The Baton Rouge Area Sports Foundation broke its own annual economic impact record in 2016—and the numbers may keep going up in 2017.
The foundation says it helped generate an estimated economic impact of more than $38 million in the Capital Region in 2016, breaking its year-old record of nearly $34.2 million a year ago. The foundation also says it helped bring more than 117,000 athletes to the Baton Rouge area via events it either hosted or lured here.
Eric Engemann, the newly minted president and CEO of BRASF, told Business Report several months ago that the sports foundation had already broken its single-year record by August of last year. Engemann attributed the strong performance to a strong slate of first-quarter events.
The numbers may only go up in 2017. The Capital City will host a number of high-profile events this year, including the USBC Women’s Championships, NCAA Women’s Bowling Championships, USA Track & Field Masters Outdoor Championships, Marucci Baseball World Series and Triple Crown Sports Southwest National fast-pitch softball tournament.
The sports foundation also heads into 2017 with a new leader. Engemann, formerly BRASF’s vice president, took over as president and CEO on Jan. 1, replacing Jerry Stovall, who will shift into a consulting role at the organization. Stovall has been with BRASF—a nonprofit organization that helps drive sports-related tourism to the Capital Region—since it was started in 1994.
Read more about BRASF and the impact of sports on Baton Rouge’s economy in a Business Report cover package from September.
