WINNERS OF ANNUAL SPORTSTRAVEL AWARDS ANNOUNCED DURING TEAMS ’26 CONFERENCE & EXPO IN BIRMINGHAM; AWARDS HONOR TOP EVENTS, VENUES, AND HOST CITIES IN THE SPORTS EVENT INDUSTRY
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Oct. 29, 2026 – The 2026 Prevagen U.S. Figure Skating Championships in St. Louis has been recognized as the best amateur sports event of the year by SportsTravel, a leading national publication dedicated to sports-related travel. The annual SportsTravel Awards are nominated and voted on by the readers of SportsTravel. In addition to best amateur sports event, SportsTravel presented awards for best collegiate sports event (2026 Men’s Final Four), best professional sports event (2026 FIFA World Cup), and best new sports event (2026 USA Volleyball Girls Junior Club Championship). Events occurring between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026 were eligible for nomination.
The awards were presented at TEAMS (Travel, Events, and Management in Sports), the world’s largest gathering of event organizers and travel planners from the sports industry, which took place this week in Birmingham, Ala. U.S. Figure Skating Senior Director of Events Bob Dunlop and St. Louis Sports Commission Vice President of Events Brad Wachler were on hand to accept the award on behalf of the organizers of the 2026 Championships.
Hosted by the St. Louis Sports Commission at Enterprise Center and Centene Community Ice Center, the Figure Skating Championships featured the nation’s top figure skaters and served as the final step toward selection for Team USA at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games. The event attracted more than 91,000 spectators, the highest attendance since 2014, and generated $15.8 million in economic impact, nearly 25,000 hotel room nights, and $944,000 in combined state and local sales tax revenue.
“The joy, excitement and impact of the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in St. Louis exceeded even our high expectations, and the recognition from SportsTravel is a tribute to those who made the event so special,” said St. Louis Sports Commission President Marc Schreiber. “We’re grateful to all who had a role in the event’s success, including the fans, our volunteers, colleagues at Enterprise Center and Centene Community Ice Center, local contributors, and civic partners – the entire St. Louis region really embraced the event. And what a tremendous partner we have in U.S. Figure Skating, which entrusted us with this premier championship, and whose athletes provided an unforgettable week for our region.”
“U.S. Figure Skating is proud of the exceptional partnership of the St. Louis Sports Commission and the broader St. Louis community in delivering the 2026 U.S. Figure Skating Championships,” U.S. Figure Skating CEO Matt Farrell said. “From the earliest stages of planning through event execution, the St. Louis organizing committee demonstrated outstanding professionalism, operational expertise, and an unwavering commitment to creating a world-class experience for athletes, fans, officials and partners. Their attention to detail, collaborative spirit, and investment in both the event and its long-term legacy helped elevate these Championships into one of the most successful and memorable in recent history. St. Louis continues to set the standard for what it means to host a premier national sporting event.”
“This year’s winners once again reflect the depth and breadth of the most dynamic part of the travel industry — sports-related travel,” said Jason Gewirtz, senior vice president for content for the Northstar Meetings Group and the publisher of SportsTravel. “Our winners embody the spirit of why people travel to participate in and attend live sports events and they should be incredibly proud of their accomplishments.”