The South Point Hotel and Casino, the U.S. Bowling Congress (USBC), Las Vegas Events and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority announced a 12-year deal to host several USBC events. Among these events are the USBC Open Championships and USBC Women’s Championships, which will be held in a new, $30 million facility at South Point.
Over the next 12 years, the USBC will host seven championship events at South Point, and there will be more than 40 additional tournaments, conventions and smaller events held throughout the duration of the agreement. South Point already has a world-renowned bowling facility, and the new tournament facility, which has more than 60 lanes and other top-tier amenities, is being completed this month.
Because it isn’t located within the four miles of Las Vegas Boulevard known as the Strip, South Point tends to be overlooked by many visitors. And while events like the World Series of Poker and large conventions such as the Consumer Electronics Show take center stage, it’s easy to overlook something like bowling tournaments. However, savvy travel agents should think about how they can take advantage of these under-the-radar events, especially with group bookings. Consider the following: In 2009, the USBC Open Championships, held at the Cashman Center in Las Vegas, ran for 154 days with a total of 17,200 competing teams. The total estimated attendance for bowling participants and their travel parties was 292,750 with an average room stay of 4.3 nights and nongaming economic impact of more than $120 million.