PITTSBURGH, Pa., Jan. 15, 2014 – Highmark, Inc., based in Pittsburgh, Pa., has signed on as a local sponsor of the 2014 P&G Gymnastics Championships, scheduled for Aug. 21-24 at CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh. The 2014 P&G Gymnastics Championships, USA Gymnastics’ national championships, features the country’s top gymnasts, competing in both the men’s and women’s junior and senior divisions. The USA Gymnastics National Congress and Trade Show will be held in conjunction with the 2014 P&G Gymnastics Championships at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.

As the official health insurance supplier to Team USA since 2005, Highmark provides health insurance to the athletes wherever they train and compete – locally, across the country and abroad.

“Highmark’s support of the P&G Gymnastics Championships is an important element of the promotion of this event,” said Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics. “Their strong presence within the community and the region will be a tremendous asset to our outreach effort, and their existing relationship with the Olympic Movement makes this a natural fit. We look forward to working with this great company.”

“As a company with deep roots in western Pennsylvania, we have a special hometown pride in sponsoring an event that brings the finest gymnasts in the United States right to our own backyard,” said Steven Nelson, senior vice president of product, marketing and strategy for Highmark. “This event is a wonderful opportunity to showcase these world-class athletes, many of whom undoubtedly will be competing for Team USA in the 2016 Olympic Games.”

As a local sponsor, Highmark’s benefits include logo inclusion on event banners, signage and selected materials; hospitality; event tickets, some of which will be donated to local community groups; employee ticket discount offer; in-venue recognition and signage; promotional opportunities; exposure in the event program; supporting sponsor of any ancillary events at the championships; and other opportunities with the National Congress.

“Our relationship with Highmark has been a terrific asset to our building and the Pittsburgh Penguins, and Highmark will be a great partner for the P&G Gymnastics Championships,” said Tim Hassett, general manager of CONSOL Energy Center. “We are very proud to serve as the host of this prestigious event and look forward to working with all parties to make it the most successful championship to date.”

All-session tickets, which include all eight competitive sessions, are on sale now and range in price from $150-$500. Ticket prices include facility fees and vary according to ticket location. The Platinum VIP tickets include a commemorative gift, autographed poster and a meet-and-greet with a U.S. Olympian. Tickets will be available at the Dick’s Sporting Goods Box Office at CONSOL Energy Center, Ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster outlets or charge by phone at 800-745-3000. For group (10+ people) sales information, please call Justin Leach at (412) 804-7904. Discounted tickets are also available through local gym clubs that are participating in the Club Ticket Sales Program.

The competition schedule for men’s and women’s gymnastics is listed below.

• Thursday, Aug. 21 – women’s gymnastics, juniors (1 p.m.) and seniors (7:30 p.m.)
• Friday, Aug. 22 – men’s gymnastics, juniors (1 p.m.) and seniors (7 p.m.)
• Saturday, Aug. 23 – women’s gymnastics, juniors (2 p.m.) and seniors (7:30 p.m.)
• Sunday, Aug. 24 – men’s gymnastics, seniors (1 p.m.) and juniors (7:30 p.m.)

Performances at the 2014 P&G Gymnastics Championships will determine all-around and individual national champions, as well as the national team for the junior and senior elite levels. The nationals also traditionally serve as part of the selection process for the U.S. Team for the World Championships. Simone Biles of Spring, Texas/Bannon’s Gymnastix, and Sam Mikulak of Newport Coast, Calif./University of Michigan, won the men’s and women’s U.S. all-around titles, respectively, in 2013.

2014 will be the first time the U.S. Championships have been held in Pennsylvania since 2001 and just the fourth since 1973. The roster of former U.S. all-around champions is a veritable who’s who of gymnastics, including: women – Jordyn Wieber, Nastia Liukin, Shawn Johnson, Carly Patterson, Courtney Kupets, Shannon Miller, Dominique Dawes, Kim Zmeskal and Mary Lou Retton; and men – John Orozco, Danell Leyva, Jonathan Horton, Paul Hamm, Blaine Wilson, John Roethlisberger, Mitch Gaylord, Peter Vidmar, Tim Daggett and Bart Conner. The U.S. Gymnastics Championships traces its history back to 1897 for the men and 1931 for the women.

