News – TravelSports Blog

Travelsports’ new partnership with InstaRaise, an industry-leading fundraising platform, makes it simpler than ever for sports teams to cover travel expenses, equipment purchases, tournament fees, and other operating costs by enlisting community support!

“Travelsports strives to boost participation and involvement in organized sports leagues that cater to players of all ages by improving access to information on regional/international tournaments, equipment, facilities, and emerging industry trends,” explained Chris Pauly, Travelsports Founder & CEO. “Our partnership with InstaRaise reflects our shared vision of expanding access for anyone who wants to play.”

“Partnering with Travelsports, a company dedicated to supporting the dynamic youth and travel sports program industry, makes all the sense in the world for us,” explained Josh Koegel, InstaRaise’s Vice President of Growth. “Organized travel sports leagues, in particular, are cost-prohibitive to many families. We offer a way for athletes and clubs to help offset these costs and, in the process, promote opportunities for greater inclusivity.”

Maximize Your Fundraising Profits

InstaRaise offers a complete, end-to-end platform with donation- or product-based fundraising options to help teams maximize their success. Users also have access to a full suite of features – intuitive dashboard, automated communications tools, and more – to increase engagement via email, text messaging, and social media; monitor progress; and achieve campaign goals.

The automated platform makes it quick and easy for teams to reach intended audiences in a timely fashion, but what really sets InstaRaise apart from the competition is its team of Client Success Managers, who help guide the set-up process and make sure each campaign is optimized to succeed.

$60 Million Raised in 2023

The results speak for themselves. Since its founding in 2018, InstaRaise has experienced high-level growth year over year. In 2023 alone, the platform helped approximately 11,000 organizations raise $60 million.

Let InstaRaise help you take your next fundraiser to the next level! To get started, check out the fundraising page on Travelsports.com.

‘Working for the Weekend’
South Ontario-based Hockey Tournament Operator Taps into
Growing Demand for Sports Tourism Experiences

Weekend Hockey Tournaments, based in Oakville, Ontario, may be located in the heart of the largest hockey market in the world, but the full-time tournament organizer has experienced explosive growth over the last several years by expanding into in some key major U.S. metropolitan areas.

Las Vegas, Fort Lauderdale, and Nashville are highly popular tourist meccas, but these cities also have something else in common: they are also home to NHL hockey franchises.

For Weekend Hockey Director James Zitmanis and his team, the potential cross-promotional opportunities were too good to pass up.

Local Sports Boost
“Sports have always been a way to bring people together and we’ve seen a pent-up demand for travel tournaments in the aftermath of the pandemic,” he explained. “Between that and the success of local NHL teams like the Nashville Predators, Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, and Tampa Bay Lightning, we saw opportunities to add value to our tournament packages by offering game tickets and other options, including skating sessions on a team’s home ice.”

The results have exceeded expectations. Weekend Hockey has been adding roughly 10 – 15 new tournaments each year, as a growing number of teams in the U.S. and Canada crave out-of-town tournament experiences.

And, with North American sports tourism in general gaining in popularity, the decision to begin organizing tournaments in regions outside more “traditional” hockey markets was an easy one.

“Let’s be honest: I’d rather spend my winters in Florida than Ontario and I’m not the only person who says that,” Zitmanis said with a laugh. “Travel teams of all ages on both sides of the border want to join tournaments that offer spirited competition with teams from other areas. The opportunity to enjoy nicer weather and a professional sporting event while in-town only adds to the allure.”

Another popular market for Weekend Hockey Tournaments has been Utica, NY, home of the AHL Utica Comets (New Jersey Devils affiliate).

Always Improving
High-level demand for Weekend Hockey events means that each of the 75 yearly tournaments it hosts is booked to full capacity, but it’s the company’s commitment to providing unforgettable experiences that keeps travel teams coming back year after year.

“This is our passion, and it has been since our founding in 2006, but we are always looking for ways to be better,” Zitmanis said, citing the hiring of professional photographers to capture important moments and social media influencers to generate online buzz as a few examples.

Bottom line: Weekend Hockey prides itself on delivering fun, competitive tournaments.

“I believe the competitive nature of our tournaments sets us apart,” Zitmanis added. “Teams tend to keep signing up with us, so we must be doing something right.”

Search for Tournaments
Visit Weekend Hockey’s page to view upcoming events.

About Travelsports
Travelsports is the leading aggregator of information for the youth and adult sports industry. We strive to connect, inform, and inspire the sports community by providing a one-stop destination for tournaments, clubs, facilities, insights, and resources. Our goal is to support the success and well-being of individual athletes and the vibrant sports ecosystem.

Our ‘Trending in Travelsports’ series offers a chance to highlight some of our sports partners and share their insights on emerging trends in the $42-billion North American travel sports market. These trends are creating new opportunities for businesses as well as tournament participants of all ages. Read on to learn more and, if there’s a topic you’d like us to consider covering in future posts, send us a quick note at info@travelsports.com.