Orlando, FL (June 30, 2021) –  Marking the largest event to date hosted at the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC), the Amateur Athletic Union’s (AAU) 48^th AAU Junior National Volleyball Championships welcomed more than 135,000 attendees across two weeks, from June 18-29, 2021, creating an estimated economic impact of $173.3 million for the region.

“We appreciate the strong partnership between the Amateur Athletic Union and the Orange County Convention Center,” said OCCC Executive Director Mark Tester. “Our trusted relationship and our many years of collaboration has enhanced this event to become the largest volleyball tournament in the world. We are proud to be the premier destination for the AAU to host its events safely.”

For nearly 20 years, the esteemed volleyball tournament has been coming to The Center of Hospitality to safely and successfully host their sporting events for players, chaperones and coaches from around the world.

This year, the massive 12-day volleyball event implemented a series of modified health protocols to ensure the safety of all attendees. Face masks were encouraged to be worn, no handshakes or gift exchanges were done between teams; spectators, coaches and athletes were encouraged to socially distance, courts were spaced apart to increase walkways and the event spread across both OCCC buildings – the North-South and the West.

“We are pleased to have been able to yet again offer the opportunity to let athletes do what they really want to do, and that’s to play,” said Jennings “Rusty” Buchanan, President/CEO of the AAU.  “The 2021 AAU Junior National Volleyball Championships at the Orange County Convention Center welcomed our biggest numbers to date, positively impacting not only the AAU organization but also the Central Florida area as well. Hosting such a large event successfully would not be possible without the dedication, commitment and tireless efforts of the Orange County Convention Center team.”

As the largest event nationally in the convention industry since the pandemic, the AAU Junior National Volleyball Championships is a testament to how the live events industry has returned stronger than ever and how the OCCC is doing Business Better than Usual.

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About the Orange County Convention Center

The award-winning Orange County Convention Center provides approximately $3 billion in economic impact to Central Florida annually. In recent years, the Convention Center has averaged nearly 200 events, including 115 conventions and tradeshows that attract more than 1.5 million attendees to the region each year. For more information about the Orange County Convention Center, visit www.occc.net. 

About the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU)

The AAU was founded in 1888 to establish standards and uniformity in amateur sports. During its early years, the AAU served as a leader in international sport representing the U.S. in the international sports federations. After the Amateur Sports Act of 1978, the AAU has focused its efforts into providing sports programs for all participants of all ages beginning at the grass roots level. The philosophy of "Sports for All, Forever," is shared by nearly 700,000 participants and over 150,000 volunteers.