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Greater Louisville Sports Commission FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Pro Beach Volleyball Coming to Louisville
Through the combined efforts of the Greater Louisville Sports Commission and the Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau, the AVP 2007 Louisville Open debuts on Festival Plaza at Waterfront Park over Memorial Day weekend, May 24-27. It is the first time an AVP event will take place in the Bluegrass State . A press conference is scheduled for today at 2:30 p.m. at Waterfront Park to formally kick-off the event. It features several key business leaders and prominent members of the Louisville community: Mayor Jerry Abramson , Diane McGraw, Executive Director of the Greater Louisville Sports Commission and Chairman Gary Ulmer, Jim Wood, President of the Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Derrick Ramsey, Deputy Commerce Director and Interim Executive Director of the Kentucky Sports Authority. Also in attendance will be AVP stars Sean Rosenthal , Suzanne Stonebarger and Michelle More . " Louisville is a big-time sports town and the AVP pro volleyball tournament adds to a growing list of premier sports events our community is hosting," Mayor Jerry Abramson said. "We're excited to showcase our Waterfront and our entire community to the best players and fans in the volleyball world." AVP, Inc. joined forces with SFX Worldwide and Reach Event Marketing, two of the sports industry's most prominent event promoters, to bring world-class beach volleyball to Louisville , Kentucky for the first time. In addition to the GLSC and the LCVB, other key partners involved in supporting and hosting the event include: the Kentucky Sports Authority and the Louisville Waterfront Development Corporation. "We are thrilled about this partnership and we are looking forward to bringing the excitement and competition of the AVP Tour to Louisville ," said Leonard Armato, CEO and Tour Commissioner. "Introducing new fans to the sport of beach volleyball through promoter and community partner relationships like this one allow the AVP Tour to expand the sport to new areas, to the benefit of our players, fans and our sponsors." More than 150 of the top professional beach volleyball athletes in the world, including Olympic Gold medalists Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor will compete in the tournament which will be televised nationally on FOX Sports Net. According to Diane McGraw, Executive Director of the Greater Louisville Sports Commission, "We are excited about adding the AVP Tour to our list of prestigious events, such as the 2008 Ryder Cup, the Louisville Ironman, 2007 National Senior Games and the 30 th Anniversary of the McDonalds All-American Basketball Games." The AVP 2007 Louisville Open will kick-off on Thursday, May 24, and continue through the weekend with the men's and women's finals held on Sunday, May 27. Tickets go on sale Friday, February 23, and can be purchased online through mustseeavp.com or Tickets.com or charged by phone at 1-800-280-2330. Prices are $15 for General Admission tickets, $35 for Courtside Box Seats with special discounts for students, children and seniors, as well as discounted all-session ticket packages ($65 GA and $150 Box Seats). The Thursday qualifying round is free of charge. "After hosting the AVP Crocs Cup Cincinnati Open the past two years, we know what a great event the Louisville Open will be," said Bob Slattery, president of Reach Event Marketing. "We are very excited to help bring professional beach volleyball to the city of Louisville and to the state of Kentucky for the first time ever." "It is with great pride that we bring the AVP Tour to Louisville ", said Jonathan Blue, Chairman and Managing Director of Blue Equity, LLC, as well as Chairman of SFX Worldwide . "Our scenic Waterfront Park and exciting 4th Street Live , with restaurants and shops , make downtown Louisville a perfect location for an AVP Tour event." Sponsorship packages offering significant national and regional exposure along with unique client hospitality opportunities are currently available. 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. About the AVP , Inc.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 SFX Worldwide, a Blue Equity CompanySFX Worldwide is an international leader in sports management, media and events. SFX Tennis clients include the No.1 ranked woman, as well as Australian, French and US Open Champion, Justine Henin, US Open Champion Andy Roddick and the No. 1 ranked doubles team of Bob and Mike Bryan. SFX Media & Events properties include the US Open Tennis Championship, the French Open Tennis Championship, the Legg Mason Tennis Classic, numerous US-based ATP tournaments, the Boston Marathon, the Superstars Competition, the AVP Beach Volleyball tour, Ice Wars and Rock 'n Racquets. sfxworldwide.com. SFX Worldwide is a Blue Equity, LLC Company. Blue Equity, LLC is an independent, private equity firm based in Louisville , Kentucky . It actively invests both 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. blueequity.com About Reach Event MarketingReach 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 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, HomeTown Golf and Cincinnati Gentlemen magazines. Contacts:Event Promoters SFX Worldwide Reach Event Marketing
