Beer City Open Honored as a 2024 Champion of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism in Sports Destination Management
(Grand Rapids, Michigan) - Sports Destination Management, the leading publication with the largest circulation of sports event planners and tournament directors in the sports tourism market, has announced the 2024 Champions of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism. This year’s winners are responsible for contributing a more-than-welcome boost of over $1.88 billion to the national economy over the past year.
Among the winners was the Beer City Open hosted by Grand Rapids Pickleball at Belknap Park. In 2024, the event resulted in $2.4 million in economic impact.
The Beer City Open started as a local tournament in 2018 with 400 participants and $12,500 in prize money and has grown exponentially since. The Tournament now sells out with over 1,000 participants and $100,000 in prize money. The 2024 event was the first year Major League Pickleball hosted their Mid-Season Championship at the Beer City Open, attracting 7,000+ spectators. The semi-final match became the most-watched match in league history, streaming on ESPN2.
All winners of awards have been recognized in a special feature published in the November/December 2024 issue of Sports Destination Management. The entire article with full details on the winners listed below can also be found online.