Savannah Sports Council

What Savannah Sports Council does

The Savannah Sports Council is a nonprofit destination sports marketing organization established in 1993 and based in Savannah, Georgia. Its core function is to attract, develop, and support sporting events across Savannah/Chatham County in order to generate measurable economic impact through visitor spending on lodging, dining, retail, and ground transportation. The Council serves sports event planners, national governing bodies, and tournament directors as its primary "customers," with athletes, spectators, and local hospitality partners as secondary beneficiaries. It markets and supports a portfolio that includes collegiate championships (e.g., Allstate SEC Volleyball Tournament, NAIA Lacrosse National Invitational), endurance events (Enmarket Savannah Bridge Run, Savannah Southern Half Marathon, Publix Savannah Women's Half Marathon & 5K), hockey (Publix Savannah Hockey Classic), and showcases local professional franchises such as the Savannah Bananas (baseball) and the Savannah Ghost Pirates (ECHL hockey).

The Council does not produce a unified proprietary software or technology product. Its core service infrastructure consists of an online facilities directory, a formal RFP intake process for prospective event owners, an event calendar, and a volunteer program operated through the VolunteerLocal third-party platform. Its operations are tightly embedded with Visit Savannah (the regional destination marketing organization) and the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce, which provide shared back-office, marketing, and sales infrastructure. The internal team is small, with documented leadership including a Director of Sports Sales and two coordinators covering sports sales & services and sports & leisure marketing.

The Council operates without a direct pricing model and does not charge event organizers for its services. Its "revenue model" is indirect: value capture is measured by the economic multiplier effect of visitor spending on Savannah-area hotels, restaurants, and retailers. Its go-to-market motion is sales-led and consultative, relying on direct outreach by the small internal team to event planners, NCAA and NAIA conferences, and governing bodies. Funding and operational support flow through Visit Savannah and Chamber-of-Commerce-aligned channels, which positions the organization as a quasi-public destination-marketing function rather than a traditional commercial enterprise.

Name

Savannah Sports Council

Legal name

Savannah Sports Council

Website

https://savannahsportscouncil.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Savannah Sports Council is a nonprofit destination sports marketing organization, founded in 1993 in Savannah, Georgia, that attracts and supports collegiate, endurance, and professional sporting events to drive visitor spending. It serves event planners and governing bodies in partnership with Visit Savannah and the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Tourism & Destination Marketing

NAICS

Spectator Sports (71121)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Amateur & Grassroots Tournament Organizers (MPAKADAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Amateur Event & Tournament Organizers (Meets, Invitationals, Opens) (MPAKACAL), Sports Community Relations & Grassroots Program Management (MPAKAKAJ)

Keywords

• Sports event hosting
• Destination sports marketing
• Sports tourism development
• Event venue coordination
• Sports volunteer coordination

Headquarters

HQ city

Savannah

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Sports Event Tourism: The Savannah Sports Council generates value by attracting sporting events to Savannah, which drives hotel occupancy, restaurant visits, retail spending, and local economic impact. The organization does not directly charge event organizers but rather generates revenue through the economic multiplier effect of visitor spending in the destination.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Savannah Sports Council is a destination sports marketing organization that attracts and supports sporting events of all sizes in Savannah, Georgia. It connects sports event planners with local venues, accommodations, volunteers, and community resources, and promotes Savannah as a host city for youth tournaments, collegiate championships, endurance races, and professional sports competitions.

Product overview

The Savannah Sports Council is a destination marketing and sports development organization established in 1993 that facilitates sporting event hosting in Savannah, Georgia. Rather than a unified software product, it offers a portfolio of services including sports facilities coordination, event RFP submission, volunteer management, and promotion of professional teams and signature events. The Council operates in conjunction with Visit Savannah and the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce, supporting events ranging from youth tournaments to national championships across various sports including volleyball, running/marathon, hockey, and baseball.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sports Event Hosting Services
• Sports Facilities Directory
• Sports RFP Submission
• Sports Volunteer Program
• Allstate SEC Volleyball Tournament
• Savannah Southern Half Marathon
• Enmarket Savannah Bridge Run

Quantifiable outcome

• Events impact the Savannah community through economic contribution from visitor spending on hotels, restaurants, and local businesses

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Visit SavannahcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVisit Savannah is the primary marketing organization for tourism in Savannah, Georgia. The Savannah Sports Council operates in conjunction with Visit Savannah to develop and attract sporting events to the destination. Visit Savannah provides marketing infrastructure, website platforms, and sales support for the sports council's initiatives.
• Savannah Area Chamber of CommercecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Savannah Sports Council works with the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce to enrich the city of Savannah and Chatham County. The partnership supports economic development through sports tourism and community enrichment initiatives.
• Enmarket ArenacoreOthersEnmarket Arena is Savannah's premier entertainment venue that hosts major sporting events including Savannah Ghost Pirates hockey games and other championship events. The venue is a key component of Savannah's sports infrastructure.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Nashville Sports Council: Destination sports marketing body for Nashville that bids for and supports amateur, collegiate, and professional sporting events in the city. Operates under a comparable nonprofit, CVB-affiliated structure to Savannah's.
• Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance: Sports commission for the Raleigh area that promotes the destination for sporting events of all sizes through venue marketing, RFP intake, and tourism partnerships. Functionally equivalent to the Savannah Sports Council in scope and model.
• Louisville Sports Commission: Destination sports commission for Louisville, KY that attracts sporting events through RFP processes and tourism partnerships. Mirrors Savannah's model of bidding for amateur and collegiate championships.
• Charlotte Sports Foundation: Nonprofit that attracts and supports sporting events in the Charlotte region through venue coordination, RFP processes, and tourism partnerships. Closely mirrors the Savannah Sports Council's mission and operating model.
• Charleston Area Sports Commission: Regional sports commission serving the Charleston, SC area, recruiting sporting events in a similar destination-marketing capacity. Competes with Savannah for coastal Southeast event bids.
• Atlanta Sports Council: Destination sports marketing organization for the Atlanta metro that recruits and hosts sporting events using a similar nonprofit, parent-CVB-aligned model. Directly competes with Savannah for regional event bids in the Southeast.
• Birmingham Sports Commission: Sports commission for the Birmingham, Alabama region recruiting and hosting sporting events through a destination-marketing structure comparable to Savannah's.
• Greenville Sports Commission: Sports commission promoting Greenville, South Carolina as a host city for sporting events. Operates with a comparable destination-marketing and event-recruitment remit to the Savannah Sports Council.
• Jacksonville Sports Council: Destination sports marketing organization for Jacksonville, Florida that recruits sporting events using a CVB-aligned, nonprofit model. Directly comparable to Savannah as a Southeast destination sports council.

Others

• Visit Savannah: Parent destination marketing organization that funds and co-operates the Savannah Sports Council. Provides the tourism marketing platform, website infrastructure, and sales support on which the Council relies.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/savannah-sports-council

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 Savannah Sports Council