About our AVP players:Suzanne Stonebarger Birth Date: August 4, 1980 (26 years old) Stonebarger played the first three years of her beach career with a former college teammate. While she and Michelle More were never seeded higher than 20th in 2005, they knocked off six teams seeded 12th or higher. In 2006, Stonebarger and More had their best season ever finishing ninth overall in just three seasons on the tour. She went to University of Nevada-Reno, where she was a three-time all-conference selection. Suzanne was also a member of the U.S. National Training Team. She etched her name in the record book 14 times, including ranking first in career digs, third in career kills, and sixth in career aces. Holds four of the top eight single season dig totals, including the top two. She was named the school's Female Strength Athlete of the Year, and the Scholar Athlete of the Year. Suzanne graduated with a Bachelor's in Communication, and a minor in Marketing. Stonebarger grew up in Northern California with an older sister, Sally, and older brother, Erick. Favorite Movies: Seredipity and Top Gun... Favorite Bands: Bixby, Bob Marley and the Wailers, Keith Urban... Favorite Show: Sex in the City... Role Model: My sister Sally, I've looked up to her since I was a kid... Greatest Accomplishments: Studying abroad in San Sebastian, Spain... Favorite Meal: The way my mom prepares my Uncle Frank's fresh striped bass. I love everything my mom makes... Hobbies: Playing and watching all sports, snowboarding/skiing, shopping, traveling, and hanging out with family and friends... Sponsor: Op Apparel and PowerBar If you weren't playing professional volleyball, what would you be doing? I would be working in the industry as a make-up artist and starting my own natural skin care/make-up line. I would also be doing what I love, traveling the world with family and friends. Michelle MoreBirth Date: June 12, 1981 (25 years old)
More played her first three seasons on the beach with Suzanne Stonebarger, a college teammate. In 2005, More ranked 10th in blocks (68) on the Tour. Despite never being seeded higher than 20th in 2005, she and Stonebarger recorded six wins over teams seeded 12th or higher. In 2006, Stonebarger and More had their best season ever finishing ninth overall in just only their three seasons on the tour. More competed at Nevada-Reno, where she was selected all-conference all four years, and first-team as a junior and senior. She was named AVCA National Player of the Week in 2002, the same year that she was a member of the AVCA All-West Region Team. Her name appears in the UNR record book 19 times, including holding all three career block marks as well as the most kills in a single season. She graduated with a Bachelor's in Business Management. Nicknamed "Meech", More grew up in Southern California with a brother, Robert, and two sisters, Melanie and Timary. Favorite Movie: Pretty Woman, Zoolander, Dumb & Dumber... Favorite Bands: Maroon 5, David Gray, Gwen Stefani, Keith Urban... Favorite Show: Sex & the City... Sponsor: Ocean Pacific... Favorite Meal: Mexican food - I can eat it three times a day!... Hobbies: Traveling, cooking, shopping, entertaining, watching sports, spending time with friends and family - the people who matter most If you weren't playing professional volleyball, what would you be doing? Focusing on my career in real estate and settling down Sean RosenthalBirth Date: June 19, 1980
Rosenthal has ranked in the top 10 in points in each of the last four seasons, one of just three players to claim that. He and Jake Gibb began the 2006 season, and their partnership, with a win in Ft. Lauderdale, one of six domestic finals the two would compete in. They also enjoyed the most successful international season of any American team in 2006, with a win and a pair of second-place finishes on the FIVB Tour, earning Rosenthal the FIVB Rookie of the Year award. He earned his first career victory in 2003 at Belmar with Larry Witt in what was just their fifth tournament together. The duo won again in the 2004 season opener, and continued as partners through the end of the 2005 season. Rosenthal was named AVP's 2002 Best Server. He played in the AVA National Championships in 2000 and 2001. Statistically, in 2005 he ranked third in aces (62) and seventh in digs (670). In 2006 he ranked second in both digs (4.96 per game) and kills (7.73 per game), and 10th in aces (.45 per game). One of the youngest players on tour, he made his debut as a 17-year old in 1997. Rosenthal works at Absolute Cable Solutions and enjoys playing all sports, especially golf and basketball. He has a local legion of fans in the South Bay, known as "Rosie's Raiders." He trains regularly in Hermosa Beach. Rosenthal is the second of seven children (six boys and the youngest is a girl). Prepped at Redondo Union High School. ### |
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