February Fun: The Late Winter Sees Sporting Action Heat Up on Both Coasts

February is a big month for sports fans and those who sell them tickets, and crowds flock to both coasts to see the best compete in two very different events. Engines rev in Florida for the DAYTONA 500, the official opening of NASCAR’s race season, while elite basketball players gather en masse in Los Angeles for the National Basketball Association All-Star Weekend. The great news for travel agents (and fans) is that both of these annual competitions have are comprised of several smaller events, which drives up both the fun and the potential revenue during the month.

The DAYTONA 500 and Speedweeks

February 10 – 18, 2018 @ Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, FL

For more than 60 years, the DAYTONA 500 has kicked off the Chase for the Cup for drivers and their teams. The event regularly sells out despite the raceway’s enormous crowd capacity, which is no surprise given the 2.5-mile oval, record-breaking speeds and 31-degree banking. The entire week leading up to and following the DAYTONA 500, is referred to as Speedweeks. The week of restrictor-plate racing provides plenty of adrenaline-filled moments that fans can cheer for. The main race is flanked by plenty of other action including Lucas Oil 200, Advance Auto Parts Clash, Daytona Supercross, Subway Firecracker 250 and more. However, the true highlights of the week are as follows:

• NextEra Energy Resources 250

• Qualifying events

• PowerShares QQQ 300 

Diehard fans have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the complete DAYTONA experience by camping in the GEICO Park West campgrounds. Be sure to tell your clients to download the Mobile App to make sure they don’t miss a second of the excitement.

NBA All-Star Weekend

February 17-19, 2018 @ Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA

Across the country in Los Angeles, another sports festivity takes place with a crown jewel of an event. The NBA All-Star Weekend features the following events:

• All-Star Rising Stars Challenge

• All-Star Saturday Night (Featuring Skills Challenge and Slam Dunk Contest)

• All-Star Game

This marks the fourth time that Los Angeles hosts the NBA’s most exciting weekend. All events take place at Staples Center, and the weekend culminates in the final game that pits the best players against each other in a fan-frenzy smackdown. The 2018 NBA All-Star Game has a new format to add to the excitement: Instead of pitting the East against the West, captains will draft players from a preset pool. It will be fun for fans to see how strategy goes into creating one of the best and most heated games of the season. Read players’ thoughts on the new format HERE. The best part is that fans of any team can cheer on their favorite players, and ticket sales aren’t limited to any one hometown crowd. For people traveling to the city of Angels, there are endless other activities to be enjoyed like musicals, the LA Philharmonic, Queens of the Stone Age, and Bruno Mars.

February fun means fan enjoyment every year, but now is the time for Travel Agents to gear up to cash in on the events.

This article was written by contributing author, Sarah Stasik