Media Statement on the Myrtle Beach Invitational

For Immediate Release

Sept. 18, 2020

MEDIA CONTACT:

Sarah Stephens
Communications Manager
Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce
O: (843) 916-7295
C: (843) 582-6932
sarah.stephens@visitmyrtlebeach.com 

MEDIA STATEMENT

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - The Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce (MBACC) has been notified that the Myrtle Beach Invitational will not take place in Myrtle Beach as planned this year. This notification follows a decision by the NCAA Division I Council to move the start date for Men’s Basketball from Nov. 15 to Nov. 25, and the continued concerns around hosting sporting events during the pandemic. ESPN Events continues to evaluate the next steps for their owned and operated events, which includes the Myrtle Beach Invitational, as conferences make decisions on their seasons. An announcement from ESPN Events will be forthcoming on the status of these tournaments.  

“While we are disappointed that the Myrtle Beach Invitational will not be played in Myrtle Beach as planned, we recognize that adjustments are being made for all sporting events this year,” said Karen Riordan, MBACC president and CEO. “This change is not a reflection of our community, it is simply another unfortunate loss because of ongoing concerns with the virus. We have a strong, positive relationship with ESPN and look forward to welcoming the Invitational back to Myrtle Beach in 2021.” 

The Myrtle Beach Invitational has an estimated annual impact of $2 million.

“The impact this event has on our shoulder season is significant and a prime reason we initially brought the event to Myrtle Beach in 2018,” said Jonathan Paris, executive director of sports tourism for Visit Myrtle Beach. “In a typical year, the event had more than 1,600 total room nights contracted over 5 nights, not including our out of town fans which are harder to track specifically.  In addition to the hotel impact, our restaurants and attractions felt the impact of the teams and fans in the area. However, all sporting events in 2020 have been limited in terms of fans and overall capacity, so we would not have expected that same level of impact from the traveling fans this year.”   

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About Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce

Since 1938, the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce has stood as the unified voice of the Grand Strand's business community. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has awarded the MBACC its five-star accreditation--one of only a few chambers in South Carolina to earn this distinction. The MBACC serves Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach, Little River, Atlantic Beach, Garden City Beach, Loris, Conway, Aynor, Murrells Inlet, Litchfield Beach, Pawleys Island, Socastee and Carolina Forest. For more information, visit MyrtleBeachAreaChamber.com