AKC, GF Sports & Entertainment Announce Meet the Breeds Tour

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Press release: The American Kennel Club

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, recently announced the national tour for AKC Meet the Breeds, America’s largest in-person dog breed educational showcase. The 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 for San Diego, CA  and Dallas, TX, through the tour’s exclusive ticket provider SeatGeek.

AKC Meet the Breeds will bring the two-day breed showcase to multiple cities in 2021 with additional dates and locations to be announced later in the year. From Afghan Hounds 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 thrilled to be able to bring this unique, educational dog event to new cities in 2021,” said Dennis B. Sprung, president and CEO of AKC. “We relish in the ability to educate the public about dogs and which breeds may fit their lifestyle and how to be responsible dog owners. This is a major undertaking for us, and we are excited to get on the road. We thank our knowledgeable Parent Club members for volunteering their expertise on each unique breed.”

Added Shawn Tilger, president, GF Sports & Entertainment: “We can’t wait to bring smiles to the faces of pet lovers across the country when the first-ever AKC Meet the Breeds National tour begins this summer. We are delighted to be in new cities for 2021 and plan to expand the tour further in 2022.”

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.

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.