ABOUT US

HISTORY

Founded in 2005, ESM owns its own facilities, manages facilities on behalf of other private owners, and is engaged in public/private partnerships with municipalities for the development and operation of publicly-owned sports assets. The company currently manages nine facilities in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Oklahoma, and a tenth in construction in Maryland. Six of these ten facilities are public/private partnerships. ESM has another 10 projects in the funding and development stages.

The firm has developed sports projects both on behalf of themselves as owners (10 projects) as well as on behalf of both private and municipal partners (50 projects) ESM ensures that every aspect of a project is closely monitored, thereby mitigating risk, eliminating the operating learning curve, reducing costs, and providing the greatest return on investment to all stakeholders. Their expertise in the business of youth and amateur sports also serves to identify revenue opportunities, develop operational efficiencies, and improve the spectator and player experience, adding considerable long-term value to a venue.

THE COMPANY

ESM focuses on providing opportunities for individuals of any age to be active and engaged in accessible health and wellness initiatives. Their dynamic facilities offer a wide range of programming — from leagues and tournaments to birthday parties, youth enrichment programs, summer camps, and more. The company caters to both youth and adult customers via indoor and outdoor activities. 

ESM stands out in the sports facility management marketplace, particularly in the public sector. As owners with associated debt and equity investor obligations, ESM has a strong culture of financial responsibility that makes the company an ideal partner for municipalities. ESM is willing to take the risk of operating cash flows compared to others who work on a fee basis only. Athletic facilities are individually unique in their design and the reasons for their existence. Some municipalities are interested in local use, while others focus on sports tourism. Most want both. ESM has a long history of balancing the sometimes competing priorities of stakeholders, avoiding operating subsidies, and achieving ROI. 

THE PURPOSE

Each ESM facility is unique, but all are involved in sports, recreation, events, and fitness. The company creates, markets, and manages sports and recreation programs of all types. Some are camp and recreation-focused, while others are very large events. ESM produces programs for families with children as young as 18 months of age to NCAA tournaments.

THE MISSION

Eastern Sports Management strives to develop and operate elite facilities for competitive and recreational athletes. The firm aims to drive economic impact through sports tourism while tailoring weekday programming to meet the needs of the surrounding community.

Each facility is managed by professionals in the industry who understand the value of impeccable customer service, quality programs, and clean and safe facilities.

MAXIMIZATION OF ROI

ESM balances local weekday programming with sports tourism to sustain the annual operation of its facilities. This allows the community to utilize the assets while driving economic impact via the integration of a variety of special events and tournaments.

These events demonstrate the company's philosophy of maximizing the use of assets under management to realize a return on investment. For example, a sports and recreation facility is not an obvious choice for a dog show or a children’s consignment sale, but when a facility has a gap in its schedule, care is taken to fill the vacant space and time. Additional ancillary events that have taken place in the past include music festivals, culinary events, corporate outings, team-building functions, and more.