The Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) and Hawaii Convention Center announced the securing of agreements with three national sports organizations to host futsal (indoor soccer), basketball, and volleyball tournaments played on the Center’s new sports courts, starting this year.

All three tournaments, which will be held in the Hawaii Convention Center’s Kamehameha Exhibit Hall, will collectively attract multitudes of teams of youth players in different age groups from outside the state, accompanied by families and supporters, to compete with teams from within the islands.

The four-year agreement with U.S. Futsal to host the Pacific Futsal Cup, from 2018 to 2021, is the organization’s first international tournament. The three-year agreement with Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Basketball, from 2018 to 2020, will bring the Jam on It Pacific Rim Championships to Hawaii. AAU Volleyball, the first organization to host a tournament on the new sports courts in February 2017 featuring hundreds of girls competing in age-group team matches, is returning for a tournament this year.

“The Hawaii Convention Center’s sports courts are proving to be a valuable contributor to our sports marketing strategy for the state, both in motivating groups to come here who might not otherwise do so, and also giving our local teams the opportunity to compete against teams from outside Hawaii without having to travel abroad,” said George D. Szigeti, HTA president and CEO. “Ultimately, the sports courts are helping to support Hawaii’s tourism industry, particularly the service providers that visiting teams rely upon to play in the tournament and enjoy their experience in the islands.”

Introduced in 2017, the fully portable sports courts can be configured to simultaneously stage up to 28 regulation volleyball or badminton matches, 18 high school basketball games or 11 futsal matches. The Center also has a regulation NBA- and NCAA-approved basketball court with a solid wood floor.

In addition to volleyball, basketball, futsal, and badminton tournaments, the sports courts can also accommodate events and competitions for wrestling, gymnastics, martial arts, table tennis, dance, cheerleading, and group fitness activities. Elevated seating can be added for spectators.

“The sports courts are allowing us to diversify our development of group business opportunities for Hawaii and to help fill hotel room nights by offering a first-class venue to accommodate events with participants from around the world,” said Teri Orton, general manager of the Hawaii Convention Center. “The response from tournament organizers has been very positive and these new agreements to host futsal, basketball, and volleyball tournaments in the coming years will help us to attract more events and teams from domestic and international markets.”

In 2017, the Hawaii Convention Center hosted AAU volleyball and basketball tournaments featuring youth teams from outside Hawaii and within the state, as well as the Hoops in Hawaii Holiday Classic Tournament, the first-ever NCAA basketball tournament held at the Center.

Because of its new sports courts, the Hawaii Convention Center was recently recognized by SportsEvents “2018 Readers’ Choice Awards” in the categories of “Venues for Youth & Amateur Sports” and “Sports Events Planners & Rights Holders to Watch.” More than 5,000 sports events planners and industry professionals cast votes in determining the winners. SportsEvents Media Group, publisher of SportsEvents magazine, is the industry leader in providing products and services designed to connect sports events organizers with sports commissions, convention and visitors bureaus, hotels, insurance companies and other sports events industry suppliers.

After more than 25 years as the premier sports and entertainment venue in Salt Lake City, a new era at Vivint Smart Home Arena has begun with a $125 million renovation to enhance the guest experience on all six levels of the home of the Utah Jazz. As a community gathering place, the arena hosts more than 100 events annually with 1.8 million guests.

An illuminated navy, green and gold J-Note statue, measuring 14-feet high and 21-feet wide, welcomes visitors on the plaza before entering the 12,000-square-foot America First Atrium with an exclusive Jazz Team Store, redesigned lower and upper bowl concourses with new fully cushioned seats in the bowl, and destination dining restaurants.

While no events were held in the summer of 2017, the facility was still abuzz each day as more than 2,000 workers participated in the project, demolishing concrete walls, removing all the green plastic chairs and building new dining, club and social spaces. Salt Lake City-based Okland Construction served as the general contractor for the project with valuable work from 78 subcontractors.

The atrium is the location for the box office, Utah Jazz Team Store full of unique arena-only merchandise and memorabilia, and easy access to the Toyota Club on level two and the suites on level four. Concourse walls have been removed for the creation of a new porch that gives fans a full view of the lower bowl. What they’re seeing is an ocean of blue with the iconic green plastic chairs being replaced by fully-cushioned seats in both the lower and upper bowls.

Fans are able to taste another change. A multitude of food selections – more than 30 restaurants and vendors – have created destination dining with a lineup of new culinary choices. The four corners of the main concourse at Vivint Smart Home Arena feature specialty menus with barbecue from R&R, hand-tossed pizzas from Maxwell’s, Mexican food from El Chubasco, and gourmet hamburgers and signature beef sandwiches from Cubby’s.

Technology has also been deployed to enhance the guest experience through a new mobile Jazz + Vivint app, high-speed public Wi-Fi, cloud-based technology and predictive analytics. More than 400 televisions are located throughout the arena, providing information, directions and a constant eye on what’s happening on the stage or court.

Originally opened as the Delta Center on Oct. 7, 1991, the building was known as EnergySolutions Arena from Nov. 20, 2006 until being renamed Vivint Smart Home Arena as part of a 10-year agreement announced on Oct. 26, 2015.

Construction began on June 11, 1990 and was completed in record-time—15 months and 24 days later, at a cost of $66 million.

Our colleagues at IAFE have sent the below advocacy request. They are asking for assistance by February 8^th. Please note the pre-made letter may need to be altered per your venue type.  Message from IAFE:

Over the past few years you’ve heard quite often about the need of H2B visa workers for the mobile amusement and mobile concession operations. You’re very much aware that most of these businesses generally cannot find drug-free and eager workers from within the US to travel with them. If they don’t have the labor to operate at your fair, what are the consequences? Longer lines, shorter operating hours, or worse – no carnival at all?

Please welcome our newest members who joined IAVM in January 2018. Thank you for being a part of the association!

Also, let us get to know you better by participating in the I Am Venue Management series. Please visit http://www.iavm.org/i-am-venue-management-share-your-story to share your story and photo.

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Join IAVM for the 93rd annual VenueConnect  Conference and Trade Show hosted at the Metropolitan Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, Canada. VenueConnect hosts professionals from a spectrum of public assembly venues including arenas, convention centers, amphitheaters, fairgrounds, performing arts centers, stadiums, universities, and more. This is the only industry conference that inspires industry leaders, provides targeted education, and brings attendees together creating relationships that last a lifetime!

• This year IAVM has 100+ educational sessions available for you to choose from! VenueConnect offers tailored education developed by top industry leaders that align with your venue type.
• BootCamps are back, and with more options to choose from, they are even better than ever! These small-group sessions, held at venues across Toronto, will provide participants with an even greater understanding of venue-specific operations.
• Gain front row access to agents and promoters, and seize opportunities to bring new talent into your venue.
• Get access to the latest industry hot topics and trends.
• The Trade Show floor will feature Venue Chat education sessions, Agent Alley, Block Party, Career Center, food, drinks, & more!

• Multi-Registrant Member Discount! Register 5 or more Professional Members (Professional or Young Professional) on the same registration order and each registrant receives $100 discount…that’s a savings of at least $500!
• This year’s VenueConnect will now feature over 12 hours of Trade Show hours!
• Sector theaters have been added to provide attendees with an opportunity for additional networking with sector colleagues.
• You asked for it, and we delivered it! Not only have we increased the number of education sessions, but we have also lengthened some to allow more time for content coverage.

Don’t Delay!  Register now!!