ETW Staff– Mumbai
Visit Orlando has teamed up with the United States Tennis Association (USTA) to announce a major new partnership between the two global brands.
Visit Orlando has been named the exclusive global tourism partner of the US Open, the highest-attended annual sporting event in the world that’s broadcast extensively in 185 countries. In addition to receiving on-court exposure at the US Open, Visit Orlando will also be able to engage with more than 700,000 consumers attending the national tennis championships. Plus, Visit Orlando will benefit from partnership extensions on a variety of platforms, including sponsorship of Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day – promotional event in tennis, with more than 35,000 attendees– and year-round marketing programmes that reach the 750,000 members of the USTA.
George Aguel, president and CEO, Visit Orlando, said, “Becoming the exclusive tourism partner of the US Open provides a unique forum for Visit Orlando to reach a global audience of potential travellers in all of our key markets. By working closely with the USTA through our US Open partnership, as well as leveraging the USTA’s future presence in Orlando, we plan to attract incremental visitation to our destination through the penetration of key audience segments.”
Gordon Smith, executive director and COO, USTA, said, “We are pleased to establish this new relationship with Visit Orlando. By creating a new home for American tennis in Orlando, it is important to form a long-standing partnership with Visit Orlando to ensure we create the greatest visibility for our sport, our facility and our new partner.”
Last month, USTA announced its plans to build a model tennis facility in the Lake Nona area of Orlando, creating an unparalleled playing, training and educational experience for players, coaches and spectators. The innovative new facility will feature 100-plus courts (a mix of hard and clay) and will house the USTA’s Community Tennis and Player Development divisions. The target completion date for the facility is the fourth quarter of 2016.
