President and CEO Marlyss Auster accepted the Key to the City from Mayor Joe Schroeder for Visit Ventura’s leadership in bringing the X Games to Ventura
August 10, 2023 (Ventura, Calif.) — Visit Ventura was honored to receive the Key to the City, presented by Mayor Joe Schroeder this morning, for Visit Ventura’s tremendous efforts in bringing the X Games to Ventura. This is just the second time Mayor Schroeder has bestowed a Key to the City as Mayor of Ventura.
“[Visit Ventura] did so much for the City, not just for this year but for the next decade,” said Mayor Schroeder after presenting the Key to the City in a morning X Games debrief meeting. “Everything went better than we ever hoped… [Visit Ventura] showed everybody what can happen when you preplan and you communicate with others, (when) you work with the city— your work was out of sight.”
The X Games is the world’s largest extreme sporting competition, bringing pro skateboard, BMX, and Motocross athletes from across the world to compete. Visit Ventura has been in conversation with the X Games about a partnership since 2019 but it wasn’t until X Games California 2023 hosted its three-day finals weekend in Ventura, that the dream became a reality.
The finals weekend hosted in Ventura saw a number of record-breaking moments. Tickets were completely sold out for Day 2 of the competition — the first time in X Games’ history. X Games California 2023 witnessed the competition’s first Chumash blessing in which three Chumash tribe members performed the welcoming in front of athletes and media. Official X Games merchandise was sold out for the first time ever as well. 16 hours of X Games broadcasted content on ESPN, ABC, and ESPN2 averaged 459 thousand total viewers, up nine percent versus X Games 2022 and a 10 percent increase versus X Games Minneapolis 2019 (the last event with fans in attendance).
Visit Ventura led city-wide and county-wide partnerships to ensure a successful event. A partnership with Amtrak Pacific Surfliner, Metrolink, Ventura County Transportation Commission, Bike Ventura, and Revolution Surf and Skate resulted in an X Games Transportation Plan unlike the City has ever seen before. A city-wide call out to local businesses inspired creative X Games-themed cocktail drinks, special release beer, and food, demonstrating the innovation and passion of Ventura’s small businesses to support a large-scale event.
“That’s a heavy key!” said Marlyss Auster, President and CEO of Visit Ventura, with a laugh after receiving the key on behalf of Visit Ventura. “This was truly a team effort. It was amazing to have all of our stakeholders and partners at the table collaborating to make this event the success that it was. It just goes to show what we can do together…and the whole world witnessed what Ventura is all about and what we’re made of.”
Read the official Visit Ventura Press Release HERE
