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May 18, 2026
APPLETON/FOX CITIES – For the second time, the Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) has earned Sports ETA’s Sports Tourism Organization of the Year honor for communities with populations under 500,000.
Sports ETA represents more than 800 member organizations, one of which, Director of Sports Marketing Matt Ten Haken said, is the Fox Cities CVB.
“We also won this award in 2016,” he said. “At that time, the association was named the National Association of Sports Commissions, but they have since changed their name to Sports ETA.”
Ten Haken said Sports ETA members share industry knowledge and expertise while helping expand opportunities and elevate the professionalism of events hosted in communities nationwide.
“Members can include convention and visitors bureaus or sports commissions, as well as organizations around the country that host sporting events,” he said.
‘Highest honor’
Created and awarded by industry peers, this award – according to sportseta.org – is the highest honor an organization or individual in the sports tourism industry can receive.
Ten Haken said the Fox Cities CVB was one of six finalists.
In determining the winner, Ten Haken said judges evaluate the overall impact an organization has within its community.
He said the Fox Cities CVB – per the judges – stood out for its success in supporting a diverse, high-impact lineup of events across multiple sports and venues.
“What we’re doing in the Fox Cities is drastically different from what a community with a population of 400,000 to 500,000 would be doing,” he said. “But it’s based on the overall impact you have in terms of events hosted, as well as the relationships you have with community partners and what’s being done to increase sports opportunities – for not only those events that bring visitors to your community, but also for residents of the community you’re in.”
Besides being “incredibly honored” to be recognized by Sports ETA as Sports Tourism Organization of the Year, Ten Haken said the award “reflects the dedication of our team, the strength of our partnerships and our shared commitment to creating exceptional sports experiences that benefit our entire community.”
He said the organization has spent years building a strong foundation of annual events hosted throughout the community.
“We’ve worked with local organizations or nonprofits to run events as fundraisers for their clubs and also opportunities for their teams or athletes to compete at home for a weekend or two each season,” he said. “So, we do have that baseline of annual events that happen in the Fox Cities.”
However, Ten Haken said that work also includes bidding to bring new events to the area and partnering with event directors to showcase what the Fox Cities offers event hosts, while helping coordinate all the pieces needed to run successful events.
John David, president and CEO of Sports ETA, said the Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau represents the “very best” of what sports tourist leadership looks like.
“Their ability to drive measurable economic impact, foster strong community partnerships and consistently deliver high-quality events sets a national standard for destinations of any size,” he said.
Setting records in economic impact on the community
Ten Haken said the award capped off a standout year for both the CVB and the Fox Cities as the region continued to establish itself as a premier destination for competitive athletics.
He said that can be demonstrated by the economic impact the region has realized by conventions, tournaments, competitions and the like last year.
In 2025, Ten Haken said the Fox Cities CVB hosted 264 sporting events, generating more than 34,000 hotel room nights and $14.1 million in direct visitor spending.
He said the CVB was able to secure some high-profile bookings – the USA Powerlifting High School National Championships and the World Axe & Knife Throwing Championships – which helped fuel their success.
“The USA Powerlifting High School National Championships is a great example of an event that was hosted at the Fox Cities Exhibition Center,” he said. “It’s a really big event bringing high school powerlifters from across the country to downtown Appleton.”
Ten Haken said the World Axe & Knife Throwing Championships last April drew competitors from multiple countries to Appleton, giving them a chance to compete and explore all the community has to offer.
“Those are just two examples of the variety of events we work with,” he said.
Another major event for the Fox Cities CVB last year, Ten Haken said, was the United States Bowling Congress Junior Gold Championships.
Working alongside partners in Green Bay, Wausau and Oshkosh, he said the CVB helped host the 10-day July championship, which brought thousands of youth bowlers to Northeast Wisconsin – which generated significant business for local hotels, restaurants and attractions.
“In April 2027, we’re going to be hosting the World Axe & Knife Throwing Championship once again, and it will be the 10th anniversary of their championship event,” he said. “So, we’re really excited to bring them back to town once again.”
Though the sport is still relatively new, Ten Haken said organizers have done a good job promoting it by securing ESPN coverage and expanding its reach nationwide, helping to grow the number of participants.
“It’s always a great event for us to host,” he said. “It will be our fourth time bringing them to Appleton, so we’ve developed a really great relationship with their event organizers, and then our axe throwers throughout Wisconsin really support Appleton as the host location as well.”
A key factor in the CVB’s success over the last few years, Ten Haken said, was the Community First Champion Center in Appleton, which hosted more than 70 major tournaments in 2025.
The 164,000-square-foot indoor sports complex – which opened in November 2019 – he said features ice rinks along with hard court spaces for basketball and volleyball.
Nearly every weekend of the year, Ten Haken said the facility hosts tournaments that draw visitors to the area, primarily in hockey, basketball and volleyball.
“We’ve also hosted youth wrestling, figure skating and gymnastics, just to name a few,” he said. “The majority of our activities in that building are geared toward youth athletes aged 10 to 17.”
Ten Haken said the center has had a significant impact on the number of visitors coming to the area.
“We typically draw from teams and athletes from around the State of Wisconsin as well as bordering states,” he said. “We have several participating teams from Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois on a regular basis in that venue.”
Marketing the region
Ten Haken said the Fox Cities CVB team evaluates and promotes a variety of factors when pursuing sporting events for the region.
“It starts with having the right venue for a group,” he said. “Everybody is looking for something a little bit different in the venue for their competition.”
However, Ten Haken said what happens outside of competition also plays an important role and helps set the region apart from other destinations.
“We all know as residents of the Fox Cities and Northeast Wisconsin that we have a great community that’s so welcoming,” he said. “And I think what visitors find appealing about us is the majority of our events are for youth athletes and youth team sports.”
Ten Haken said visiting young families experience an affordable, safe and welcoming community with plenty to offer beyond the competitions.
“When you’re traveling with a young family, it’s great to know you have a safe and affordable hotel room, plenty of dining options, plenty of other things to do outside of the sporting event and where the area is really drivable, compared to some of the major markets we compete with for some of these teams and events,” he said.
A team effort
Ten Haken said the repeated recognition from Sports ETA reflects the work of community partners, his staff and colleagues, as well as the success in securing major events.
“We’re super proud of the work that was done in 2025,” he said. “But it’s really a combination of years of effort that’s been put forth by not only our office, but also so many in the community. So, it’s really an award for the whole community to celebrate.”
As a convention and visitors bureau, Ten Haken said the Fox Cities CVB operates in a supporting role, working alongside organizations and individuals rather than owning the events themselves.
“We could not have won this award if it weren’t for the many volunteer hours put in by so many individuals and organizations in the Fox Cities to host great events,” he said.For more information, visit foxcities.org or by visiting the Fox Cities CVB Facebook page.
