Finding the perfect gift is always a challenge and often a scramble. But not if you start with a solid list!

If you happen to be shopping for folks in the sports, entertainment, or real estate businesses this holiday season, you’re in luck! We’ve created this special, last-minute holiday wish list just for them. You’re welcome. And Happy Holidays!

For Union Omaha: A bigger trophy case.

The Nebraska boys won their second USL League One title this fall, becoming the first club in league history to snag a second championship. That wasn’t their only hardware addition: They took home their third Player’s Shield, too. No doubt more to come from this crew, so probably time to reconsider the size of that trophy case in their new downtown stadium!

For Greenville Pro Soccer: A high-performance web server.

After adding world football legend Ronaldinho to its ownerships group, the organization and its clubs are going to need more bandwidth to handle all the traffic searching for his endless and astounding highlight videos!

For Women’s Sports: Well-earned respect.

Women’s sports went to the next level in 2024. Yes, there were plenty of women and women’s leagues doing great things in sports before now, but this year seemed to be a huge tipping point when it came to mass commercial success. From the WNBA’s big leap to the launches of the PWHL and the USL Super League to the Olympic ascendance of the U.S. Women’s Rugby Team, women’s sports are valuable commodities. Give them the respect and investment they’ve earned.

For Communities: More fields and a slice of the sports tourism pie.

Sports tourism, driven overwhelmingly by youth sports, is a booming business. The Sports Events & Tourism Association valued the direct spending impact from sports tourism at $39.7 billion in 2021. And it continues to grow. Wintergreen Research predicts a compound annual growth rate of 8.9% for the youth sports market through 2028. Communities with more fields – for their own youth sports organizations and tournament travelers alike – are set to reap the benefits. Here’s hoping more get a piece of that pie.

For Real Estate Development:  Inexpensive money.

Cash is a commodity. One dollar is the same as the next, except for how much it costs to borrow. So why pay more? Time waits for no one, but when there’s low-cost capital, no one waits. If the New Year sees interest rates fall, there will likely be lots of new projects to follow. And who wouldn’t like a new project under the tree?

For the 2026 FIFA World Cup: Anticipation.

It’s hard to believe, but the next World Cup, which will be hosted jointly by the U.S., Canada and Mexico, is a little over 18 months away. Final confederation qualifying happens in 2025 and the venues and schedules are out, so the preparation starts now to leverage the single most watched sporting event in the world – bigger than even the Olympics. It’s going to be a massive catalyst and reflection for the growth of soccer here at home, as the 1994 Men’s and 1999 Women’s World Cup proved. Stuff the competing confederations, host cities, and the entire country’s stockings with excitement!

For the Sport of Cricket: Momentum.

You may not have known this, but the sport of cricket held its World Cup in the United States this year. Not surprisingly for the world’s second-most-popular sport (2.5 billion fans can’t be wrong), it drew amazing crowds to new and repurposed venues across the country. More are coming soon to a sport that’s just scratched the surface here, so if you have some momentum, please regift it.

For the Concert Business: Another Eras Tour.

Is there another concert tour that’s likely to generate more than $2 billion in ticket sales next year? Probably not. Taylor Swift is a phenomenon. But the holidays are a time to dream big, so all our friends in the venue and promotions game are surely hoping for lightning in bottle once again. If you have another megawatt singer-songwriter, please gift-wrap them and send them along.

For Kentucky Men’s Basketball: A trip to the Final Four.

Not sure how this made the list other than the fact that our founder, Mark McCullers, is a proud UK alum. But we certainly wish new head coach Mark Pope lots of success and a return to glory for the Cats. If you could send BBN a little patience, that would probably help, too.

For Asheville, North Carolina: Prayers and a speedy recovery.

Our friends in Western North Carolina had their lives upended in tragic fashion when Hurricane Helene devastated the region. As strong and resilient as they are, they still need our prayers and support. Wishing them all sunnier days, a speedy recovery, and moments of relief and joy this holiday season.

For All: Peace, prosperity and a happy and healthy 2025.

Happy Holidays from all of us at McCullers Group! And if the New Year has you ready to plan, fund, design, build, or optimize your facility, give us a jingle!