Cincinnati to Host 2011 U.S. Open Beach

B.J. Hoeptner Evans
Manager, Media Relations and Publications
Phone: (719) 228-6800
E-Mail: bj.evans@usav.org

Download pdf version of this release

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (March 7, 2011) – The U.S. Open of Beach Volleyball – Presented by Corona Light – returns for a fifth engagement in 2011 with the championship tournament scheduled to play Labor Day Weekend (Sept. 2-4). For the first time in tournament history, players will converge in the country’s heartland, as Hahana Beach Cincinnati plays host.

In addition to the new venue, players will also be competing for a $150,000 purse, a $100,000 increase from last year’s U.S. Open in Manhattan Beach.

“Six years ago we were approached by Karch Kiraly and his team to join forces in creating a parallel property (U.S. Open) to what golf and tennis so expertly created and developed,” Daniel Kinghorn, manager – national sponsorships, of Crown Imports said. “Our faith in Karch’s credibility and respect for The Elevation Group, USA Volleyball, and Brand X Marketing made this an easy decision. Our brand (Corona Light) and beach volleyball fit perfectly together.”

The U.S. Open launched in 2007 as a collaborative effort between the aforementioned group of companies, and is joined in 2011 by ReachUSA to further expand this event over the next three years.

“We are excited to continue the tradition of excellence associated with the U.S. Open of Beach Volleyball in Cincinnati,” Bob Slattery, president of ReachUSA, said. “Volleyball’s growth has exploded in the U.S. over the last 10 years! The 2011 U.S. Open will give attendees a chance to watch, enjoy, and learn from the champions of the sport.”

Dave Williams, managing director of USA Volleyball beach programs said, “Cincinnati has been a beach volleyball phenomenon and success story over the past decade. USA Volleyball is thrilled to support Bob Slattery and the Reach Team, coupled with Elevation Group, as the U.S. Open moves from Manhattan Beach, Calif., to Cincinnati’s Hahana Beach.”

“We are very proud of the growth this event has experienced since the inaugural season,” Elevation Group Managing Partner Steve Lindecke said. “We look forward to continued success as this event transitions from the West Coast to the heartland with the goal of becoming one of the largest beach volleyball events in the nation. We could not have grown as quickly as we have without five years of support from Corona Light, the founding partner.”

The Hahana Beach location is a 6-acre complex located in Columbia Township, which boasts pristine amenities combined with a relaxed, warm restaurant and unique event center to create an ideal atmosphere and venue for this USA Volleyball sanctioned event.

The legendary Kiraly is fired up about the Hahana Beach concept, “Hahana Beach has created a place for players of every skill level to partake in and enjoy volleyball. Hahana’s hip, beach-vibe restaurant and event center may be the future model for a non-coastal volleyball tour throughout the U.S. heartland in cities with a strong grassroots volleyball community like Atlanta, Dallas, Indianapolis, and Louisville.”

Contact: For information about hospitality, event ticket packages, partnership opportunities and pro athlete interviews, please contact Charlie Severe at (513) 794-4120.

Hahana Beach is located at 7605 Wooster Pike, Cincinnati, Ohio 45227 (www.hahanabeach.com).

About:

Corona Light is the number one imported light beer in the United States. Corona Light reminds you to “Relax Responsibly.” For more information, please visit www.corona.com.

ReachUSA is a diversified media company with a division that specializes in the organization, marketing and promotion of regional and national events. Reach provides clients strategic marketing expertise at the grass-roots level in many areas, including advertising sales, sponsorship and hospitality packages, ticket sales management and promotion. For more information, please visit www.reachusa.com

The Elevation Group is one of the nation’s leading Sports & Music marketing and event production firms. Founded in 2002 by industry veterans and former senior executives at IMG – Denny Young and Steve Lindecke – Elevation has been named five times (2006-2010) one of the stop event production companies in the United States by Event Marketer magazine. Elevation works alongside some of the world’s most recognizable corporate brands and personalities in the following areas: Concert # Event Production, Television & Video Production, Digital Engagement Marketing, Sponsorship Planning and Sponsorship Marketing. Elevation offices are located in Cleveland, Charlotte, Detroit and Los Angeles. For more information, visit www.elevationgrp.com.

USA Volleyball: Founded in 1928, USA Volleyball is a Colorado incorporated non-profit organization recognized by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and the Federation International de Volleyball (FIVB) as the National Governing Body for the sport of Volleyball in the United States. USA Volleyball is responsible for both the Olympic disciplines of indoor volleyball and beach volleyball. USA Volleyball has over 260,000 registered members, 12,000 teams and 5,000 clubs nationwide. With an annual budget in excess of $17 million dollars, USA Volleyball supports the USA men’s and women’s senior national team programs, youth and junior national teams, national championship events, coaching education and certification programs, grassroots development, and programs for the disabled and Paralympic Teams. USA Volleyball has a rich tradition of success as evidenced by winning an Olympic medal in every Olympic Games since 1984 and capturing numerous World Cup, World Championship and Continental Championship titles. USA Volleyball is committed to and works toward opportunity for all to participate. It is an advocate for all Americans endeavoring to assure universal access to opportunities at all levels of the game. For more information please visit www.usavolleyball.org.

Karch Kiraly (pronounced Kee-Rai) is a modern-day legend. Considered the greatest volleyball player of all time, he has committed most of his life to the pursuit of excellence in the game. He is dedicated to his family, his coaching and the continued growth of the sport. Kiraly prides himself on education and preparation. During his 30 – year playing career, Karch dominated the games of indoor and beach volleyball.

Karch Kiraly is one of only two volleyball players in Olympic history, and the only male, to win three Gold Medals, having been part of the United States’ Gold Medal indoor teams in 1984 and 1988, and winning the Gold Medal in beach volleyball at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. Kiraly leads all pro beach volleyball players in career prize money and is the most winning competitor ever with 148 career victories.

Kiraly was named Male Player of the 20th Century by the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) in 2001.

Tags: Beach, Beach Volleyball, David Williams, U.S. Open Beach, U.S. Open of Beach Volleyball