SportsEvents is edited for those who plan tournaments or other sports events.
Issue link: https://sportsevents.epubxp.com/i/572890
www.sportseventsmagazine.com September 2015 21 t SPECIAL FEATURE Lancaster Event Center Events Draw Half A Million Visitors The Lancaster Event Center in Lincoln, Neb., draws 500,000 visitors each year to watch various sporting events, said Amy Dickerson, managing director for the center. Events include mud runs, color runs and 5K runs; indoor softball tournaments; indoor soccer practices and tournaments; archery competi- tions; Lego Robot events; rodeos, bull rides and horse shows; dog shows, sheepdog herding trials; tractor pulls; motorsports competitions; hay haul- ing; and dog coursing events. The center can host up to 20,000 attendees. n More Centers That Love Sports! Lancaster Event Center The Mud Run held in Lincoln, Neb., had its after party in the Lancaster Event Center. Big Space, Lots Of Volleyball Courts The Kentucky Exposition Center prides itself in being able to transform into a multi-sport complex, said Melanie C. Duke, director of business development for the center. "We've become quite the destination for sports— youth especially—given our ability to house so many courts within a single contiguous space, on a single level," Duke said. Those numbers include: • More than 42 basketball courts • 120 volleyball courts • 10 stages with seating for 2,000 at each stage for cheer and dance competitions • 14,000 archery shooters can compete concurrently Recent competitions held in the center include the Amateur Athletic Union Boys Basketball Division I National Championship, which drew more than 14,000 attendees, and the World Spirit Federation All Star Cheer and Dance Championship and Shawn Johnson's Signature Series, with 21,000 in attendance. n The Kentucky Exposition Center can house 120 volleyball courts, making it a prime location for the Bluegrass Volleyball Tournament held in April. Kentucky Expo Center Snohomish County Rolls Out Welcome Mat For Gymnastic & Other Events While Snohomish County, Wash., does not have a traditional con- vention center, sports planners fnd a plethora of fexible facilities for sports events. Everett Community College hosts collegiate basketball, vol- leyball, gymnastics and youth basketball tournaments, as well as taekwondo, judo, karate and wrestling events, said Tammy Dunn, sports development manager for the Snohomish County Sports Commission. The college has become known for gymnastics meets. In the past two years, the college hosted four gymnastics meets—three being state championships. In 2014, the USA Gymnastics (USAG) Washington Optional State Championships were held for the frst time at the college, with 580 gymnasts competing and a total of 1,744 people attending. Everett hosted the Northwest Aerials Flip for a Cure Gymnastics Meet on March 20-22. The following weekend, Metropolitan Gym- nastics held the 2015 USAG Washington Optional State Champi- onships, and in April, Northwest Aerials hosted the 2015 USAG Washington Xcel State Championships and State Qualifer. Those events drew more than 6,500 people. n Girls' basketball is among the events hosted by local high schools and Everett Community College in Snohomish County, Wash. Snohomish County Sports Commission