Winners of the 2015 SportsTravel Awards Announced at TEAMS ’15 in Las Vegas

The 2015 U.S. Figure Skating Championships held in Greensboro, North Carolina, was named Sports Event of the Year, as well as Best Amateur Multi-Sport or Multi-Discipline Event.

SportsTravel magazine announced the winners of the 2015 SportsTravel Awards during a gala event at the TEAMS ’15 Conference & Expo in Las Vegas. TEAMS: Travel, Events And Management in Sports, is the world’s largest gathering of event organizers and travel planners from the sports industry. Held on the basketball court of the Thomas & Mack Center, the awards ceremony was emceed by ESPN’s Jessica Mendoza.

Other winners were the 2014 Chicago International Dragon Boat Festival; the 2015 Tough Mudder Series; the U.S. Quidditch World Cup 8 in Rock Hill, South Carolina; the 2015 NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championships in Fort Worth, Texas; the 2015 NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament; Super Bowl XLIX in Glendale, Arizona; the 2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Vail, Colorado; the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Canada; and the 2015 College Football Playoff National Championship in Arlington, Texas.

“This year we are pleased to recognize a number of outstanding sporting events at a truly iconic sporting venue,” said Timothy Schneider, publisher of SportsTravel magazine, which organizes the annual TEAMS Conference & Expo. “Each of the winners is a prime example of achieving excellence in organization and management for both competitors and spectators.”

“We take pride in being able to serve as a resource for the readers of SportsTravel magazine as they consistently execute high-quality events,” said Schneider. “Both the event organizers and the host cities of the winning events should be proud of all they have achieved through their successful collaboration.”

The SportsTravel Awards program bestows honors at the amateur, collegiate and professional levels in three categories each. To be eligible, events had to occur between July 1, 2014, and June 30, 2015. Criteria for nomination and voting included:

• Superior organization of and attendance at the event
• The event provided a superior experience for competitors and/or spectators
• The event’s host city or venue served to enhance the event

The 2015 SportsTravel Award winners are:

Sports Event of the Year
2015 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Greensboro, NC

Best New Sports Event
2015 College Football Playoff National Championship, Arlington, TX

Best Professional Series or Circuit
2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Canada

Best Professional Multi-Sport or Multi-Discipline Event
2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships, Vail, CO

Best Professional Single-Sport Event
Super Bowl XLIX, Glendale, AZ

Best Collegiate Sports Event Series or Circuit
2015 NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament, Various Cities

Best Collegiate Multi-Sport or Multi-Discipline Event
2015 NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championships, Fort Worth, TX

Best Collegiate Single-Sport Event
Quidditch World Cup 8, Rock Hill, SC

Best Amateur Sports Event Series or Circuit
2015 Tough Mudder Series, Various Cities

Best Amateur Multi-Sport or Multi-Discipline Event
2015 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Greensboro, NC

Best Amateur Single-Sport Event
2014 Chicago International Dragon Boat Festival, Chicago, IL

Hosted by the National Congress of State Games and Meet AC, TEAMS ’16 will be held in Atlantic City, New Jersey, September 26–29.