The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), the nation’s oldest African American athletic conference, will host its 2019 Men’s & Women’s Basketball Tournament in Charlotte from February 25 – March 2, 2019 and will feature the conference's 13-member institutions, including its newest member, Claflin University.
The 24-game tournament tips off in Bojangles’ Coliseum on Monday, February 25-Wendesday, February 27. The action moves to Spectrum Arena Thursday, March 1 and culminates in the men’s and women’s championship games on Saturday, March 2.
Ranked 3rd among the most attended and anticipated NCAA events, the CIAA Basketball Tournament brought over 150,000 fans to Charlotte in 2018 during the week of competition with an economic impact of $50.5 million. Since 2000, the CIAA has generated more than $650 million in economic impact and an average of $500 million in the state of North Carolina.
TICKETS: All-Session 24 Game Ticket Packages are now on sale via Ticketmaster.
All-Session ticket holders receive access to twenty-four action packed games over 5 days, in-venue entertainment, giveaways, vendors, sponsors, and free events such as CIAA Fan Fest and Super Saturday. Center Court, Courtside and Founder's Level ticket holders will also have access to in-venue hospitality. Tickets are non-refundable or exchangeable.
Courtside, Founder's Level, group tickets and suites may be purchased directly from the CIAA Conference office.
Single-session tickets will go on sale in early February.
HOTELS: To book a hotel room as part of the official CIAA Tournament hotel block, click here.
Booking as part of the official CIAA hotel block helps support the CIAA and its 13-member institutions and ensures the lowest rates and best customer service during your stay in Charlotte.
Room rates do not include tax. Please see the individual hotel details for taxes and fees. At the time of reservation, a non-refundable deposit of $212 is required. Please refer to the individual hotel to determine when the remaining balance is due. There is a three night minimum which begins on Thursday, March 1st.
CIAA LIVE THE LEGACY: The Live the Legacy campaign showcases the CIAA's pillars of tradition, leadership, and community, and highlights the annual legendary sports experience. With the new campaign, the CIAA seeks to attract and engage new fans to its historic conference. The multi-platform campaign will celebrate the CIAA's storied past, embrace the present and connect fans to its future. In addition, the campaign is designed to showcase the CIAA schools, players and coaches, plus fans of the game and the conference's immersive cultural experience.
The Live the Legacy campaign will be integrated across all CIAA championships and platforms including social media and will be featured on the digital assets of the CIAA's 13 affiliated colleges and universities' as well as partner sites. #LiveTheLegacy, #WeAreLegacy, and the conference's longstanding rallying cry #CIAAForLife will be used across all social media platforms.
VOLUNTEERS: Interested in supporting the CIAA Tournament as a volunteer? Volunteer registration will go live on Friday, November 30th. There will be a variety of dates and shift times available in the areas of hospitality and event assistance. Please email clt.volunteers@crva.com if you’re interested in being added to our volunteer database.
CIAA OFFICIAL TOURNAMENT EVENTS: The CIAA is guided on the principals of Tradition, Leadership and Community and supports the Charlotte community with several events throughout the week.
Explore the CIAA Tournament
TOYOTA FAN FEST: Held on Friday and Saturday of CIAA Tournament week in the Charlotte Convention Center, this two-day event is free and open to the public. It features interactive sponsor activations, concerts and other family-friendly entertainment events. The final morning of Fan Fest features Super Saturday which includes a cheerleading competition, Miss CIAA Pageant, a DJ battles and much more. Over 18,000 fans attended the 2018 Fan Fest.
STEP SHOWS: More than 4,300 fans, students and alumni cheer on College and High school step teams as they compete for prize money and bragging rights during the Tournament Weekend at the Charlotte Convention Center. For ticket information, go to ciaatournament.org.
CAREER EXPO
Thursday, February 28, 2019: Charlotte Convention Center- More than 550 qualified candidates, recent graduates and current students from CIAA member institutions are provided an opportunity to interact with over 60 organizations offering internships, graduate education, entry level employment and professional program opportunities. Open to the General public. Register at ciaatournament.org.
MINORITY BUSINESS SYMPOSIUM
Thursday, February 28, 2019: Geared toward minority and woman entrepreneurs and professionals, this event provides real-world training and insight from industry leaders in addition to networking opportunities. Register at ciaatournament.org.
MIDDLE SCHOOL EDUCATION/HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION: Each year, close to 6,000 middle school and high school students from local Charlotte schools are exposed to inspirational speakers, demonstrations and meet and greets geared towards the value of staying in school and learning about post-graduate opportunities such as the college experience, military service and post-degree employment options.
Keep up with all the CIAA Tournament action with the mobile app. Find game times, team match-ups, scores, news and info on official CIAA events. Download the free CIAA Tournament app, available on iphone and android, to access exclusive coupons, savings and offers at local restaurants and attractions in Charlotte during Tourney week.
VENDING OPPORTUNITIES: The CIAA provides opportunities for small businesses to vend in both Spectrum Arena and during Fan Fest. For more information on how to become a vendor at either location, go to ciaatournament.org.
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES: The CIAA is proud to partner with CRVA and several other key sponsors that help to ensure the success of the CIAA Tournament. Van Wagner Sports & Entertainment manages the conferences multimedia and corporate sponsorship rights. For more information on how you or your business can support the CIAA, please contact Julius Grant, General Manager, jgrant@vanwagner.com.
THINGS TO DO IN CHARLOTTE: From flavorful dining and fun nightlife to exhilarating adventures at the NASCAR Hall of Fame and U.S. National Whitewater Center, you’ll soon discover the ‘a lot’ that Charlotte’s got. For more information, request a free Charlotte City Guide to begin planning your getaway to the Queen City.
OFFICIAL WEBSITES
CIAA: theciaa.com
Tournament: ciaatournament.org
AWARD-WINNING EVENT: Sports Destination Management, the leading publication with the largest circulation of sports event planners and tournament directors in the sports tourism market, has announced the 2018 Champions of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism. Among the winners was the 2018 CIAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament, produced in cooperation with Charlotte Regional Visitor’s Authority (CRVA) and the City of Charlotte.
In addition to the games, the CIAA hosts over 20 ancillary events which build on its mission of tradition, leadership and community. Some of the public events included both a middle school and high school education day, which impact almost 5,000 Charlotte area students; a free Career Expo which attracted 340 participants; a Minority and Leadership Business Symposium; and Toyota Fan Fest, which attracted over 18,000 fans to the Convention Center on Friday and Saturday of tournament week. The tournament has an economic impact of over $50.5 million for the city and attracts over 140,000 visitors to Charlotte.
Since 2000, the CIAA has generated more than $650 million in economic impact and an average of $500 million in the state of North Carolina.
There are no comments
Please login to post comments