2015 ACC Baseball Tournament Sets Records

It was a heck of a tournament, really. The crowds were decked out with their team's colors, the spirit of sportsmanship was in the air as rivals co-mingled in the name of the game, and attendees struck out on the streets of Durham to take in a city many had previously not visited.

However, since the ACC Baseball Tournament is making its home in Durham for three more years, the success of this year's tournament is an important indicator of things to come. News flash - it was really successful.

The championship game, held on Sunday, May 24, was completely sold out with standing room only for some ticket holders. The gate counted 9,759 fans, the highest attendance ever recorded by the ACC at one of their championship games. In all, the tournament drew a total of 64,140 fans, the third largest crowd in the history of the tournament.

"A tournament like this brings a quantifiable economic impact, and it's valuable to Durham not only in prestige, but also in dollars and cents," said Shelly Green, President and CEO of the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau (DCVB), the organization charged with marketing Durham to visitors. "At $2.5 million in impact, this tournament is important financially, as well as for promotion of Durham," Green added.

One key to the success of this tournament was promotion, In addition to the ACC's promotion of the tournament, as well as those teams attending, DCVB sent a representative to many potentially attending schools to distribute information about the tournament in Durham. Those game visits were supported in social media with the hashtag #CatchMeInDurham as a way to leverage the similar sentiments teams use to rally fans about their efforts to get to the NCAA College World Series held annually in Omaha. While at the games, DCVB's representative distributed collateral and signed people up to win four tickets to all of the tournament games, as well as a cash prize. The giveaway was intended to drive visitation, as well as start a conversation with those in cities likely to send their respective college baseball teams again in the future.

Sports fans are encouraged to use the Durham Event Calendar to stay up to date on all the games happening here, as well as more than 5,000 events annually.

Durham Bulls Recognized with Minor League's Top Honor

This past year the Durham Bulls turned the heads of more than just fans - they impressed all of Minor League Baseball. In fact, The Durham Bulls  have earned the highest honor in the Minor League. 

Minor League Baseball announced that the Durham Bulls have earned the the 41st annual John H. Johnson President’s Award. The Award honors the complete baseball franchise based on financial stability, contributions to league stability, contributions to baseball in the community and promotion of the baseball industry. This is the second time the Bulls have won this award, the first being in 1989 when the club was a Class A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves in the Carolina League. They are the only franchise to earn the honor at different classifications.

“Our 2014 season was historic in so many ways and we are beyond proud of our front office staff and game day team. It is their talent, passion, and dedication that continue to make the Durham Bulls brand a special one,” said Bulls General Manager Mike Birling in a statement. 

The 2014 Bulls season featured a single-season paid attendance record, a $20 million renovated ballpark, an All-Star Game and an International League South Division Championship. The team drew a record-setting 533,033 fans to Durham Bulls Athletic Park, breaking the all-time single-season paid attendance record of 520,952 which was set in 2007. "The Bulls are an incredible asset to Durham, and one our visitors clearly come to see," said Shelly Green, President and CEO of the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Discover additional great sporting activities in Durham and stay on top of all that is happening here with the Durham Event Calendar.

Triple-A Baseball All-Star Game Events Start Saturday at Durham Bulls Athletic Park

Coming up next week the Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham is playing host to the annual Triple-A All-Star Game for all of Minor League Baseball. Since announcing this last year, the event has blossomed into an epic occasion.

Players from every team in the minor league will be in Durham to play the Wednesday night game, as well as to participate in the events that kick off this prestigious event starting Saturday night.

"This is a major coup for Durham," said Shelly Green, President and CEO of the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau (DCVB). "We expect more than 30,000 fans to attend the festivities over the five-day period.  Not only will these visitors spend a lot of money in Durham…about $3.3 million…but they are sure to have a great time as the Durham Bulls certainly know how to pull off spectacular events,” she added.

In addition to promotion of the game and pre-game festivities to visitors and residents alike, DCVB will assist the Bulls in hosting the visiting teams and officials with Minor League Baseball's governing organization.  One amenity DCVB offers is a concierge-like service at the host hotel where friendly and knowledgeable Durham Wayfinders are stationed with iPads at key times to help the players, staff and dignitaries find everything they need in Durham. 

