Las Vegas Enjoys Success with Youth and Amateur Sports
As Las Vegas continues to solidify the title of “Greatest Arena on Earth” thanks to new professional teams, state-of-the-art facilities and extremely high-profile sports special events, youth and amateur sports have emerged as an important and lucrative market segment for the destination.
Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, USA Volleyball generated more than 50,000 room nights for the 2021 Girls Junior National Championship, held at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The 2022 Boys Junior National Championship and the 2024 Girls Junior National Championship (11s-17s) are scheduled to take place at Mandalay Bay. The Southern California Volleyball Association holds an Annual Las Vegas Classic, now at Mandalay Bay. That event has been held in the area for 36 years.
“Youth and amateur sports and special events are an increasingly important segment that make a vital contribution to our economy, and we see tremendous potential for growth,” said Brian Yost, Chief Operating Officer for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. “Bringing these events to Las Vegas is an ideal option for organizers because we have the infrastructure to support groups, and outside of competition we offer an unparalleled experience for both participants and spectators. It’s also important to note that Las Vegas is also a proud supporter of youth and amateur sports, and we’re thrilled to welcome these athletes as they pursue their dreams.”
The recently released Sports Events and Tourism Association (Sports ETA) 2021 State of the Industry Report [MP1] supports the importance of the youth and amateur segments. Analysis for the report included adult and youth amateur events and collegiate tournaments (excluding professional sports and collegiate regular season games) and found the sports tourism sector’s direct spending impact was $39.7 billion, which generated a total economic impact of $91.8 billion, supporting 635,000 full-time and part-time jobs and generating $12.9 billion in taxes.
The report also detailed supplemental spending that can be crucial. Nationwide, sports travelers, event organizers, and venues spent $9.7 billion on transportation, $8.4 billion on lodging, and $7.5 billion on food and beverages. Recreation, retail and tournament operations rounded out spending, registering $5.3 billion, $5 billion and $3.7 billion, respectively.
The Orleans Arena at The Orleans Hotel and Casino has also found success with amateur sports special events. The venue hosted Skate America in 2019, followed by bubble events in 2020 and 2021. In 2021 the U.S. Figure Skating National Championships held a bubble event there, part of its first trip to Las Vegas. Curling has also been a win for the venue, which hosted the Men’s World Curling Championship in 2018 and 2022, as well as the Continental Cup – an annual curling tournament – in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019.
“The Orleans Arena hosts a number of sporting events of all sizes throughout the year, including curling championships, figure skating, youth cheerleading and the annual West Coast Conference and Western Athletic Conference men’s and women’s basketball championship tournaments. These events contribute significantly to visitation and hotel room bookings at The Orleans Hotel and Casino,” said Tyler Baldwin, Executive Director of Entertainment for Boyd Gaming, which owns and operates Orleans Arena. “Events such as curling, which takes place the week after CES [annual trade show organized by the Consumer Technology Association] in early January, and JAMZ Cheer and Dance, which occurs every Mother’s Day weekend, are great examples of events that drive tourists to our destination during slower periods.”
Youth and amateur sports events are also experiencing quick recovery. Sports ETA’s report showed that in 2019, U.S. sports-related travelers, event organizers and venues spent a total of $45.1 billion, an increase of more than 5% from the previous year. Those travelers generated $103.3 billion in direct, indirect and induced business sales.
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic canceled or delayed sports events across the country and the number of sports travelers decreased 46.5% year-over-year to just 96 million in 2020. However, the sector rebounded quickly in 2021 increasing 82% year-over-year. The 175 million sports travelers in 2021 was only 2.6% lower than the high water mark of nearly 180 million established in 2019.
Sports business conferences have also been an important visitation driver for Las Vegas. Earlier this month, Sports ETA announced during its annual symposium event that Las Vegas will host its 34th annual Sports ETA Symposium, April 21-23, 2026. Despite the industry’s ongoing recovery, the 2022 event drew 800 attendees from destinations, sports organizations and industry partners. In 2020, US Sports Congress, the only in-person industry conference held that year, welcomed 50 event rights holders and destinations to Las Vegas.
