BATAVIA, Ohio – Clermont County has been selected to host The Flag Football World Championship Tour Battle Ohio, which will bring as many as 100 flag football teams from across the Midwest to Olympic Fields in Batavia Nov. 10 and 11.
As part of the Flag Football World Championship Tour (FFWCT), the Battle Ohio competition will have a powerful impact on the local economy by bringing up to 100 teams, 1,500 players and more than 500 hotel room nights to Clermont County.
“We are excited to work with FFWCT and Olympic Fields to bring this adult Ohio flag football championship tournament to Batavia and Clermont County,” said Clermont Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) President Jeff Blom. “Athletes and spectators will be staying in Union Township, Milford and Miami Township hotels for this event, as well as dining throughout the county. This sports tournament will have a positive impact on hotel occupancy during the second weekend in November, which is usually a down time for our hotels.”
The FFWCT Battle Ohio, which is an open invitation tournament with teams of five versus five and eight versus eight. Teams are competing for a chance to play in the 2019 World Championships, which will be played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX.
Nick Baker, General Manager of the Holiday Inn & Suites Cincinnati-Eastgate, said his hotel is “beyond excited to have the Flag Football championships coming to Clermont County.”
“This is a great piece of business for a need time for all hotels in the county,” Baker said. “Something I am always challenging the CVB to do is to fill rooms in November through February, and by booking the Flag Football Championships they have definitely helped our November look a lot better. We thank the Clermont County CVB and we look forward to housing hundreds of participants later this year.”
Olympic Fields is excited to be hosting the FFWCT Battle Ohio and will have a variety of food trucks and local breweries on site during the tournament, said Olympic Fields Manager Amy Brewer.
“Olympic Fields is excited about hosting the tournament and about the potential of building this into an annual event with the FFWCT,” Brewer said. “We are enhancing the player and spectator experience by bringing in several food trucks and local craft breweries for the tournament. And we are thrilled to be extending our business season, which typically ends in October, into November.”
Travis Burnett, the co-founder and Chief Operation Officer of the Dallas-based FFWCT, said the organization is built on the foundation of creating strategic partnerships to drive sports tourism for markets small and large to everything in between.
“The mission of the Flag Football World Championships Tour is simple,” Burnett said. “We want to provide the highest quality events possible, from the operations and cities where we host tournaments to the players, families, spectators and coaches who participate.”
Sports driven tourism is on the verge of a major boost in Clermont County with the recent announcement by FC Cincinnati that it wants to build a $30 million soccer training complex and academy in Milford.
“The CVB’s sports marketing strategy is designed to bring sporting events – such as soccer, baseball, softball, volleyball, rowing and other sports — and athletes of all ages to Clermont County,” Blom said. “Our goal is to utilize our new and existing sport-related assets to attract professional and amateur sports teams and events, which in turn will bring visitors, hotel guests, and tourism dollars to our community.
“The Clermont County CVB also wants to thank Leslie Spencer of the Greater Cincinnati Sports Commission for making the introduction to Travis Burnett and the FFWCT as well as facilitating our initial meeting,” he said. “This is a good collaboration among tourism and sports organizations to bring in a great new event to the region.”
The tournament is open to local teams, so groups of friends can register online to compete. For more information about the tournament – including sign-up information – and the FFWCT, visit www.ffwct.com.
About the Clermont County Convention & Visitors Bureau
Whether planning a trip, navigating a city or the county, or attending a sporting event or other activity, the Clermont County Convention and Visitors Bureau is your most reliable source for visitor and travel information. Clermont County is a vibrant and growing region known for its beauty, historic attractions, and exceptional outdoor recreational activities. We welcome you to explore Clermont County and what it has to offer. To learn more, visit our website at www.visitclermontohio.com.
