Northstar Travel Group, a leading B2B travel industry events, media and information services company, has announced that JTB Corp., one of Japan’s leading travel solutions providers, has signed an agreement to acquire Northstar from investment funds managed by EagleTree Capital and its co-investors. As part of the transaction, Northstar will operate as a wholly owned, independent subsidiary of JTB and will continue to be led by its existing management team, including CEO Jason Young. Terms of the transaction, which is expected to close in September, were not disclosed.

Northstar operates iconic B2B travel event, media and market intelligence brands including SportsTravel, the TEAMS Conference, TEAMS Europe and the EsportsTravel Summit, in addition to brands such as Travel Weekly, Business Travel News, ALIS, The Meetings Show and Phocuswright. Through these platforms, Northstar connects a global audience of more than 1 million professional travel buyers, who shape and drive the travel industry, with more than 1,500 supplier customers seeking to engage them.

“We are thrilled to partner with JTB as we enter the next phase of our company’s incredible history,” said Young. “Our shared commitment to the travel industry, cultural alignment and collective expertise — combined with the opportunity to accelerate Northstar’s geographic expansion in the Asia Pacific region — will enhance our ability to deliver value to our audiences and customers as we advance our mission.”

The transaction advances JTB’s growth strategy, which includes geographic expansion and targeted investments in events, information services, market intelligence and other strategic lines of business associated with the travel industry.

“Today’s announcement marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for JTB Group,” said Eijiro Yamakita, president and CEO of JTB Group. “Northstar brings outstanding expertise and fresh perspectives that perfectly align with our strategic vision. By operating Northstar as an independent subsidiary, we preserve their neutral market position while creating a powerful platform for delivering superior customer experiences. We are confident this structure will unlock significant growth potential while contributing to the innovation and future growth of the travel industry.”

Co-Managing Partner Anup Bagaria and Senior Partner Michael Struble of EagleTree Capital said, “It has been an honor to partner with the Northstar team, including chairman and former CEO Tom Kemp and current CEO Jason Young, and to witness the company’s impressive transformation over the last few years. We are confident Northstar is well-positioned for future success and look forward to watching it thrive as part of JTB.”

The Ironman 70.3 Pennsylvania Happy Valley triathlon has been selected to host the 2026 Ironman 70.3 North American Championship.

The event, which will return to the central Pennsylvania destination on June 14, 2026, will offer a North American Championship title, an elevated professional prize purse and increased age group qualifying opportunities for the 2026 Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Nice, France.

“We are thrilled to bring the Ironman 70.3 North American Championship race to State College and the Happy Valley Community to showcase this beautiful venue,” said AJ Sills, Northeast Regional Director for Ironman. “State College has been a phenomenal host since the event was launched in 2023, and we could not be prouder to see this event host some of the best athletes from around the world next June with this prestigious designation.”

The 2026 Ironman 70.3 Pennsylvania Happy Valley North American Championship race will take athletes on a 1.2-mile swim in Foster Joseph Sayers Reservoir at Bald Eagle State Park, a 56-mile bike ride through the hills of Centre and Clinton counties and a a 13.1-mile run on the campus of Penn State University including a finish line experience alongside Beaver Stadium, home to the Penn State Nittany Lions.

“Being selected to host the Ironman 70.3 North American Championship race is a tremendous opportunity for Happy Valley,” said Eric Engelbarts, executive director of the Happy Valley Sports & Entertainment Alliance. “This event will bring thousands of athletes, families and fans to our region, creating a powerful economic impact for our local businesses while showcasing Happy Valley as a premier sports tourism destination. We are proud to continue building a reputation that puts our region on the global stage.”

“We are thrilled that the Ironman 70.3 Series is returning to Happy Valley in a big way,” said Fritz Smith, president and chief executive officer of The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau. “From a visitation perspective, hosting the North American Championship is of course wonderful news. But it means more than that. For the past three years, the community has fully embraced the event – from turning out in large numbers to volunteer or to simply cheer on these elite athletes. This announcement is equally fantastic news for residents, whom I am confident will be ready to show competitors and their families true Happy Valley hospitality.”

