September 12, 2021
On the heels of Asheville becoming only the second city in history to host three Billie Jean King Cup matches, Explore Asheville worked with the United States Tennis Association (USTA) to become the official tourism partner for the US Open in 2022.
- The $1.3 million partnership investment and roughly $70,000 in related expenses were paid for out of Explore Asheville’s paid media and operating budget, which is funded by lodging occupancy tax dollars that are paid by guests who stay in Buncombe County hotels, vacation rentals and bed and breakfasts.
- As outlined in NC state legislation, those occupancy tax dollars must be invested in attracting visitors and events to Asheville and Buncombe County, which help support the local economy, including jobs for area residents.
- The sponsorship investment is just over 16% of the $8 million in direct spending generated in Asheville by hosting the Billie Jean Cup earlier this year.
- This significant return on investment is a critical factor in our marketing decisions. According to a previous statement by USTA in Fortune magazine, brands spend in the low seven figures up to eight figures on an annual basis for sponsorships to drive awareness, depending upon prominence of signage, amount of promotional space on the ground and other benefits. Asheville was able to reach similar national audiences for a fraction of the cost of other major brands represented at the US Open.
- Sponsor rights for Asheville outlined in the agreement included:
- Partnership Investment Recap
“I am proud of the Explore Asheville team and our work to showcase Asheville as a creative, vibrant community for leisure travel, business groups and sports events,” said Vic Isley, president and CEO for Explore Asheville and the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority (BCTDA). “Measuring the return on investment for this partnership is as important as the implementation of it. Measurement will take place over the coming months and early indications are very promising.”
For example:
- In partnership with other community entities, Explore Asheville is pursuing opportunities to host future USTA-related events in our community.
- One meeting planner guest has the potential to bring several conferences that could generate $337,000 in future spending in Asheville.
- Messages of support from local residents including, “if you know of anyone involved with advertising Asheville at the US Open you can tell them it worked” as they were asking for area recommendations to plan an upcoming trip.
[Correction to local media reports: Explore Asheville did not decline to provide details of last week’s events. Explore Asheville leadership responded that the information requested was not available at the time of the request and that it would share all information once the events concluded.]
The US Open partnership included shining a spotlight on Asheville through on-court signage in Arthur Ashe Stadium, videoboards at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center and marketing messages on USOpen.org and US Open Radio. Over the last two weeks, US Open attracted its highest-ever attendance for the tournament during the main draw (August 29 – September 11, 2022), welcoming 776,120 fans. TV viewership also reached all-time highs. Serena Williams’ US Open finale drew 4.6 million viewers, making it the most-watched tennis telecast in ESPN’s 43-year history.
- In Stadium
- Two court logo display positions in Arthur Ashe Stadium
- One Asheville logo displayed on each side of the court during match play
- :10 Videoboard message (no audio) to run in Arthur Ashe Stadium and Louis Armstrong Stadium
- US Open Digital + Print
- Ad impressions across US Open Digital Platforms (e.g. USOpen.org, tablet, app)
- Video ads on USOpen.org
- Advertising spots on US Open Radio
- Email banner inclusion in US Open daily newsletter
- One full-page ad in the official commemorative US Open Program (160,000 copies)
- Inclusion in listings where all Official Sponsors are included
Asheville Night: The September 7 evening session (Men's & Women's Quarterfinals) was designated “Asheville Night” and included additional promotion for the destination. The first match featured Jessica Pegula, who was married in Asheville at The Biltmore and played in the Billie Jean King Cup in Asheville earlier this year. The second match of the evening, the epic battle between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, set several records that extended Asheville’s exposure in-stadium and on TV: it was the latest-ever finish at the US Open and the second-longest match in US Open history.
- In partnership with other community entities, Explore Asheville is pursuing opportunities to host future USTA-related events in our community.
- One meeting planner guest has the potential to bring several conferences that could generate $337,000 in future spending in Asheville.
- Messages of support from local residents including, “if you know of anyone involved with advertising Asheville at the US Open you can tell them it worked” as they were asking for area recommendations to plan an upcoming trip.
