SportsEvents Magazine

SEP 2015

SportsEvents is edited for those who plan tournaments or other sports events.

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September 2015 18 www.sportseventsmagazine.com 2015 Focus On Convention Centers By Tammy Leytham The association needed a central location for the participants, as well as a venue fexible and spacious enough to accommo- date a minimum of 12 hardwood basketball courts. NWBA Executive Director Randy Schubert said there are "very few places in the country that can meet that need." The Kentucky Exposition Center, how- ever, met those needs and more. And, in 2016, the organization will host its fourth national championship event at the center. "We have all our teams in two sections of their expo center…it very much creates a festival atmosphere," Schubert said. "It's an amazing event." The NWBA championship hosts 46 youth teams and 40 adult teams with more than 1,000 players. It was the largest wheelchair sports event in the world last year, Schubert said. "So we have a lot of parents," he said. "There are also others who just come to watch because it's a showcase event. Youth Basketball of America (YBOA) also found advantages to holding its National Basketball Championships under one very large roof—the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. A total of 317 teams registered for the two weeks of tournament play in July. "By hosting our tournament in the Orange County Convention Center with all activities under one roof, it makes it easier to run the event and more convenient for our teams and guests," said Donald A. Ruedlinger, founder and president of YBOA. The con- vention center is located on International Drive in Orlando, with more than 40,000 hotel rooms and a number of entertainment and restaurants within close proximity. The number of courts a venue can accommodate is also important for Matt Williams of Pacifc Amateur Athletic Union and Jam On It basketball academy. Convention Centers: A Blank Slate With A World Of Possibilities he National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) had some big needs when it started looking for a single venue to host its men, women and youth championships. t LeConte Center in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. Reno-Sparks Convention Center in Reno, Nevada Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Fla.

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