East Meadow, NY - March 7th, 2016 - Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano has announced that the 2016 Big East Swimming and Diving Championships, which took place from February 24th – 27th at the Nassau County Aquatic Center, generated over a half-million in direct economic benefits for Nassau County. This was the 11th Big East Championship held at the Nassau County Aquatic Center and the first since 2008.
“The Big East Swimming and Diving Championships benefited our economy by attracting more than a thousand visitors to our local hotels, restaurants and shopping districts. Nassau County looks forward to hosting the Big East again next year for another successful event series,” said County Executive Mangano.
The 2016 Big East Swimming and Diving Championships - co-hosted by St. John’s University – welcomed more than 550 athletes, coaches and officials. The event attracted more than 500 spectators from outside the County, generating hundreds of room nights.
“Youth and armature sporting events are a thriving component of Long Island's $5.3 billion annual tourism industry,” said Long Island Convention & Visitors Bureau and Sports Commission President & CEO, Kristen Jarnagin.
“Attracting these types of lucrative events to our region not only generates tremendous tax revenue, but supports the almost 100,000 jobs directly tied to our lodging and tourism industry.”
Nassau County derived an estimated $21,000 in rental income from the Big East for hosting the championships. The Nassau County Aquatic Center is widely recognized as one of the finest swimming facilities in the United States, regularly hosting major swimming and diving competitions. The 80,000-square-foot center includes a “stretch” 50-meter pool that is 68 meters long, with three movable bulkheads.
The pool setup varies, with 50-meter, 25-yard, and/or 25-meter lap lanes, depending on the pool setup. The facility hosts a diving well with a 10-meter competition diving tower — the only such tower in the New York metropolitan area — and 1-meter and 3-meter springboards. The seating area can accommodate up to 1,700 spectators
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