The Birmingham Organizing Committee is working hard to make sure The World Games 2022 Birmingham is the best edition yet!
Today, meet Executive Vice President of Sales Dee Dee Mathis, who oversees corporate partnerships as well as ticketing and merchandise strategies for The World Games 2022.
Prior to joining The World Games 2022, Mathis led the sales and marketing efforts for events such as the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama, Regions Tradition, Magic City Classic and SEC Baseball for Bruno Event Team.
So far, what has been the most rewarding part of working for The World Games 2022 for you?
I love the collaboration process with our sponsors. We deeply learn about their goals and objectives, and then create a unique mix of assets that aligns with their mission. Unlike most major events, The World Games offers a tremendous amount of flexibility around how we activate our sponsors’ brands and ultimately create meaningful partnerships. It’s gratifying to see our ideas come together, and it’s an honor to be part of the team that’s bringing The World Games 2022 to Birmingham.
How has your experience working with sporting events been beneficial to you during your time with The World Games 2022?
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I spent most of my career in media, and in 2016, I took a leap of faith into the world of sports marketing. All those events that I had enjoyed going to as a spectator, I never realized how much work went into them by so many different people. I’m grateful to have a strong behind-the-scenes perspective to draw upon.
How has the Birmingham Organizing Committee attacked the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic?
When the 2020 Summer Olympics were postponed to 2021 because of COVID-19, we pushed The World Games to July 7-17, 2022. We share so many resources with the Olympics, it just made sense. This move gives us an extra year to activate our sponsors – which is a pretty incredible silver lining. Since March, The World Games staff has been working remotely, and I’m proud to say we’ve all become level-10 experts at video meetings. It’s been fun to see each other in a different environment. We’ve had quite a few cameo appearances from pets and kids which is always good for a laugh.
What do corporate partnerships mean for The Games? What are some of the benefits of those partnerships?
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Our corporate partnerships make it possible for us to bring The World Games to Birmingham. Without them and the gracious support of our city, county and state, we wouldn’t be able to put Birmingham on a global stage. Elements that may be included in a sponsorship range from naming rights of a signature asset to VIP hospitality, tickets, and of course, the rights to use The World Games 2022 marks. We have an incredible group of sponsors who have stepped up to support The Games (check them out), and are always looking for new partners to join our family!
If you could participate in one sport from The World Games 2022, which one would it be?
Definitely DanceSport. It’s a beautiful blend of athleticism and grace.
The World Games is a multi-sport event staged every four years by the International World Games Association under the patronage of the International Olympic Committee. The 11th edition of The World Games will be held in Birmingham, Alabama, USA, 7-17 July 2022. 3,600 athletes from over 30 sports and 100 countries will take part in The World Games.