To enhance fan excitement about the game, The Durham Bulls have released three sets of tickets to the game on Wednesday that will be given away on the Durham, NC Facebook fan page. Those interested in winning should like the page to see all the details and chances to win.

The schedule of events follows:

Saturday, July 12

• All-Star Fan Fest - 11am-2pm at Durham Bulls Athletic Park
• All-Star Block Party - 6pm-10pm on Blackwell St. adjacent the DBAP
• Free admission to both All-Star Fan Fest & Block Party (food & beverage available for purchase)
• Share your Fan Fest & Block Party experiences using #AllStarFanFest and #AllStarBlock party on social media.

Monday, July 14

• Triple-A Home Run Derby - 6:35pm at Durham Bulls Athletic Park
• Buy Tickets for the Triple-A Home Run Derby online
• Share your Home Run Derby experiences using #TripleAHRDerby on social media.

Tuesday, July 15

• All-Star Workout Day - 2pm-5pm at Durham Bulls Athletic Park (open to public)
• IL & PCL All-Star Autograph Session - Approximately 2:45pm-4:00pm

Wednesday, July 16

• 2014 Cree Triple-A All-Star Game - 7:07pm at Durham Bulls Athletic Park
• Buy Tickets for the 2014 Cree Triple-A All-Star Game online
• Share your All-Star Game experiences using #ASGDurham on social media.

Understanding the power of social media, the Bulls are urging attendees to use the hashtags indicated above to ensure that the events get fan engagement at the global level. Fans are encouraged to join the conversation and share the energy at the events.

Durham is exciting year 'round. Stay up to date on all that is happening here with the Durham Event Calendar, and plan a trip to Durham online.

Bulls Baseball Season

Craving peanuts and cracker jacks? Enjoy a rousing chorus of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” during the seventh inning stretch in Durham. Fortunately, the Durham Bulls have already hit a home run this season with the newly renovated Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Find out more about the Durham Bulls...

The Great Durham Touchdown Getaway Giveaway Winner Announced

In what can be described as an innovative promotion, Durham, NC launched The Great Durham Touchdown Getaway Giveaway during the nationally televised Chick-fil-a Bowl game in which Duke University fought a mighty battle with Texas A&M. While Duke did not win, a woman from Terre Haute, Indiana did.

Today the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau (DCVB) announced that Carol Botros is the winner of the contest. The prize includes two round trip tickets to RDU International Airport within the continental United States on Delta Airlines, two nights at the AAA Four Diamond Washington Duke Inn and Golf Club, dinners at some of Durham’sCelebrated Cuisine restaurants, two premium seats to a Duke Home Football game, and package of premium Duke Sports memorabilia. All of these items were donated by the named entities. Botros was selected randomly.

“I’m thrilled to be a part of this and to see more of Durham when I visit.” Botros said. “I’ve just retired, so I am getting used to having the opportunity to do things like this – to be able to take off without rearranging a lot of schedules,” she added.

“Sports visitation in Durham is an increasingly high priority for us,” said Shelly Green, President and CEO of DCVB. We want Durham hotels full on football weekends, so we decided to take it to the next level.” Durham is a sports destination for Duke University Athletics, including football and basketball, along with North Carolina Central University Athletics, and the Durham Bulls AAA baseball team. Last year Durham attracted  more than 9 million visitors, nearly 300,000 of whom came just to see an athletic event.

The giveaway was a first for DCVB who promoted the contest on Twitter during the game using the hashtag, #GoDurham, as well as on Facebook and in emails. The hashtag made more than 965,000 impressions during the campaign.

About DCVB

The Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau is Durham's marketing agency. It is chartered as a Tourism Development Authority by the N.C. General Assembly and local governments to spearhead the strategic, visitor-centered economic and cultural development of Durham by reinvesting a portion of the visitor-paid “room occupancy and tourism development tax” in destination promotion and marketing.

