National Sports Center USA Cup – Case Study
A Global Stage, A Local Impact — USA CUP at the National Sports Center
Attracting over 1,200 teams worldwide, the USA CUP at the National Sports Center is one of the largest youth soccer tournaments in the U.S., and its impact reaches far beyond the pitch.
In this featured conversation, Matt Trinnear (VP of Strategic Partnerships, EventConnect) joins Al Stauffacher (President, Twin Cities Gateway) to reflect on the USA CUP’s remarkable scale and community impact. From the international flags lining the fields to the economic lift across the region, this event celebrates sport, culture, and connection.
💡 What ties it all together? Seamless collaboration between event organizers, CVBs, and hotels—powered by EventConnect’s proactive support and real-time data tools.
This isn’t just a tournament. It’s a well-oiled system of logistics, hospitality, and shared intention to deliver once-in-a-lifetime experiences for athletes and families.
📈 Want to streamline your event operations and build stronger relationships with your destination partners?
Where Athlete Experience Comes First
For EventConnect, the most meaningful measure of success isn’t just hotel bookings or economic impact—it’s hearing athletes say, “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
At the USA CUP, young players worldwide come together not only to compete but to bond, celebrate, and create lifelong memories. Whether they’re trading pins at the opening ceremonies, scoring their dream goal, or hanging out poolside with teammates, every event detail contributes to the magic.
EventConnect helps make that magic possible—quietly working in the background to simplify logistics for organizers, manage team accommodations, and ensure families stay close to the action.
🧠 Smart systems for organizers.
🎉 Less stress for parents.
⚽ More memories for athletes.
Want to elevate the athlete experience at your next event?
👉 Book a Demo
Built for Facilities That Can’t Afford to Get It Wrong
Technology partners aren’t chosen on a whim at a venue as iconic and high-stakes as the National Sports Center. Every decision must be deliberate, vetted, and aligned with the scale of operations required to support thousands of teams and transactions across multiple platforms.
That’s why the NSC team conducted a thorough vetting process before selecting EventConnect—and since then, the results have spoken for themselves.
From the outside, it looks seamless. Behind the scenes, EventConnect is working hard to ensure the entire travel and housing process feels effortless for teams, families, and administrators. When systems run smoothly and user frustrations are minimized, organizers can focus on what matters most: delivering an unforgettable event.
Partnering with EventConnect wasn’t just about automation for the National Sports Center. It was about trust, reliability, and ensuring the user experience reflects the professionalism of the tournament itself.
Running a high-volume facility or major tournament, or aspiring to grow your event business?
👉 Book a Demo to see how we scale with you.
Real-Time Insights Meet Real-World Impact
At an event the size of the USA CUP—1,200 teams, 18,000 athletes, and over 2,300 games—the logistics aren’t just large-scale, they’re city-wide. For the National Sports Center team, every traveling team represents an athlete, a hotel booking, a restaurant visit, and an economic ripple effect across the Twin Cities.
That’s where EventConnect comes in.
From keeping teams together in the same hotel to equipping organizers with live data on room inventory, sell-out trends, and projected revenue share—EventConnect supports NSC in planning smarter, faster, and with greater confidence.
With so many variables to manage on the tournament side, NSC trusts EventConnect to manage the travel experience, ensuring every guest is placed, every team is informed, and every hotel partnership is maximized.
Because a fantastic athletic experience begins before the opening whistle.
Running a significant event or destination tournament?
👉 Book a Demo to see how EventConnect can help you scale smarter.
From Spreadsheets to Seamless: How EC Enhances Event Execution
When Annie Rydel, Sports and Recreation Registration and Ice Sports Specialist at the National Sports Center, transitioned from running tournaments on Excel spreadsheets to using EventConnect, the impact was immediate.
Across NSC’s hockey tournaments and marquee events like USA CUP, the platform has helped streamline operations—from hotel bookings to registration, scheduling, and live scoring. What used to be a stressful manual lift is now handled in just a few clicks.
For Annie, that means spending more time focused on elevating the athlete and family experience and less time buried in logistics.
