Gwinnett Sports Commission

What Gwinnett Sports Commission does

Gwinnett Sports Commission (GSC) is a government-affiliated sports tourism and event management organization that operates as a division of the Gwinnett Convention & Visitors Bureau (GCVB), Gwinnett County's official tourism body, marketed under the brand Explore Gwinnett. Headquartered at 6500 Sugarloaf Parkway, Suite 200 in Duluth, Georgia, GSC drives economic development by planning and managing sporting events for youth, collegiate, amateur, and professional athletic organizations throughout Gwinnett County. Its operating model is event-driven: it recruits and coordinates event hosting, partners with venues (Gas South Arena, Coolray Field, Suwanee Sports Academy, TPC Sugarloaf), and coordinates with Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation, which manages 48 parks across more than 10,000 acres.

GSC's core product is a portfolio of event hosting and planning services, anchored by its management of the Mitsubishi Electric Classic — an annual PGA TOUR Champions 54-hole stroke play tournament held at TPC Sugarloaf in Duluth featuring 78 professionals competing for a $1.8 million purse and raising over $2.3 million for local charities since 2013. It also provides venue and facility management, volunteer coordination (including for FIFA World Cup 2026), and structured sports partnership programs that give corporate sponsors brand visibility tied to its event calendar. Underlying technology is not proprietary — GSC functions as a coordination and destination-marketing layer over existing public parks, private venues, and licensed sports properties rather than as a software platform.

The business model combines professional services revenue from event management contracts, sponsorship and partnership program fees, and county-level appropriations channeled through its parent GCVB (funded by hotel/motel tax receipts). Pricing is not publicly disclosed and operates on custom contracts. Leadership includes Executive Director Monte Ortel (appointed 2019, formerly Tournament Director of the Mitsubishi Electric Classic), Director of Sports Development Leigh Hooten, and GCVB COO Stan Hall. The organization holds reputational distinction as the host of the Mitsubishi Electric Classic and as part of a county parks system recognized as the #1 Parks and Recreation Department nationally and Georgia's Sportstown per Sports Illustrated.

Name

Gwinnett Sports Commission

Legal name

Gwinnett Sports Commission

Website

https://gwinnettsportscommission.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Gwinnett Sports Commission is a government-affiliated sports tourism division of the Gwinnett Convention & Visitors Bureau that plans and manages sporting events in Gwinnett County, Georgia for youth, collegiate, amateur, and professional athletic organizations, anchored by the annual Mitsubishi Electric Classic PGA TOUR Champions tournament.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Tourism and Event Management Services

NAICS

Other Spectator Sports (711219), Spectator Sports (7112)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Amateur & Grassroots Tournament Organizers (MPAKADAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Collegiate & Scholastic Tournament Organizers (MPAKADAG), Amateur Event & Tournament Organizers (Meets, Invitationals, Opens) (MPAKACAL), Youth & Amateur Sports Tournaments (MPAGAMAF)

Keywords

• Sports event management
• Sports tourism
• Event hosting services
• Corporate sports partnerships
• Venue management

Headquarters

HQ city

Duluth

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Sports Event Management Services: The organization generates revenue through managing and coordinating sporting events for youth, collegiate, amateur and professional organizations in Gwinnett County, driving economic development through sports tourism.
2. Partnership and Sponsorship Programs: Corporate partnership opportunities that provide higher visibility through reaching sporting event attendees and participants, creating positive brand associations and sales opportunities for partners.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Gwinnett Sports Commission plans and manages a variety of sporting events in Gwinnett County for youth, collegiate, amateur, and professional athletic organizations. It coordinates event hosting, manages premier venues and county parks, runs the annual Mitsubishi Electric Classic PGA TOUR Champions tournament, recruits volunteers, and offers corporate sponsorship programs. The commission operates as a division of the Gwinnett Convention & Visitors Bureau (Explore Gwinnett).

Product overview

Gwinnett Sports Commission is a sports tourism and economic development organization that offers a portfolio of event hosting services, venue management, and partnership programs. The core offerings include event planning and coordination services for various athletic organizations, management of key venues (Gas South Arena, Coolray Field, Suwanee Sports Academy), and production of the annual Mitsubishi Electric Classic PGA TOUR Champions golf tournament. The organization also provides volunteer coordination for major events and offers corporate partnership opportunities for brands seeking visibility with sports audiences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Explore Gwinnett: Marketing brand for Gwinnett Conventions and Visitors Bureau that houses the Gwinnett Sports Commission

Products and services

• Event Hosting and Planning Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Mitsubishi Electric Classic has raised over $2.3 million for local charities since its first tournament in 2013

