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Hermosa Beach commission backs start of long-term agreement talks to lock July junior volleyball calendar
Summary
The Parks, Recreation and Community Resources Advisory Commission voted unanimously to begin negotiations on multiyear agreements with three national junior volleyball organizations and recommended a fixed July sequence to avoid date conflicts and preserve the tournaments’ national character.
The Parks, Recreation and Community Resources Advisory Commission voted unanimously July 1 to recommend that City Council begin long-term agreement negotiations with three national junior volleyball organizations — JVA BVCA, AAU, and AVP — and to adopt a consistent July schedule that places JVA BVCA in early July, AAU in mid-July and AVP in late July.
Commission staff said the proposal aims to prevent recurring date conflicts that have arisen in recent years among the three tournaments, which together draw thousands of competitors and visitors to Hermosa Beach each July. Lisa (Community Resources Director) told the commission staff’s recommended sequence mirrors what City Council approved for 2024–25 and would maintain “the same event dates annually for consistency for these organizations and its program participants.”
The recommendation follows presentations from event organizers. Jeff Smith, the JVA BVCA representative, said his 2025 national championship is sold out and estimated the event brings about 1,000 athletes, hundreds of coaches and thousands of family visitors who stay multiple nights in the area. Denny Lennon, representing AAU, said AAU’s national championships have similar scale and impact and stressed the importance of calendar stability for families and club planning.
Staff acknowledged AVP’s recent changes in event format and noted AVP did not propose a professional adult Hermosa Beach Open during the next term; AVP’s LTA application submitted to the city was for its junior tournament only. Because AVP requested a larger window in some LTA materials, staff proposed limiting AVP’s junior event to a late-July slot (July 19–27 in the sample calendar) with eight event days, consistent with the other organizations’ typical windows. The commission’s motion approved commencement of two-year negotiations (with a one-year city option to extend) and asked staff to be open to considering whether the city could add one or two extra days at staff discretion near the end of AVP’s proposed window if that would not interfere with the International Surf Festival setup.
Why it matters: The three tournaments together occupy much of Hermosa’s July special-event calendar and account for substantial hotel, dining and local business revenue. The commission said a predictable, repeatable schedule supports recruitment of out-of-area teams and helps the city plan enforcement, lifeguard coverage, and public access around crowded weekends.
What the commission decided: Commissioners voted unanimously to recommend City Council authorize staff to negotiate two-year long-term agreements with a one-year city option for JVA BVCA, AAU and AVP using the staff-recommended sequence (early July: JVA BVCA; mid-July: AAU; late July: AVP). The motion was made on the record by Commissioner Tom Maroney; a second was recorded and the motion carried unanimously.
Next steps: Staff will begin formal negotiations with each organization and return negotiated agreement terms to the commission and City Council for final approval. The commission also asked staff to pursue basic post‑event surveys with promoters to gather more precise data on where visitors stay and how long they remain in Hermosa Beach.
