The Playeasy Warmup

Welcome to "The Playeasy Warmup," your go-to podcast for all things sports tourism! In each episode, we'll dive into how sports are shaping individuals, organizations, and communities while showcasing the cutting-edge ideas that are driving the future of this industry. Whether you’re a destination, event organizer, industry partner, or just a passionate sports fan, "The Playeasy Warmup" has the insights and news to keep you ahead of the game. Tune in and stay connected with the pulse of sports tourism.

The Playeasy Warmup is a sports podcast hosted by Playeasy, with 68 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Playeasy hosts The Playeasy Warmup, a sports show with 68 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #66

  The Next Era of Curling with Nic Sulsky

  Sep 17, 202648 min

  In this episode presented by Sports Salt Lake, curling has an interesting problem: every four years, the world can't stop watching it. Nic Sulsky saw an opportunity in what happens next. After years of building businesses across sports, gaming and entertainment, Nic saw that curling already had something most emerging sports spend years trying to find - a global audience. The opportunity was finding new ways to keep those fans engaged year-round. In 2024, The Curling Group acquired the Grand Slam of Curling. Since then, the team has expanded the sport's reach, launched Rock League and started rethinking how fans experience, follow and connect with curling. On The Playeasy Warmup , Kerri Shields sits down with Nic, CEO of The Curling Group, to talk about that vision and what it takes to grow an established sport while bringing a new generation of fans along with it. They get into athlete storytelling, expanded broadcast distribution and a live experience built around more personality, entertainment and access. Nic also breaks down what The Curling Group looks for in its host markets - and why they're less interested in finding a destination than finding the right partner. With Rock League's newly announced 2027 Championship headed to Kalamazoo, Michigan, Nic shares what's next for The Curling Group, where he sees the biggest opportunities for continued growth across the U.S. and around the world, and the vision behind the next era of the sport.

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  Episode #65

  The Memory-Making Business: Innovation & the Fan Experience with the Frisco RoughRiders

  Aug 26, 202627 min

  From a Lazy River in the outfield to Banana Ball and Cosmic Baseball, the Frisco RoughRiders have built a fan experience that’s anything but traditional. In this episode of The Playeasy Warmup , Kerri Shields sits down with Scott Burchett of the Frisco RoughRiders to talk about the creativity and innovation behind what he calls the “memory-making business.” Scott shares the story behind the famous Lazy River, how the RoughRiders approach promotions and fan engagement, and how Riders Field has evolved beyond its 69-game home schedule into a year-round entertainment venue. Today, nearly as many people visit the ballpark for non-game-day events as they do for RoughRiders games. The conversation also explores the role partnerships play in that growth, from working with Visit Frisco and leaders across the city to bringing new events and audiences to the ballpark. Scott shares why that collaboration makes Frisco unique and why Minor League teams can be valuable assets for destinations looking to expand their sports tourism strategy. Tune in for a look at how the Frisco RoughRiders are thinking beyond the game and continuing to find new ways to create experiences fans remember.

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  Episode #64

  Inside PGA Frisco: The Road to the 2027 PGA Championship | Jason Mengel, PGA Frisco

  Aug 19, 202632 min

  In May 2027, the PGA Championship returns to Texas for the first time in more than 60 years - and it's coming to PGA Frisco. In this episode of The Playeasy Warmup, Kerri Shields sits down on-site with Jason Mengel, PGA Championship Director at the PGA of America, the first person in PGA history to oversee all four of the organization's Spectator Championships: the Ryder Cup, the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, the Senior PGA Championship, and the PGA Championship. Jason takes us inside his path into the game, what it takes to build a major championship from the ground up, and the partnership between the PGA of America and Visit Frisco that made this moment possible. The conversation also touches on the PGA's broader mission to grow the game - from PGA Reach to the rise of women's golf - before closing with a look at what the 2027 Championship will mean for Frisco, for golf, and for the state of Texas.

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  Episode #63

  Event Organizer Shark Tank | 2026 Playeasy Innovators Summit | Part 2

  Aug 17, 20261h 58m

  What are today's event organizers looking for - and where are they headed next? Part 2 of the Event Organizer Shark Tank opens with a conversation between Kerri Shields and The Playeasy Platform Company CEO Sean Flaherty, unpacking two new tools built directly from feedback at the 2026 Playeasy Innovators Summit: the Event Experience Network, which lets organizers activate visitor experiences everywhere they host, and an upgraded Economic Impact Calculator that turns real engagement data into a report destinations can act on. From there, Kerri sits down with leaders from the American Junior Golf Association, Ann's Angels Adaptive Waterski Foundation, the NCAA, Prep Network, MARS/Turf Wars, USA Table Tennis, Big Bear Tournaments, and the National Wheelchair Basketball Association for a series of conversations about their organizations, their growth, and what's next. From junior golf and adaptive water skiing to NCAA championships, multi-sport showcases, adult kickball, table tennis, youth hockey, and wheelchair basketball, each organization shares how their events are growing, what they need from future host destinations, and why partnership - not just facilities - decides who they come back to. Part 2 closes out the Shark Tank series with a direct look at what it takes to become a destination these organizations want to build with long-term.

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  Episode #62

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

  Aug 13, 20261 hour

  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? In this episode of The Playeasy Warmup , Kerri Shields sits down with Clay Partain, Chief Sports Officer at Visit Salt Lake and Board Chair of Sports ETA , to talk about his journey in sports tourism and the evolution of Sports Salt Lake. 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. 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. 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.

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