Two AAU Events Honored as 2022 Champions of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism

Orlando, Fla. (November 2, 2022) – Both the 49^th AAU Junior National Volleyball Championships and 56^th AAU Junior Olympic Games were honored as 2022 Champions of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism by Sports Destination Management.
 
Sports Destination Management is the leading publication with the largest circulation of sports event planners and tournament directors in the sports tourism market.
 
49^th AAU Junior National Volleyball Championships
 
More than 70,000 athletes and coaches, representing 48 states, two U.S. territories, and four international countries converged at the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) for the 49th AAU Junior National Volleyball Championships this year.
 
The 18-day event, put on in partnership with Visit Orlando and Greater Orlando Sports Commission, brought in approximately $228 million in economic impact to Central Florida, with an estimated 178,000 total attendees. The local economy, and thousands of jobs, is positively lifted by this event annually from hotels, shops, and restaurants to area theme parks and attractions.

There were 4,450 teams (678 boys and 3772 girls) participating in 56 divisions. It’s the largest sporting event ever held at the OCCC —breaking last year’s record.
 
56^th AAU Junior Olympic Games
 
The AAU Junior Olympic Games is the largest multi-sport event for youth in the United States. This year’s 56th edition, held in Greensboro, North Carolina in partnership with the Greensboro Convention and Visitors Bureau, brought in nearly 19,000 participants with an estimated economic impact of $65 million for the Greensboro area.

The 56th AAU Junior Olympic Games featured 12 different sports competitions, including AAU’s marquee track and field event at NC A&T’s Marcus T. Johnson Track in Truist Stadium. Track and field, the biggest sport at the Games, saw approximately 14,000 participants.
 
The AAU is proud to say that both events have received this honor for the past five years.
 
All award-winners have been recognized in a special feature published in the November/December 2022 issue of Sports Destination Management. In total, this year’s winners are responsible for contributing more than $2.42 billion to the national economy over the past year. The entire article with full details on the winners listed can be found here.
 
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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 720,000 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.