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For Immediate Release
| Contact: | Kendra Calvert Blue Equity, LLC Tel: 502.588.7159 kcalvert@blueequity.com | Charlie Bernard 5W Public Relations Tel: 212.584.4278 cbernard@5wpr.com |
Volleyball Legend Karch Kiraly to Play AVP Louisville Open
Sponsors Announced
LOUISVILLE, KY, April 12, 2007 - SFX Worldwide, a Blue Equity Company, and Reach Event Marketing announced that volleyball sensation, Karch Kiraly will compete during the AVP Louisville Open Memorial Day weekend at the Waterfront. This will be the first and last time Kiraly plays in Louisville as he announced last month that 2007 will be his last season as a player on the AVP Tour. He will move into the role of ambassador for the sport that he helped to make famous. He is playing in only a few select tournaments this season with Louisville being one of those stops. Tournament officials will honor Kiraly with a special ceremony during one session of the event.
Entering his 28th season as a professional, Kiraly has notched 148 tournament victories and has earned in excess of $3 million. He became the first volleyball player to win three gold medals in the Olympic Games - winning indoor gold in both the 1984 and 1988 Olympics and again in 1996 in the inaugural beach volleyball competition in Atlanta. Kiraly was inducted in the Volleyball Hall of Fame in 2001.
SFX Worldwide and Reach Event Marketing have confirmed the following sponsors for the AVP Louisville Open: Chase Bank, Caesars Indiana, Fourth Street Live, Louisville Sports Commission, Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau, Kentucky Unbridled Spirit & Get Healthy Kentucky, Nugent Sand Company and Tickets.com. Media partners include The Courier Journal, Leo, Radio One, Velocity and WHAS 11.
Tickets
Tickets for the 2007 AVP Louisville Open, held over Memorial Day weekend May 24 - 27, can be purchased through avp.com/louisville, mustseeavp.com and tickets.com or charge by phone at 1-800-280-2330. Prices are $15 for General Admission tickets, $35 for Courtside Seats with special discounts for students, children and seniors, as well as discounted all-session ticket packages ($65 GA and $150 Courtside Seats). The Thursday qualifying round is free of charge.
Schedule
Thursday, May 24 - Day Session (Qualifier) - 6 courts in action: 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Friday, May 25 - Day Session (Session 1, Main Draw) - 6 courts in action: 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Friday, May 25 - Night Session (Session 2, Main Draw) - 1 court in action: 7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 26 - Day Session (Session 3, Main Draw) - 5 courts in action: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 26 - Night Session (Session 4, Main Draw) - 1 court in action: 7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Sunday, Monday 27 - Day Session (Session 5 Main Draw) - 4 courts in action: 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (men's final at approximately 2:30 p.m., women's final to follow)
Online Information
For updated 2007 event information including sponsorships, hospitality, tickets, schedules and general announcements throughout the year visit the local website at www.mustseeavp.com and national website at www.avp.com.
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About the AVP
AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour, Inc. is a leading lifestyle sports entertainment company focused on the production, marketing and distribution of professional beach volleyball events worldwide. AVP operates the industry's most prominent national touring series, the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour, which was organized in 1983. Featuring more than 150 of the top American men and women competitors in the sport, AVP is set to stage 18 events throughout the United States in 2007. In 2004, AVP athletes successfully represented the United States during the Olympics in Athens, Greece, winning gold and bronze medals, the first medals won by U.S. women in professional beach volleyball. For more information, please visit www.avp.com.
About Blue Equity
Blue Equity's holdings in sports are comprised of SFX Worldwide, Worldwide Football, Blackwave Sports, Team Championships International (TCI), Humarks and Game Seven Sports Marketing. Current clients include Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush, NFL Pro Bowlers DeAngelo Hall, Will Smith and Michael Vick, NBA All-Star Rasheed Wallace, 2007 NBA Lottery picks Joakim Noah and Corey Brewer, Australian, French and US Open Champion Justine Henin, US Open Champion Andy Roddick, No. 1 doubles team Bob and Mike Bryan, Minnesota basketball coach Tubby Smith, Arizona State basketball coach Herb Sendek, Louisville football coach Steve Kragthorpe, Ole Miss basketball coach Andy Kennedy, Arkansas basketball coach John Pelphrey and Massachusetts basketball coach Travis Ford. Media & Event properties include the US Open Tennis Championship, the French Open Tennis Championship, the Legg Mason Tennis Classic, numerous US-based ATP tournaments, Rock 'n Racquets, Hoop It Up, Let It Fly, Kick It, the Boston Marathon, EliteXC Mixed Martial Arts, the Superstars Competition, the AVP Beach Volleyball tour, Ice Wars, the World Cup of Softball, Basketball Hall of Fame Challenge, the Men's and Womens' Fifth Third Bank Tennis Championships and the Men's Ford Tennis Championship.
www.sfxworldwide.com | www.blackwavesports.com | www.teamchampionships.com | www.game-seven.com | www.humarks.com
Blue Equity, LLC is an independent, private equity firm based in Louisville, Kentucky. It is committed to actively investing growth capital and business expertise in enterprises with solid development potential. Blue Equity forms strategic partnerships with existing management teams and leverages its expertise and relationships to stabilize, strengthen and grow lasting value. Investment efforts and managerial expertise are focused on the operation of a global and diversified portfolio of business enterprises, including opportunities in media, publishing, sports and entertainment, financial services, real estate and international trade. Blue Equity is dedicated to helping businesses grow by accelerating opportunity and driving innovation to the marketplace. www.blueequity.com
About Reach Event Marketing
Reach Event Marketing (REM) is a full-service event marketing company that specializes in organizing, marketing and promoting regional and national events including the AVP Crocs Cup Cincinnati Open presented by Herbalife, AVP Louisville Open, Prep Classic, Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout Luncheon and i-wireless High School Tour. REM offers strategic marketing expertise at the grassroots level in many areas including the selling of advertising, sponsorship and hospitality packages, ticket sales management, and promotion. In addition to event marketing the company also publishes Hacks High School Sports Magazine. For more information, please visit www.reacheventmarketing.com.