Tahoe Blue Vodka earns naming rights to new Lake Tahoe event center

LAKE TAHOE, Nev. - For ten years the Tahoe Douglas and Lake Tahoe Visitor's Authorities have been working on getting a special events center built on the South Shore. During those same ten years, Matt Levitt worked on creating a local vodka company with one employee and 400 cases produced a year to this year's 65,000 cases of vodka sold.

Now the two efforts have combined and Tahoe Blue Vodka was given the naming rights to the new event center in a multi-year deal. The Tahoe Blue Center is slated to be finished in July 2023 and will be home to sporting events, concerts, conferences, and much more.

During the official naming event Tuesday inside the center, the deal was announced and the agreement papers were signed between Oak View Group 360 (OVG360), the Tahoe Douglas Visitor's Authority (TDVA), and Tahoe Blue Vodka.

The event center is not the only venue Tahoe Blue Vodka is part of, though it's the only one they have naming rights to. They are partners with the Sacramento Kings and San Francisco 49ers - there are four branded bars with Tahoe Blue Vodka inside Levi Stadium, and, since 2019, the outdoor 'bosque' in DOCO Plaza at the Golden 1 Center has been branded the Tahoe Blue Ridge bar.

Moviegoers have also seen the Tahoe Blue Vodka product in movies. Levitt, Founder & CEO of Tahoe Blue Vodka and Tahoe Spirits, Inc., has worked hard to go from selling bottles of Tahoe Blue Vodka out of his car's trunk to becoming a name brand, and one that believes in sustainability and being a strong partner in the community.

“As the naming rights partner for the new Tahoe Blue Center, we are proud to support this spectacular, innovative, and unparalleled venue that reflects our long-standing commitment to invest in the region, celebrate the unique Lake Tahoe lifestyle, and be a driving force as an ecological leader and innovator,” said Levitt.

A sponsor of Clean Up The Lake, Levitt said they want to lead by example and make as little of an impact as possible at the center, something echoed by the other partners, OVG360, and TDVA. OVG360 is the venue management and hospitality company operating the Tahoe Blue Center.

"This is a special moment in the history of Lake Tahoe and Tahoe Blue Vodka," added Levitt. "I'm incredibly grateful."

Levitt lead those gathered in a toast (a glass of Tahoe Blue Vodka, of course) as the draping around the sign dropped.

Tahoe Blue Vodka has won over 30 prestigious awards at the highest-regarded spirits tasting competitions. Through its parent company, Tahoe Spirits, Inc., Tahoe Blue Vodka has donated over $200K of its proceeds to organizations that work to protect Lake Tahoe and its surrounding environment.

As the naming ceremony was being held, crews were working on the new cement floor of the center. At 2 a.m. Tuesday, 15 concrete trucks came into Lake Tahoe to pour the cement. The 13 private suites and four mini-suites inside have almost all been spoken for by sponsors.