The American Kennel Club has announced that the third annual AKC Agility League Championship and 2025 North American Diving Dogs Fall Fling, will be staged September 26–28 at the T. Ed Garrison Arena at Clemson University in Pendleton, South Carolina.

The AKC Agility League Championship is sponsored by Purina Pro Plan. The weekend features competition at every league level: Elementary (pre-Novice), Freshman (Novice), Sophomore (Open), Senior (Masters), and PhD (ISC). More than 500 dogs are expected to compete, with top teams and individual dogs crowned in each division.

The AKC is a not-for-profit organization that serves as the world’s largest registry of purebred dogs and a leading advocate for canine welfare and responsible ownership. While entries close September 1, the AKC Agility League Championship already has seen a 33% uptick in entries from last year, with more 90 teams competing from around the country, including Alaska, New York, Wisconsin and Louisiana.

“We are so excited for this year’s Agility League championship,” said Penny Leigh, director of AKC Agility League. “To have this event bring together agility athletes and teams from across the country is a joy to witness. It’s especially exciting that diving dogs will be a part of the action this year.”

The AKC Agility League Championship will be held in conjunction with the first 2025 North American Diving Dogs Fall Fling, which will feature three days of dock diving competition in distance, air retrieve, and hydrodash disciplines.

Visit Overland Park and the Association of Pickleball Players have reached a five-year agreement that will bring an annual APP Tour to the Kansas destination starting in 2026. The APP Overland Park Open will be one of 12 stops on the national APP Tour, with the tournament staged at AdventHealth Sports Park at Bluhawk beginning September 16–20, 2026.

“The selection of Overland Park as a tour stop for the APP is another confirmation of Overland Park’s appeal as a place to visit and compete,” said Eric Olson, vice president of sports and events for Visit Overland Park. “Hosting the APP Overland Park Open reflects Visit Overland Park’s commitment to attracting world-class sporting events that drive tourism and economic growth. We’re eager to showcase our facilities, hospitality and community spirit to thousands of athletes and visitors from across the country.”

Established in 2019 as the first professional pickleball tour, and officially sanctioned by USA Pickleball, the APP Tour offers singles, doubles and mixed play, alongside amateur brackets, clinics and community events.

“The APP is proud to set down roots in Overland Park in 2026, bringing three incredible world-class pickleball events to the city for all to enjoy,” said Ryan McSpadden, APP chief revenue officer. “Pickleball fans across the Midwest will see the world’s best pro players at our APP Tour event, the sport’s rising superstars at APP Next, and the nation’s top college teams battle it out at our collegiate qualifier event. With plenty of action in store, we’re pleased to have a terrific partnership with Visit OP to help make these events the best experience possible for both players and fans alike.”

The APP estimates the event will attract 200 professional athletes and roughly 1,000 amateur players from across the United States. Similar tournaments in Overland Park in previous years resulted in more than $1 million in direct economic impact, according to Destination International’s event impact calculator.

That past success inspired two years of discussions with APP to pair its tour with Overland Park and Bluhawk’s purpose-built facilities, benefiting the entire region.

“Hosting major sports events provides a positive economic impact to local businesses and provides another opportunity to strengthen Overland Park as a place to visit, live and work,” said Overland Park Mayor Curt Skoog. “This announcement is another example of Visit Overland Park’s continued success in securing Overland Park as a premier host of visitors and athletes.”

Four U.S. House representatives have introduced a bipartisan bill aimed at upgrading the U.S. State Department’s sports diplomacy efforts before some of the largest events in the world come to the country, and to take advantage of the impact those events can have on other diplomatic fronts. The American Decade of Sports Act was put forth by Reps. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, a Democrat from California, Bill Huizenga, a Republican from Michigan, Gregory Meeks, a Democrat from New York, and Michael McCaul, a Republican from Texas.

