The national sanctioning body has announced that the Nike American Open Series 2 powered by Rogue Fitness will come to the Valley Forge Casino Resort from July 26 to 29.
“I can’t overstate just how big this event is for us and for Montgomery County,” said Mike Bowman, President & CEO of the Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board. “It’s a testament to our whole county – our hotels, our restaurants, and our attractions – that USA Weightlifting is bringing another national event here in 2018.”
This is the second time in three years that Montgomery County will host USA Weightlifting, and the Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board, through its Valley Forge Sports brand, is working with officials at USA Weightlifting to ensure another successful event.
“USA Weightlifting is delighted to return to the Northeast for this event, an historic heartland for our sport,” USA Weightlifting CEO Phil Andrews said. “With convenient transportation, a large venue, and large local weightlifting community, we are sure this will be a great event in the Philadelphia area.”
USA Weightlifting held its first Montgomery County event last February when the Junior National Championships were held at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center at Oaks.
The event was a winner for Montco and for USA Weightlifting. More than 360 weightlifters competed during the four-day event, and Montgomery County benefited with more than $1.6 million in total economic impact.
Next year’s event is expected to be another windfall for the county. The expected economic impact for the American Open Series is $4.8 million – including nearly $3 million in direct sales.
Hosting the Junior National Championships was a milestone for Valley Forge Sports and Montgomery County. It was the first national championship ever hosted in the county, and according to Bowman, the American Open is another step forward for Montco.
“Montgomery County is now on the same level as destinations like Miami and Anaheim that have hosted the American Open Series in the past,” said Bowman.
The Montco event is one of four stops for the American Open Series in 2018. Athletes in multiple weight classes and age brackets will compete for points at the events to determine an overall champion.
About Valley Forge Sports: Valley Forge Sports is the sports sales division of the Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board. In 2016, Valley Forge Sports was responsible for bringing nearly 100 sporting events to Montgomery County. Those events generated an estimated $19.2 million in visitor spending for the area. The economic impact calculations are based on the Destinations International Event Impact Calculator, the industry standard for meetings, conventions, and sporting events.
About the Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board: The Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board (VFTCB) is a nonprofit, membership-based sales and marketing organization that actively promotes Valley Forge and Montgomery County, PA as a convention site and leisure visitor destination by encouraging patronage of its 500+ member hotels, restaurants, attractions, and services. The award-winning websitelinks visitors, meeting planners, tour operators, and residents, to a diverse portfolio of brands focused on reasons to visit the region. The website also hosts The Montco Explorer, a nationally-recognized blog. co Explorer, a nationally-recognized blog.
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