ORLANDO, Fla. (November 1, 2024) – Both the 51^st AAU Junior National Volleyball Championships and the 58^th AAU Junior Olympic Games were honored as 2024 Champions of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism by Sports Destination Management.

The award recognizes events that have made positive impacts in stimulating local economies through bringing out of town guests to the area. The calculations reflect money that was spent at local hotels, restraurants, attractions, and other businesses in the host city during the event. 

Sports Destination Management (SDM) is the leading publication in the sports tourism market with the largest circulation of sports event planners and tournament directors.
 
51^st AAU Junior National Volleyball Championships
The AAU Junior National Volleyball Championships is the one of the world’s largest volleyball tournaments. Nearly 100,000 athletes and coaches and more than 5,800 girls’ and boys’ teams converged at the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) for the 51st year of the event.

The 24-day event brought over $760 million in economic impact to Central Florida, according to Visit Orlando. This is the eighth time since 2016 the AAU Junior National Volleyball Championships has been named a Champion of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism by SDM, placing the event in their prestigious “Hall of Fame” category. The AAU Junior National Volleyball Championships was the only event in this year’s Hall of Fame category

The 2024 event was the largest sporting event ever held at the OCCC – breaking last year’s record.
 
“Congratulations to Jo Mirza and the leadership team at AAU on this prestigious recognition by Sports Destination Management,” said Jason Siegel, President & CEO of the Greater Orlando Sports Commission. “In partnership with the Orange County Convention Center and Visit Orlando, AAU’s Jr. National Volleyball Championships are a shining example of the impact that sports tourism has within our community and we look forward to working alongside their great organization to continue to grow the event for years to come.”
 
58^th AAU Junior Olympic Games
The AAU Junior Olympic Games is the largest multi-sport event for youth in the United States. This year marked the 58^th edition of the event. Held in Greensboro, North Carolina in partnership with Visit Greensboro, the 12-day event brought around 15,000 participants to the city and generating an economic impact of $67.7 million to the Greensboro area. This was the third time Greensboro has hosted the AAU Junior Olympic Games, with previous stops in 2019 and 2022.

This is the seventh time since 2017 that the AAU Junior Olympic Games have been named a Champion of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism by SDM.

All award winners have been recognized in a special feature published in the November / December issue of Sports Destination Management. All of this year’s winners have combined to contribute over $1.8 billion to the national economy over the past year. The entire article with full details on the winners can be found here.
 
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 nearly 800,000 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
For over 20 years, Due North Media has embraced the definition of growth by evolving from a traditional publishing company to a dynamic marketing organization utilizing best practices that ensure engagement.
 
Our desire to look at things from all sides, combined with our thirst for knowledge allows us to embrace the ever-changing world of content creation, marketing technology & consumer engagement. While we’re at the forefront of innovation, we also take great strides to remember our roots, ensuring the message reaches the desired audience in ways they consume media.  Whether we’re serving clients in the business-to-business sector, delivering e-commerce solutions for merchants in a direct-to-consumer environment, or working with organizations trying to engage buyers, we realize that our end goal shouldn’t be just about numbers. It should be about creating a dialogue and interaction that leads to a fulfilling relationship.  Work with us to develop marketing strategies that go beyond the click to deliver the conversation.
 
Founded in 2001, Due North Media has helped marketers obtain their goals while adapting to new generations of media consumption. It has been our mission to serve our clients and employees with integrity and humility, and a continuing quest for the achievement of excellence.