Team Insight

END ZONE 34 • Team Insight ~ May/June 2024 teaminsightmag.com A4 Goes Green A4, the manufacturer of sportswear and team uniforms, is now making all its most popular apparel – and the vast majority of its line – with recycled polyester. e polyester yarn is generated using recycled water bottles, billions of which end up in landfills and oceans annually. Diverting these to be used in performance apparel not only reduces waste, but does so in a way customers can support without sacrificing financially. "It is a radical move. A4 is going all out by revamping nearly its entire line to be made with recycled polyester," says Mark Mertens, president and owner of A4. "It gives us the chance to offer our customers a unique selling proposition and added value. It is something we have been working toward for a while now. "We are committed to continually investing in our customers' business by giving them the highest quality apparel, at the best prices on the market, in a sustainable manner. is is a win for us, our customers and the environment," Mertens adds. SFIA Forms Government Spending Database With local governments investing billions of dollars into sports and recreation facility construction and redevelopment annually, the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) has formed the Sports & Recreation Project Database, a tracker of projects funded by the government. In partnership with the Curate platform, companies can identify business opportunities at an earlier stage than possible anywhere else, oen before an RFP is issued, allowing them to stay ahead of the competition. Using Artificial Intelligence, the Sports & Recreation Project Database reviews agenda and minutes from local government and council meetings – up to 400,000 pages weekly from all 50 states – and provides key information daily on the construction of new facilities, upgrades to existing ones, and essential items needed for sports and recreation facilities. "If you are looking to get an edge on your competition by finding out about potential opportunities before they even hit the market, look no further," explains Eric Light, chief revenue officer, NEVCO. "SFIA has built a game-changing tool with the Project Database. e tool is very well designed, easy to use and it will help you be the first in the door on a new project." Users can search by sport, product line, location, date and facility type to customize searches for projects that matter to their business — including youth sports facilities, adult recreation projects, community recreation centers, school sports stadiums and gyms, aquatic centers, ice rinks, parks and recreation infrastructure, and public fitness centers. SFIA is leading the effort in Washington to provide more funding for sports and recreation infrastructure. Expanding the pool of money available for state, municipal and local officials to invest in youth sports, recreation and active lifestyle infrastructure will get Americans more active and healthier. "By identifying funding sources, this tool can help provide critical information to streamline and optimize the process of making these critical recreation infrastructure improvements," says Tom Cove, president and CEO, SFIA. "At a time when more Americans are looking to be physically active, these investments are timely and valuable." Burghardt Joining Alli Sports Group Continuning its slow but steady growth, the Alli Sports Group has added Burghardt Sporting Goods, based in New Berlin, WI, as its newest member. e Burghardt team will be officially welcomed at Alli's annual Alli Sports Sales Summit in Jacksonville, FL, May 8-10, when all seven Alli dealers as well as its Premier vendor partners meet. "We are extremely excited to add the Burghardt team to the Alli Family," says Rhett Johnson, of Johnson-Lambe, one of the founding members of the Alli Sport Group. "Whenever you can find like- minded partners who can make you better and are willing to let you make them better, good things happen. We are fortunate to have found just that in Carl, Brian and the Burghardt team." Soccer Post Acquires Soccer Pro Soccer Post, which lays claim as "the largest local soccer specialty retailer in the United States," has acquired Soccer Pro, a regional soccer specialty retailer in Northern California. Founded in 1988, Soccer Pro operates retail locations across Northern California along with a team uniform business serving local community soccer organizations. n Rebranded NSGA Leadership Conference Sets Lineup The NSGA 2024 Leadership Conference has a new name, but this year's theme of "Growing Your Business" focuses on one of the core tenets of the National Sporting Goods Association's mission. NSGA will look at Growing Your Business with discussions impacting the sporting goods industry on AI (Artificial Intelligence), analytics, technology, inclusion and NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) and motivational presentations from Basketball Hall of Fame member Ann Meyers Drysdale and baseball legend Steve Garvey during the annual event May 19-21 at the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass in Phoenix, AZ. The theme also fits the rebranded NSGA 2024 Leadership Conference and the event's continued growth since it started in 1965. • Meyers Drysdale will be one of Monday's keynote speakers for "A Pioneer's View on the Growth of Women's Athletics." • Next, Crystal Washington will provide the Monday morning opening keynote "Nextgen Relationships For Sales: Technology & Tactics For Business Growth." • A busy Tuesday will kick off with "The Business Case for an Inclusive Culture" by Ashley Thomas of McKinsey & Company. • "Maximizing Business Potential with AI and Analytics" is a panel discussion that will share how the latest technology can em- brace and accelerate business growth. Stephen Keith Platt, the director of analyt- ics and lecturer of Applied AI with Loyola University Chicago's Quinlan School of Business, will moderate the panel. This panel features Carl Ceresoli, chief technology and se- curity officer at Pacers Sports & Entertainment; Josh Meyer, head of professional services at EasyPost; and Arianne Parisi, global chief digital officer for the JD Group. • Tuesday's Lunch and Learn features "Leveraging NIL for Business Expansion" with Bill Carter, founder of Student Athlete Insights, looking at Name, Image and Likeness growth opportunities for the sporting goods industry. • Finally, Garvey will provide the closing key- note "The Drive to Get After it Every Day." The event concludes Tuesday evening with the induction of four industry icons into the Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame. This year's induction ceremony will recognize the Class of 2024 of Glenn Barrett (OrthoLite), Cathy Pryor (Hibbett Sports), Karsten Solheim (PING Golf) and Mike Thompson (Rawlings). n

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