By giving organizers real-time visibility into bookings and performance, EventConnect ensures every team is accounted for and every block is optimized—while athletes focus on competing and making memories.
Because seamless execution isn’t just good for business—it’s essential to delivering unforgettable events.
Want to see how EventConnect could power your tournaments?
👉 Book a Demo to get started.
Data-Driven Impact: How NSC Uses EventConnect to Power Policy and Economic Growth
As a state-owned facility, the National Sports Center’s mission extends far beyond the field: it drives measurable economic impact across Minnesota.
For Jayme Murphy, NSC’s Director of Health, Data, and Analytics, that means delivering more than memorable sports experiences. It means proving—with precision—how events like USA CUP boost local hotels, restaurants, and infrastructure.
By integrating EventConnect’s hotel management tools with NSC’s registration system, Jayme and his team now have automated, real-time visibility into hotel booking compliance—what they call “State of Play Fidelity.” This year, that number hit an unprecedented 97%.
Accuracy isn’t just operationally useful—it’s critical when making funding cases to the state legislature, rallying community support, or reporting to the media and stakeholders.
For NSC, EventConnect isn’t just a tech partner. It’s a strategic ally that helps turn event logistics into a long-term impact.
Want to see how smarter data can grow your event’s economic footprint?
👉 Book a Demo today.
Better Hotel Partnerships Start with Better Tools — and Even Better Feedback
Event organizers know the importance of strong local partnerships, especially when it comes to hotels. A great hotel experience can elevate the athlete’s journey, reinforce your reputation with families, and boost the overall success of your event.
But managing those hotel relationships at scale? That’s where EventConnect comes in.
In a recent conversation with Faheem Amini, General Manager at Holiday Inn Express & Suites Coon Rapids-Blaine Area, the message was clear: hotels want tools that reduce friction and support efficiency. By streamlining reservation handling and exploring direct integration into hotel systems, EventConnect helps eliminate manual steps—saving time, preventing errors, and improving clarity for everyone involved.
For event organizers, this means:
- Stronger relationships with hotel partners who value operational ease
- Faster, more accurate reporting for CVBs and destination stakeholders
- Better guest experiences for teams and families
- And more time to focus on delivering a memorable tournament, not chasing logistics
Our hotel feedback is a blueprint for product innovation and a powerful asset for organizers aiming to expand into new markets with trusted partners.
👉 Book a Demo to see how EventConnect helps you build lasting value through every hotel room booked.
Event Tech Built by People Who Understand What’s at Stake
At EventConnect, we believe our greatest asset isn’t just our tech—it’s our people.
As Chantel Brown, one of our dedicated Hotel Coordinators, puts it: seeing our work come to life at events reignites the passion behind what we do. It’s more than room blocks and reservation reports—it’s about being part of a larger mission to create unforgettable experiences for athletes, families, and event organizers.
When our team walks the fields, visits hotel partners, and connects directly with event staff, we bring that insight back home—and that energy spreads across our organization. That’s how we keep improving. That’s how we stay aligned with the values of our partners. And that’s why so many of our clients think of EventConnect as an extension of their team, not just a service provider.
We don’t just scale tournaments.
We power them with empathy, insight, and unmatched support.
👉 Book a Demo to experience the human side of event tech.
Celebrating the Moments That Matter Most
The energy. The smiles. The flags waving. The friendships forged. This final video captures what words often can’t—the joy of competition, connection, and community defining the USA Cup.
For EventConnect, athlete experience is the ultimate measure of success. But delivering that experience at scale—across 1,200 teams, thousands of room nights, and dozens of venues—requires more than just passion. It takes precision, partnership, and the right technology.
From seamless hotel booking and real-time reporting to empowered staff and enhanced economic impact tracking, EventConnect helped make this year’s USA Cup bigger—and better.
As a trusted strategic partner, we’re proud to help organizations like the National Sports Center, Twin Cities Gateway, and their hospitality partners bring global events to life, while making every stakeholder’s job easier.
Let’s bring your next big event to life—