Orange Beach officials are weighing what it will take to keep one of south Baldwin County’s most reliable tourism draws in town beyond next year, as the city’s contract to host the Southeastern Conference Women’s Soccer Championship nears its end.
City Administrator Ken Grimes and Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism President and CEO Herb Malone briefed the City Council this month on the tournament’s economic impact, arguing that continued investment in the Orange Beach Sportsplex — particularly stadium lighting — will be critical to retaining the event after the current agreement runs out following the 2015 tournament.
The numbers presented were substantial for a single annual event. Tourism officials say the tournament has generated roughly 3,700 hotel room nights and more than $1 million in direct visitor spending since Orange Beach began hosting it a decade ago, with 2014 alone accounting for nearly $200,000 in direct spending — about double the prior year’s total.
Much of that growth, Malone told the council, stems from an expanded broadcast partnership between the SEC and ESPN. For the first time this year, every game in the 10-team tournament was shown live, with early-round matches airing on the SEC Network and the championship game broadcast on ESPNU to a potential audience of 87 million homes nationally.
That broadcast exposure, Malone argued, is worth far more to the city’s profile than the direct tourism dollars alone. He noted the tournament falls during a traditionally slow week for the Gulf Coast tourism industry in early November, making it valuable both for filling hotel rooms in the off-season and for showcasing the area on a national stage.
The expanded television coverage, however, comes with a catch: HDTV production requires brighter, more consistent lighting than the sportsplex currently offers. City crews brought in portable lighting to accommodate this year’s broadcast, but officials say a permanent upgrade — similar to the roughly $600,000 track-and-field lighting project completed at the Gulf Shores sportsplex in 2013 — may be needed to keep hosting major broadcast events.
Council members did not commit to a lighting budget following the presentation, but Grimes said city staff would continue evaluating options as the current SEC contract’s expiration approaches. Officials say a strong track record with the soccer tournament has also helped position south Baldwin County to attract other college-level athletic events to the area.