Green Sports Alliance

THE GREEN SPORTS ALLIANCE LEVERAGES THE CULTURAL AND MARKET INFLUENCE OF SPORTS TO PROMOTE HEALTHY, SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES WHERE WE LIVE AND PLAY.

THE GREEN SPORTS ALLIANCE MOVED FORWARD WITH ITS GOALS TO FURTHER GROW THE GREENING MOVEMENT IN 2022 ALTHOUGH STILL EXPERIENCING NEGATIVE IMPACT BY THE COVID-19 VARIANTS ESPECIALLY ON THE MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS ON THE COLLEGIATE CATEGORY. BELOW ARE A FEW HIGHLIGHTS AND CHALLENGES OF 2022. THE ALLIANCE HELD ITS ANNUAL IN-PERSON SUMMIT AT US BANK STADIUM IN MINNEAPOLIS, JUNE 21-23RD. WE FOCUSED ON NEW TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM FOR MEASURING, ANALYZING, REPORTING AND RECOGNIZING SUSTAINABILITY PROGRESS IN WASTE, WATER, AND CARBON REDUCTION (ENERGY) USING THE NEWLY RELEASED PLAY TO ZERO PLATFORM. THIS SYSTEM IS A COLLABORATION WITH THE UNITED STATED GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL AND THE SUBSIDIARY COMPANY ARC THAT HOUSES A CUSTOMIZED SPORTS SUSTAINABILITY PLATFORM. THE FUTURE OF SPORTS AND SUSTAINABILITY, SUCCESSES AND LESSONS LEARNED IN THE SPORTS GREENING MOVEMENT, ATTENDEES LEFT WITH TANGIBLE TAKEAWAYS TO FURTHER PROMOTE HEALTHY AND SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES WHERE WE LIVE AND PLAY. THE 2022 SUMMIT INCLUDED 469 ATTENDEES, INCLUDING 76 SPEAKERS, 13 COUNTRIES, 52 SPONSORS/EXHIBITORS/COMMUNITY PARTNERS, AND 247 ORGANIZATIONS REPRESENTED OVERALL. ATTENDEE FEEDBACK WAS VERY POSITIVE, HOWEVER SPONSORSHIP DOLLARS CONTINUED TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY DOWN FROM PRIOR YEARS DUE TO THE LINGERING IMPACT OF COVID-19 VARIANTS AND THE NEGATIVE ECONOMIC IMPACT ON THE OVERALL ECONOMY. ALLIANCE MEMBERS, BOARD, AND STAFF PARTICIPATED AND CONTRIBUTED TO THE CONTENT OF SEVERAL 2022 IN-PERSON CONFERENCE AND CREATED NEW PARTNERSHIPS WITH PGA, CHIVAS, ATHLETES UNLIMITED, AND PREMIER LACROSSE LEAGUE ARE SOME OF THE LEADING SPORTS LEAGUES COMMITTED TO ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY AND SUPPORTING POSITIVE CHANGE IN THE SPORTS INDUSTRY.THE GREEN SPORTS ALLIANCE 4 NEW MEMBERS IN 2022, WITH THE TOTAL NUMBER OF TEAMS, VENUES, LEAGUES, UNIVERSITIES, FANS, AND EVENTS STILL EXCEEDING 400. WE SAW MEMBERSHIP RETENTION GROW SLIGHTLY BUT MANY MEMBERS WERE STILL IN A HOLDING PATTERN DUE TO COVID-19 VARIANTS AND RE-ESTABLISHING THEIR STAFF AND BUSINESS. WE STARTED TO REBOUND SOME BUT NOT BACK TO PRE-PANDEMIC LEVELS. THE ALLIANCE 24 ADDITIONAL MEMBERS TO THE CORPORATE MEMBERS NETWORK, WHICH CONVENES BUSINESS LEADERS WITH A MAJOR GOAL OF PROMOTING HEALTH AND WELLNESS TO CREATE SAFE OPERATIONAL ENVIRONMENTS IN THE SPORTS VENUES TO GET SPORTS UP AND RUNNING AND FANS BACK IN THE STANDS SAFELY.CORPORATE MEMBERSHIP GREW COMPARED TO 2021 AS WE LAUNCHED THE PLAY TO ZERO SOLUTION PROVIDER PACKAGE. AGING A/R SAW A QUICKER TURNOVER FROM 2021 THROUGH 2022 AS MEMBERS/SPONSORS/PARTNERS WERE MORE WILLING TO PAY ON TIME. WITH THAT SAID, THERE WERE STILL SOME CHALLENGES COLLECTING MEMBERSHIP DUES, DUE TO THE ECONOMIC HARDSHIPS OF THE ALLIANCE'S SPORTS MEMBERS, SPECIFICALLY IN THE COLLEGIATE SECTOR. CONSEQUENTLY, THE ALLIANCE HAD TO WRITE OFF $500.00 IN UNPAID MEMBERSHIP INVOICES FROM 2021 AND MANY NOT RENEWING IN THE CURRENT YEAR. IN 2022 GSA EXPERIENCED STAFF TURNOVER OF 3 PEOPLE IN MARCH AND BACKFILLED ALL 3 POSITIONS ALONG WITH ADDING 1 MORE POSITION FOR A TOTAL OF 4 NEW STAFF MEMBERS. ALL STAFF MEMBERS WERE QUALIFIED AND EXPANDED CAPABILITY BY JUNE IN TIME FOR THE 2022 SUMMIT. THERE WERE ALSO SEVERAL GSA BOARD MEMBER RESIGNATIONS JILL SAVERY, BOB NUTTING, STEVE ASHKIN.IN MOVING INTO THE PLANNING OF THE 2023 SUMMIT, OAK VIEW GROUP (OVG) COMMITTED IN 2022 TO BE THE TITLE SPONSOR OF THE 2023 GSA SUMMIT AND IN COLLABORATION; BOTH PARTIES AGREED TO PROMOTE THE GOAL PLATFORM AND HIGHLIGHT THE PLAY TO ZERO PLATFORM AT THE 2023 GSA SUMMIT THAT WAS TO BE HELD AT THE CLIMATE PLEDGE ARENA.FURTHERMORE, THE FOLLOWING PARTNERS WHO, THROUGH THEIR GENEROUSITY, HAVE DONATED IN-KIND SERVICES TOWARDS OUR MISSION:SOUTH POLE - $15,000, CARBON EMISSIONS OFFSETS FOR THE 2022 SUMMITCANOPY BY HILTON MINNEAPOLIS - $5,000, HOTEL ROOM & MEETING SPACE FOR 2022 SUMMIT