The annual USA Gymnastics National Congress and Trade Show is a three-day event open to the entire gymnastics community. Held in conjunction with the U.S. Gymnastics Championships, National Congress provides a unique opportunity for presentations, demonstrations and educational seminars on a variety of topics and a large exhibitor’s hall with additional business opportunities.

In addition to VisitPittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Penguins, AEG and CONSOL Energy Center were instrumental in bringing the event to the city. The City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County are also helping support the championships.

Background information

• Highmark, Inc. Highmark, Inc., is among the largest health insurers in the United States and the fourth-largest Blue Cross and Blue Shield-affiliated company. Highmark and its subsidiaries and affiliates operate health insurance plans in Pennsylvania, Delaware and West Virginia that serve 5.3 million members. Its diversified health businesses serve group customer and individual health needs across the United States through dental insurance, vision care and other related health businesses. Highmark is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies. For more information, visit www.highmark.com.

• VisitPittsburgh. VisitPittsburgh is the official tourism promotion agency for Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. The nonprofit organization is dedicated to generating convention, trade show and leisure travel business for the Pittsburgh region.

• CONSOL Energy Center. CONSOL Energy Center, operated by AEG Facilities, is Pittsburgh’s premier indoor site for sports and entertainment. In addition to being home to the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins, the arena hosted the 2012 NCAA Men’s Basketball second and third rounds as well as the 2013 NCAA Frozen Four and will host the 2015 NCAA Men’s Basketball second and third rounds.

• David L. Lawrence Convention Center. Completed in 2003 and owned by the Sports & Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County (SEA), the DLCC is located in downtown Pittsburgh’s Cultural District, within steps of theaters, museums, sport venues, galleries and restaurants. The dynamic architectural design is like no other – breath-taking views, open terraces and a suspended roof structure. As the first LEED Gold certified convention center under the LEED for New Construction rating system, some of the "green" features include: a natural ventilation system, abundant natural daylight, a water reclamation system, and an extensive recycling program. The DLCC continues to adhere to the slogan; "Built Green. Working Green. Every Day" and has now achieved LEED Platinum certification under the LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance rating system. The DLCC is the first convention center to receive certification under both rating systems.

• AEG Facilities. AEG, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Anschutz Company, is the leading sports, entertainment and venue operator in the world. AEG Facilities, a stand-alone affiliate of AEG, owns, operates or consults with more than 100 of the industry’s preeminent venues worldwide, across five continents, providing complete venue management, as well as specialized programs in operations, guest services, ticketing, booking, sales and marketing. AEG Facilities also provides resources and access to other AEG-affiliated entities, including live event producer, AEG Live, AEG Global Partnerships, AEG Development, AEG 1Earth, AEG Encore and AEG Creative to support the success of AEG venues across the globe. The Los Angeles-based organization owns, operates or provides services to the world’s most elite venues, including STAPLES Center (Los Angeles, Calif.), The Home Depot Center (Carson, Calif.), Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE (Los Angeles, Calif.), Sprint Center (Kansas City, Mo.), XL Center (Hartford, Conn.), KFC YUM! Center (Louisville, Ky.), AmericanAirlines Arena (Miami, Fla.), Prudential Center (Newark, N.J.), Target Center (Minneapolis, Minn.), BBVA Compass Stadium (Houston, Texas), O.co Coliseum and Oracle Arena (Oakland, Calif.), CONSOL Energy Center (Pittsburgh, Pa.), Mercedes-Benz Arena (Shanghai, China), MasterCard Center (Beijing, China), The O2 Arena (London, England), O2 World (Berlin, Germany), O2 World Hamburg (Hamburg, Germany), Ahoy Arena (Rotterdam, Netherlands), Pernambuco Stadium (Recife, Brazil), Allphones Arena (Sydney, Australia), ULKER Sports Arena (Istanbul, Turkey), Ericsson Globe Arena (Stockholm, Sweden) and the Qatar National Convention Centre (Doha, Qatar). For more information, please visit www.aegworldwide.com.