FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Louise Heine
Destination Marketing Director
York County Convention & Visitors Bureau
717-852-9675, ext. 109 or louise@yorkpa.org 

Brent Burkey
Communications Specialist
York County Convention & Visitors Bureau
717-852-9675, ext. 103 or bburkey@yorkpa.org


YORK, PA- Indoor field hockey teams from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Delaware and New Jersey will converge on York County this weekend for the one-day Keystone Open Indoor Field Hockey Championship held Saturday at the York Expo Center.

Premier Amateur Sports & Keystone State Games will host approximately 80 teams in the 5th annual event at the Utz Arena. Members of teams competing in the event can range in age up to 18 years old.

The Keystone Open has sold out, showing the power of sports to bring people to York County as visitors who patronize area hotels, restaurants and attractions. The York County Convention & Visitors Bureau estimates the event will generate more than $200,000 for the local economy.

The event is a prime example of how the York County CVB's Sport York initiative generates economic impact for lodging, hospitality and retail businesses by booking events spread throughout the year - not just during the summer.

Other examples of significant sporting events being held in York County this winter include the returning Martin Luther King Kickoff Classic Volleyball Tournament in January and the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Swimming Championships in February.

The swimming championships also illustrate how Sport York is capitalizing on what a recent sports facilities audit of our destination found to be one of our greatest areas for growth in the future - aquatic events.

Additionally, the Keystone Open Indoor Field Hockey Championship is a precursor to the Keystone State Games Sports Festival coming to York in July 2015 to begin three years of exciting amateur sports action.

York County previously hosted the 2005-10 Games and is excited to bring the 2015-17 events back along with nearly $24 million in economic impact estimated over the three years.

The Keystone State Games attracts competitors from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, New York, West Virginia, Ohio and Washington, D.C., although baseball, field hockey and ice hockey are open to Pennsylvania residents only.

Since its inception, Keystone State Games, Inc. has attracted more than 350,000 participants of various age groups to its events. As such a large event, the Keystone State Games Sports Festival represents a valuable opportunity for businesses to put their brands in front of thousands of athletes, coaches and spectators this summer who will gather in York County from a broad region.

Sponsorship packages are available now and interested businesses should email Christina Smith, the York County CVB's Membership and Visitor Services Director, at csmith@yorkpa.org.

The York County Convention & Visitors Bureau's Sport York program is a dedicated branding campaign designed to recruit events and generate additional economic impact in York County. Sport York positions York County as Pennsylvania's Premier Sports Destination, highlighting the area's dynamic facilities and central location on the East Coast. For further information about Sport York, visit www.yorkpa.org/sports.

The York County Convention & Visitors Bureau's Mission is to maximize tourism expenditures and their economic impact in York County, PA, through comprehensive tourism sales and marketing programs. The York County CVB's Vision is for a York County where tourism is recognized for the value of its economic impact; and its role in raising the profile of York County as a sought-after destination. For more information on the York County Convention & Visitors Bureau, call 1-888-858-9675 or visit www.yorkpa.org.