Tournament Advantage Program (TAP)

The Tournament Advantage Program (TAP) is how we secure the venues and hotel partnerships that make large-scale volleyball events possible, and how we keep the terms of those partnerships transparent for the families who attend.

For events where accommodations are part of the tournament plan, yes — TAP includes a hotel room-block requirement, sometimes called "stay-to-play." We use that term openly because families deserve to know what's being asked of them, not to distance ourselves from it. What matters isn't the name — it's how the program is run.

See what TAP provides, every time

Convention centers and venues commit space to us based on the hotel room nights we can guarantee. Without that commitment, the event would either be unable to host at certain venues, or would need to substantially increase registration fees to cover the additional venue costs — and participants would not have access to the negotiated group hotel rates and other accommodations made available through the room block. Where this makes a hotel reservation mandatory for an event, we state that clearly on the registration page.

Commuters within the posted distance are eligible for an automatic exemption upon providing proof of distance from the venue. Military/government rate bookings and qualifying hotel loyalty-point bookings may be eligible, provided eligibility requirements are met. Individuals should coordinate with their own team or club first. An individual exemption doesn't alter the team's required room block or room ratio obligations — full-team exemptions require prior written approval from the Tournament Director. Details are on each event's registration page.

A flat $12 per reservation, non-refundable, regardless of how many nights you stay. This fee supports the technology and service behind your booking — platform development and maintenance, PCI-compliant credit card security, customer service and support, and ongoing platform improvements.

The hotel is responsible for ensuring that the contracted group rate for the room types included in the room block is the lowest publicly available rate for comparable room types during the peak event dates.

Rates that require proof of membership or eligibility — such as AAA, AARP, corporate, government, military, or crew rates — aren't part of that comparison, since they aren't generally available to the public. Prepaid, nonrefundable rates, and non-comparable room types are also excluded.

If a lower publicly available rate is found, we notify the hotel as soon as we become aware. Under the hotel's contract, they have 48 hours to either remove the lower rate or reduce the rate for the entire group block to match it — so every family booked in the block benefits, not just whoever found it.

Depending on the event and applicable hotel agreement, the event may receive rebates or other partnership benefits based on the room nights generated through the hotel program. These partnerships and any related benefits support the event's ability to secure venues, host events of this size, and provide participants with negotiated group hotel rates and other accommodations.

Room ratio, commuter distance, booking deadline, exemption process, and cancellation policy are always posted on that event's own registration page and confirmation communications.