The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Board of Directors this week awarded the 2006 through 2008 Annual CIAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament to the City of Charlotte and its New Charlotte Arena, which is under construction and scheduled to open in November 2005.
“We are excited to add the CIAA Tournament to the New Charlotte Arena event schedule,” said Marty Bechtold, senior vice president event booking and marketing for the New Charlotte Arena, which will play host to a variety of concerts, ice shows and family entertainment events and will be home to the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats and WNBA’s Charlotte Sting.
“By being located in the heart of our downtown area, the New Charlotte Arena offers event participants and attendees myriad choices for hotel accommodations and restaurants and it promises an unprecedented entertainment experience for all thanks to the arena’s design, features and amenities,” Bechtold said.
Within walking distance to more than 4,000 hotel rooms, the New Charlotte Arena offers 780,000 square feet of space overall with flexible seating capacities for large sports events to intimate concerts. The arena’s design includes outside and inside terraces, a restaurant and a bar as well as an emphasis on visitor comfort and convenience; fan amenities include 22 ticket/box offices and multiple fan services locations, and performer benefits include first-class service, easy logistics and eight dressing rooms and nine sports team locker rooms.
The CIAA tournament was hosted in Raleigh, N.C., last year and attracted more than 104,500 people and had an $11.5 million economic impact on the city, generating more than $983,304 in local and state tax revenue generated from sales, hotel and meal taxes. In addition to the CIAA Tournament, the New Charlotte Arena also will host the Atlantic Coast Conference men's basketball tournament and the NCAA men's regional tournament in 2008.
The New Charlotte Arena opens in November 2005 and will be home to the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats and the WNBA’s Charlotte Sting. The state-of-the-art facility is located in the heart of Charlotte, N.C., with more than 4,000 hotel rooms within walking distance. The arena, which will have seating configurations for audiences ranging from 4,000 to 18,500, will feature restaurants, retail and a range of visitor-friendly amenities. It is adjacent to the city’s light rail corridor and is just a few miles from Interstates 77 and 85. For booking information contact Marty Bechtold of the New Charlotte Arena at (704) 329-4909 or mbechtold@bobcatsbasketball.com.