The USTA and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., announced on Tuesday an extension of their agreement that will keep Westin Hotels and the Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) program as official US Open sponsors through 2014. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Westin Hotels and SPG first came on board as US Open sponsors in 2010. In addition to sponsoring the tournament as official hotel, the Westin brand will remain a non-exclusive presenting sponsor of US Open Live on USOpen.org, the official website of the US Open. In 2011, more than 3.1 million hours of live streaming were viewed over the course of the Open. Westin and the SPG sponsorship activation will feature a number of enhancements to the fan experience, including the return of the popular free pedicab rides on the boardwalk from the No. 7 subway train to the East Gate entrance of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, site of the US Open. SPG members will have an opportunity to bid on a number of unique experiences including ‘behind-the-scenes’ tours, corporate tennis clinics with a celebrity tennis pro and luxury suite packages at: http://www.spg.com/moments. For the first time, the SPG onsite activation in their promotional booth will feature digital displays, allowing fans to immerse themselves in destinations around the globe. “Through our partnership with the USTA, we have the ability to create once in a lifetime experiences, hospitality and surprise and delight opportunities for our SPG Members at the US Open – the highest attended annual sporting event in the world,” said Mark Vondrasek, Senior Vice President, Distribution, Loyalty & Partnership Marketing. “Our enhanced presence at the US Open illustrates how SPG strives to continue to deliver unique moments for our members tapping into their passion for sports.” “Extending our US Open agreement with Westin Hotels and the Starwood Preferred Guest program is indicative of the USTA’s strong track record of building long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with our partners,” said Lew Sherr, Chief Revenue Officer, USTA. “Through our aligned brands, we look forward to continue working with Starwood on enhancing the experience provided to our fans.” The 2012 US Open will be held Monday, August 27 through Sunday, September 9. Last year’s US Open drew more than 650,000 fans, including a record attendance of more than 186,000 during Labor Day Weekend. Oriflame’s WTA Tour Partnership Goes Global