A Hashtag You Should Use (Even If You Don’t Understand Them)

In tomorrow night’s Chick-Fil-A bowl, when the Duke University Blue Devils take on Texas A&M, 8.65 million viewers will see #GoDurham on the coaches’ headsets. The Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau (DCVB), The Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce, and Downtown Durham, Inc. have teamed up to pay for this placement as a beginning step in a larger initiative to market Durham as a sports visitation destination.

Hashtags, a phrase used in a social media posts preceded by a number, or pound, sign (#) are essentially a filing system for social content. They allow social media users (mostly in Twitter) to follow or participate in conversations or topics, and they are used in marketing a promotion or a product.

“Sports visitation in Durham is an increasingly high priority for us, and Duke playing in this bowl game is a great visibility opportunity. We want Durham hotels full on football weekends, so we decided to take it to the next level by giving away a weekend in Durham, too,” said Shelly Green, President and CEO of DCVB.

Everyone in Durham, residents and businesses alike, are encouraged to use the #GoDurham hashtag on all their messaging! That tag is being used to push a campaign, "The Great Durham Touchdown Getaway Giveaway," to get people to enter a giveaway contest to win a weekend in Durham to see the Blue Devils play a home football game. Hashtags themselves can be clicked on in social media platforms so that users can see everything related to that topic that has been posted. DCVB hopes fans will do that during the game, as well as afterward, to see what’s happening in the conversation, participate in the conversation, and ultimately to see who won the giveaway when the winner is announced

The Bureau has built a webpage for people to enter the contest, www.godurham.net, and DCVB encourages everyone in Durham to show their support for Duke and for Durham by using the hashtag today, tomorrow especially, and through the week up until Sunday night as they drive attention to that website. “Durham’s strong sense of community is something in which everyone here feels pride.  We’re tapping into that and getting folks to use the hashtag, tweet their support for Duke in the game, and for Durham as a community, and to mention the contest and website to their friends and followers while they are at it,” Green added.

Social media is an important tool in sports marketing. “Hashtags are so commonly used in social media-based sports marketing that soccer matches in the UK have them for each game. In the US, auto racing has seen a dramatic rise in their use, and other sports are seeing a significant uptick in use, too, so we know that the propensity to tweet and tag during a game is there,” said Sam Poley, DCVB’s Public Relations Director. “We see this hashtag, and others we will be promoting that are more definitively oriented to sports, as ways to keep fans engaged in the conversation about Durham and sports.  The weekend giveaway is to give one lucky winner a taste of how awesome Durham is in every other aspect, too,” Poley added.

The contest winner will be announced on Monday, February 3rd. The prize includes two round trip tickets to RDU International Airport from anywhere in the continental US that Delta Airlines flies, two nights at the Washington Duke Inn and Golf Club, dinners at some of Durham’s Celebrated Cuisine restaurants, two premium seats to a Duke Home Football game, and package of premium Duke Sports memorabilia. All of these components were donated by the named entities.

“Driving this conversation in social media is a community-wide effort.  We’re hoping Duke and Durham fans everywhere will jump in and participate,” Poley said.  DCVB and Duke will have social media teams online during the game.

Some tools for those who want to support this effort:

• The hashtag is #GoDurham
• The website for the contest is www.godurham.net
• The shortened version of that is durh.am/win
• Suggested Tweets: 

• Cheer for Duke in the Chick-fil-A bowl, and enter at durh.am/win to win a weekend in Durham, too! #GoDurham 

• Durham is a great place for sports! Enter at durh.am/win for a weekend trip to see a Duke Football home game. #GoDurham

• Come enjoy sports in Durham! Enter at durh.am/win for a weekend trip to see a Duke Football home game. #GoDurham 

• The hashtag will work on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest, too.

Learn more about visiting Durham online.

Hillandale Tees Off Families on Fridays This Summer

In Durham, getting out and about to enjoy the community is a pretty accessible thing to do.  There are dozens of public parks and low- and no-cost options.  Now one of Durham's public golf courses is making the game of golf more accessible from a financial point of view, too.

Starting tomorrow, and the last Friday evening of each Summer month, families of up to five people can come out and play golf at Hillandale Golf Course for just $35. The offer includes 2 golf carts, and tee times starting at 6 PM.

