Arnold Sports Festival 2017 Media Kit Greater Columbus Convention Center Hyatt Regency Ohio Expo Center Columbus Hollywood Casino Hilton Columbus Downtown Bo Jackson’s Elite Sports Express Live! New Albany HS Premier at Sawmill Athletic Club RPAC-OSU Sheraton Capitol Square Walnut Hill Disc Golf Course www.arnoldsportsfestival.com Arnold Sports Festival 2017 History of the Arnold Sports Festival What began as a one-day professional bodybuilding competition in Columbus, Ohio nearly three decades ago has grown into the world’s largest multi-sport fitness weekend, with four days of sports competitions, demonstrations, seminars, entertainment and the latest fitness products. The story of the Arnold Sports Festival dates to 1970, when Columbus sports promoter Jim Lorimer invited a young Austrian bodybuilder named Arnold Schwarzenegger to Columbus to compete in the Mr. World contest that was accompanying that year’s World Weightlifting Championships. Schwarzenegger won the contest, earned $1,000 and vowed to return to Columbus one day to partner with Lorimer and promote the sport of bodybuilding. After winning the Mr. Olympia contest every year between 1970-1975, Schwarzenegger was true to his word. Schwarzenegger and Lorimer promoted the Mr. Olympia contest in Columbus six times between 1976 and 1986 before founding the Arnold Classic in 1989. When Schwarzenegger was appointed the chairman of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, he charged Lorimer to expand the scope of the Arnold Classic weekend to include other sports. Martial Arts and gymnastics were among the first added. More events have been added annually and the weekend was renamed the Arnold Sports Festival in 2006. In 2017, 70 sports and events will be held at the annual celebration of health and fitness. The sports and events feature 14 Olympic sports, eight IFBB Pro League contests, the Arnold Strongman Classic and the world famous Arnold Amateur Championships. The Arnold Sports Festival began expanding to other countries in 2011 with the creation of Arnold Classic Europe, held in Spain. Arnold Classic Brasil debuted in 2013 and the first Arnold Classic Australia was held in 2015. Arnold Classic Africa in Johannesburg and Arnold Classic Asia in Hong Kong were held for the first time in 2016. www.arnoldsportsfestival.com Arnold Sports Festival 2017 Contents ASF Summary ........................................... 1-2 Events & Venues ...................................... 3 Arnold Worldwide .................................... 4 IFBB Invites .............................................. 5-6 Arnold SportsWorld EXPO ...................... 7-8 Ohio Expo Center Map ............................. 9 Arnold SportsWorld Floorplan ............... 10 Sponsors .................................................. 11-12 Generation Iron Webcast ........................ 13 Event Summaries .................................... 14-21 Media Story Ideas ................................... 22 Schedule of Events .................................. 23-24 Transportation & FREE Shuttle Map ..... 25 Media Registration .................................. 26-28 Contacts ................................................... 29 www.arnoldsportsfestival.com Arnold Sports Festival 2017 ASF Summary 2017 Arnold Sports Festival To Feature Record 20,000 Athletes From 80 Nations In 70 Sports & Events Columbus Convention Center, Ohio Expo Center To Host Most Events COLUMBUS, OHIO – The Arnold Sports Festival, already the largest multi-sport event in the world, will grow even larger in 2017 when an estimated 20,000 athletes from 80 nations compete in 70 sports & events from March 2-5, 2017 in Columbus, Ohio. Headlining the festival are professional bodybuilding and strongman competitions with the most well built and strongest athletes in the world. These premier physique and strongman competitions are featured on two structurally reinforced stages at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. The PCS Pole Fitness National Championships, returning for its fourth year, will be held at Battelle Grand on Friday, March 3, immediately following Arnold Classic 212, Fitness International, Figure International and Arnold Women’s Physique International Finals. The 29th Arnold Classic will be held at Battelle Grand on Saturday, March 4, along with the Arnold Strongman Classic, Bikini International and Arnold Classic Men’s Physique Finals. The Arnold Amateur Bodybuilding, Fitness, Figure, Bikini & Physique Championships will be held at the Battelle Grand and Arnold Fitness EXPO on Friday, March 3 and Saturday, March 4 and attract more than 700 athletes from 80 nations. Sports and events at the Ohio Expo Center in 2017 include Arnold SportsWorld Kids & Teens EXPO, archery, baton twirling, boxing, cheerleading & dance, gymnastics, lacrosse, table