The 2010 National Hockey Festival wrapped up on Sunday, November 29 at Reach 11 Sports Complex in Phoenix, Arizona. Despite having record breaking low temperatures, the event that kicked off on Thanksgiving Day was the largest Festival to date. With over 4,000 athletes and an estimated 7,500 people flocking to Phoenix, Arizona, the economical impact of this event was tremendous. Conservative numbers indicate a direct visitor spend of $6.3 million.
ÔÇ£This is the largest event of its kind,ÔÇØ said Karen Collins, Director or Events and Logistics. ÔÇ£The number of athletes attending Festival increased substantially from previous years. We really enjoyed hosting our event in Phoenix and at Reach 11 Sports Complex. The feedback we received was only positive feedback and I look forward to working with everyone at Reach 11 and the Phoenix Sports Commission in 2011 and onwards.ÔÇØ
The number of hotel room nights booked is still in the process of being tallied, however, 36 hotels in the Phoenix area housed Festival athletes and their families over the four day weekend.
ÔÇ£USA Field Hockey is a great group to partner with on such a major event,ÔÇØ said Jon Schmieder, President of the Phoenix Regional Sports Commission. ÔÇ£Their staff and volunteers made it easy to put on a great week of sport for the athletes and their families. The Phoenix Regional Sports Commission looks forward to working with USA Field Hockey again in the coming years.ÔÇØ
This is the first event that Reach 11 has hosted over a holiday weekend. This was also the largest event that Reach 11 has hosted to date.
ÔÇ£On behalf of the City of Phoenix, I would like to thank USA Field Hockey for choosing Reach 11 Sports Complex as the host site for the 2010 National Hockey Festival,ÔÇØ said Genel Burwell, Reach 11 Park Manager. With over 4,000 athletes in attendance, to date, this is our largest event - both in terms of number of participants and visitors to the area. Further, USA Field Hockey staff and interns were such a pleasure to work with and assisted our crew in providing seamless service to all patrons. As we look ahead to 2011, I am excited about the partnership that has been formed and welcome the opportunity to provide an even better Festival experience.ÔÇØ
Team Hot Shots Photography shot over 15,000 images during National Hockey Festival. To view these images, visit www.thsphoto.com.
Festival results have been posted on our website and can be viewed at www.usafieldhockey.com/events/5045 .
Source: USFHA media release
