Don Schumacher, president of Don Schumacher & Associates, Inc. (DSA), has more than forty years’ experience in the field of communications, family entertainment, theme park marketing and operations, arena and stadium marketing and operations, event management, sports marketing and facilities consultation. For the past twenty-five years he has focused his activities on the sports event travel market.
In addition to his role as president of DSA, he is also the executive director of the National Association of Sports Commissions (NASC), an organization he helped found in 1992 and which now has more than 400 members nationwide. Schumacher is responsible for all aspects of the association, including its web site and databases, which serve as the day-to-day focal point of the NASC.
Don has served as an adjunct professor in Xavier University’s graduate program in sports administration, teaching courses in sports marketing and event planning and management. He is currently involved as an advisor to an undergraduate program in sports marketing for Northern Kentucky University. In addition, he is team teaching an elective course on sports destination marketing and management in the Destination Management Association International (DMAI) Certified Destination Management Executive (CDME) Program.
Mr. Schumacher’s experience includes the following:
- Hanna Barbera Productions, Account Executive
- Hanna Barbera Enterprises, Director Latin American and Far Eastern Operations
- Taft Theme Park Group, Director Sponsorships and Promotions
- College Football Hall of Fame and Galbreath Field, General Manager
- Cincinnati Riverfront Coliseum, President – Developed the 1987 World Figure Skating Championships and the 1987 NCAA Midwest Region Championships, along with dozens and dozens of family shows, concerts, and many other sporting events.
- Riber Sports Marketing, Vice President – Created the Greater Cincinnati Sports and Events Commission, worked with the LPGA Championship, Kroger Senior Classic, World Cup of Golf, Cincinnati Cyclones Hockey Club and developed promotions for various Procter & Gamble brands.
For nine years, he served as the executive director of the Greater Cincinnati Sports and Events Commission. During those nine years, Mr. Schumacher brought a number of high profile events to Cincinnati including the 1991 U.S. Gymnastics National Championships, 1992 NCAA Southwest Region first and second round games, 1992 diet Coke Skaters’ Championships, 1994 AT&T Skates of Gold, 1996 NCAA Hockey Championships, 1997 Women’s Final Four, and the 1998 Conference USA Basketball Tournament.
DSA sold more than $26 million in seat licenses for Paul Brown Stadium, the home of the Cincinnati Bengals. And, DSA marketed premium seats, club memberships, and luxury suites for the Kentucky Speedway, a 1 and ½ mile motor racing facility 35 miles south of Cincinnati.
For the Kentucky Speedway project, DSA also conducted the market analysis leading to the decision to proceed with construction of this $150 million racing complex.
DSA continues to conduct feasibility studies and seat license programs for the motor sports industry. Current projects include Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa, Pearl River Speedway in Choctaw, Mississippi, and Cayuga Speedway in Ontario, Canada.
Don Schumacher is a nationally recognized speaker and consultant on the sports event travel industry. He has made many presentations for groups as varied as the International Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus, United States Olympic Committee, the Association of Luxury Suite Directors, the Travel, Events, Management in Sports (TEAMS) conference, the World Congress of Sports, and SportAccord, an international conference on sports business. He has presented at several state governors’ conferences on tourism. And, is one of three inaugural members of the International Association of Sport Cities (IASC), a worldwide association dedicated to increasing understanding among host cities and event owners.
In January, 2007 Don will begin his first term as a member of the board of directors of the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA).
In addition, Schumacher is continually consulted on industry questions relating to bidding procedures, economic impact of events, and issues of concern to the future of the industry. He has served the arena and stadium industry as a facilities manager, event promoter, and event bidder, owner, and developer. He understands why event owners decide which cities and facilities are suitable for their needs, and how cities can find these events. Don is quoted regularly in industry publications and daily newspapers, including the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, TEAMS magazine, Sports Events magazine, Sports Business Journal, Athletic Business, and Sport Cities & Venues.
Don is author of a comprehensive report on the Economic Impact of Sports Events commissioned by the National Association of Sports Commissions.
EMail: dons@dsasports.com
Website: www.sportscommissions.org