“We want to have families get outside, talk and laugh together, and enjoy some great golf,” said Donna Kimball of Hillandale. “There’s no pressure to play in a hurry. You can play as many holes as you can get in before dark, and the kids don’t even have to whisper when someone is putting!”

Friday Family Fun Days are June 28th, July 26th and August 30th.  To book a tee time, call the Hillandale Pro Shop at 919-286-4211.

Learn more about all the golfing opportunities in Durham online.

USA Baseball to Host Cuba in International collegiate Friendship Series Game at DBAP

USA and Cuban baseball teams will meet on American soil for the first time since 1996 in Durham.

USA Baseball and the Cuban Baseball Federation announced today that their Collegiate National Team programs will compete for the second consecutive year in an international friendship series. Last year, the two countries resumed friendship series play at the collegiate level after a 16-year hiatus, with Team USA traveling to Havana for a five-game series – the host nation won the series, 3-2. The 2013 edition will see the Cuban National Team travel to the United States for five games across three states, culminating with a showdown at Durham Bulls Athletic Park on Tuesday, July 23.

“We are extremely excited to host the Cuban National Team this year,” said USA Baseball Executive Director/CEO, Paul Seiler. “Renewing our friendship series last year was a historic step for two countries that share an extremely rich baseball history. We hope with the success last year in Havana and this year’s series in the United States, we will build the foundation to continue this series for the foreseeable future.”

“Hosting the United States in 2012 was the culmination of hard work by both the U.S. and Cuba,” said International Baseball Federation Vice President, Antonio Castro. “The games in Havana were an incredibly positive experience for the players and fans, and we look forward to the same kind of atmosphere this year in the United States.”

The series will be the first in the U.S., between the two baseball-rich countries since Cuba won a five-game series, 3-2, in 1996, held in Minor League ballparks across four southern U.S. states.

In 2013, the teams will take the field for the first time on July 18 in Des Moines, IA at Principal Park, home of the Iowa Cubs. On July 19 and 20, the Omaha Storm Chasers and the Omaha Sports Commission will host games two and three of the international friendship series at Werner Park in Omaha, NE.

The following day, the two teams will travel to the Triangle-area of North Carolina to play the final two games of the international friendship series, with the fifth and final game being played at 7:05pm on July 23 at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

"Playing in Cuba was one of the best experiences of my playing career," said 2012 Collegiate National Team pitcher, Carlos Rodon (North Carolina State), who will return in 2013. "I flew straight down from the Golden Spikes Award ceremony in New York, there was no way I was going to miss that trip. It meant a lot for me and my family to visit Cuba, and the opportunity to play against that competition while representing my country made the experience even better."

USA Baseball records show that the U.S. and Cuba’s National Teams (U.S. professional teams did not begin competition until 1999) competed consistently each year from 1987-1996, with various friendship games played as early as the late 1970s.  The series is among those with the richest history for USA Baseball, with its collegiate All-Star games against Japan serving as the longest-running friendship series, having just completed its 38th installment in 2011.

The 2013 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team will be led by Texas Christian skipper Jim Schlossnagle.  Players will be invited over the course of the college baseball season, and the final 24-man roster will be announced on June 30.  The team will first gather in Cary, NC, for training on June 21.

Tickets for the USA vs. Cuba game at Durham Bulls Athletic Park on July 23 will go on sale Wednesday, June 19 at 9:00am.  Once on sale, tickets can be purchased online at durhambulls.com, by phone at 919.956.BULL, or at the DBAP box office.

Learn more about great events occurring in Durham at www.durhameventcalendar.com.

Bulls Announce Plans to Celebrate 25 Years of Bull Durham

When it comes to baseball, Durham is a pretty important spot. Made here, the movie Bull Durham is widely considered to be the most popular sports movie of all time, just as the subject of it, the Durham Bulls are widely considered to be the most popular AAA Baseball team in the world. Sure, it's not Cooperstown, but its role in baseball's story cannot be downplayed.

The Bulls have announced their plans to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the release of the 1988 movie that made the team internationally famous. Themed in-game entertainment, Bull Durham-era throwback jerseys, and giveaway items are among the activities on tap in 2013.

