American Kennel Club and GF Sports & Entertainment Announce Additional AKC Meet the Breeds® Tour Dates on Sale

NEW YORK, July 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Kennel Club (AKC)®, the leading purebred dog registry and governing body of canine sports in the United States, and GF Sports & Entertainment, a global sports and entertainment events and operations company, today announced tickets on sale for four additional cities on the AKC Meet the Breeds^® National Tour.  AKC Meet the Breeds^® is America's largest in-person dog breed educational showcase. The two-day event is perfect for the whole family with children's tickets lower than $20 and a variety of ticket options including early access and VIP experiences. Tickets are on sale now  for Tampa, FL (Sept. 18-19); Columbus, OH (Nov. 13-14); and New Orleans, LA (Nov. 20-21) through the tour's exclusive ticket provider SeatGeek®.

Tickets are also available for  the first two AKC Meet the Breeds^® tour dates in San Diego, CA (Aug. 14-15) and Dallas, TX (Aug 21-22).

From Affenpinschers to Yorkshire Terriers and everything in between, the showcase gives pet lovers the unique opportunity to meet and play with more than 100 different dog breeds in booths that depict each breed's country of origin, historical purpose/function, and attributes as a family pet, all while learning about responsible pet ownership and which breeds may be right for them.  The event also includes unique activities such as testing your own agility skills in our interactive area and participating in games and photo opportunities with the whole family.  All events will be held with COVID-19 protocols in place.

"We are beyond excited to bring this unique, educational dog event to more cities," said Dennis B. Sprung, President and CEO of AKC.  "This is an excellent opportunity to educate the public about dogs and which breeds may fit their lifestyle and how to be responsible dog owners. Special thanks to the knowledgeable volunteers from AKC parent breed clubs and local clubs for supporting our vision and making this responsible pet education extravaganza possible."

Added Shawn Tilger, President, GF Sports & Entertainment: "The enthusiasm for the AKC Meet the Breeds^® events from venue operators across the country is incredible. We are excited to be able to add three more dates to this year's tour, with hopefully more to come!"

SeatGeek has signed on as the first official ticketing provider of the AKC Meet the Breeds^® National Tour. As part of the multi-year venture, SeatGeek will have a presence in all tour locations with a branded box office and activation throughout the event. SeatGeek will also support event promotions through online and digital marketing efforts. SeatGeek's mobile-focused ticket platform enables users to buy and sell tickets for live sports, concerts and theater events. SeatGeek allows both mobile app and desktop users to browse events, view interactive color-coded seat maps, complete purchases, and receive electronic or printed tickets. Through their relationship, SeatGeek will provide AKC Meet the Breeds^® with best-in-class data analytics tools designed to analyze ticket demand and maximize revenue potential across their events.

Visit akc.org/meetthebreeds for up-to-date information on all AKC Meet the Breeds^® events.

About the American Kennel Club®
Founded in 1884, the American Kennel Club® is a not-for-profit organization, which maintains the largest registry of purebred dogs in the world and oversees the sport of purebred dogs in the United States. The AKC is dedicated to upholding the integrity of its registry, promoting the sport of purebred dogs and breeding for type and function.  Along with its more than 5,000 licensed and member clubs and its affiliated organizations, the AKC advocates for the purebred dog as a family companion, advances canine health and well-being, works to protect the rights of all dog owners and promotes responsible dog ownership. More than 22,000 competitions for AKC-registered purebred and mixed breed dogs are held under AKC rules and regulations each year including conformation, agility, obedience, rally, tracking, herding, lure coursing, coonhound events, hunt tests, field and earthdog tests. Affiliate AKC organizations include the AKC Humane Fund, AKC Canine Health Foundation, AKC Reunite and the AKC Museum of the Dog.  For more information, visit www.akc.org.

AKC, American Kennel Club, the American Kennel Club seal and design, and all associated marks and logos are trademarks, registered trademarks and service marks of The American Kennel Club, Inc.

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About GF Sports & Entertainment
GF Sports & Entertainment is a global events and operations company that elevates the experience of live sports, entertainment and interactive events. The company owns two of the ATP Tour's longest running American tennis tournaments, the Dallas Open and the Truist Atlanta Open presented by Fiserv, as well as the National Lacrosse League New York Riptide. In partnership with the American Kennel Club (AKC), the leading registry and governing body of canine events in the United States, they operate the AKC Meet the Breeds® touring show. GF Sports & Entertainment also incubates new and emerging sport concepts, this includes Wolf Pack Ninjas, which operates ninja-focused events globally.

GF Sports & Entertainment was founded in July 2015 by New York-based private equity firm GF Capital. For additional information, please visit www.gfsportsandentertainment.com.

About SeatGeek®
SeatGeek® is the leading mobile-focused ticket platform that enables fans to buy and sell tickets for sports, concert, and theater events. With industry-leading mobile ticketing apps, a fan-friendly user experience and its proprietary Deal Scoretm technology that helps fans identify the best ticket values for a given event, SeatGeek is transforming the way that fans buy and sell tickets to their favorite events. SeatGeek Enterprise - the company's primary ticketing platform - is used by partners throughout the U.S., from the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Pelicans, to Austin F.C. and Arizona Cardinals. SeatGeek also has a league-wide partnership with Major League Soccer, and tickets a significant portion of the English Premier League, Headquartered in New York, SeatGeek also has international offices in the U.K., Israel, and Italy. For more information about SeatGeek, visit www.seatgeek.com.

SOURCE American Kennel Club