Pro Beach Volleyball Coming To Louisville 

AVP Crocs Tour to add Bluegrass State to its schedule over Memorial Day weekend

Louisville, Ky. - Feb. 20, 2007 – AVP, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: AVPI), a lifestyle sports entertainment company focused on professional beach volleyball, in conjunction with SFX Worldwide, a Blue Equity Company, and Reach Event Marketing announced today that the fast-growing AVP Crocs Tour is adding Louisville as a new stop for 2007.

The AVP Louisville Open will be held on Festival Plaza at Waterfront Park over Memorial Day weekend, May 24-27.

A press conference is scheduled for today at 2:30 p.m. at Waterfront Park to formally kick-off the event and will feature several key business leaders and prominent members of the Louisville community including Mayor Jerry Abramson. AVP stars Sean Rosenthal and April Ross will also be in attendance.

“The AVP is excited about this new partnership and we look forward to the Tour’s first stop in Louisville,” said Leonard Armato, CEO and Tour Commissioner.  “This stop marks the first time professional beach volleyball will stop in Kentucky and we are thrilled to introduce new fans to the sport of beach volleyball and the excitement of AVP events.”

More than 150 of the top professional beach volleyball athletes in the world including Olympic Gold medalists Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor will compete in the tournament which will be televised nationally on FOX Sports Net.

The AVP Louisville Open will kick-off on Thursday, May 24, and continue through the weekend with the men’s and women’s finals held on Sunday, May 27.

Tickets go on sale Friday, February 23, and can be purchased online through mustseeavp.com or Tickets.com, at all Tickets.com outlets or charged by phone at 1-800-280-2330. 

Prices are $15 for General Admission tickets, $35 for Courtside Box Seats with special discounts for students, children and seniors, as well as discounted all-session ticket packages ($65 GA and $150 Box Seats).  The Thursday qualifying round is free of charge.

AVP, Inc. joined forces with SFX Worldwide and Reach Event Marketing, two of the sports industry’s most prominent event promoters, to bring world-class beach volleyball to Kentucky for the first time ever. Other key partners involved in bringing this prestigious event to the area include the Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), The Greater Louisville Sports Commission, the Kentucky Sports Authority and The Louisville Waterfront Development Corporation.

“After hosting the AVP Crocs Cup Cincinnati Open the past two years, we know what a great event the Louisville Open will be,” said Bob Slattery, president of Reach Event Marketing.  “We are very excited to help bring professional beach volleyball to the city of Louisville and to the state of Kentucky for the first time ever.”  

"It is with great pride that we bring the AVP Tour to Louisville", said Jonathan Blue, Chairman and Managing Director of Blue Equity, LLC, as well as Chairman of SFX Worldwide.  "Our scenic Waterfront Park and exciting 4th Street Live, with restaurants and shops, make Downtown Louisville a perfect location for an AVP Tour event.”

Sponsorship packages offering significant national and regional exposure along with unique client hospitality opportunities are currently available.  For updated 2007 event information including sponsorships, hospitality, tickets, schedules and general announcements throughout the year visit the local website at www.mustseeavp.com and national website at www.avp.com.

About the AVP, Inc.

AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour, Inc. is a leading lifestyle sports entertainment company focused on the production, marketing and distribution of professional beach volleyball events worldwide.  AVP operates the industry's most prominent national touring series, the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour, which was organized in 1983.  Featuring more than 150 of the top American men and women competitors in the sport, AVP is set to stage 18 events throughout the United States in 2007.   In 2004, AVP athletes successfully represented the United States during the Olympics in Athens, Greece, winning gold and bronze medals, the first medals won by U.S. women in professional beach volleyball.  For more information, please visit www.avp.com.   

About SFX Worldwide, a Blue Equity Company

SFX Worldwide is an international leader in sports management, media and events.  SFX Tennis clients include the No.1 ranked woman, as well as Australian, French and US Open Champion, Justine Henin, US Open Champion Andy Roddick and the No. 1 ranked doubles team of Bob and Mike Bryan. SFX Media & Events properties include the US Open Tennis Championship, the French Open Tennis Championship, the Legg Mason Tennis Classic, numerous US-based ATP tournaments, the Boston Marathon, the Superstars Competition, the AVP Beach Volleyball tour, Ice Wars and Rock ’n Racquets. sfxworldwide.com. 

SFX Worldwide is a Blue Equity, LLC Company. Blue Equity, LLC is an independent, private equity firm based in Louisville, Kentucky. It actively invests both growth capital and business expertise in enterprises with solid development potential. Blue Equity forms strategic partnerships with existing management teams and leverages its expertise and relationships to stabilize, strengthen and grow lasting value. Investment efforts and managerial expertise are focused on the operation of a global and diversified portfolio of business enterprises, including opportunities in media, publishing, sports and entertainment, financial services, real estate and international trade. Blue Equity is dedicated to helping businesses grow by accelerating opportunity and driving innovation to the marketplace.  blueequity.com

About Reach Event Marketing

Reach Event Marketing (REM) is a full-service event marketing company that specializes in organizing, marketing and promoting regional and national events including the AVP Crocs Cup Cincinnati Open presented by Herbalife, AVP Louisville Open, Prep Classic, Skyline Crosstown Shootout Luncheon and i-wireless High School Tour.  REM offers strategic marketing expertise at the grassroots level in many areas including the selling of advertising, sponsorship and hospitality packages, ticket sales management, and promotion.  In addition to event marketing the company also publishes Hacks High School Sports, HomeTown Golf and Cincinnati Gentlemen magazines.

Contacts:

Event Promoters

SFX Worldwide

Jeff Newman

(202) 721-9515

Jeffrey.newman@sfxworldwide.com

Reach Event Marketing

Mario Cicchinelli

(513) 794-4174

Mario@reachusa.com

 

Sponsorships                           Ticket Info                              Media (Local)                                                  

SFX Worldwide                          Reach Event Marketing           Reach Event Marketing

Blair Giles                                  Rocky Reising                          Ed Letsinger

(803) 738-8117                        (513) 794-4176                      (513) 794-4177

blair.giles@sfxworldwide.com   rreising@reachusa.com          eletsinger@reachusa.com

                                                                                                Blue Equity

Kendra Calvert

                                                                                                (502) 588-7159

                                                                                                kcalvert@blueequity.com

AVP                                         AVP Investor Contacts            AVP Media & Credentials

Meg Bruno                               Marie Dagresto                         Kimberly Moran

(310) 426-7157                       (323) 468-2300                        (818)344-6195 X 121

mbruno@avp.com                    avpi@mkr-group.com                kimberlym@bzapr.com