Statewide Volleyball Tournament is a Sign of Returning to Business
TCF Center hosted its first event since March 2020, welcoming 1,000 athletes and spectators on 16 courts over Presidents Day weekend. Attendees were kept safe through rigorous application of regulations by TCF Center staff and coordination with the City of D
etroit Department of Health and Safety.
“We were delighted to welcome our first event since last March—1,000 attendees statewide to a safe and competitive in-person event at TCF Center,” says Patrick Bero (pictured right), CEO/CFO, Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority. “Our staff did whatever was needed to create a safe environment, including having our staff join in setting up the court, to make sure everything in the center was ready to accept its first visitors.”
The ASM Global VenueShield™ program, designed by the international management company that operates TCF Center, as well as the GBAC Star Certification Standards the center has implemented for compliance to strict environmental hygiene guidelines, made the event safe for all participants.
Michigan Elite 
Volleyball Academy, the event organizer, brought 1,000 participants to compete in this first event.
“Thank you to the entire team at TCF Center for all of their tireless work before, during and after our event which was instrumental in making the event a success,” says Steve Sack (pictured left), owner of Michigan Elite Volleyball Academy. “It was great to see people back in TCF Center.”
Michigan Elite Volleyball Academy is hoping to return to TCF Center in April of this year.
“We learned that each event that takes place in our building during this year will require a custom health and safety plan to be developed—taking into account the special needs of each group,” says Greg DeSandy (pictured right), director of sales and event services and interim general manager, TCF Center.
The staff at TCF Center was focused on delivering this first-class event, doing whatever was needed to make sure the athletes and spectators felt comfortable.
Claude Molinari (pictured right), new CEO of the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau and GM of TCF Center until December 31, says, “We are delighted about what this successful event says in regard to our readiness as a destination to host other events safely and effectively at TCF Center and in the Detroit area.”
With 723,000 square feet of exhibit space, TCF Center, formerly Cobo Center, boasts one of the largest contiguous exhibit floor spaces in North America and is the 17th largest convention center in the country. For more info, visit www.tcfcenterdetroit.com.
On Sept. 15, 2009, operational control of TCF Center transferred to the Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority, under a collaborative agreement by the Michigan State Legislature, the City of Detroit, and Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. Each of these entities has an appointed member on the DRCFA Board. Larry Alexander is the appointee of the Governor of the State of Michigan and serves as Chairman of the Board. For more info, visit: www.drcfa.org.
