Outside Influences
The majority of events we are currently involved with are those that we own and operate. This is largely due to the facility requirements set by larger organizations, which we are presently unable to meet. As a result, we are not yet in a position to host many of their events. However, we are certain that this will change with the city’s proposed development of a multipurpose indoor complex and enhanced outdoor fields.
Owning and operating our own events comes with both advantages and challenges. The primary benefit is that these events are not subject to competitive bidding from other cities—unlike many large-scale tournaments that rotate locations annually. However, the challenge lies in building these events from the ground up, without the guarantee of a built-in participant base. For example, if a youth baseball team qualifies for a national tournament, that team will attend regardless of where the tournament is held. These events typically have a fixed number of teams, ensuring participation well in advance.
On occasion, we are able to host some “outside” events however. A recent success story includes two Fuji Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournaments, one held on the first Saturday in January and another on June 7. After reaching out to the regional coordinator and discussing the potential, we secured their commitment to host events in Jacksonville. With support from the city, which graciously provided access to the Commons Recreation Center, the events were successfully launched.
The inaugural January event attracted 525 competitors, resulting in an estimated economic impact of $45,035 and approximately 215 room nights. The June tournament drew 554 competitors, generating an estimated $33,951 in economic impact and 159 room nights. Despite higher participation in June, the lower economic figures reflect a smaller proportion of out-of-town attendees compared to January.
These examples clearly demonstrate the significant benefits of hosting regional and national events. We are excited about the aforementioned future opportunities and are confident that they will yield substantial economic and cultural value for our city and county.
