The motto of the Henrico Sports & Events Center at Virginia Center Commons in Glen Allen is “Showtime, all the time.”

Since the center’s grand opening in December 2023, over 375,000 people have attended events there. The center is the heart of Henrico’s sports tourism industry — which generated nearly $72.5 million in local economic activity in 2023 from “nonlocal tournaments,” according to county officials.

Earlier this month, Henrico celebrated the center’s first anniversary with a holiday donation drive, partnering with ESPN Richmond to collect sports gear for the Central Richmond Salvation Army. The three-day event also featured the inaugural “Battle of the Badges” basketball game between the county’s police and fire divisions.

“I think everyone’s just really pleased with seeing this vision come to life,” Dennis Bickmeier, director of the Henrico Sports & Entertainment Authority, told VPM News. “People have been amazed with the uniqueness of the building.”

The center hosted one of its marquee events just a few months after opening, the Atlantic 10 women’s basketball championship, eventually won by the Richmond Spiders. Over 16,000 people attended games over five days in March, and the tournament is returning to Henrico in 2025 and 2026.

Securing a significant event like a conference tournament in the center’s first year required a leap of faith from the Atlantic 10 and NCAA, Bickmeier said.

“The NCAA took a chance on us when we went and pitched them on bringing their tournament here with some really nice pictures and a good story to tell,” Bickmeier said. “They trusted us. We’ve learned a lot in the early bidding process what this building can do and where it fits, maybe in the NCAA ecosystem.”

Henrico also hosted the National Wheelchair Basketball Association’s adult and junior national championship tournaments in April, with more than 1,100 players competing for national titles.

And the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame held its 2024 induction ceremony at the center in April — the first time the event has been hosted in Central Virginia since the Hall of Fame’s inception in 1972.

Bickmeier is proud of what he and his team were able to accomplish in a year.

“I’d say the A-10 tournament was one of our better accomplishments,” he said. “But as a dad, to be able to sit in the stands and enjoy watching my daughter graduate from high school, that was pretty special too.”

Danny Bonifas, director of sports and events at Richmond Region Tourism, said the center already has become a significant draw to bring events to the Richmond area.

“This facility has, just in its one year of existence, already hosted some incredible events,” Bonifas said. “That’s what makes this building so great. It’s multipurpose and presents so many unique opportunities for folks to use it.”

Beyond the impact on tourism, Bonifas said the local community also stands to benefit from having a high-quality facility close by.

“We’ve got plenty of talent right here in Virginia who don’t have to travel halfway across the country to take part in an event for their respective sport.” Bonifas said. “It’s not only a good economic benefit to have this building here, it’s also good for our own citizens who live, work and play right here…. They get to experience a first-class event at a first-class facility right there in our backyard.”

Plans are in place for further expansion of Henrico’s sports and events scene. The county is hoping to move forward with its GreenCity development, which will be anchored around another new arena, and construction is ongoing for two restaurants and two hotels that will complement the Henrico Sports & Events Center.

Amid the rapid growth, Bickmeier said his focus is on continuing to attract new events to Henrico.

“We are on the map from a sports entertainment standpoint,” Bickmeier said. “Our focus is to keep going with what we have, continue to bring in teams and special event opportunities, so that we add to the quality of life for our residents, because it gives them something … to come in and experience and enjoy.”