At every home game during the 2013 season, fans will be welcomed by the familiar “Rules of the Game” video voiced by a very Susan Sarandon-sounding announcer.  Then during each game, Bulls fans will be treated to at least one Bull Durham themed in-game entertainment feature.  Sure to be the most popular of those features are the Bull Durham Racers.

Unveiled on Opening Day, the racers have already created quite the buzz on the Internet with blog features on Baseball America, MLB Fan Cave, and Yahoo’s Big League Stew.  Serving as fan-friendly caricatures of Bull Durham’s most beloved stars, Racer Crash, Racer Nuke and Racer Annie will appear at big home games, racing along the warning track before exiting into the crowd for up-close photo opportunities.  Watch video of the Bull Durham Racers here.  Other in-game features will include trivia contests and videos of former and current Bulls reenacting famous scenes from the movie are here.

During Saturday home games, the Bulls will sport Bull Durham-era throwback jerseys. These late ‘80s/early ‘90s styled pullover tops will be auctioned off during the final Saturday home game of the season on August 24, with proceeds going to local non-profit groups.  The jerseys will also be worn on Sunday, June 16 when the Bulls host the Bull Durham 25th Anniversary Celebration, a game-long tribute to the film coinciding with the exact weekend it was released a quarter century ago.

Durham Bulls Mini Plan holders and Diamond Club members will have exclusive access to several Bull Durham themed giveaway items in 2013, including a Crash Davis catcher’s style backpack, and Nuke LaLoosh and Annie Savoy jersey t-shirts.

At concession stands, the spicy “Nuke Dog” makes its menu debut. Named for the fireball throwing Ebby Calvin “Nuke” LaLoosh, it’s a classic Carolina Packers red hot dog with crushed red pepper as an added ingredient. The “Nuke Dog” is also topped with the award-winning “Get Me a Switch” spicy relish from locally based Cottage Lane Kitchen.

More Bull Durham themed features and events will be announced throughout the season. The Durham Bulls resume their current homestand on Tuesday, April 23 with the first of four games against the Toledo Mud Hens. Tickets for all home games are available the DBAP box office, by calling 919.956.BULL or online.

Click here for more ways to enjoy Durham, NC.

Bicycle Racing Returns to Durham

Durham is known for many supremacy in many sports.  If the cycling community has its way, the road racing will soon be another.  The Ninth Street Derby will be held on Sunday February 26, 2012.

The Ninth Street Derby is a day of criterium bicycle racing for collegiate teams of the Atlantic Collegiate Cycling Conference (ACCC) and for the community at large.  Duke Cycling and Pedalgogy Coaching Services will present the event on Sunday February 26 from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm.  Competitors will turn laps on a half-mile rectangle encompassing the Ninth Street District on Ninth, Perry, Iredell, and Markham Streets.

Collegiate racing kicks off with a beginner's event at 9:00 am and culminates at 1:00 pm with a 30-mile event for the fastest collegiate athletes on the east coast.   Duke Cycling will look for a strong showing in defense of its 2011 regular-season ACCC team title.  Duke student Matthew Rinehart, the 2011 ACCC individual champion, will be a favorite contender against strong squads from UNC, NC State, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, East Carolina, West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia, and the US Naval Academy.

Community races begin at 2:15 pm and climax at 4:30 with the feature event for professional and elite amateur racers.  State and national champions will join a field motivated by $500 in prize money.

"Criterium bicycle racing is a lot like NASCAR," said Rusty Miller, race promoter and Duke Cycling Head Coach.  "The spectacle for crowds is pure speed and the constant possibility of pile-ups" as racers sprint around city streets in a tight pack and jostle for the best drafting positions.  Competitors will reach speeds in excess of 35 mph in pursuit of the Derby title, he said.

Durham's cycling community is growing rapidly with events like this and a well organized cadre of enthusiasts.  Soon Durham could be known as the place where great cycling happens - let's just see what happens on Sunday.  Go Duke.

When Big Isn't Big Enough - OP/ED

This is an opinion/editorial from the desk of Shelly Green, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau.

