LA Port Gears up for LA Fleet Week Inaugural
Organizers of this summer’s inaugural LA Fleet Week 2016 are in full planning mode for the week-long call of U.S. Navy ships on the LA Waterfront in the days leading up to and including Labor Day Weekend.
Friday September 2, through Monday September 5, big crowds are expected to converge at the Port of Los Angeles World Cruise Center for Naval vessel ship tours and a variety of exhibits and activities along the main channel that will bring together the public and more than 1,500 military personnel descending on the nation’s largest trade gateway for the end-of-summer celebration.
Fleet Week is a United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard tradition in New York, San Francisco and a number of other port cities. In November 2015, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, U.S. Navy officials and the Port of Los Angeles announced that Los Angeles will be added to the U.S. Navy’s official Fleet Week roster starting in 2016.
“LA Fleet Week at America’s Port will be a great annual tradition for Angelenos to visit the LA Waterfront, tour ships, enjoy a variety of activities, and gain a deeper appreciation of our enlisted men and women,” said Mayor Garcetti during the announcement last fall.
“We are very excited to host and see a significant turnout for LA Fleet Week™,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka. “This is a great occasion for people to visit and explore our harbor enclave and enjoy what’s destined to become an annual end-of-summer tradition in Southern California.”
Passes for the popular ship tours will be available both online and on-site, first-serve basis. Half of the passes will be made available online several weeks before the event.
In addition to ship tours, other activities planned for LA Fleet Week include a special “Fleet Week First Thursday” community welcome event, Veteran’s Village resource area, military and emergency responder equipment displays, family STEM Expo, live entertainment stage, and demonstration airshow planned among other activities.
To keep the public updated about LA Fleet Week developments and announcements, event organizers have launched LAFleetWeek.com. On the website, individuals can get the latest event information and sign up for email updates. Event updates will also be announced on the LA Fleet Week Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts, and on social media using the hashtag #LAFleetWeek2016.
Seeking Inaugural Year Sponsors
LA Fleet Week sponsors and major underwriters include Farmers & Merchants Bank, U.S. Bank, Tesoro, Providence Health & Services, Sailor Jerry, Southern California Ford Dealers, and several other nationally recognized organizations.
Organizers are actively seeking event sponsors, underwriters and tax-deductible donations, offering many ground-floor opportunities for both corporate and private party participation. The LA Fleet Week Foundation 501(c)(3) has been established to ensure ongoing, sustainable support for the annual event, in addition to the formation of a leadership council for community ambassadors. For sponsorship or foundation information, contact Jonathan Williams at [email protected] or visit the foundation website at www.lafleetweek.org.
The Port of Los Angeles, a major event underwriter, is America’s premier port and has a strong commitment to developing innovatively strategic and sustainable operations that benefit Southern California’s economy and quality of life. North America’s leading seaport by container volume and cargo value, the Port of Los Angeles facilitated $270 billion in trade during 2015. In addition to making LA Fleet Week possible, the Port’s cargo operations facilitate more than 133,000 jobs (about one in 14) in the City of Los Angeles and 479,000 jobs (or one in 18) in the five-county Southern California region. The San Pedro Bay Ports support nearly 1 million California jobs and 2.8 million nationwide.
