Las Vegas will flex its sports muscle again this spring when the Ultimate Vegas Sports Weekend (UVSW) returns with an even more exciting lineup of events to make even the biggest sports fan's head spin.
"Las Vegas only knows one gear, and we never settle for second best. No other city in the world could squeeze in half the incredible action that we will offer sports fans for the Ultimate Vegas Sports Weekend," said Steve Hill, CEO and president of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA). "We're excited to welcome the more than 100,000 fans who will be in town that weekend."
Featuring NASCAR, USA Sevens Rugby, UFC, and Vegas Golden Knights, the Ultimate Vegas Sports Weekend debuted to great fanfare in 2018 with an opening pep rally featuring athletes, merchandise, and ticket giveaways from each sport. The 2019 UVSW will provide an even greater fan experience, with an expanded fan fest and the addition of the Tuff Hedeman Bull Riding Tour to the mix. The weekend will kick off with the expanded free UVSW Fan Fest on Thursday, Feb. 28, at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center, featuring interactive experiences, athlete appearances, and the ultimate tailgate party.
"We're excited to be part of one of the most amazing sporting weekends in the world. We are honored to put the sport of Rugby Sevens amongst the largest sporting brands and events around," said Rob Cornelius, Vice President of Business Development for USA Sevens Rugby. "The ability for fans from around the world to come to our destination and experience UFC, NASCAR, Rugby Sevens, Vegas Golden Knights, Championship Bull riding and not to mention all of what Las Vegas has to offer is crazy. It's great to see such collaboration between the destination and all of the events, showing why Las Vegas is an unbeatable sports destination."
The LVCVA will be partnering with the sports entities involved to provide fans with an opportunity to plan their Ultimate Sports Trip. The group will be developing ticket packages including all the major events and everything else Las Vegas has to offer, including package trips when they are announced. Information on UVSW can be found at www.VisitLasVegas.com/sports.
"We're thrilled to be one of the marquee events again in 2019 for the Ultimate Vegas Sports Weekend. Las Vegas has become a home to major sports events, and championship-level professional teams, and being able to showcase our destination to the world through sports is something we are very proud of," said Chris Powell, President of Las Vegas Motor Speedway. "We appreciate the efforts of the LVCVA for bringing all of us together, and we look forward to giving sports fans from around the world a weekend they won't soon forget."
The Ultimate Vegas Sports Weekend is a celebration of the history and growth of sports in Las Vegas. The destination has long been known as the home to large events like the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, the NBA Summer League, major championship boxing matches, and more. With the addition of major professional franchises, the sports reputation of the city has only increased, making it a bucket list destination for sports fans from around the world.
"Last year's Ultimate Vegas Sports Weekend was a tremendous success for all organizations involved. More importantly, it was an incredible experience for the city of Las Vegas and the sports fans who travelled from all over the world. All of us at UFC are excited to be a part of the festivities again this year. We will be working closely with the other sports leagues to deliver an even more action-packed weekend that you can only find in a city like Las Vegas. Already the Entertainment Capital of the World, the Ultimate Sports Weekend takes this city another step closer to being the Sports Capital of the World as well," said Lawrence Epstein, Chief Operating Officer for the UFC.
"Las Vegas has been home to a number of sporting events over the years from bull riding and rodeo events to basketball, rugby and UFC, and it is great to see the world recognize it as the sports destination that it is," said Tuff Hedeman, Founder of the Tuff Hedeman Bull Riding Tour. "Every year we look forward to coming to Las Vegas for our event, and we are excited to be part of the Ultimate Sports Weekend in March alongside some of the best athletes in the world."
Beyond one of the busiest sports weekends on the planet, fans will continue to have Las Vegas on their travel agendas as March also welcomes four college basketball tournaments and the ultimate place to be for the NCAA basketball tournament.
ABOUT THE LVCVA
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) is charged with marketing Southern Nevada as a tourism and convention destination worldwide and operating the Las Vegas Convention Center. With nearly 150,000 hotel rooms in Las Vegas alone and more than 11 million square feet of meeting and exhibit space citywide, the LVCVA's mission centers on attracting ever increasing numbers of leisure and business visitors to the area. Download the virtual reality app, Vegas VR, to experience Las Vegas from your iPhone or Android by visiting http://www.vrtv.vegas/. For more information, go to www.lvcva.com or www.visitlasvegas.com.
