Dan Gilbert [owner of the NBA Cleveland Cavaliers] gets a lot of credit for his plans to revitalize downtown Cleveland, as well he should. But there is another Gilbert - David who is directly responsible for generating around $370 million in area economic activity. This Gilbert is the founder, president and CEO of the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission.
On Feb. 2, another sellout crowd of more than 1,200 packed the Renaissance Hotel for the 12th annual Sports Awards Dinner, hosted by ESPN's Erin Andrews. The banquet honored Austin Carr, "Mr. Cavalier," among others. Wilbert's outstanding work with the sports commission has led him full circle. Last year he became president and CEO of Positively Cleveland, formerly known as the Cleveland Convention & Visitors Bureau, where he previously worked.
Representatives of sports commissions around the country were on hand to see how it is done. What they saw was pretty impressive.
Last year, the local sports commission hosted 11 national events, resulting in an estimated economic impact of $22 million. The $370 million figure comes from attracting, managing and/or creating more than 120 events. This year the sports commission is prepared to host 12 national events, including the Ohio Senior Olympics, which is a qualifying competition for the 2013 National Senior Games, which will also take place here. Also coming to town will be the American Collegiate Hockey Association Men's Division I National Championships and the 112th U.S. Women's Amateur Golf Championships. In addition, the Continental Cup International Youth Sports Festival will be on the Cleveland sports calendar this year.
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