One of the biggest championship in one of the fastest growing sports in the world is looking for a new home court and bidders are invited to the table to express their interest.
USA Pickleball, the national governing body, has opened a formal request for proposals, outlining the scope and requirements for hosting its National Championship in 2025.
Note: A Zoom meeting will be held for interested bidders in February; therefore, speed in replying to this RFP is of the essence.
USA Pickleball National Championships is the premier professional and amateur tournament in the sport of pickleball that takes place over nine (9) days every November. Established in 2009, Nationals has evolved into the first and only pickleball tournament in which players must qualify to participate.
History
The 2024 Biofreeze USA Pickleball National Championships took place at the Arizona Athletic Grounds in Mesa, Arizona from November 9-17. The event welcomed over 2,600 players(from across the nation and 14 countries) and 10,000 fans to the Valley of the Sun for a week of elite competition.
The championships, held at one of the country’s top pickleball venues, also featured inclusive divisions such as Juniors, Wheelchair and Masters, highlighting the sport’s broad appeal and diverse demographics.
The 2024 Numbers from the Event:
Close to $2,300,000 in visitor spending
Approximately 6,800 room nights
Over $76,000 local hotel tax generated
Facility Specs Include But Are Not Limited To, The Following:
- USA Pickleball requests a minimum of 40 courts in one location, with a preference for 50+ courts. These courts may be either permanent courts with dedicated pickleball surfaces or temporary “roll” courts installed by USA Pickleball-approved vendors. All courts must meet USA Pickleball specifications (the RFP includes a link to this document as well).
- The facility must include, or have the ability to build, a stadium court with the capacity to seat 1,200 or more spectators.
- Staffing infrastructure at the venue to support the event, including sufficient event operations space for referees, tournament operations and event management needs.
- Deeply discounted or complimentary facility rental.
- Host hotel within 10 minutes and overflow hotels within 20 minutes of the competition venue.
- Financial support to assist with event production. Complimentary hotel rooms above and beyond the standard 35:1 comp ratio (these are to be used for staff and officials during the event).
- USA Pickleball needs the ability to ship equipment and other items to the host destination up to two weeks prior to the event.
Full facility specs are detailed in the RFP.
For more information, contact Jose Moreno at jmoreno@usapickleball.org or Kevin de Lange at Kevin@HuddleUpGroup.com.
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