Spokane Sports Commission

What Spokane Sports Commission does

Spokane Sports Commission is a non-profit sports destination marketing organization (DMO) that attracts regional, national, and international sporting events to the Spokane, Washington region. The organization sells and delivers Spokane as a sports destination to event rights holders, sports federations (NCAA, U.S. Figure Skating, national governing bodies), and corporate sponsors, operating on a partnership-based revenue model where event hosting services, venue coordination, and sponsor relationships constitute its principal commercial mechanics. It does not own its venues outright; rather, it works as the connective tissue across a regional venue portfolio.

The core "product" is a portfolio of five managed venues — The Podium Powered by STCU (a 135,000 sq ft facility with a 200m hydraulic banked indoor track), Numerica Veterans Arena (32,000 sq ft, 12,000 seats, recently upgraded with a 360° LED Ribbon Board in 2024), the Spokane Convention Center presented by the Spokane Tribe of Indians (300,000 sq ft of sports and meeting space), One Spokane Stadium (5,000 grandstand seats, 10,000-15,000 capacity), and The Course Spokane Valley (a 46-acre cross-country facility built to NCAA and USATF spec). Within a 20-minute drive of downtown Spokane, these venues are wrapped by 16 other facilities, totaling 20 accessible venues. The underlying operating technology is described as a "venue management and event operations platform"; no proprietary AI, ML, or differentiated software IP is disclosed.

The business model combines event-management fees, venue partnership arrangements, title and presenting sponsorships (STCU, Spokane Tribe of Indians, Numerica Credit Union, ICCU), and community-program funding (Inland Northwest Sports Hall of Fame, Spokane Youth Sports Awards, Dan Fitzgerald Against All Odds Awards endowment via Innovia Foundation). At approximately 14 staff and a roughly 16-member Board of Directors, the organization runs lean. Its 2024 operating footprint includes 73 hosted events, 63,740 athletes participating, 169,000 traveling athletes and fans, $87M in attributed regional economic impact, $11.8M in lodging spend, $7.8M in state and local tax generation, and 549 supported jobs — figures it uses as the primary value-proposition to rights holders and sponsors.

Name

Spokane Sports Commission

Legal name

Spokane Sports Commission

Website

https://spokanesports.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Spokane Sports Commission is a non-profit sports destination marketing organization that attracts and hosts regional, national, and international sporting events across a portfolio of five venues in Spokane, Washington, serving event rights holders, sponsors, athletes, and traveling fans.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Event Management and Destination Marketing

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events (7113)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Amateur Event & Tournament Organizers (Meets, Invitationals, Opens) (MPAKACAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sports Community Relations & Grassroots Program Management (MPAKAKAJ)

Keywords

• Sports event management
• Sports destination marketing
• Venue hosting services
• Sports commission services
• Athletic event operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Spokane

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. Event Hosting Services: Revenue generated through hosting sporting events, including event management fees, venue partnerships, and operational services for event organizers bringing events to Spokane venues.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Spokane Sports Commission is a nonprofit sports destination marketing organization that attracts, plans, and hosts regional, national, and international sporting events across a network of venues in Spokane, Washington. It manages five core venues—The Podium Powered by STCU, Numerica Veterans Arena, Spokane Convention Center, One Spokane Stadium, and The Course Spokane Valley—and delivers comprehensive event services including venue coordination, marketing, hospitality/room-block management, and field-of-play operations for event rights holders, federations, and organizers. Supporting community programs such as the Inland Northwest Sports Hall of Fame and Spokane Youth Sports Awards round out the offering.

Product overview

Spokane Sports Commission is a sports destination marketing and event management organization that operates a portfolio of venues and community programs. The core offering consists of five managed venues (The Podium, Numerica Veterans Arena, Spokane Convention Center, One Spokane Stadium, and The Course Spokane Valley) that host regional, national, and international sporting events. Supporting the venue operations are community programs including the Inland Northwest Sports Hall of Fame and the Spokane Youth Sports Awards. The organization also manages an Indoor Track & Field season of events. The venues and programs work together to drive economic impact and community engagement through sports.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Podium Powered by STCU A 135,000 sq ft multi-use sports venue featuring a 200m hydraulic banked track, 75,000 sq ft competition floor, and 3,000 permanent bleacher seats, located on the north bank of the Spokane River; hosts track & field, wrestling, basketball, and other indoor sports events.
• Numerica Veterans Arena A 32,000 sq ft, 12,000-seat arena for sports and entertainment, featuring state-of-the-art audio/video capabilities and a 350° LED Ribbon Board installed in 2024; hosts professional soccer and other arena sports.
• Spokane Convention Center presented by the Spokane Tribe of Indians Downtown venue overlooking the Spokane River with 300,000 sq ft of sports space, including 120,000 sq ft of flexible exhibit hall space and 40 breakout/meeting rooms; supports large indoor sports events.
• One Spokane Stadium Multi-use stadium on the North Bank with grandstands seating 5,000 and total capacity of 10,000-15,000; home to professional soccer teams and host venue for outdoor sporting events.
• The Course Spokane Valley Purpose-built 46-acre cross-country facility bordering the Spokane River, designed to NCAA and USATF specifications with customizable course routes from 1 mile to 10k; hosts collegiate and invitational cross-country events.
• Indoor Track & Field Events A season of indoor track and field events hosted at The Podium, featuring world-class competition facilities for athletes across multiple meets throughout the indoor season.
• Inland Northwest Sports Hall of Fame Biennial induction ceremony honoring top athletes, coaches, and sports figures in the Spokane region; operated as a committee of the Spokane Sports Commission with 2024 sponsors including Alaska Airlines, Jostens, Spokane Club, and 4 News Now.
• Spokane Youth Sports Awards Annual event recognizing outstanding high school student-athletes for achievements in athletics, academics, leadership, and community involvement; presented by ICCU in partnership with SWX (media partner) and event partners SYSA, Avista Corp, and Arby's.

