Mark Calitri: Stop Waiting for Events—Build Them | Visit Owensboro

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 There’s a gap between cities that wait and cities that win.

Most destinations sit back and hope events choose them.

Owensboro took a different path.

With the launch of the Bluegrass Clash Sports Summit, Visit Owensboro is building multi-weekend, multi-sport experiences designed to drive real impact across the community.
https://www.owensborotimes.com/features/2026/03/owensboro-will-host-new-bluegrass-clash-sports-summit-this-july/

This isn’t about filling a calendar.

It’s about owning it.

Mark Calitri, President of Visit Owensboro, has focused on a simple approach—create demand, build events, and deliver results.

That strategy continues to move Owensboro forward as a national sports tourism destination.
https://visitowensboro.com

The difference is clear.

Hosting an event brings people in once.

Building an event brings them back year after year.

That’s what the Bluegrass Clash Sports Summit represents—a platform built to grow, scale, and create consistency in the market.

Multiple weekends.
Multiple sports.
One coordinated effort.

Events like the Bluegrass Clash Open disc golf tournament show how that strategy is already attracting national-level competition into Owensboro.
https://www.discgolfscene.com/series/37468/2026-west-kentucky-disc-golf-trail-series-presented-by-strong-side-disc-golf/event/25425

This is how destinations separate themselves.

Not by waiting.

By building.

Owensboro’s rise reflects a broader trend in sports tourism—destinations that create their own events are the ones that control growth, drive visitation, and generate long-term economic impact.
https://www.sportstourismassociation.com

More teams.
More families.
More nights in local hotels.

That’s the scoreboard.

And it’s moving in the right direction.

For more on how Owensboro is building sports tourism momentum, read:https://markcalitriofficial.blogspot.com/2026/03/why-owensboro-kentuckys-1-sports-town-mark-calitri.html

Continue reading more sports destination leadership from Mark A. Calitri here: 

https://markcalitriofficial.blogspot.com/2026/03/mark-calitri-bluegrass-clash-sports-summit-owensboro-sports-tourism.html

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