Asheville junior tennis players: Explore Asheville arranged for Kiran Kudva and Jia Hind, two Junior Asheville Tennis Association members, to travel to NYC and escort the coin tosser on-court and attend the session. They were accompanied by Paulette Evans, a board member and First Vice President of the Asheville Tennis Association. (Explore Asheville covered travel expenses totaling $5,374.55 for the three participants.)
“When Ms. Paulette Evans introduced me to tennis three years ago, I witnessed an incredible moment when the courts were renamed after Mr. Lewis Isaac, who brought diversity to Asheville courts,” shared Kudva. “Now the US Open! This is an experience of a lifetime! I’m excited and thankful for this opportunity.”
"Tennis has changed my life. It has provided me with so many opportunities. It is a fun activity I can do with my entire family, and allows me to volunteer, teach, and encourage young children through city-wide tennis programs,” said Hind. “It also gives me opportunities to play with and learn from a diverse group of people, while teaching me persistence and helping me build confidence – I am incredibly grateful for everyone who supports and works to promote youth tennis. Thank you so much to Explore Asheville for giving me this opportunity.”
Fan promotion: Tying into Asheville’s reputation for craft brewing, 15,000 co-branded Asheville and US Open koozies were distributed to individual fans as they entered Arthur Ashe Stadium. Cost for producing and distributing the koozies was $24,466.67. Two fans also received a seat upgrade from the rafters to courtside courtesy of Explore Asheville.
Media mission: It is normal practice for destination marketing organizations to host events for members of the media, frequently in the media capital of NYC. Explore Asheville used one of its two suite nights at Arthur Ashe Stadium to engage with media and influencers, build relationships and share the latest news about Asheville to inspire future coverage about the character of the community. Explore Asheville covered catering costs of $8,913.75 for the evening. Explore Asheville’s President & CEO, SVP of Marketing, Director of Public Relations and Group Marketing Manager worked the event along with BCTDA board member Matthew Lehman. Guests for the night included:
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Matthew Lehman, BCTDA board member and Treasurer of Explore Asheville stated, “This was a terrific opportunity to engage with media and clients. Based on conversations, I feel confident that we will be welcoming visitors and conference attendees to Asheville in the near future. Their spending in our community will continue to sustain our independent businesses.”
To drive sales, destination marketing organizations frequently host meeting and event planners +in their respective regions. On September 8, Explore Asheville leveraged its second suite session to host meeting and event planners based in the New York area. One guest is considering Asheville as the location for a conference that would generate more than $415,000 in direct spending in our community. Explore Asheville covered catering costs of $9,747.68 for the evening. Explore Asheville’s President & CEO, Director of Sales and Group Marketing Manager worked with event along with BCTDA board member Brenda Durden. Guests for the night included:
One of the sponsor rights in the agreement included limited invitations to the President’s box. Building on hosting the Billie Jean King Cup in Asheville earlier this year, Explore Asheville and BCTDA used the access to discuss bringing additional USTA related events to Asheville in the future with Lew Sherr, USTA CEO and Executive Director. Explore Asheville’s President & CEO, SVP of Marketing, Director of Public Relations and BCTDA board members Matthew Lehman and HP Patel attended.
Back in April of this year, the Billie Jean King Cup matches between the United States and Ukraine inspired residents, visitors and television viewers alike; generated $8 million for local businesses throughout Asheville and created opportunities for community engagement. The event also helped drive more than $225,000 in donations for Ukraine relief via the Tennis Plays for Peace initiative, helping the worldwide tennis community surpass $1 million raised for Ukraine.
Note: The $1.3 million partnership investment and roughly $70,000 in related expenses were paid for out of Explore Asheville’s paid media and operating budget, which is funded by lodging occupancy tax dollars paid by guests staying in Buncombe County hotels, vacation rentals and bed and breakfasts.
As outlined in state legislation, those occupancy tax dollars are to be invested in attracting visitors and events to Asheville and Buncombe County which help support the local economy, including jobs for area residents.
Established by state law to administer the occupancy tax paid by overnight visitors according to the enabling legislation, the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority is a public authority with a public purpose to enhance the economic vitality of Buncombe County. It is led by 11 local, appointed volunteers (two of whom are ex-officio members) who provide professional expertise to ensure the effective use of the tax to benefit our community and the people who live here. BCTDA meetings are open to the public.
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