Grand Rapids Has Site Visit in Bid for 2017 State Games of America | Sports Destination Management

Grand Rapids Has Site Visit in Bid for 2017 State Games of America

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Aug 22, 2014

Officials with the National Congress of State Games (NCSG) have announced that Grand Rapids, Mich. is one of four cities left in the running to host the 2017 State Games of America. The NCSG will visit Grand Rapids August 25-27, 2014 and look to visit area sporting venues, hotels and speak with key planning personnel including sports tournament directors.

If you are interested in speaking with a representative of the National Congress of State Games, please contact Eric Engelbarts via email at eengelbarts@westmisports.com or by phone 616-233-3563 office, 616-826-4385 cell.

Following the site visits, the NCSG will ask select cities to prepare a final presentation for the NCSG board of directors and membership. The presentations will take place at the NCSG Annual Symposium that will be held in Grand Rapids, Mich. on October 13-15, 2014.

Other cities bidding to host the 2017 State Games of America include: Lincoln, Neb., San Diego, Calif., and Hampton Roads, VA.

The West Michigan Sports Commission (WMSC), Experience Grand Rapids and the Meijer State Games of Michigan are working together to host the State Games of America in 2017. The State Games of America (SGA) is a biannual Olympic-style event featuring competition between State Games medal winners (gold, silver, bronze) from across the nation.  Under the SGA format, all residents of the host state are eligible to participate along with State Games participants from all other states who’ve earned a medal in the two years leading up to the State Games of America.

“Following five very successful years of growing our summer games and our inaugural winter games, we feel very confident in hosting a successful State Games of America,” stated Mike Guswiler, President of the WMSC.

The 2015 State Games of America will take place in Lincoln, Nebraska.

For more information about the State Games of America, visit: www.sga2015.com.

About the Meijer State Games of Michigan: Modeled after the Olympics, the Meijer State Games of Michigan welcomes athletes regardless of age or ability level. The Games embody the values of participation, sportsmanship and healthy living among resident of Michigan. A signature event of the West Michigan Sports Commission, the Meijer State Games of Michigan is truly a grassroots organization that relies on the dedication of thousands of volunteers and the support of corporate partners.

About the West Michigan Sports Commission: Established in 2007, the West Michigan Sports Commission has worked with more than 350 events that have brought over 300,000 people into the community and generated an economic impact of more than $100 million from visitor spending.

About the National Congress of State Games: The National Congress of State Games (NCSG) is a membership organization comprised of 31 Summer State Games and 10 Winter State Games organizations and a member of the United States Olympic Committee's Multi Sport Organizational Council. The mission of the NCSG is to support State Games member organizations in the promotion of health, fitness and character building through Olympic-Style competitions and physical activities.

The NCSG is also the rights holder of the State Games of America, an Olympic-style event featuring competition between State Games medal winners (gold, silver, bronze) from across the nation.

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