TEAMS and the National Congress of State Games Renew Multiyear Partnership

Northstar Meetings Group and the National Congress of State Games have announced an extension of their exclusive co-location agreement at the TEAMS Conference & Expo through and including TEAMS ’31. The extension builds upon a partnership that has seen the annual NCSG Symposium held in conjunction with the TEAMS Conference since TEAMS ’16.

The new agreement will mark 15 years of cooperation between the two entities to raise the profile of the NCSG, whose members organize statewide amateur multisport competitions in summer and winter sports in states across the country.

“The TEAMS Conference & Expo is built upon a foundation of long-term relationships in the sports-event industry,” said Jason Gewirtz, senior vice president/content for the Northstar Meetings Group, the organizers of TEAMS, and the publisher of SportsTravel. “We are especially proud to renew our partnership with the National Congress of State Games, which organizes many of the largest amateur-level competitions in the United States.”

As part of the agreement, the NCSG will continue to recognize its Athletes of the Year and present its Hallihan Award winner for career achievement during the SportsTravel Awards luncheon at TEAMS. Organizers of state games competitions will also have the ability to meet in one-on-one settings with attendees of TEAMS, who include sports-event organizers, sanctioning governing bodies, destinations, venues and sports-event industry suppliers.

“Our partnership with TEAMS has increased awareness of State Games organizations across the country as well as enhanced the education, networking and entertainment opportunities at our national symposium,” said Kevin Cummings, president of the National Congress of State Games. “We are grateful for the collaboration with TEAMS over the last decade and look forward to working with them for years to come.”

Each year, nearly 200,000 athletes of all ages, backgrounds and skill levels participate in State Games competitions nationwide. An additional 500,000 spectators attend state games events, which are made possible by the work of thousands of coaches, parents, officials, sponsors and more than 50,000 volunteers. Medal winning athletes at individual State Games competitions qualify for the State Games of America, a biennial amateur multisport national event. In addition to sport-based programs, State Games organizations produce education and personal enrichment programs including scholarships, sportsmanship, leadership and health based initiatives.

“We think it says more than mere words can express when organizations such as the National Congress of State Games make a multiyear commitment to the TEAMS Conference & Expo,” Gewirtz said. “This partnership has not only allowed TEAMS to grow, it has enabled the NCSG to raise its profile as well, which is the most satisfying part of our collaboration. We look forward to serving the needs of the NCSG for many more years to come.”

The extension will be celebrated at TEAMS ’26, which will be held October 26–29, 2026, in Birmingham, Alabama. Future TEAMS Conferences will be held in Milwaukee, October 18–21, 2027; Pittsburgh, November 13–16, 2028; Atlantic City, September 24–27, 2029; Knoxville, October 14–17, 2030; and Des Moines, October 20–23, 2031.