Please join us for our monthly luncheon on Friday, April 10th, 2026, at Prestonwood Country Club in Cary, from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM.
To learn more about NCER membership, please contact the Membership Committee Chair who will guide you through the nomination and selection process.
Our guest speaker is Hill Carrow, Chairman & CEO of the 2029 FISU World University Games, presenting “The World University Games and Sports as Economic Development.”
According to Fortune Business Insights, sports tourism is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the global tourism industry and is expected to total up to $800 billion in 2025–2026, representing approximately 10% of total global tourism expenditure. The sector is experiencing compound annual growth of more than 16% and is projected to surpass $1.3 trillion by 2032.
Hill will discuss the 2029 World University Games, which will be hosted across Cary and central North Carolina, and how the state can best position itself to capitalize on this rapidly growing tourism sector and its significant economic impact.
Hill Carrow’s Bio
Hill Carrow, a Kinston, North Carolina native, has had a distinguished career in the sports tourism industry. He founded the National Association of Sports Commissions, now known as the Sports Events & Tourism Association (Sports ETA), and the North Carolina Sports Association. An inaugural inductee into the Sports ETA Hall of Fame, Hill has led more than 100 national and international championship events across 40 sports, generating more than $500 million in economic impact.
A veteran of 15 Olympic Games, Hill is the Chairman & CEO of the 2029 FISU World University Games, which will be hosted in Cary and throughout central North Carolina. He has also played a key role in regional sports facility development, including efforts that helped bring USA Baseball’s Headquarters and National Training Complex to Cary and support the development of major venues such as WakeMed Soccer Park and the Durham Performing Arts Center.