PROVIDENCE, RI — Two weekend tournaments booked by the Rhode Island Sports Commission are expected to attract nearly 20,000 visitors and contribute more than $3 million to the Rhode Island economy.
“In addition to this weekend’s St. Patrick’s Day festivities, downtown is going to be busier than we’ve seen it for a few years and we couldn’t be more excited,” said John Gibbons, RISC executive director.
The Rhode Island Sports Commission is a division of the Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau, whose mission is to enrich the Rhode Island economy and community through the attraction, promotion and development of sporting events and associated meetings.
First, from March 18 -20, Varsity Spirit’s Spirit Fest Grand Nationals, a multi-day cheerleading competition, will take over the Rhode Island Convention Center and Dunkin’ Donuts Center as nearly 400 teams compete for bids in national events and championships. The three-day event is expected to draw 17,000 attendees, including 6,700 athletes, and utilize nearly 3,000 hotel room nights across 21 properties. The estimated economic impact of this event in the heart of downtown is upwards of $2.1 million.
Also running March 18-20, the New England Basketball Championship will feature some of the region’s top boys and girls teams from grades 3–8. The tournament will take place at Tiverton’s Longplex Family & Sports Complex and Rhode Island College. Nearly 3,000 people are expected to attend, including 1,000 athletes, for an estimated direct spend of $960,000. More than 1,000 hotel room nights have been contracted as a result.
Author: Rob Borkowski
Rob has worked as reporter and editor for several publications, including The Kent County Daily Times and Coventry Courier, before working for Gatehouse in MA then moving home with Patch Media. Now he's publisher and editor of WarwickPost.com. Contact him at [email protected] with tips, press releases, advertising inquiries, and concerns.
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