ATHLEISURE MAG #103 JUL ISSUE | CITI TASTE OF TENNIS

As we navigate the summer, there are a number of events that are always on our mind! With the US Open around the corner, Citi Taste of Tennis kicks off a series of events as well as the Grand Slam that gets everyone excited! At Citi Taste of Tennis, you're able to enjoy some of the best chefs and restaurants as well as seeing your favorite tennis players who will be playing at the US Open as well as veterans together! We've enjoyed attending over the years and look forward to attending on Aug 22nd at Gotham Hall with this year's host, Prakash Amritraj We wanted to know more about this event as well as others that are part of Taste of Tennis. We sat down with AYS Sports Marketing CEO, Penney Lerner to get all the details.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Before we delve into this year's Citi Taste of Tennis, I wanted to know more about AYS Sports Marketing and who this producer is?

PENNY LERNER: Citi Taste of Tennis was created by AYS Sports Marketing, a woman-owned experiential marketing agency started in 1996 by mother and daughter duo, Judi and Penny Lerner.

AM: When did Taste of Tennis launch and why was this created?

PL: The principals at AYS worked with various tennis tournaments for many years and, in doing so, developed close relationships with tennis players, agents, and other industry insiders. With their fingers on pulse on the state of professional tennis, they identified an exciting and untapped opportunity. While tennis featured topnotch tournaments and A-list players, there were no high profile “off the court” events that were prominent in so many other sports. To fill this void, AYS created the Taste of Tennis in 1999.

In 2000, AYS hosted the first Taste of Tennis event in NYC headlined by Andre Agassi and celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse. The event combined food prepared by top chefs, celebrity appearances, entertainment and an Oscar's style red carpet. The event was instantly a hit among players, fans, sponsors and the media. Since then, the Taste has become a who’s who of tennis stars, culinary personalities and celebrities. Past attendees include Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Rafael Nadal, Coco Gauff, Mike Tyson, Eva Longoria, Marcus Samuelsson, Lana Del Rey, Naomi Osaka, Andy Roddick, John Legend, Chrissy Teigen, Olivia Culpo, Maria Sharapova, John McEnroe, Nick Kyrgios, Al Roker, Tamron Hall, Billie Jean King, Morimoto, Monica Seles, and many others.

AM: We have attended Citi Taste of Tennis for a few years and have enjoyed them each time. In addition to NY, you have a Taste of Tennis for London, Indian Wells, Washington D.C., and Miami. What do you look for when it comes to deciding on bringing a Taste of Tennis to a city as we assume that it involves doing it in tandem with a tennis match?

PL: Citi Taste of Tennis has occurred in many different cities over the past 10 years, from Melbourne to London to New York City to Toronto. We are always evaluating cities that have unique culinary offerings, have the potential for new digital content and most importantly, have tennis happening nearby!

AM: In terms of the upcoming Citi Taste of Tennis what does the calendar look like in terms of planning? Can you tell us what you are focused on when you're a year out, 6 months, 3 months, and a month away?

PL: Citi Taste of Tennis is a brand. We focus on it for 12 months of the year and are constantly evaluating new markets, rising chefs and culinary trends, up and coming tennis players, unique venues, inspiring digital content, social media, sponsorships and more. It’s a big undertaking, and we have a great team and after 24 years, hundreds of hours of digital content and 75+ events, we have a solid understanding of what the brand requires.

AM: This year, you are returning to Gotham Hall. Each year, these events blend players, fans, and cuisine. Can you tell us what we should expect this year?

PL: Guests will enjoy cuisine prepared by 20 leading chefs including Mischa Tsumura (No. 5 Best Restaurant in the World –Maido) and Antonio Bachour (World’s Best Pastry chef 2018, 2022). They will also be treated to special appearances by a number of top tennis stars including 8-Time Grand Slam Champion Andre Agassi, Qinwen Zheng (World #7) and Alexander Zverev (World #4). There will also be great food and fun promotions provided by our sponsors including Segafredo Zanetti Coffee, Scenic Cruises, Boar’s Head, Barbados Tourism Board, Liquid Death and Savas Health.

AM: Is there anything new being added to this year's event?

PL: We are producing a live cooking competition between Chef Mischa and Chef Antonio with WTA player Qinwen Zheng and ATP player Zhizhen Zhang which Andre Agassi will judge!

AM: Outside of the events associated with tennis tournaments, what does Taste of Tennis do throughout the year?

PL: Taste of Tennis started out as a 3-hour culinary event and has evolved into one of the most popular brands in pro tennis. In addition to the 3 North American events, we currently produce, Taste of Tennis is also an Official Sponsor of the Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic at Hurlingham (UK). This year, we will also have a Taste of Tennis experience at the National Bank Open (Toronto). We have a full-time staff dedicated to managing all elements of the brand including sales, culinary, digital content, production, and public relations. Suffice to say it's a year-round program.

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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Taste of Tennis