The 2015 Arnold Sports Festival will expand to the Ohio Expo Center and all bodybuilding events will relocate to the convention center. The professional and amateur bodybuilding events are relocating to the Greater Columbus Convention Center due to the Veterans Memorial closure. There are a number of new events slated for 2015 including the addition of Men and Women’s Pro Physique.
2015 Arnold Sports Festival Expands To Ohio Expo Center & Bodybuilding Events Relocated to Convention Center
18,000 athletes compete in 50 sports and events before 175,000 attendees
COLUMBUS, OHIO – The Arnold Sports Festival, the largest multi-sport event in the nation, will move several competitions to the Ohio Expo Center in 2015, including the NEW Arnold Kids Fitness EXPO. All professional and amateur bodybuilding shows will be relocated to the Greater Columbus Convention Center, due to the closing of Franklin County Veterans Memorial.
Sports and events to be held at the Ohio Expo Center in 2015 include Archery, Cheerleading & Dance, CrossFit Endeavor, Disc Golf, Pickleball, Table Tennis and XPC Powerlifting.
The new Arnold Kids Fitness EXPO will feature demonstrations and clinics in baseball, chess, fencing, football, golf, gymnastics, hockey, soccer and tennis, among others. The Kids Fitness EXPO will feature nonstop stage entertainment, a new Arnold’s Got Talent show, and vendor booths. It will be held Saturday, March 7 and Sunday, March 8 at the Bricker Building at the Ohio Expo Center, 717 E. 17th Avenue.
The Arnold Sports Festival’s professional bodybuilding shows that have traditionally been held at Veterans Memorial, will be held at Battelle Grand at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. The Pole Fitness National Championships, returning for its second year, will be held at Battelle Grand on Friday, March 7 at 9:30pm, immediately following Arnold Classic 212, Fitness International and Figure International Finals.
The Arnold Amateur Bodybuilding, Fitness, Figure, Bikini & Physique Championships that were held at Veterans Memorial on Thursday and Friday in the past will also move to Battelle Grand.
Other new events in 2015 include IFBB Pro Men’s Physique, IFBB Pro Women’s Physique, Model Search, WWE, Chess, America’s Next Great Trainer, Soccer, MAS Wrestling and Rowing.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jim Lorimer have co-produced the Arnold Sports Festival since 1989, when it debuted as a one-day bodybuilding competition known as the Arnold Classic. The Arnold Sports Festival has grown over the years and is now a four-day festival that features a variety of sports, including professional and amateur bodybuilding, strongman, weightlifting, and powerlifting. Youth sports include gymnastics, cheerleading and dance, fencing, martial arts and many others.
Admission to the Arnold Kids Fitness EXPO and the sports and events at the Ohio Expo Center is included in the Daily EXPO Ticket ($10 in advance, $15 at the door). Children 10 and under are FREE. Parking at the Ohio Expo Center will be $6. FREE shuttles will run from the Ohio Expo Center to the Greater Columbus Convention Center on Friday, March 6-Sunday, March 8.
The 2015 Arnold Fitness EXPO will be held March 6-8 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, and feature more than 900 booths of the latest in sports equipment, apparel and nutrition and a stage that hosts unique, non-stop competitions and entertainment that combine to make the Arnold Fitness EXPO the heart of the Arnold Sports Festival.
“A Daily EXPO ticket affords a great entertainment value and allows our attendees to experience a great variety of sports and events,†co-promoter Jim Lorimer said. “We are very proud to provide the opportunity for athletes, a majority of them youth, to compete at the largest multi-sport festival in the U.S.â€
A daily ticket to the EXPO includes admission to most of the 50 sports and events. For a complete list of events visit the website’s Ticket Information page.
Separate tickets are required for the following events:
• Arnold Amateur Classic Bodybuilding Prejudging & Finals, Fitness, Figure and Bikini Prejudging 4pm Thursday, March 5, Battelle Grand $25.
• Meet & Greet with IFBB Pros, 8pm Thursday, March 5, Hilton Columbus Downtown $25.
• Amateur Bodybuilding Prejudging, Physique & Figure Masters Prejudging & Finals, 9am Friday, March 6, Battelle Grand $25.
• Arnold Classic 212, Fitness International, Figure International Finals and Pole Fitness National Championships, 7pm Friday, March 6, Battelle Grand $50-75.
• Amateur MMA Festival, 7pm Friday, March 6, Lifestyles Communities Pavilion $30-$75 (not included in VIP package).
• 27th Annual Arnold Classic and Bikini International Prejudging, 2pm Saturday, March 7, Battelle Grand $50.
• 27th Annual Arnold Classic, Bikini International and Strongman Classic Finals, 7pm Saturday, March 7, Battelle Grand $50-$100.
• Arnold Party With The Pros, 9pm Saturday, March 7, Hollywood Casino $25.
• Arnold Pro Boxing, 7pm Saturday, March 7, L.C. Pavilion (not included in VIP package).
• Arnold, Sunday Showcase Featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger, 11am Sunday, March 8, Hilton Columbus Downtown $50 ($25 for students with ID).
VIP Ticket Packages and individual event tickets are available through Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com/arnold or 800-745-3000. Daily EXPO tickets are available for $10 in advance (plus service charge) or $15 at the door of all Arnold Sports Festival venues. Children 10 and under free.
Presenting Sponsor: Europa Sports Products.
Diamond Sponsors: EAS Abbott Nutrition, Hollywood Casino Columbus, MHP, MusclePharm, Quest Nutrition.
Gold Sponsors: 6 Pack Fitness, Animal, BPI, BSN, CytoSport, Gasp & Better Bodies, Gymshark, Jan Tana, Muscle & Fitness Magazine, Optimum Nutrition, ProMera Sports.
Silver Sponsors: 4 Dimension Nutrition, AEP, ABB Performance, Allmax Nutrition, Beast Sports, Bodybuilding.com, Gaspari Nutrition, GAT / World Health Products, GEAR, Inc., Gifted Nutrition, Kiosk Kings Champion Energy, Liftag Sport, Lone Star Distribution, MuscleTech, Nutrex Research, Oh Yeah! Nutrition, Ricart.com, Rivalus, Rogue Fitness, SAN Nutrition, USN, VPX.
Bronze Sponsors: 1 Up Nutrition, Active Interest Media, BioRhythm, Blender Bottle, Cellucor, Flexicus.com, FUEL, Gold’s Gym, Grow Dietary Supplements, GT Nutrition USA, Infitnitude, iSatori, Inc., Mutant, MRI, MRM, Muscle Egg, N.V.E. Pharmaceuticals, Scivation, Skechers, SmartShake, Twinlab.
For more information, including schedules, locations and hours, visit www.arnoldsportsfestival.com.
