For Immediate Release: May 30, 2018 HTA Release (18-31)
Association of Volleyball Professionals and Hawai‘i Tourism Authority Partner to Announce the 2018 AVP Hawai‘i Invitational, September 14-16, 2018 Nation’s premier beach volleyball tour will add a Hawai‘i stop like never before
HONOLULU – Today, the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP), the nation’s premier beach volleyball tour, in partnership with the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority (HTA), the lead agency for tourism in Hawai‘i, is proud to announce a first-of-its-kind beach volleyball event, the AVP Hawai‘i Invitational, presented by HTA.
The AVP Hawai‘i Invitational, presented by HTA, will be held in the heart of Waikīkī Beach from September 14-16, 2018. This international exhibition event will bring together top male and female beach volleyball stars from across the United States and abroad as event organizers join to celebrate and honor one of the birthplaces of the sport.
“Because of this new endeavor with the HTA, our official destination partner for this event, we are thrilled to be able to bring the highest level of beach volleyball to the beaches of America’s beloved Aloha state in a fresh, new, and exciting way,” says Donald Sun, managing partner, AVP.
Established in 1983, the AVP has a 35-year rich history creating, staging, and marketing some of the most innovative and engaging sporting events in North America and has been the home of some of the most respected athletes in professional sports, including: gold medalists Karch Kiraly, Kent Steffes, Misty May-Treanor, and Todd Rogers.
“The AVP Hawai‘i Invitational is a major addition to Hawai‘i’s sports marketing portfolio and we thank the AVP for believing in Waikīkī Beach as a world-class venue to further expand the reach of professional beach volleyball to audiences worldwide,” says George D. Szigeti, HTA president and CEO. “Players will be energized by the excitement that Waikīkī brings to this tournament and the aloha they receive from fans for taking part in this international competition.”
In addition to watching world-class athletes battle for the podium, fans can enjoy an interactive sponsor village experience, a keiki volleyball clinic, meet-and-greets with the best players in the world, sunrise yoga in the Club AVP area, bouncing in the kid-friendly bounce house, dancing the day away with tunes provided by AVP-icon DJ Roueche, and more.
As with all AVP events, general admission is free for everyone. Attendees looking for a more elevated experience with luxurious seating, food, drinks, and amazing court views, can purchase VIP tickets, selecting from Club AVP, The Deck, Courtside Box, or Courtside Cabana levels. VIP ticket availability and further details will soon follow via www.avp.com/tickets. For media on editorial assignment, please visit www.avp.com/press-registration to apply for credentials. AVP and HTA Partner to Announce the 2018 AVP Hawai‘i Invitational, September 14-16, 2018 Page 2
For fans and followers unable to attend, please visit www.avp.com/live for live scoring updates and to watch all stadium court matches. At-home viewers can also log in to Amazon’s Prime Video which will now, for the first time ever, deliver live coverage of main draw matches from each pro tour stop through 2020.
For traditional broadcast viewing access, please tune into NBCSN to watch the finals. Check your local listings.
For more information on this event please visit www.avp.com.
Follow @AVPBeach on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat to stay up-to- date and get behind-the-scenes access to your favorite athletes.
About AVP Established in 1983 and currently headquartered in Southern California, the AVP (Association of Volleyball Professionals) is the world's premier beach volleyball organization. The AVP today is comprised of four divisions: AVP Academy, AVPNext, the AVP Pro Tour, and their non-profit 501(c)3 organization, AVPFirst. With a 35-year rich history in creating, staging, and marketing some of the most innovative and engaging sporting events in North America, the AVP has successfully developed an annual circuit that is not just a sporting event, but a lifestyle as well. The AVP has been the home of some of the most respected athletes in professional sports, including: gold medalists Karch Kiraly, Kent Steffes, Misty May-Treanor, Kerri Walsh-Jennings, Todd Rogers, and Phil Dalhausser. For more information, please visit www.avp.com.
About the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority is responsible for strategically managing the State of Hawai‘i’s marketing initiatives to support tourism. HTA’s goal is to optimize tourism’s benefits for Hawai‘i, while being attentive to the interests of travelers, the community, and visitor industry. Established in 1998 to support Hawai‘i’s leading industry and largest employer, HTA continually strives to help ensure the sustainability of tourism’s success.
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Media Contacts: Kate Franklin, AVP, 818-606-9784, [email protected] Crystal Yang Edwards, AVP, 310-940-2228, [email protected]
Charlene Chan Patrick Dugan Director of Communications Senior Vice President Hawai‘i Tourism Authority Anthology Marketing Group 808-973-2272 (o) 808-539-3411 (o) 808-781-7733 (m) 808-741-2712 (m) [email protected] [email protected]