The National Dart Association had its bi-annual Dart Smart Summit & Membership Meeting from July 16-18 at the Plaza San Antonio Hotel & Spa, Autograph Collection in Texas. The three-day event brought together dart league operators, manufacturers, industry professionals and NDA members from across North America for “comprehensive training, networking and association business.”
The association added that Dart Smart “continues to be one of our most valuable membership benefits, providing free educational opportunities focused on business growth, league development and industry best practices.”
Topics included: marketing strategies to grow league participation; streamlining league operations; building an online presence for league and tournament promotion; remote league opportunities; CompuSport tournament management; and league fundamentals and best practices.
The summit also featured a Referee Certification Course, which provided additional training for operators and league administrators.
The participating manufacturers were: BullShooter (with a presentation from Paris Karoutsos and Phil Johnson); Gaelco Darts (presentation from Jeff Mahan); Löwen Entertainment (presentation from Stefan Mathis); and PhoenixDarts USA (presentation from Ed McCammack).
Additional sessions focused on expanding participation in electronic darts through programs like the Pink Ladies Dart Leagues and Junior Dart Leagues. NDA said those initiatives “continue to create new pathways for players of all ages and skill levels to become involved in organized dart competitions.”
Another part of the event was NDA’s Annual Membership Meeting, which included an association update, review of proposed policy changes and election of members to the board of directors. The association also reported it has more than 56,500 sanctioned players.
The 2026-27 NDA Regional Tournament Season will begin in Omaha, Nebraska (Nov. 20-22) and continue in Columbus, Ohio (Jan. 8-10). The 2026 Team Dart Championships welcomed some 3,000 players representing 150 different operators. And it awarded more than $315,000 in prize money.
NDA is already prepping for Team Dart 2027, set for April 8-14 at the Westgate Las Vegas. Their next membership meeting will coincide with that and is scheduled for April 13.
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