tennis, taekwondo, and XPC Powerlifting & POWERX. The Arnold SportsWorld Kids & Teens EXPO features competitions in basketball, volleyball, as well as a talent show and teen fitness pageant. Attendees can also try out more than 20 sports with hands-on clinics lead by area sports teams and have fun trying the Spartan obstacle course and several zip lines. The Arnold SportsWorld Kids & Teens EXPO is Saturday, March 4 and Sunday, March 5. New events in 2017 include lacrosse, disabled powerlifting, yoga, handball, Indoor Scottish Highland Games, Arnold Pro Strongwoman and the Arnold Transformation Challenge. The 2017 Arnold Fitness EXPO will be held March 3-5 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, and feature more than 1,000 booths of the latest in sports equipment, apparel and nutrition and stages that host unique, non-stop competitions and entertainment that combine to make the Arnold Fitness EXPO the heart of the Arnold Sports Festival. Admission to the Arnold Fitness EXPO and most events at the Greater Columbus Convention Center and the Arnold SportsWorld Kids & Teens EXPO and all events at the Ohio Expo Center are included in the Daily EXPO Ticket ($15 each or 3 for $40 in advance, $20 at the door). Children 14 and under are FREE. Parking at the Ohio Expo Center will be $8. FREE shuttles will run from the Ohio Expo Center to the Greater Columbus Convention Center on Friday, March 3-Sunday, March 5. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jim Lorimer have co-produced the Arnold Sports Festival since 1989, when it debuted as a one-day bodybuilding competition known as the Arnold Classic. The Arnold Sports Festival has grown over the years and is now a four-day festival that features more than 70 sports and events. www.arnoldsportsfestival.com P a g e | 1 Arnold Sports Festival 2017 ASF Summary Page 2 Arnold Fitness EXPO Stage Schedules March 3-5, 2017, Greater Columbus Convention Center Main Stage ROGUE Strength Stage Concourse Stage Friday, March 3 Friday, March 3 Friday, March 3 9:30-11 a.m.: Armwrestling 9 a.m.-Noon: MAS Wrestling 10:30-11 a.m.: World Jump Rope 11 a.m.-Noon: Fitness Noon-1 p.m.: MMA Workshop 11 a.m.-Noon: Pole Fitness International & Figure with Mike Gillette & Randy Noon-1:30 p.m.: Yoga International Prejudging Couture 1:30-2 p.m.: World Jump Rope Noon-1:30 p.m.: Arnold Classic 1-2 p.m.: Disabled Powerlifting 2-3 p.m.: Pole Fitness 212 Prejudging 2-3 p.m.: POWER X 3-4 p.m.: Martial Arts 1:30-2:30 p.m.: Arnold Model 3-4 p.m.: MAS Wrestling Finals 4-4:30 p.m.: World Jump Rope Search 4-5 p.m.: Pro Strongwoman Stones 4:30-5 p.m.: Armwrestling 2:30-3:30 p.m.: Arnold Amateur of Steel Men's & Women's Physique Finals 3:30-5:30 p.m.: Arnold Strongman Classic Saturday, March 4 Saturday, March 4 Saturday, March 4 9-10 a.m.: Armwrestling 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: USA 9-9:30 a.m.: World Jump Rope 10 a.m.-1:45 p.m.: Arnold Powerlifting Grand Prix 9:30-10 a.m.: Yoga Amateur Finals 12:30-1:30 p.m.: Kettlebell 10-11 a.m.: Fencing 1:45 p.m.-5:30 p.m.: Arnold Competition 11-Noon: Pole Fitness Strongman Classic 1:30-3 p.m.: Arnold Pro Noon-1 p.m.: MAS Wrestling Strongwoman Finals 1-1:30 p.m.: Yoga 3-5:30 p.m.: USA Powerlifting Pro 1:30-2 p.m.: World Jump Rope Raw Bench 2-3 p.m.: Pole Fitness 3-4 p.m.: Martial Arts 4-4:30 p.m.: World Jump Rope 4:30-5 p.m.: Yoga Sunday, March 5 Sunday, March 5 Sunday, March 5 10-11:15 a.m.: USA Powerlifting 10-Noon: USA Powerlifting 10-11 a.m.: Fencing SlingShot Pro Deadlift TITAN Pro Bench Bash 11 a.m.-Noon: Pole Fitness 11:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: Guinness Noon-1 p.m.: XPC Powerlifting Noon-1 p.m.: Martial Arts World Record Breakers Bench Bash 1-2 p.m.: Yoga (Strongman) 1-2:15 p.m.: XPC 21 Deadlift 2-3 p.m.: Pole Fitness 12:30-1:30 p.m.: Kettle Bell Salute Competition 2:15-4 p.m.: POWER X Extreme 1:30-4 p.m.: Arnold Amateur Team Deadlift Strongman Finals “A Daily EXPO ticket affords a huge entertainment value for attendees to experience a great variety of sports and events,” co-promoter Jim Lorimer said. “We are very proud to provide the opportunity for athletes, a majority of them youth, to compete at the largest multi-sport festival in the world.” Admission to the Arnold Fitness EXPO is included in the Daily EXPO ticket ($15 in advance, $20 at the door). Children 14 and under are FREE. www.arnoldsportsfestival.com P a g e | 2 Arnold Sports Festival 2017 Events & Venues Arnold Sports Festival 2017 Events and Venues *New Event in 2017 Greater Columbus Convention Ohio Expo Center Center/ Hyatt Regency Arnold SportsWorld Kids and Teens EXPO Arnold Fitness EXPO Amateur Boxing IFBB Professional League: Archery Arnold Classic Baton Twirling Arnold Classic 212 Cheerleading & Dance Arnold Classic Wheelchair Gymnastics Arnold Classic Men’s Physique *Lacrosse