Date of Award

Spring 5-2019

Degree Type

Honors College Thesis

Department

Accounting

First Advisor

Chad Miller

Advisor Department

Economic and Workforce Development

Abstract

This study aims to measure the economic impact of the 2018 Conference USA Baseball Tournament on the Mississippi Gulf Coast compared to holding the college sporting event at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Visitor spending and demographic data was collected through random intercept surveys outside MGM Park in Biloxi, Mississippi. The Economic Modeling LLC (EMSI) Input-Output model was used to determine the economic and fiscal impact of visitor spending during the sporting event. The impact to the six-county coastal region and the state of Mississippi as a whole was analyzed. The EMSI model projected an increase of $2.1 million in earnings for the Mississippi Gulf Coast, 94 supported jobs and a $638,487 increase in state and local taxes from the five-day event with nearly 10,0000 visitors to the region. More specifically, the event brought a $955,537 change in earnings, 40 supported jobs and increase in state taxes by $280,457 on the state of Mississippi as a whole. These results demonstrated a significantly higher impact than an analysis of the 2015 Conference USA Baseball Tournament held in Hattiesburg. This supports the contention that hosting college sporting events in tourist destinations increases attendance and the economic impact to the hosting community.

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