Today, The Sports Facilities Companies (SFC), the nation’s leading manager of sports, recreation, and event properties, announced the launch of Community Playmaker, an independent magazine, media, and events platform tailored for local government leaders. Driven by a mission to ‘inspire the next great American community’, Community Playmaker publishes educational and inspirational content and events focused on the key themes of economic development, sense of place, and quality of life.
“This is more than ‘sport or recreation’; it is a time of convergence of economic, political, and cultural trends which have created a massive opportunity for collaboration and broader social enterprise,” said SFC CEO and Co-Founder Jason Clement. “Our hope is this platform is received as intended: a forum to share success stories, case studies, and relevant information with leaders across the country.”
SFC is uniquely positioned to launch the Community Playmaker platform. For the last twenty years, the organization has served more than 2,000 municipalities across the country in a variety of planning, development, and operational services.
SFC confirmed that Johnny Crosskey will assume the role of Managing Editor for Community Playmaker. The company also launched its website, with the first edition of its quarterly hybrid digital/print magazine expected in mid-June and its first regional leadership summit in September. Subscribers to the free magazine can expect new stories delivered to their inbox weekly and advanced copies of the magazine as well as early registration and discounts for events.
“With the intersection of industries and shifting consumer/resident preferences, there’s a need to elevate the stories of local government elected officials, administrators, and leaders who are doing great things to propel their communities into the future – AKA ‘Playmakers’,” said SFC Partner and Editor in Chief of Playmaker Magazine, Ashley Whittaker. “Whether it’s revitalizing a tired downtown or bolstering the local economy, these local leaders are doing incredible things in service to their community.”
The Community Playmaker platform features interviews from mayors, city administrators, and other local government leaders on topics ranging from brownfield redevelopment to placemaking through public art and broadband access to public-private partnerships. There are also special sections with interviews from leaders in industry segments like tourism, wellness, arts and culture, real estate development, and public finance, like Sports, Events & Travel Association CEO Al Kidd.
“City-defining projects like we see from our tourism bureaus and sports commissions don’t happen in a vacuum,” said Kidd. “It takes a partnership between government entities and between the public and private sectors to make a big impact. It’s success stories like those in Community Playmaker that catalyze change.”
Community Playmaker is currently accepting subscribers to their digital platform and publication; to subscribe, please visit: https://communityplaymaker.com/subscribe/ Registrations and locations for fall Community Playmaker Regional Leadership Summits will open in June.
About The Sports Facilities Companies
The Sports Facilities Companies (SFC) are the Nation’s leading resources for the management and development of sports, recreation, wellness, and events facilities. As a turn-key solution for community leaders and developers alike, SFC services span the gamut of sports and recreation needs from sports tourism & recreation master planning, program planning, and feasibility through professional facility management services. Our 50+ managed venues and 2500+ team members, represented by the SF Network, welcome more than 25 million guest visits and produce over $500 million in economic impact each year. To learn more, please visit SportsFacilities.com and theSFnetwork.com.
