Two AAU Events Honored as 2023 Champions of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism
11/01/2023
The 50th AAU Junior National Volleyball Championships named to the Hall of Fame category, and the 57th AAU Junior Olympic Games named a winner in Mid-Market events.
ORLANDO, Fla. (November 1, 2023) – Both the 50th AAU Junior National Volleyball Championships and the 57th AAU Junior Olympic Games were honored as 2023 Champions of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism by Sports Destination Management.
Sports Destination Management (SDM) is the leading publication in the sports tourism market with the largest circulation of sports event planners and tournament directors.
50th AAU Junior National Volleyball Championships
The AAU Junior National Volleyball Championships is the world’s largest volleyball tournament. Nearly 100,000 athletes and coaches and more than 5,400 girls’ and boys’ teams converged at the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) and ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex for the 50th year of the event.
The 21-day event brought in $350 million in economic impact to Central Florida, according to Visit Orlando. This is the seventh time since 2016 the AAU Junior National Volleyball Championships has been named a Champion of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism by SDM, placing the event in their prestigious “Hall of Fame” category.
The 2023 event was the largest sporting event ever held at the OCCC – breaking last year’s record. The event still holds the Guinness World Record for the largest volleyball event in the world, a title first set in 2012.
“Congratulations to Jo Mirza and the leadership team at AAU on this prestigious recognition by Sports Destination Management,” said Jason Siegel, President & CEO of the Greater Orlando Sports Commission. “In partnership with the Orange County Convention Center, ESPN Wide World of Sports and Visit Orlando, AAU’s Jr. National Volleyball Championships are a shining example of the impact that sports tourism has within our community and we look forward to working alongside their great organization to continue to grow the event for years to come.”
57th AAU Junior Olympic Games
The AAU Junior Olympic Games is the largest multi-sport event for youth in the United States. This year marked the 57th edition of the event. Held in Des Moines, Iowa in partnership with Catch Des Moines, the 11-day event brought in 14,500 participants generating an economic impact of $69 million to the Greater Des Moines area. Des Moines will also play host to the event in 2026 and 2030.
This is the sixth time since 2017 that the AAU Junior Olympic Games have been named a Champion of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism by SDM.
All award winners have been recognized in a special feature published in the November / December issue of Sports Destination Management. All of this year’s winners have combined to contribute over $932 million dollars to the national economy over the past year. The entire article with full details on the winners can be found here.
ABOUT THE AAU:
The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is one of the largest, non-profit, volunteer sports organizations in the country. As a multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports programs. Founded in 1888 to establish standards and uniformity in sports, the AAU philosophy of “Sports For All, Forever” is now shared by more than 770,000 members and 150,000 volunteers across 45 sports programs and 55 U.S. districts. For more information, visit www.aausports.org.
About Sports Destination Management:
Sports Destination Management is written for the largest audience of sports event managers and tournament directors in the sports tourism market and maintains a focus on the important issues surrounding event location decisions and event management. With content from experts and thought leaders, SDM provides in-depth coverage of sports event planning and execution through incisive and relevant articles as well as insightful, real-world case studies showcasing best practices and successful event production.
In addition to the publication, SDM offers extensive digital resources through www.sportsdestinations.com and the e-newsletter SDM Blitz, both providing decision support tools for organizers to ensure successful events at all levels of play.
About Due North Media:
A market leader for more than two decades, Due North Media, a division of Due North Consulting, Inc., is a niche business-to-business publisher providing media services to executives within specialized vertical markets impacting economic development including corporate site selection, business development, market-to-market events and sports tourism via publications, digital media, qualified list marketing and custom publishing.
Sports Destination Management (SDM) is the leading publication in the sports tourism market with the largest circulation of sports event planners and tournament directors.
50th AAU Junior National Volleyball Championships
The AAU Junior National Volleyball Championships is the world’s largest volleyball tournament. Nearly 100,000 athletes and coaches and more than 5,400 girls’ and boys’ teams converged at the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) and ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex for the 50th year of the event.
The 21-day event brought in $350 million in economic impact to Central Florida, according to Visit Orlando. This is the seventh time since 2016 the AAU Junior National Volleyball Championships has been named a Champion of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism by SDM, placing the event in their prestigious “Hall of Fame” category.
The 2023 event was the largest sporting event ever held at the OCCC – breaking last year’s record. The event still holds the Guinness World Record for the largest volleyball event in the world, a title first set in 2012.
“Congratulations to Jo Mirza and the leadership team at AAU on this prestigious recognition by Sports Destination Management,” said Jason Siegel, President & CEO of the Greater Orlando Sports Commission. “In partnership with the Orange County Convention Center, ESPN Wide World of Sports and Visit Orlando, AAU’s Jr. National Volleyball Championships are a shining example of the impact that sports tourism has within our community and we look forward to working alongside their great organization to continue to grow the event for years to come.”
57th AAU Junior Olympic Games
The AAU Junior Olympic Games is the largest multi-sport event for youth in the United States. This year marked the 57th edition of the event. Held in Des Moines, Iowa in partnership with Catch Des Moines, the 11-day event brought in 14,500 participants generating an economic impact of $69 million to the Greater Des Moines area. Des Moines will also play host to the event in 2026 and 2030.
This is the sixth time since 2017 that the AAU Junior Olympic Games have been named a Champion of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism by SDM.
All award winners have been recognized in a special feature published in the November / December issue of Sports Destination Management. All of this year’s winners have combined to contribute over $932 million dollars to the national economy over the past year. The entire article with full details on the winners can be found here.
ABOUT THE AAU:
The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is one of the largest, non-profit, volunteer sports organizations in the country. As a multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports programs. Founded in 1888 to establish standards and uniformity in sports, the AAU philosophy of “Sports For All, Forever” is now shared by more than 770,000 members and 150,000 volunteers across 45 sports programs and 55 U.S. districts. For more information, visit www.aausports.org.
About Sports Destination Management:
Sports Destination Management is written for the largest audience of sports event managers and tournament directors in the sports tourism market and maintains a focus on the important issues surrounding event location decisions and event management. With content from experts and thought leaders, SDM provides in-depth coverage of sports event planning and execution through incisive and relevant articles as well as insightful, real-world case studies showcasing best practices and successful event production.
In addition to the publication, SDM offers extensive digital resources through www.sportsdestinations.com and the e-newsletter SDM Blitz, both providing decision support tools for organizers to ensure successful events at all levels of play.
About Due North Media:
A market leader for more than two decades, Due North Media, a division of Due North Consulting, Inc., is a niche business-to-business publisher providing media services to executives within specialized vertical markets impacting economic development including corporate site selection, business development, market-to-market events and sports tourism via publications, digital media, qualified list marketing and custom publishing.
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