In the aftermath of the International Pool Tour's scheduling debacle that left billiard promoters worldwide scrambling for new dates to host their previously scheduled tournaments, the City of Chesapeake, Virginia stepped forward to declare its love and affection for the U S Open 9-Ball Championship. The Conference Center in Chesapeake, along with the event's host hotel, The Holiday Inn Chesapeake, rearranged each of their 2006 event calendars to accommodate the 31st Annual U.S Open 9-Ball tournament. The new dates for the 2006 U. S. Open 9-Ball Championship are September 25 – October 1, 2006.
"The U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship is a significant event for the City of Chesapeake and it means a great deal for this market and community," said Deidra McBride, the General Manager of the Conference Center in Chesapeake. The U S Open 9-Ball Championship has been held at the Conference Center since 1997, when it was the inaugural event in the facility. "We're very lucky to have been able to switch the dates at this late stage," added McBride. "Any other client would have been out of luck, but Mr. Behrman is a very valuable asset to us."
Holiday Inn Sales Manager, Terri Chamblee, echoed the sentiment, "It's not easy finding one thousand room nights for an entire week, but we were able to convince other clients the importance that this event means to our property. The U.S. Open is an event we look forward to every year." The Holiday Inn hosted the event from 1991- 95 before its move to the adjacent Conference Center.
Before committing to the new dates, Barry Behrman, the event's founder and promoter, conferred with Billiards Digest publisher Mike Panozzo to check tournament and event calendars for any major conflicts. John Lewis, the North American representative of the WPA and Robert Lipson of the UPA were also contacted. The UPA is holding the World Summit of Pool in New York City, September 12-15, 2006.
Unfortunately, the new tournament dates of September 25 – October 1 will compromise another event in the international professional pool calendar, the World Pool League. Matchroom Sport, the organizer and promoter of the WPL is taking the news in stride. Although Matchroom is not releasing an official statement regarding the new date conflict, a key person at Matchroom expressed a sincere understanding to the rescheduling of U.S. Open because of its importance to professional pool and hopes that 2007 will bring the importance for organizations to communicate on event schedules.
"The outpouring of concern for the Open has been overwhelming," said Behrman. "We've had phone calls from business people, pro players, sponsors and of course our great fans pleading to not cancel the event. It's really been amazing. Money certainly can not buy this kind of love."
In the wake of the past weeks event, the U. S. Open 9-Ball will soon be releasing its event dates for the 2007, 2008 and 2009. Stay tuned to the U.S Open web site at www.usopen9ballchampionships.com. or the World Pool-Billiard Sports Calendar at www.wpa-pool.com.
