destinations focus on attracting events, Sports Salt Lake believes the real opportunity begins once an event arrives.

Their philosophy centers on one idea: Create an experience athletes, families, and organizers can’t stop talking about.

For youth events, that means thinking beyond competition. Discounted attractions. Community activations. Family experiences. Entertainment villages. Local partnerships that turn a tournament into a memorable trip.

“If the athletes have the best trip of their life,” Clay explained, “everyone wins.”

That focus on experience has become one of Sports Salt Lake’s defining strengths, and a major reason organizers continue returning year after year.

Why Sports Salt Lake Became Its Own Brand
By 2018, Visit Salt Lake was already winning significant sporting events.

The challenge wasn’t performance. It was visibility.

Outside the organization, few people realized just how much sports tourism had become a strategic priority.

Clay developed a business case for creating a dedicated Sports Salt Lake brand—one that would clearly communicate the destination’s long-term investment in sports.

The idea took several years to gain traction before ultimately launching in 2021. The impact was immediate. Partners could see the commitment. Stakeholders better understood the vision. Investment followed performance.

Today, sports tourism accounts for roughly 30% of Visit Salt Lake’s overall group business.

Educating the Community
One of Sports Salt Lake’s most successful initiatives doesn’t happen during a tournament.
It happens before one ever arrives.

Each year, the organization hosts its Sports Tourism Symposium—bringing together venue operators, municipalities, hoteliers, sports organizers, and community leaders.

The goal isn’t simply networking. It’s helping the entire destination understand what sports tourism is, why it matters, and how every partner contributes to creating successful events.

The symposium has grown into one of the organization’s cornerstone initiatives while remaining essentially cost-neutral through sponsorships and ticket sales. More importantly, it’s created buy-in across the community and strengthened relationships throughout the destination.

Innovation Still Starts With People
Sports Salt Lake has also become known as one of the industry’s most forward-thinking destinations, embracing new technology while keeping relationships at the center.

As one of the earliest Playeasy partners, and an early adopter of Compass, the team has consistently looked for ways to better showcase venues, support partners, and improve the visitor experience.

But Clay believes technology should strengthen relationships, not replace them.

Even as AI transforms the sports tourism industry, he sees one thing becoming even more valuable: Human connection.

“The human component is going to be more important than ever.”

Looking Toward 2034
With another Olympic Games on the horizon, Salt Lake City is entering a new chapter. Major venue investments, downtown redevelopment, and international attention are creating opportunities unlike anything the destination has experienced before.

But for Sports Salt Lake, the focus isn’t simply on 2034.
It’s on everything leading up to it.
Every event hosted.
Every partnership built.
Every athlete experience improved.
Because for Clay and his team, success isn’t measured by one moment.
It’s built one relationship at a time.