A record number of 2500 participants will feature in the fifth instalment of the National Primary Games in Tamworth this weekend.
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All up, the NPG would attract up to 6000 people to Tamworth - including coaches, managers and parents, said NIAS chief executive James Cooper.
Last year the Games's economic impact for Tamworth was $2.3 million, Cooper said, citing Tamworth Regional Council figures.
Along with Tamworth and other northern NSW destinations, athletes have come from Sydney, Brisbane, the NSW coast and Dubbo.
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The event's opening ceremony will be stage at the Dome early Saturday.
Three Olympians will attend the ceremony: sprinters Anneliese Rubie and Anneliese Rubie and rugby 7s Rio Olympics gold medallist Gemma Etheridge, who hails from Armidale.
NIAS, the event organiser, said up to 4000 people were expected to attend the opening.
Cooper said: "We've put a lot of work into it [the Games] over the course of five years now, and we're obviously very humbled by the support that people put behind it.
"And it's great for us to now see growing numbers. And to crack that 2500 mark ... it was a target - and now we're glad that we've hit that."
Five sports will be conducted this weekend: football, netball, rugby league, tennis and wheelchair basketball.
Gymnastic was held earlier this month to avoid it clashing with another event.
The action is expected to conclude about 1pm on Sunday.
Cooper has been involved with running the Games since its inception - the past four years as NIAS CEO.
He said the Games could not be held without the support of the council, Macquarie Bank and sporting organisers that "deliver" the sports: the NRL and Northern Inland Fooball in the case of league and soccer, respectively.
"We're pretty blessed in Tamworth, to be honest, through Tamworth Regional Council, to have some great facilities," he said.
"And we're not in a position yet where we're capping teams or sports at the moment," he added.
"After this one ... we'll consolidate and we'll see what worked and see what we can improve on, and sort of set the same benchmark to get to similar numbers next year.
"And if we experience growth, then that's a bonus."
Cooper said the Games "is all about" boosting NIAS's profile. He highlighted rugby league as an example of that.
"We'll have kids from across Group 4 and Group 19 playing," he said. "So they know what NIAS is. And it's sort of a natural transition [to NIAS] then - and that's a great thing for us."
