LTC 375-2023 City of Miami Beach Announces South Beach Slam Pickleball TournamentC
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
NO. LTC# 375-2023 LETTER TO COMMISSION
TO: Honorable Mayor Dan Gelber and Members of the City Commission
FROM: Alina T. Hudak, City Manag r
DATE: August 28, 2023 "1
SUBJECT: City of Miami Beach Announces South Beach Slam Pickleball Tournament
The purpose of this Letter to Commission is to announce that the City of Miami Beach, in
partnership with Major League Pickleball and Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating (DUPR), the
Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) and the Lincoln Road Business
Improvement District (BID) will host the first South Beach Slam — a three-day amateur pickleball
tournament on Lincoln Road.
The South Beach Slam will take place from November 17 — 19, 2023 and will be held in the P29,
surface parking lot at 1665 Lenox Avenue, located directly between Nike and Yard House. The
event will consist of a mixed doubles amateur tournament with an anticipated 385 players and
500 plus spectators over the course of the weekend. The "waterfall" tournament will divide
players into six divisions based on skill level, with the winner of each division receiving a $1,000
cash prize. DUPR will work with players to determine their skill level and assign them to the
appropriate division. Players may register as a team or individually, to be paired with players
once registration is complete. Additional details regarding registration will be made available on
the South Beach Slam tournament website in the upcoming weeks.
The tournament will begin on the evening of Friday, November 17, with a welcome event
consisting of free community clinics and lessons, and opening matches between pickleball pros
and collegiate teams. The tournament play will commence on Saturday, November 18 from
approximately 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., with play continuing Sunday, November 19 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Winners of each division and prizes will be announced on Sunday evening.
The city is working closely with the Lincoln Road BID to integrate the local business community
— ensuring their inclusion and activation. The communications strategy will also include a
comprehensive parking and transportation plan. With the event utilizing the P26 surface lot, the
city is coordinating notifications to residents, visitors, businesses and 13 monthly permit holders
that the 106 parking spaces will not be accessible during the tournament timeframe. The
Parking Department will allow these 13 monthly parking permit holders to utilize the surrounding
Lincoln Road area lots at no additional cost. The Lincoln Road BID will also share the
notification with their property owners and businesses and work with private parking operators in
the vicinity to negotiate comparable municipal parking rates. All other existing city parking
surface lots and garages within a five -block radius of the event site (P18, P20, P23, P24, P25,
P27, P29, G5, G7, G9) will remain fully operational during the event.
The South Beach Slam is made possible due to partnerships with entities like the GMCVB and
Oak View Group, the city's designated sponsorship firm. The city will also apply for a Miami
Beach Visitors and Convention Authority tourism grant. Registration fees for the event will be
$199 per player (industry average ranges from $125 - $250 per player), and Miami Beach
residents will be given a 24-hour priority registration window prior to the public sale. Registratiw
dates are tentatively scheduled for the second week of September. The city's Parks and
Recreation Department will be purchasing portable pickleball courts with plans to activate
various pickleball programming throughout the upcoming months.
The Administration is confident this initiative will capitalize on the growing popularity of
pickleball, while positioning Miami Beach at the center of its growth in South Florida along with
increasing our share of the sports tourism market. Additionally, the city will be partnering with
local hotels to offer promotional rates to drive occupancy from regional and national pickleball
enthusiasts.
rAT Con* ro,
• There are currently 36.5 million pickleball players in the United States.
* 14% of Americans have played at least once.
* 8.5 million have played 8+ times.
* 45% of people say they plan to play more than they played in the previous 6
months.
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For more information, please contact Matt Kenny, Assistant Director, Marketing and
Communications, at Mattken nyp_rn ia m i beach q9tI92V.
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