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DuPage ups its game by launching sports commission

DuPage tourism officials on Friday launched a new sports commission while announcing that the county will play host to four additional sports-related events over the next three years.

The DuPage Sports Commission will seek to tap the sports tourism market - one of the fastest-growing sectors in the travel industry - by recruiting, retaining and facilitating sporting events for the county.

"By launching the DuPage Sports Commission, we have created a recognizable and regionally led brand on behalf of our sports assets and partners as we aggressively work to advance DuPage's presence in this highly competitive industry," said Larry Forssberg, chairman of the DuPage Convention & Visitors Bureau's board of directors.

The bureau celebrated the launch of the commission during a sports tourism forum at Cantigny Park in Wheaton.

Beth Marchetti, executive director of the bureau, said DuPage has "a solid foundation" of sporting events that attract visitors to the county's communities. She said investing in sports tourism builds on that legacy.

"We want more meetings, more events, more promotions and more sports," Marchetti said. "We are proactively re-envisioning the future of DuPage tourism, and the sports commission is just one part of that."

Marchetti said sports tourism is an economic development strategy embraced by hundreds of destinations across the country.

"While DuPage CVB has always been doing sports," Marchetti said, "it's time to up our game."

She said the DuPage's sports commission, which will operate as a department within the convention and visitors bureau, will "usher in a new era of sports tourism."

Justin Roach, the bureau's director of business development, said one objective of the commission is facility enhancement and development.

Although DuPage has many great facilities, "we struggle to support consistent events on a regular basis that drive a higher volume of visitors," Roach said.

He said the commission will work to promote the development of more "tournament-ready" facilities.

"The bottom line is, DuPage needs new venues, (and) infrastructure enhancements to our current venues, in order to be more competitive in our region and across the country," Roach said.

Tourism officials also announced Friday that DuPage has booked three new sporting events and one returning event, which are expected to bring roughly $1.9 million in direct spending to the county by 2022.

The 2019 Intelligentsia Cup, a cycling competition with more than 900 amateur and professional cyclists, is adding a third stop in DuPage. The new race - the Lombard Cycling Classic on July 23 - will join the Ray Whalen Builders Tour of Lake Ellyn on July 20 and the Superior Ambulance Elmhurst Cycling Classic on July 26 to form the "DuPage Triple Crown," officials said.

Another new event is the USA Cycling Cyclocross National Championships, which will be held in December 2020 at Cantigny Park in Wheaton. The six-day event is expected to draw more than 5,000 visitors. Races will be held from dawn to dusk on a customized cyclocross course through Cantigny Park.

"We're glad to be here and look forward to a great race in a couple years," said Chuck Hodge, USA Cycling's chief of racing and events.

Then, in April 2021, the United States Bowling Congress Convention will coming to the Westin Lombard Yorktown Center in Lombard. Held in association with the USBC Women's Championship 2021 at Stardust Bowl in Addison, the annual convention is expected to draw more than 1,000 attendees.

And in June 2022, the National Travelers Bowling League will return to DuPage for the first time since 2017. More than 400 bowlers are expected to participate in the weeklong competition at Stardust Bowl in Addison.

  Justin Roach, director of business development for the DuPage Convention & Visitors Bureau, talks about efforts to boost sports tourism in the county. The bureau on Friday launched the DuPage Sports Commission. Robert Sanchez/bsanchez@dailyherald.com
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