The United States will be home to some of the largest sports events in the world over the next 10 years, beginning with the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in 11 U.S. cities. Other major events on the horizon include the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games in Los Angeles, the 2029 World University Games in North Carolina, the 2031 Men’s and 2033 Women’s Rugby World Cup, and the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City. The U.S. is also the only bidder for the 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

In announcing the bill, the political leaders noted that the events present a unique opportunity to enhance U.S. diplomacy and global leadership on the world stage. The bill seeks to upgrade the State Department’s sports diplomacy division to its own office and designate it with the responsibility and personnel to implement U.S. sports diplomacy efforts focused on the decade ahead.

“As a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, I have witnessed firsthand the incredible power of sports to break down cultural barriers and unite people around the world,” said Kamlager-Dove. “The American Decade of Sports is our chance to deepen relationships across the globe and cement U.S. leadership — and we can’t let it slip through our fingers. I’m proud to lead the introduction of this bipartisan legislation to ensure that the State Department is equipped to leverage sports diplomacy as a vital U.S. foreign policy tool and capitalize on this defining moment.”
“From the Ryder Cup to the FIFA World Cup and the upcoming Summer and Winter Olympic Games, the United States is set to host some of the most highly viewed, attended, and anticipated international sporting events in the next 10 years,” said Huizenga. “The American Decade of Sports Act ensures that President Trump is able to carry out his revitalization of American sports and that the State Department is readily equipped to implement this newfound focus in terms of strategic planning and staffing. I am proud to champion this bipartisan effort.”

Specifically, the American Decade of Sports Act:

• Directs the State Department to submit a sports diplomacy strategy to leverage the major sporting events being hosted in the United States to enhance U.S. soft power and global leadership;
• Pulls the Sports Diplomacy Division out of the Office of Citizen Exchanges and elevates it to its own Office of Sports Diplomacy;
• Designates the Office of Sports Diplomacy with the responsibility of implementing the mega-decade sports diplomacy strategy;
• Assigns at least three additional staff to the office to implement the strategy; and
• Requires an annual report to Congress on the implementation of the mega-decade sports diplomacy strategy, the restructuring of the sports diplomacy office, and the designation of additional staff to carry out the strategy.

The American Decade of Sports Act is cosponsored by Reps. Bill Huizenga, Gregory Meeks, Michael McCaul, James Moylan, Maria Elvira Salazar, Michael Lawler, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Ted Lieu, Dina Titus, Gabe Amo, Kathy Castor, Sarah McBride, Jonathan L. Jackson, Nikema Williams, Hank Johnson, Don Bacon, Michael Baumgartner, Aumua Amata Radewagen, Buddy Carter, Young Kim, Rich McCormick, William R. Keating, and Greg Stanton.

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Swimming pools for the nation’s top aquatic athletes need to be as clean as possible. And a new partnership between USA Artistic Swimming and iGarden, makers of pool cleaning equipment, appears to be an ideal match.

USA Artistic Swimming has announced the new partnership with iGarden, a subsidiary of Fairland Group, including a live demonstration recently held in California for a select crowd of Olympians and media. The agreement also makes the brand the exclusive robotic pool cleaner partner of the national governing body.

“I couldn’t be more excited to welcome iGarden into the USA Artistic Swimming family” said USA Artistic Swimming CEO Adam Andrasko. “Their forward-thinking vision and dedication to excellence mirror the true heart of USA Artistic Swimming.”

Guests at the announcement included Andrasko, Chief of Sport (and three time Olympian) Lara Teixeria, Olympic silver medalist Daniella Ramirez, and 2025 national team members Elle Santana, Emma Moore, Kamako Field, Morgan Woelfel, and Valerie Wiliams). Former Olympian Lenny Krayzelburg (four-time gold medalist and founder of SwimRight Academy) was also in attendance.

The company displayed products at the event and also announced its Pool Perfection Experience: a fully immersive, in-home product trial campaign available across California where pool owners can try the company’s products for free.

“iGarden has always been at the forefront of revolutionizing outdoor living” said Wind Gong, iGarden chief marketing officer, “Partnering with USA Artistic Swimming is a continuation of our brand growth and dedication to expanding our partnership horizons. As a brand of artful living, it was only natural to choose a team that emulates that.”

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