The Savannah Sports Council was established in 1993 with a mission to market the city of Savannah and Chatham County as a site for local, regional, national and international sporting events. The sports council has grown significantly since its inception, hosting or supporting more than 35 events annually. The Savannah Sports Council works in conjunction with the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce and Visit Savannah. Made up of the area’s top business leaders, the Chamber of Commerce mobilizes and connects businesses to drive community development and public policies that promote sustainable growth. Visit Savannah, the biggest division of the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce, is the designated destination marketing organization for the Greater Savannah area. Together, these organizations work to bring businesses and visitors to Savannah. More than 12 million tourists visit Savannah every year, with many of those visitors coming for sporting events run by the sports council. Through the years, the Savannah Sports Council has brought in marquee events from hosting the 1996 Summer Olympic Sailing events to bringing in a 20,000 runner Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon. The SSC also owns and operates four of their own events, including the Enmarket Savannah Hockey Classic, Publix Savannah Women's Half & 5K, Georgia Power Sports Awards Luncheon and Enmarket Savannah Bridge Run. These strong-impact events are also being bid on for the future so that Savannah can keep growing as one of the top tourist destinations in the United States.