In an earlier time, marketing was of little concern to city or county parks and recreation departments since the focus was entirely on their own communities. Starkville’s programs were of little concern to Columbus and vice versa. They all occupied their own well-defined space and were content in it.

It’s much different today with the rise in popularity of travel sports teams and sports tourism. Tournaments today can attract teams from all over the region or state, filling hotel rooms, restaurants, shops and stores. They not only generate funds to support programs for their citizens, but provide a shot in the arm for the local community.

In recent years, local governments are spending millions of dollars – $21 million in Starkville, $12 million in Lowndes County, $4.5 million Columbus – to build and renovate facilities to serve not only local interests but capture those sports travel tourism dollars, which has proven to be a very competitive proposition.

In such a climate, marketing is essential.

The challenge is particularly difficult for parks and recreation in Columbus and Lowndes County, who must not only compete with Starkville, Tupelo, Oxford and other programs, but each other.

The Columbus Lowndes Recreation Department dissolved in 2017, creating separate parks and recreation departments to serve the county and city. Each has made big investments, but in a very real sense, both are fighting with one hand tied behind their backs.

Two years ago, the county board of supervisors and city council agreed to a joint study of their recreation departments funded by a grant from the USDA. The results of that long-awaited study were revealed Tuesday at the Trotter Center.

The study examined numerous components of the two programs, including facilities, staffing, programs, budgets, events and market analysis.

The study’s primary recommendation was for the city and county to create a joint marketing organization to leverage all facilities to bring more events to its facilities. The study also encouraged both programs to diversify their offering to bring in non-sporting events while taking advantage of other public venues such as the Columbus Riverwalk and the yet-to-be-completed Terry Brown Amphitheater to give visitors a larger variety of things to do and see.

The study suggested a board made up of representatives from the city, county and other stakeholders to administer the new marketing organization. The plan would require a budget for staff, at a minimum a marketing professional to manage the efforts, and advertising. Those funds could conceivably come from the money the county-wide 2% restaurant tax provides to the county and city.

Another option would be to rely on the Columbus Lowndes Convention and Visitors Bureau to handle the joint marketing efforts, since marketing is one of its primary functions Adding county and city sports marketing fits, especially if that marketing goes beyond sporting events to capitalize on other tourist-oriented facilities, as the study recommends.

We have always felt that operating two independent parks and recreation departments detracts from, not adds to, what is available to the public. This study seems to reinforce that view. While stopping short of recommending consolidation, the study strongly suggests that both programs benefit from collaboration.

The climate may not be right for the county and city to return to a joint parks and recreation department, but this collaboration for marketing, if successful, may open the door for a joint parks and recreation department down the road.

The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.

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