Sports Commission in Sarasota

SARASOTA — The Sarasota Convention & Visitors Bureau announced the formation of the Sarasota County Sports Commission today. Jason Puckett, the Visitors Bureau's current director of sports, will lead the new unit.

Puckett is now accepting applications for appointees to the commission's advisory panel. A statement from the Visitors Bureau did not say how many spots were available.

“With the county allocating bed tax funding for two major athletic facilities, Ed Smith Stadium and Nathan Benderson Park, we felt this was a natural progression that will help us continue to be competitive with other destinations,” says Virginia Haley, Visitors Bureau president, in a statement.

The bureau estimates that the 33 events it sponsored in its 2010 fiscal year generated an economic impact of $23 million for the area, along with 27,000 hotel visits.