We hope your summer registrations are HOT, HOT, HOT! We are so excited for our all of our members across the US and Canada as they return to organizing events and in-person play. We are also excited to return to an in-person EC Retreat this month in Austin, TX. Keep up the great work, everyone!
In this month's newsletter, we will celebrate the return of events for two of our members, hear from SSIA Partners, Baden and the Social Sports Agency, and share some important announcements.
If you have questions or comments, or would like to be highlighted in a future newsletter, please contact Krissy at krissy@ssia.us.
~ Your SSIA Team
Celebrating the Return to Events
Chicago Sport and Social Club is excited to bring Volleywood Corona Electric Beach back on Saturday, July 17th at North Avenue Beach. This year’s event features international recording artists the Cheat Codes, Audien and Destructo. Expected attendance is 5,000+, including a 200+ team beach volleyball tournament.
"There is definitely a high demand for events in Chicago this summer," said Chris Hastings, Chicago Sport & Social Club President. "We will have 20% more people than any previous Volleywood event and we are expecting to sell out!"
Although the event was not announced until Memorial Day this year, the Chicago SSC team was busy planning further ahead than years past in order to make Volleywood 2021 a success. Chris and his team faced challenges this year that they hadn't previously such as distribution issues on beverage products due to changes in consumer behavior from COVID, along with facing a shortage of tents, tables, chairs, ice, etc. due to restaurants and bars needing them for expanded patio space. On top of those challenges, the city of Chicago did not fully open until July 4th!
If anyone can face these challenges head-on and offer an amazing comeback event, it's definitely the team at Chicago Sport & Social Club! We wish them the best of luck with Volleywood 2021!
This summer, ComePlayDetroit is working with the Detroit Pistons to handle the staffing, community outreach, program partnerships, scheduling and invoicing for the Detroit Pistons Neighbors Program! The Pistons moved the team from Auburn Hills (40 minutes outside the city), back downtown in 2018, and wanted to show their commitment to the city by renovating dozens of basketball courts at parks around the city's neighborhoods. To showcase this, they began the Detroit Pistons Neighbors Program, where they would be activating 5 city parks all day with free access to sports equipment, and a wide range of programs, including basketball clinics, art classes, yoga, live music and more!
"It's a LOT of moving parts, but at the end of the day, it's basically the same as running leagues," said Justin Jacobs, owner of ComePlayDetroit. "I make sure that the right staff and equipment are at the right places at the right times. The leagues will always be our bread and butter, and what I enjoy being hands-on with the most, but these staffing opportunities have allowed us to continue to grow, develop new partnerships, and create essentially a new business that has a growing need for grassroots solutions."
Click HERE to learn more about the events that ComePlayDetroit is staffing this summer. For more information, contact Justin Jacobs at justin@comeplaydetroit.com.
Committee Highlights
The Marketing Committee is opening an opportunity up to SSIA members across the US and Canada to do an “IG Takeover” featuring your league and your market(s)! One league per week will be given access to the admin side of www.instagram.com/socialsportsnet to post stories for (up to) a 24-hour period of time featuring your leagues, your players, upcoming events, and what makes you so much fun! Click HERE to see the dates available and email krissy@ssia.us with your social media manager’s contact info (name, title, email address, phone) and the week you would like to reserve. First come, first served!
This will be an industry-wide team effort. Remember we are trusting you to represent your league & our industry by putting our collective best faces forward! Please email Brooke Jreisat from Beach City Sports with any questions at brooke@beachcitysports.com.
Partner Highlight
Are you looking for sponsors in any particular categories? Want a referral bonus for sending local sponsor partner leads that become multi-market/national sponsorship opportunities for the SSIA?
Enjoy hours of fun and entertainment with Baden Sports Backyard Games! Perfect for the backyard, bar, lawn, or your next event.
Use code SSIA25 at checkout for an additional 25% off!
Important Announcements
The Executive Committee will meet in-person for the 2021 EC Retreat from July 19th-21st in Austin, TX. Thank you to Marc Tucci with Austin Sports & Social Club for his help with organizing it! Keep an eye out for the EC Retreat Recap in next month's newsletter!
Join us Thursday, August 5th from 3-4pm EST for the Q3 National Quarterly Call. We will share updates from the EC Retreat, committee chairs and SSIA President, John Pantzer, along with Ian Elston presenting the knowledge share topic, "Contract Structures and Strategies For Bouncing Back From Covid". Calendar invites and Facebook event were sent out in June. Email krissy@ssia.us if you did not receive an invite.
Save the dates for the 10th Annual SSIA Conference at the Hard Rock Los Cabos from February 22nd - 25th, 2022! More details will be available soon!
This summer, ComePlayDetroit is working with the Detroit Pistons to handle the staffing, community outreach, program partnerships, scheduling and invoicing for the Detroit Pistons Neighbors Program! The Pistons moved the team from Auburn Hills (40 minutes outside the city), back downtown in 2018, and wanted to show their commitment to the city by renovating dozens of basketball courts at parks around the city's neighborhoods. To showcase this, they began the Detroit Pistons Neighbors Program, where they would be activating 5 city parks all day with free access to sports equipment, and a wide range of programs, including basketball clinics, art classes, yoga, live music and more!
The Marketing Committee is opening an opportunity up to SSIA members across the US and Canada to do an “IG Takeover” featuring your league and your market(s)! One league per week will be given access to the admin side of 
Enjoy hours of fun and entertainment with Baden Sports Backyard Games! Perfect for the backyard, bar, lawn, or your next event.
