By Kelly Doran
Sun staff

As the staff at the Clermont County Convention and Visitors Bureau strategizes ways to draw visitors into the county, sporting events will bring millions of dollars into the area this year alone.

Soccer

Mark Calitri, executive director of the visitors bureau, announced to the

Clermont County Commissioners on Feb. 25 that Kings Hammer will be building 13 full-size, competition soccer fields at the Red Barn facility in Batavia.

“We’ve been searching for the right opportunity to maximize what Clermont County has here as far as assets, as far as our location goes,” Calitri said. The CVB helped facility an agreement between Kings Hammer and the Reubel family, owners of Red Barn.

Kings Hammer will secure 16 weekends of soccer competitions every year, Calitri said. On the other weekends, CVB will work with the Reubel family to book events.

The Kings Hammer events alone will bring in an estimated minimum of 10,000 room nights over the 16 weekends, Calitri said. Over five years, he expects that to have a $28 million economic impact. Events will begin in April 2016 with the Blue Chip Showcase Tournament.

“It’s going to be a great asset for this entire community,” Calitri said.

The Red Barn facility is the perfect location for the soccer fields because it is close to hotels, food and shopping, Calitri said. In addition, the land has been used for growing soybeans, which has made the soil prime for growing grass.

Kings Hammer chose the location because of all the area has to offer, said Jeff Berding, president. Visitors will get all the service and attention they need from the Batavia community and the county.

Kings Hammer also got a great deal of support from the CVB and the Reubel family, Berding said.

“We’re looking forward to the groundbreaking probably later this month,” Berding said.

Rowing

The county will not have to wait until next year to reap the benefits of large sporting events, however. In July, the East Fork State Park will host the USRowing Club National Championships.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources will complete a beach house on May 1, the last step that ODNR and the CVB have taken to revitalize the lake and make it a contender in holding a national event, Calitri said.

“We’re really excited about the new beach house facility. It’s really going to give the site a needed face lift,” Park Manager Chad Smith said.

The changes will benefit not just rowers and other events, but also the daily user, Smith said. He is also excited about the new hand launch dock system that will allow canoe and kayak users to launch their boats from the beach side.

East Fork Lake now has wakeless launches, improved spectator viewing areas and pathways to the viewing areas, new docks and boat trees, which hold boats so they aren’t on the ground, Calitri said.

“The CVB has stepped up to provide many of the assets that go along with putting on a world class regatta,” Calitri said. The CVB also has Olympic starting blocks from the Los Angeles Olympics for the rowers.

The competition will be five days long and the economic impact will likely be about $2 million, Calitri said.

“These are important events and if we can put on a good show for this year it just helps us sell all the other events,” Calitri said.

Calitri views the state park as a convention center. The championship is an opportunity to showcase the county and this region, which Calitri plans to utilize.

Smith feels that it is part of East Fork State Park’s mission to draw visitors into the county and provide recreation. He is proud of the park’s facilities and encourages visitors not just for events, but also to come enjoy the park on their own.

The CVB will host special events, like welcome receptions for the coaches, and work with restaurants to make sure they have welcome signs out, Calitri said.

In addition, the CVB is looking for business to who want to put their logo on one of eight new boats, Calitri said. This is a branding opportunity for businesses here and the CVB is offering different sponsorship levels.

“We give as much bang for their buck as we possibly can give,” said James Barger, senior sports sales manager for the CVB.

To get money from ODNR, the CVB formed a team that created a unified message that the team then took to the state and lobbied for money, Calitri said. The department provided by beach house and the work for the docks and the spectator viewing area.

However, the biggest advantage East Fork has in bringing in rowing events is that the starting area is in a cove protected by a mountain, Calitri said. That means that the rowers will have a fair race.

At other rowing facilities not all lanes are equal, Barger said. The wind is not likely to affect the rowers and if it does it will affect all lanes equally.

The Cincinnati Regatta, the Cincinnati Invitational, the Midwest Junior Championship and the Head of the Hidden Dragon will also be held at East Fork State Park this year, Calitri said.

The improved rowing spot will also benefit local residents, Calitri said. This will helps the high school team improve and will allow the county to start a masters program for rowers age 20 and older and an adaptive program for rowers with disabilities or wounded warriors.

“This is a real community of folks, it’s not just about rowing down in Cincinnati or rowing here. They form friendships and bonds that far exceed just rowing,” Calitri said.

Other events this year

East Fork State Park will also be used to host two triathlons and two mountain bike races, said Barger.

The CVB will continue to partner with Tealtown Ballpark to host events all summer long, Calitri said. The University of Cincinnati Clermont College also uses it.

Tealtown Ballpark will be home to the 21 Gun Salute baseball tournament on Memorial Day weekend again, Barger said. The event includes a parade and hopefully a flyby. In addition, Barger tries to have a veteran throw the first pitch of every game.

Other events this year include a Fishers of Men tournament, a softball tournament and golf outings.

Future plans

Calitri and Barger hope to build a facility that can accommodate a cornhole tournament in the future.

The American Cornhole Association is based in Clermont County, Calitri said. The Association holds regional and national events all over the county.

To bring a national cornhole event to Clermont County, the CVB needs to partner with a facility to has ceilings 18 feet or higher and ample lighting, Barger said. Basically, he needs to find a facility with five full-size volleyball courts.

Barger is currently looking at some facilities, including Cherry Grove Lanes. He is hoping to hold a national event in the county in 2016 or 2017.

“It’s something unique and fun and quirky and brings people in,” Calitri said.

Calitri and Barger are also hoping to bring a geocaching event into the county.