Inside Sports Salt Lake: Growth, Innovation & the Future of Sports Tourism

<p>What does it take to grow a sports tourism strategy from the ground up - and turn it into a major part of a destination’s identity?</p><p><br />In this episode of <strong>The Playeasy Warmup</strong>, Kerri Shields sits down with <strong>Clay Partain, Chief Sports Officer at Visit Salt Lake and Board Chair of Sports ETA</strong>, to talk about his journey in sports tourism and the evolution of Sports Salt Lake.</p><p><br />Clay shares how an unconventional path brought him to Salt Lake and eventually into the sports tourism industry, where he would help grow a small sports effort within Visit Salt Lake into the dedicated Sports Salt Lake division it is today.</p><p><br />The conversation explores the relationships, community buy-in, athlete experience, and willingness to embrace innovation that have helped drive that growth. Clay also shares his perspective on the changing industry, the role of AI and technology, and why human connection will continue to be at the center of the work.</p><p><br />From Sports Salt Lake’s growth to Clay’s new leadership role with Sports ETA and the destination’s continued transformation ahead of the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, the conversation looks at how far Salt Lake has come - and what’s ahead.</p>