Executive Vice President/Executive Director, Visit Detroit/Detroit Sports Commission
Dave Beachnau
Dave Beachnau is in his 30th year with Visit Detroit. Named Executive Vice President in 2023, he also serves as Executive Director of the Detroit Sports Commission, focusing on bidding for and hosting major sporting events in the metro Detroit region.
Under Beachnau’s leadership, Detroit has successfully hosted or been awarded numerous high-profile events, including the NCAA Men’s Final Four, NFL Draft, Ryder Cup, Super Bowl XL, MLB All-Star Game, WrestleMania, and various NCAA championships.
Since 2001, Beachnau has led the Detroit Sports Commission, overseeing its creation and rebranding with the tagline "Where Champions are Made, and Championships are Played. Detroit." He founded the Xenith Prep Kickoff Classic, an annual event since 2005.
Beachnau earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Adrian College, where he lettered in basketball and baseball. He has received the Triple A+ Alumni Award from Lansing Catholic Central High School and Adrian College's Distinguished Alumni Award. Before joining Visit Detroit, he spent eight years in the hospitality industry, including as director of sales at the Atheneum Suite Hotel in Detroit.
A Lansing native, Beachnau and his wife, Edie, have two children, Kimberly and Tyler, and two grandchildren, twins Abigail and Isabelle.
Sports Tourism Best Practices for Markets of All Sizes
Tuesday, June 11th (Day 1)
11:15 AM - 12:00 PM
Founders AB (3rd Floor)
At a lot of the trade shows across the tourism industry, the focus is on the larger markets and their big wins. Not this session! Our sports tourism breakout session will touch on markets of all sizes, small, medium, and large. Join us for best practices that you can take home and implement in your communities, including recent learnings from the 2024 NFL Draft in Detroit.
The Pick Is In: Lessons from Hosting the 2024 NFL Draft
Wednesday, June 12th (Day 2)
10:30 AM - 11:15 AM
Founders AB (3rd Floor)
Join representatives from Visit Detroit and the Detroit Sports Commission as they explore the success, impact, and key lessons from the record-breaking 2024 NFL Draft. Discover how community engagement, strategic partnerships, and innovative marketing strategies made this event a standout. Gain actionable insights that destination organizations can apply to hosting events of any size in their communities.