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Mitsubishi Electric ClassiccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Mitsubishi Electric Classic is a PGA TOUR Champions event held annually at TPC Sugarloaf in Duluth, Georgia. It is a 54-hole stroke play golf tournament featuring 78 PGA TOUR Champions professionals competing for a $1.8 million purse. The Gwinnett Sports Commission manages this event as part of its portfolio of sports properties, with all three rounds internationally televised on Golf Channel.
• Explore Gwinnett (Gwinnett Convention & Visitors Bureau)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExplore Gwinnett is the marketing brand for the Gwinnett Convention & Visitors Bureau, Gwinnett County's official tourism organization dedicated to strengthening the local economy through conventions, sporting events, meetings, and leisure travel. The Gwinnett Sports Commission is housed within this organization, with GCVB Board overseeing operations of the Infinite Energy Center.
• Gas South ArenacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor venue within the Gwinnett sports facilities network, serving as a key location for sporting events and competitions.
• Coolray Field (Gwinnett Field)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHome venue of the Gwinnett Stripers Triple-A baseball team and site for various sporting events. Located in Lawrenceville, Georgia.
• Suwanee Sports AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPremier sports facility within the Gwinnett venue network, hosting various athletic competitions and training events.
• Gwinnett County Parks and RecreationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGCPR operates 48 parks covering 10,000+ acres with event facilities, baseball/softball complexes, tennis complexes, skating bowls, equestrian trails, and bocce ball courts. The Gwinnett Sports Commission works closely with GCPR and local athletic associations to host events throughout the year.
• Gwinnett StripersmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTriple-A International League affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, playing at Coolray Field in Lawrenceville. The Stripers are a key professional sports property within Gwinnett County's sports ecosystem.
• Georgia SwarmmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional lacrosse team in the National Lacrosse League (NLL), one of 13 teams in North America's premier professional indoor lacrosse league. Based in Atlanta with games at Gas South Arena.
• Georgia Gwinnett College GrizzliesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNAIA collegiate athletics program competing in various sports including soccer, tennis, and other intercollegiate competitions at the Grizzly Soccer Complex and other Gwinnett facilities.
• Atlanta VibeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional women's volleyball team operating in the Atlanta area sports ecosystem.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Atlanta Sports Council: Regional sports commission based in the Atlanta metro area that bids for, hosts, and manages amateur, collegiate, and professional sporting events to drive economic impact. Directly comparable to GSC in mission, structure (typically housed within a CVB), and customer base, and operates in an adjacent geographic market.
• Cincinnati Sports Commission: Regional commission focused on attracting and hosting sporting events that drive economic impact in Greater Cincinnati. Comparable in event-management scope, multi-tier customer base, and partnership-driven revenue model.
• Philadelphia Sports Congress: Division of the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau that promotes Philadelphia as a sports destination and hosts major sporting events. Directly comparable structural model (embedded within a CVB) and economic-development mandate.
• Nashville Sports Council: Mid-South sports commission that recruits and manages sporting events for the Nashville metro region across amateur, collegiate, and professional tiers. Directly comparable in business model, anchor-event strategy, and partnership-driven revenue approach.
• San Diego Sports Commission: Regional sports commission that attracts and manages amateur, youth, collegiate, and professional sporting events for San Diego County. Directly comparable in mission, customer segmentation, and economic development mandate.
• Charlotte Sports Foundation: Regional sports commission that drives economic impact through recruiting and hosting major sporting events in the Charlotte region. Comparable in vertical focus (event bidding and management), customer base, and tourism-board affiliation.
• Greater Houston Sports Authority: Houston-area organization that supports and promotes sports events and amateur athletic programs. Comparable in event-hosting role, multi-tier customer targeting, and partnership development function.
• Greater Cleveland Sports Commission: Nationally recognized regional sports commission that bids for and operates major sporting events for the Cleveland area. Highly comparable in event-organization mandate, multi-tier customer mix (NCAA, youth, professional), and economic development focus.
• Pittsburgh Regional Sports Commission: Regional sports commission recruiting major sporting events to the Pittsburgh area across youth, amateur, collegiate, and professional tiers. Comparable in event-bidding function, public-affiliation structure, and venue-coordination role.

Broad incumbents

• Visit Orlando (Sports Division): Destination marketing organization with a dedicated sports tourism division that bids for and manages sporting events in the Orlando region. Comparable in destination-marketing affiliation, but operates on a significantly larger scale and broader footprint than GSC.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Gwinnett_Sports
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/GwinnettSportsCoun
• Facebookfacebook.com/GwinnettSportsCommission
• Instagraminstagram.com/gwinnett_sports

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gwinnett Sports Commission