PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla., September 22, 2021 – The Panama City Beach Sports Complex hosted 20 tournaments and events between April and July 2021. The estimated economic impact from these youth travel sports events is greater than $50 million. These tournaments in baseball, softball, lacrosse and soccer brought in over 1,350 out of market teams, 19,000 players and over 60,000 sports tournament visitors in total.
“The destination had a record-breaking spring and summer and the Panama City Beach Sports Complex, along with Frank Brown Park, continue to host our well-established weeklong Summer World Series events for Grand Slam Tournaments and United States Fastpich Association,” said Chris O’Brien, Director of Sports Marketing & Special Events at the Panama City Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau. “The additional fields at the Panama City Beach Sports Complex also allow for the development of new dates offseason for sports and family “playcation” events in lacrosse, soccer and other national organizations.”
The Panama City Beach Sports Complex, which had its grand opening in 2019, is in its second year of operation. The park had to close its gates for almost three months to align with policies related to the COVID-19 pandemic, so the full year-round potential of the park has not yet been realized. At the same time, the park was fortunate to be among some of the first in the nation to welcome athletes and youth sports back on the fields, as the state of Florida began its measured reopening.
“Operating the Sports Complex, which helps support our local community, is incredibly meaningful to our entire team,” said Jamie Cox, General Manager of the Panama City Beach Sports Complex. “We are looking forward to continually improving the economic vitality of the community we serve, while providing young athletes with a world class facility to compete in for years to come. We were pleased with the number of teams that travelled to Panama City Beach to play here within the past few months, and we are optimistic about future events, and their ability to grow and bring in even more travel teams year vs. year.”
“Like many other businesses, Culver’s has faced many challenges over the past year, but we have seen an increase in our traffic and sales,” said Brian Maytum, owner of Culver’s Panama City Beach. “A major influencer has been the multitude of tournaments that had been hosted by the PCB Sports Complex. We closely monitor the schedule of events and adjust staffing as needed. We have families and whole teams come in more than once during their stay.”
Panama City Beach’s Sports Complex is funded exclusively by tourism tax dollars and made possible through a public-private partnership with the Panama City Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau, St. Joe Company and Bay District Schools. More information on the complex can be found at www.playpanamacitybeach.com. If you are interested in booking tournaments or trainings, please contact Jamie Cox at jcox@sportsfacilities.com
About Panama City Beach Panama City Beach is situated on 27 miles of sugar-white sand beaches bordering clear, emerald-green waters where the Gulf of Mexico and St. Andrew Bay converge. With 320 days of sunshine annually and attractions such as St. Andrews State Park and Pier Park, the region has long been favored by travelers seeking an affordable beach vacation with year-round offerings for families, couples, groups and adventure-seekers. These include championship golf courses, spas, sporting events, award-winning dining and diverse recreational activities. In addition, Panama City Beach’s Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport offers non-stop flights on Delta Airlines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines. For more information, call 850-233-5070 or visit the official website of the Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau at http://www.visitpanamacitybeach.com. Live HD video of the world-famous beach is now available at http://www.visitpanamacitybeach.com/webcam/. Stay connected with Panama City Beach on Twitter (@Visit_PCB), Instagram (@Visit_PCB) and Facebook (@Visit_PCB).
About Panama City Beach Sports Complex The Panama City Beach Sports Complex is located within the Breakfast Point development and is the premier destination for travel sports tourism in the Florida panhandle. The facility features 13 rectangular fields including nine with artificial surfaces and two championship fields. The flexible design allows for soccer, lacrosse, rugby, football and flag football, as well as baseball and softball to be played. The Panama City Sports Complex is a facility managed by Sports Facilities Management, LLC. For more information, visit:www.playpanamacitybeach.com
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