The largest nonqualifying volleyball tournament in Georgia, the Nike Savannah Showdown, was hosted by the Savannah Sports Council and Savannah Convention Center, welcoming 15,085 in attendance from 11 states from February 14-16, contributing a total economic impact of $9,120,777 to the Savannah/Chatham County visitor economy.

Visitor spending spread across lodging, transportation, food and beverage, retail, recreation, and other traveler-driven sectors. This revenue directly supports local businesses and the area residents they employ. The Savannah Sports Council worked collaboratively to help secure the event and support its success, reinforcing the importance of sports tourism in Chatham County and Savannah’s ability to attract high-impact sporting events.

“The Nike Savannah Showdown has been a strong demand driver for the local tourism economy for many, many years, and comes at a time of the year that truly gives businesses throughout the area a boost to start the year,” Joseph Marinelli, President and CEO of the Savannah Sports Council and Visit Savannah, said. 

Much of the approximate $9.1 million generated from this event comes from out-of-town visitors, who spent $679,269 on local sales and hotel tax, which directly supports Savannah’s local services and infrastructure and helps offset tax burdens for the community.

Sporting events and other events of their kind help address months traditionally softer in visitation, bringing needed economic stimulus to the region. By recruiting events during these windows, the Savannah Sports Council helps stabilize hotel room demand, occupancy, and income for local businesses when they need it most. Events such as the Nike Savannah Showdown deliver a concentrated, measurable impact to help sustain the hospitality industry and the local community year-round.

Economic impact estimates were calculated using the Destinations International Event Impact Calculator, the industry standard methodology for events of this scale.