Snohomish County Sports Commission tells Lynnwood council sports tourism drives hotel stays, local spending

Tammy Dunn, executive director of the Snohomish County Sports Commission, told the Lynnwood City Council on May 15 that sports tourism generates substantial economic activity and room nights for the county and the city. "We are a sports destination management organization," Dunn said, describing the commission as a standalone 501(c)(3) funded by the tourism promotion area fund.

Dunn cited industry figures from a 2023 Sports Events and Tourism Association report and the commission’s local tracking: she said national sports-related travel spending was about $52.2 billion, total economic impact $128 billion, and that the commission’s events supported roughly 760,000 full- and part-time jobs. Focusing on local results, she said the events the commission worked on produced about $29.2 million in economic impact in 2023 and $22.7 million to date in 2024, with roughly 143,000 visitors countywide in 2023 and 133,000 so far in 2024.

Dunn highlighted Meadowdale Playfields as Lynnwood’s primary sports facility, saying upgrades completed around 2018 expanded the city’s ability to host youth baseball, softball and related tournaments that bring repeat weekend visitation. "When it was upgraded… it really raised the bar on the number of sports tournaments in the city of Lynnwood," she said.

The commission is promoting a range of events that either already occur in or produce hotel stays in Lynnwood, Dunn said: Perfect Game Northwest baseball, USA Softball U14/U18 Class B Western Nationals (the first time Lynnwood will host a USA Softball nationals), Major League Table Tennis Western Series, and various youth and amateur tournaments. She also described efforts to attract future events — including a potential GAU Taekwon-Do camp, corporate-team "corporate games," and expanded eSports/eGaming programming — and said the commission helps cities apply for state grants and write letters of support for facility projects.

Council members asked how the commission could help grow local pickleball events and whether it was coordinating with regional partners for the 2026 World Cup. Dunn said the commission can assist on marketing, logistics and partner coordination, has begun regional conversations about the World Cup, and is working with county tourism and neighboring cities to present a united regional offer to event organizers.

Dunn closed by thanking Lynnwood staff, hoteliers and community partners and by noting the commission’s use of industry-standard economic-impact tools. The council did not take action at the work session; the presentation was informational and council members discussed possible local collaboration on pickleball and other events.