(Spokane, WA. November 23, 2021) Highly influential sports leaders meet every year as part of the Association of Chief Executives for Sports (ACES). In 2022, ACES will bring its annual meeting to Spokane. ACES membership includes CEOs and Executive Directors of national sports governing bodies from throughout the United States including most of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic governing bodies and numerous other sports organizations. “We call this a bucket list conference,” says Spokane Sports President & CEO Eric Sawyer. “To have some of the most influential sports decision makers coming to Spokane, experiencing our beautiful city and spending time in our new state-of-the-art facility – The Podium, could potentially mean new sports business for years to come.”

The 2022 ACES Conference is slated for September 19-22, 2022, with 80 attendees, many of which have never been to Spokane. Attendees will stay at the Davenport Grand, experience the newly renovated Riverfront Park, meet in The Podium, and getaway to golf. “We want them to fall in love with our region and realize that Spokane may be a midsize sports market, but our robust city has the ability to host large and prestigious sporting events” says Ashley Blake, Spokane Sports Vice President. 

Hosting this important conference in our city will come at the perfect time. By September 2022, The Podium will be celebrating its first year of successfully hosting championships, and construction on the downtown stadium will be well underway. Both projects will showcase our legacy of embracing and elevating sports. “Spokane has put together an amazing package for our annual conference that will provide an outstanding experience for our members and other constituents. Spokane is a beautiful city with world-class sports and conference venues, and we are very excited about this partnership with Spokane Sports” says ACES CEO Rick Mack. 

About Spokane Sports

Founded in 1989, Spokane Sports is a non-profit, economic development organization responsible for recruiting, retaining, and facilitating sports events for the Spokane region. As advocates for sports development, our efforts help our region realize the economic, social, and community development benefits of sports. Learn more by visiting us online.