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Featured Article | |
The SPORTYS - Central Florida Sports Awards & Hall of Fame
The PNC Bank SPORTYS @ Full Sail University will be the can't miss sports event of the year! Central Florida's version of the ESPYs, the PNC Bank SPORTYS will honor the top area high school, amateur, collegiate and professional athletes, deserving local residents and businesses throughout Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Volusia Counties. Sports figures and celebrities will present awards to the biggest names in Central Florida sports, while also paying tribute to local inspirational stories.
During the show, the Class of 2011 will be inducted into the Central Florida Sports Hall of Fame. The Central Florida Sports Hall of Fame is the continuation of a great regional sports tradition, where over 70 Central Floridians have been honored for their distinguished accomplishments within professional and amateur sports since 1981.
An exciting, elegant evening of awards and entertainment, the PNC Bank SPORTYS @ Full Sail University will take place on Saturday, September 24th at 7 pm. Tickets will be available soon. Keep an eye on your inbox for your invitation to attend this one-of-a-kind event!
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| | A PERSONAL MESSAGE FROM SAM | |
Football is back!
UCF opened its preseason last week. Coming off the Conference USA Championship and Liberty Bowl win last year, UCF starts the season ranked just outside the top 25 in the USA Today Coaches Poll. UCF opens this highly anticipated season at Bright House Networks Stadium on September 3rd against Charleston Southern. Season tickets are still available, so click HERE to get yours today.
Looking back to July, Central Florida was invaded by mascots and baseball players. The 19th Annual Celebrity Mascot Games was once again a tremendous success. More than 15,000 fans cheered and laughed as the Mascots put on three great shows, July 28th at Stetson University and July 29th and 30th at the Amway Center. In the end the yellow team stole the show by winning the July 30th finale, but the real winners were New Hope for Kids, as the event raised valuable funds to support New Hope's Center for Grieving Children and Children's Wish Program.
 Also taking place over the last weekend in July, the Metropolitan Junior Baseball League's Inner City Classic brought more than 70 youth baseball teams to Central Florida. The Orlando Monarchs made it to the U19 championship games and we crowned co-champions as the game was ended by inclement weather, tied 2-2 in the 11th inning. With the largest attendance in the event's 21-year history, the Inner City Classic is expected to generate more than $1 million of economic impact for our community.
Thank you for your continued support, as we continue to market Orlando and Orange County as the "Ultimate Sports Destination". |
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Best Regards,
Sam Stark
President/CEO
Central Florida Sports Commission |
| ECONOMIC IMPACT |
Month of June, 2011
Hotel Room Nights: 670
Tax Recovery: $4,087.06
Economic Impact: $294,288.00
Number of Participants: 704
Number of Spectators: 616
Number of Events: 1
Year to Date (through June, 2011)
Hotel Room Nights: 7,483
Tax Recovery: $77,906.57
Economic Impact: $4,123,849.50
Number of Participants: 1,527
Number of Spectators: 14,129
Number of Events: 4 |
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IN THE PIPELINE | |
On the business development front, the Sports Commission is currently in the process of developing a proposal to potentially host the 2014/2015 National Association of Sports Commissions (NASC) Annual Event Symposium. This annual conference brings sports commissions, convention & visitors bureaus and event organizers from across the United States together for educational and networking purposes. The conference is expected to generate approximately 2,000 room nights for the region, but more importantly provides the Sports Commission a platform to showcase our region's venues such as the Amway Center and Orange County Convention Center to potential event decision makers. Approximately 80+ event organizers are typically in attendance at the conference, such as the NCAA, USA Gymnastics, USA Figure Skating, USA Fencing, USA Taekwondo and USA Volleyball, just to name a few. Proposals are due by the end of this month, with a decision expected to be announced in the spring of 2012.
Speaking of national event organizers, the Sports Commission will be sending staff to the upcoming Olympic Sports Link Conference that will take place in late September in Colorado Springs. This will provide the Sports Commission the opportunity to network with national event partners with respect to future event and/or meeting opportunities for the Amway Center, Citrus Bowl, Orange County Convention Center and other area venues/hotel properties. National event partners expected to be in attendance include USA Gymnastics, USA Team Handball, USA Swimming, ASA Softball and US Lacrosse. |
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| WINS & LOSSES
(As of July, 2011) |
Formal Bids Submitted: 4
Total Bids Won: 5
Total Bids Lost: 1
Its official, the Sports Marketing Association is bringing their annual conference to Orlando in 2012. Approximately 300 - 400 professionals, academicians and students from across the United States will come together in October at the Wyndham Orlando Resort on International Drive for the opportunity to network and discuss a wide variety of topics associated with sports. This marks the first time this conference will be staged in Orlando. We expect approximately 400+ room nights to be generated.
In addition, the Sports Commission, in partnership with Orlando Magic, Visit Orlando and other local partners, are pleased to announce that the National Sports Forum is coming to Orlando in 2013. Scheduled to take place in late January, approximately 600+ attendees from professional sports franchises from across the United States will converge on our community for multiple days of networking and educational seminars. The Rosen Plaza and Orange County Convention Center will serve as the host venues for the meetings, with approximately 1000 room nights expected to be generated.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
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| COMMUNITY PROFILE |
Fresh off a red-hot July, Dante Bichette Jr. was named Gulf Coast player of the month earlier this week. The former Orangewood Christian star is hitting .341 for the Tampa Yankees and is making a solid early impression on the organization. While some scouts have him moving to the outfield at the big league level, Jr. is showing he can get it done at the hot corner. Tampa Yankee's Manager Carlos Mendoza called him "a special player" and assured one day Bichette's number will be called to the big show.
He was the 51st player taken in last June's MLB draft but the first taken by the Yankees in hopes he blossoms into their star of the future. As a senior at Orangewood Christian earlier this year, Bichette batted a team-high .640 (55-for-86) with 58 runs, 14 doubles, 10 home runs and 40 RBI in 30 games, and led his team to the Class-2A state finals.
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