TEAMS ’26 Winner Spotlight: Miami, Florida

The annual TEAMS Conference & Expo, held October 26—29 in Birmingham, Alabama, included the annual SportsTravel Awards, which honors the events, venues and hosts that define excellence and drive the business of sports forward. Six awards were up for grabs: Best Amateur Sports Event; Best Collegiate Sports Event; Best Professional Sports Event; Best New Sports Event; Best New or Renovated Venue; and Best Sports Host City. In this series, we will highlight the individual winners of each category. 

In 2026, it felt almost like every major sports event on TV was being held in Miami. Mat Ratner, senior director of sports and entertainment tourism at the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, would agree with that sentiment — especially given how busy a year his department has had.

“Every time you look on the TV, you see the World Baseball Classic, the (NHL) Winter Classic — it’s different events and different iterations of events that we have here in Miami,” Ratner said. “It’s new and old, and the fact that events want to keep coming back to Miami is really special to us.”

Miami’s lasting footprint on this year’s sports calendar, which is projected to bring in $3 billion in economic impact to the region, is a large reason it won the 2026 SportsTravel Award for Best Sports Host City.

Miami’s sports highlights in 2026 paint a dominating picture: The NHL Winter Classic. The College Football Playoff national championship game. The World Baseball Classic. Seven World Cup matches. And that doesn’t even include successful annual events such as the Miami Open and the Miami Grand Prix.

“It was a lot of work, but it was very rewarding,” Ratner said. “Miami is a worldwide destination, but we don’t have the biggest staff in sports here. We have great resources within our Convention and Visitors Bureau. We relied on a lot of support from our partners, and everybody stepped up. Nobody said no, which was awesome.”

Collaborating For a Successful Year in Sports Tourism

Miami also opened Nu Stadium in 2026, a 26,700-seat stadium home to Inter Miami, the reigning MLS Cup champions.

“Just looking back at what 2026 has really meant for Miami is special,” Ratner said. “It was a team effort all around. We have amazing partners throughout Miami-Dade County from the public and private sector. We obviously couldn’t do it without them.”

Miami’s events have involved cooperation across 34 local municipalities, multiple state government officials, federal organizations, police, fire and city services, Ratner said.

“Making sure that everybody buys in, all the way from your governmental officials to the residents, really is something that’s impactful,” Ratner said. “We tried to make sure everybody was involved, whether you’re going to a game, you’re watching it on TV, you’re feeling apart of it. We wanted to make sure that everybody had a pride in bringing these events to Miami.”

Miami kept rolling even after the award was handed out. The NASCAR Cup Series Championship Weekend took place in early November, the Miami Beach Polo World Cup is set for mid-November along with the E1 Powerboat Series.

“Obviously 2026 was a big year, but we’re not done yet,” Ratner said. “We’ve got some plans up our sleeves. We’ve got some fun announcements coming down the pike, so stay tuned.”