Dragon Boat West

Hey all. I somehow signed up for some sort of forum out on Yahoo! and received this press release through them. Thought I would share it with you all. Who knows its never too soon to plan is it?  :P Now all I have to figure out is how to get off of that forum 'cuz I keep getting stupid emails from other members on there that just don't interest me since it doesn't involve our area anyway. But here goes...

PRESS RELEASE: WORLD DRAGON BOAT RACING CHAMPIONSHIP HEADS TO TAMPA BAY IN 2011
 
 
Tampa Bay & Company, 401 E. Jackson Street, Suite 2100 Tampa, FL 33602
(813) 223-1111 (813) 229-6616 www.VisitTampaBay.com
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                CONTACT:
October 2, 2007                                                       Travis Claytor at 813-342-4052
 
TAMPA, FL – The International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF) has selected Tampa
Bay to host the 2011 IDBF World Dragon Boat Racing Championship. The event is
scheduled to take place in August of 2011 on Seddon Channel in downtown Tampa.
 
This event, held once every two years, is scheduled to provide approximately 15,000
room nights for Tampa Bay. As many as 6,000 participants from up to 55 countries will
participate in the event, for an estimated economic impact of $24.3 million.
 
Members of the Local Organizing Committee, which include representatives from
Tampa Bay & Company, the Tampa Bay Dragon Boat Institute, and the United States
Dragon Boat Federation, recently traveled to Penrith, Australia to present the United
States' bid for the 2011 Championship.
 
Although the bid was put forth but the USA, Tampa Bay was selected as the USA bid
city in 2006, and competed against countries such as China and Canada to host the
Championship. Previous Championship sites include Australia (2007); Germany
(2005); China (2003); Philadelphia, Pa. (2001); England (1999); and Hong Kong (1997).
 
Originating in Southern China more than 2,000 years ago, dragon boat racing started
gathering interest in the western world in the 1970s. Today, dragon boat racing is one
of the fastest growing athletic events in the World. Currently, the Tampa Bay
International Dragon Boat Races are held on the Garrison Channel in downtown Tampa
every April.
 
For more event information, log on to www.idbf.org or www.usdbf.com. Media contact
is Travis Claytor, communications manger for Tampa Bay & Company, at 813-342-4052
or [email protected].
 
Tampa Bay & Company is an independent, non-profit membership organization created to serve and attract visitors to Tampa Bay in
an effort to create "Economic Development Through Tourism." Tampa Bay & Company is funded, in part, by the Hillsborough
County Board of County Commissioners/Tourist Development Council.
 
 
 
Economic Development Through Tourism