Orlando, Fla. – (March 29, 2021) Eight established sporting events dominate the spring and summer calendar at the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) providing an estimated $123 million in economic impact with 95,760 projected guests.
During the weekend of March 6-7, the OCCC simultaneously hosted three sporting events, including a cheer and dance competition, and two volleyball tournaments. The Center hosted the Sunshine Volleyball Classic, All Star Challenge Cheer & Dance and AAU Volleyball Classic with 43,750 projected attendees with a combined $56 million in estimated economic impact. That’s in addition to hosting the Orlando Boat Show during the same weekend, a consumer event which captured a record number of attendees, according to event organizers.
“Our success is testament on how modified sporting events can be hosted safely, responsibly and enjoyably,” said OCCC Executive Director Mark Tester. “Since the onset of the pandemic, the OCCC has hosted more than 60 events, and many were sporting events. We thank our partners for their continued confidence in our center and look forward to working with many other sports organizations in the future.”
Additionally, coming up this summer, the Summer Elite Grassroots Basketball will be taking over the OCCC, with boys and girls teams converging from across the United States playing high-level basketball. The Center will be transformed into the mecca of grassroots basketball with three events from July 20 – Aug. 1, 2021.
The Orlando Splash (formerly the Peach Splash) and The National Championship will be hosted by Ohiobasketball.com and 3C Basketball, the leading organizations in girls travel basketball. The Orlando Splash will take place July 20-22, 2021 and The National Championship is scheduled to be played July 23-25, 2021. Both events are currently scheduled to coincide with the NCAA’s Recruiting Calendar and are sanctioned by the NCAA to allow prospective student athletes to be seen in person by collegiate basketball coaches.
“We are thrilled to welcome Ohiobasketball.com, HoopSeen, NY2LA, and HoopGroup to Orlando,” said Jason Siegel, President & CEO of the Greater Orlando Sports Commission. “The Orange County Convention Center is the perfect venue to safely host these elite travel basketball events under one roof, and we are confident that the athletes, coaches and their families will have a wonderful experience in Central Florida.”
Putting its three-pronged strategy into practice, the OCCC remains committed to working with event organizers to provide a safe experience for competitors, coaches and attendees. Protocols include events being limited to spectators, temperature monitoring during check-in, distancing between courts and participants, and following Orange County’s current mask mandate.
It’s not just new sporting events boosting activity at the Center. Held at the OCCC since 2016, the ASICS Florida Volleyball Challenge has averaged between 16,610 and 23,000 attendees annually, contributing upwards of $29.5 million in economic impact on average every year in Orange County. In April, the 2021 ASICS Florida Volleyball Challenge is expecting a record 25,000 attendees for a projected $32 million economic impact.
“We remain committed to producing safe and enjoyable events in the Florida region,” said Steve Bishop, Executive Director and President of the Florida Region of USA Volleyball, Inc. “The sporting industry is ready for its comeback and we are excited to celebrate this energy with our athletes, coaches and parents at the Orange County Convention Center. The ASICS Florida Volleyball Challenge staff and volunteers have spent countless hours to ensure this year’s event could be hosted in-person at a safe venue. We are prioritizing our health and safety guidelines for our community while making a significant economic impact in the region.”
Implementing safety procedures help ensure that the Center is Competing Safely Today for a Stronger Tomorrow.
Recent and Upcoming New Sporting Events
- Sunshine Volleyball Classic | March 6-14, 2021 (Took place over two weekends)
32,760 Attendance | $42 million Economic Impact
- All Star Challenge | March 6-7, 2021
5,500 Attendance | $7.1 million Economic Impact
- AAU Volleyball Classic | March 6-7, 2021
9,000 Attendance | $11.6 million Economic Impact
- AAU Spring Basketball Classic | March 26-28, 2021
6,000 Attendance | $7.7 million Economic Impact
- AAU Easter Classic | April 2-4, 2021
6,000 Attendance | $7.7 Economic Impact
- AAU Memorial Day Classic | May 28-31, 2021
6,000 Attendance | $7.7 Economic Impact
- Orlando Splash and Girls National Championships | July 20-25, 2021
21,000 Attendance | $27 million Economic Impact
- Grassroots Basketball Summer Championships | August 12-15, 2021
9,500 Attendance | $12.2 million Economic Impact
OCCC Spring – Summer Sporting Events
95,760 Total Attendees | $123 million Economic Impact
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About the Orange County Convention Center
The award-winning Orange County Convention Center provides approximately $3 billion in economic impact to Central Florida annually. In recent years, the Convention Center has averaged nearly 200 events, including 115 conventions and trade shows that attract more than 1.5 million attendees to the region each year. For more information about the Orange County Convention Center, visit www.occc.net.
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