I read a great article yesterday in Forbes by Patrick Rishe, Director of Sportsimpacts and an Associate Professor of Economics at Webster University in St. Louis, MO., entitled "Educating Sports Commissions and CVBs about the Economic Impact of Sports."  He was summarizing a presentation that he made earlier in the week at a conference of the National Association of Sports Commissions (of which DCVB is a member.)

In the article, Rishe does a great job outlining in simple language the basics associated with measuring the impact of sports events.  He bemoans the fact—as do I—that there are still people and organizations out there inflating the economic impact of events for either political, financial or public relations reasons.  

Some just blindly take the impact amount reported by the city that hosted the event the prior year and mark it up 5 or 10%.  Some just do the math in their heads, i.e., “Let’s see.  I’ll bet each person spent about $1,000; times 50,000 people; equals…” with no basis to substantiate the numbers.

Rishe advises organizations to do the type of things that DCVB has espoused for 20-some years:

·       Don’t include spending by local residents.  If residents hadn’t spent money at this event, they would have likely spent it elsewhere in the local community. 

·       Report the net income of the event.  That includes the direct spending, the indirect and induced impacts (sometimes referred to as multipliers) but it also includes SUBTRACTING the amount of leakage that occurs when local businesses and vendors buy their supplies outside the community or when national and regional suppliers send a portion of the proceeds back to their corporate headquarters.

·       Consider displacement and how that impacts the bottom line, particularly when looking at mega events.  If a huge sporting event is supposed to bring 50,000 people to the community, it will have much less impact if it displaces any of the community’s existing business.  Think Super Bowls and Olympic events.  If hotels are typically 70% occupied during that time frame, the true impact is only the difference between the typical occupancy and the total occupancy achieved during the event (which is rarely 100%.)

As I noted in the comment section at the end of the article, the bottom line is, a CVBs job is to stimulate economic activity in its community AND generate tax revenue for local governments.  This reaps great rewards.  There is no reason to inflate these numbers...unless of course you need to cover up the fact that the huge incentive you ponied up (using public money, of course) actually made the event COST your community more money than it reaped.  But don't get me started on that...

ACC Baseball Championship

Durham is a city of champions.  With the Durham Bulls and Duke Blue Devils - athletic superiority is nothing new to the place where great things happen.  So, it's only fitting that the 2011 ACC Baseball Championship will be played here May 24th to May 29th at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

The top eight teams from the regular season qualify for the championship run which consists of three games per day on  Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 11 AM, 3 PM and 7 PM, and the championship game on Sunday at 1 PM.  The series will be sure to entertain those in attendance.

To purchase single game or full-tournament passes to the 2011 ACC Baseball Championship, call the Durham Bulls ticket office at 919-956-BULL or order on-line through the team’s web site.

The Crimson Tide Brings its Green

Yes, the national champions Alabama Crimson Tide Football team is beginning its descent on Durham. And it's a beautiful sight.

Not only will the home town Duke Blue Devils (who beat the 'Tide in 1944) bring their A game to the field at Wallace Wade Saturday afternoon, but the Crimson Tide fans will bring with them significant visitor economic impact.

Duke added about 4,000 extra seats to the for spectators for this upcoming game which speaks to the fact that 'Bama fans travel.  The economic impact from this game in Durham this weekend is $5.9 million -extremely high for a weekend event. Some of the reasons include much higher percentage of overnight visitors than most events, longer stays - particularly from the Alabama folks, and of course, ticket prices.  No tickets are available through Duke Athletic's ticket office for this game, according to the Duke Box Office.

Hotel rooms around Duke and 15/501 are sold out. There are still rooms available in S.E. Durham in and around Research Triangle Park which provide direct and easy access to Wallace Wade Stadium. 

Parking around town might be a touch challenging so use this map to see where spectators can park for the game or where to avoid if the game is not on Saturday's agenda. Local businesses will likely see a major influx of visitors in the early evening when the game lets out so residents should make plans accordingly for any dining or entertainment plans they might have. 

Sure, the Devils have an uphill battle on the field, but let us not forget that sports are a game and in any game there are chances...remember ASU in Michigan a few years back?... so there's a chance that the Blue Devils may make the Crimson Tide a little red in the face.  One thing not left to chance is that Durham will be a touch more green as the Tide subsides, and for that thanks go to Alabama.