Columbus is unlikely to lose out on any business relocations or expansions as a direct result of the Columbus Crew SC leaving town, if that comes to pass. But in an extremely competitive environment for attracting businesses, talent and visitors, it wouldn't help.
'Anecdotally, it's often said that 50 percent of site-selection decisions are made because the head of the company likes a particular sports team in that city, or that's where his grandchildren live,' said Calandra Cruickshank, CEO of StateBook International, a data provider for site-selection professionals. 'It's seen as coming down to personal preferences.'
As cities make their case for attracting the coveted second headquarters site for Amazon, for example, several have highlighted their stable of professional sports teams.
In national rankings put out regularly by various organizations and websites, Columbus is often edged out in the 'entertainment/leisure' category by Cincinnati and Cleveland, which have major-league baseball, football and (in Cleveland's case) basketball teams playing in downtown venues.
Such factors may even influence international business decisions in an indirect way. Columbus has been vying for years for a nonstop flight to Europe, for example, and airlines want to know there will be some travelers coming back from the other direction before committing to a route. Cincinnati and Cleveland just got new nonstop service to Iceland on two different Icelandic airlines. Columbus did not.
The economic impact of the Crew, or any professional sports team, goes far beyond the money paid for tickets and concessions at games.
The Crew's stadium has been the site of several high-profile matches in recent years that each generated more than $3 million in direct visitor spending, according to the Greater Columbus Sports Commission. The MLS Cup in 2015 brought in more than $3 million in spending, while the World Cup qualifiers vs. Mexico in 2013 and 2016 attracted $3.4 million and $5.5 million, respectively.
Fans for the qualifiers came from all around the country, and the matches were broadcast in 75 countries. In March 2016, Experience Columbus gave the Crew one of its annual Expy Awards recognizing contributions to tourism for the 2015 MLS Cup game, noting that the event attracted more than 400 media outlets and 1.2 million viewers worldwide.
'We call it the halo effect,' said Amir Eylon, president of destination research and consulting firm Longwoods International and the former head of the Ohio tourism division. 'If a destination is seen as being vibrant, as having a strong infrastructure in terms of arts, culture and sports ... it helps promote a positive image.'
Even for visitors who may be in town for a business meeting and don't have time to attend a game, Eylon said, sports teams add to the overall experience of a city.
'Visitors walk away with an image of someplace as dynamic,' Eylon said, 'someplace they may want to come back and explore.'
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