Quantifiable outcome

• 73 events hosted per year with 63,740 athletes participating
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and supporting.

• STCU (Spokane Teachers Credit Union)flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerSTCU is the title sponsor for The Podium, branded as 'The Podium Powered by STCU'. This is a major venue naming rights and sponsorship partnership.
• Spokane Tribe of IndiansflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerSpokane Tribe of Indians is the presenting sponsor for the Spokane Convention Center, branded as 'Spokane Convention Center presented by the Spokane Tribe of Indians'.
• Numerica Credit UnionflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerNumerica Credit Union holds naming rights for Numerica Veterans Arena, supporting Spokane's sports infrastructure.
• Spokane Public Facilities DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner represented on the Board of Directors. The Spokane Public Facilities District manages key public sports venues in the region.
• Numerica Credit UnioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNumerica Credit Union is represented on the Board of Directors and is a venue naming partner.
• Kalispel Development CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard Chair organization representing key regional hospitality and development interests.
• Gonzaga UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional university partner represented on Board of Directors, supporting collegiate sports connections.
• Alaska AirlinessupportingGTM or Marketing Partner2024 Inland NW Sports Hall of Fame sponsor, providing travel support for inductees and events.
• JostenssupportingGTM or Marketing Partner2024 Inland NW Sports Hall of Fame sponsor providing awards and recognition products.
• Spokane ClubsupportingGTM or Marketing Partner2024 Inland NW Sports Hall of Fame sponsor providing venue and hospitality support.
• 4 News NowsupportingGTM or Marketing Partner2024 Inland NW Sports Hall of Fame sponsor providing media coverage.
• ICCU (Idaho Central Credit Union)flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor for Spokane Youth Sports Awards program, supporting recognition of outstanding student-athletes.
• SWXcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedia partner for Spokane Youth Sports Awards, providing broadcast coverage and visibility for student-athlete recognition.
• Avista CorpsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent partner for Spokane Youth Sports Awards program.
• SYSA (Spokane Youth Sports Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEvent partner for Spokane Youth Sports Awards representing local youth sports organizations.
• ARBYSsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent partner for Spokane Youth Sports Awards program.
• Innovia FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation supporting the Dan Fitzgerald Against All Odds Awards scholarship endowment for graduating high school student-athletes with financial need.
• City of Spokane ValleyflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerOwner and operator of The Course Spokane Valley cross-country venue, a 46-acre purpose-built facility on the Spokane River.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Nashville Sports Council: Nonprofit sports council attracting sporting events and championships to the Nashville region. Comparable DMO model focused on event bidding, civic partnerships, and economic impact reporting.
• Jacksonville Sports Council: Nonprofit sports council that attracts NCAA and amateur sporting events to the Jacksonville region. Comparable scale, mission, and event-driven economic development approach.
• Indianapolis Sports Corp: Nonprofit sports commission that attracts and hosts NCAA events, national championships, and amateur sports events in Indianapolis. Closely comparable in mission, nonprofit DMO model, NCAA event focus, and economic-impact-driven value proposition.
• Sports Milwaukee / VISIT Milwaukee: Regional DMO that actively bids for and hosts NCAA events including men's basketball tournament games. Highly comparable event-bidding and NCAA-hosting model with similar economic impact narrative.
• Louisville Sports Commission: Mid-size nonprofit sports commission hosting NCAA and amateur events in Louisville. Directly comparable in size, mission, and event mix (NCAA championships, cross-country, youth sports awards).
• Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance: Regional sports commission that bids for and operates sporting events across multiple venues in the Raleigh market. Comparable in scale, nonprofit structure, and reliance on NCAA/amateur event hosting for economic impact.
• Greater Phoenix Sports Authority: Regional sports authority that coordinates event hosting across the Phoenix metro. Comparable in event-attraction focus, multi-venue portfolio, and reliance on NCAA/amateur championship bids.
• Cleveland Sports Commission / Destination Cleveland: Mid-market destination marketing and sports commission entity hosting collegiate and amateur events. Comparable nonprofit model combining sports-event attraction with regional economic development.
• Houston Sports Commission: Nonprofit sports commission under the Greater Houston Partnership that attracts major amateur, collegiate, and professional events to Houston. Comparable nonprofit DMO model with similar event-bidding and venue-partnership approach.

Regional players

• Team Florida / Florida Sports Foundation: Statewide sports foundation that supports event bidding and sports tourism across Florida. Adjacent in mission (sports event attraction and economic impact) but operates at the state level rather than a single metro.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SpokaneSports
• Facebookfacebook.com/spokanesports
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/spokanesports
• Instagraminstagram.com/spokanesports

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Spokane Sports Commission