Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, in partnership with Atlantic Yards, and the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour, a wholly owned subsidiary of AVP, Inc. (OTC: AVPI.OB), a lifestyle sports entertainment company focused on professional beach volleyball, announced today that they are joining forces to bring the ultimate sports and entertainment experience to Brooklyn this summer for the AVP Brooklyn Open, presented by Cushman & Wakefield, August 17-20. The action will take place adjacent to the Coney Island Amusement Park along the famed boardwalk.

The announcement was made at a press conference on the boardwalk which was attended by Marty Markowitz, Brooklyn Borough President; Bruce Ratner, President and CEO of Forest City Ratner Companies and principal owner of the Nets; Adrian Benepe, Parks & Recreation Commissioner; Ken Podziba, New York City Sports Commissioner; Brett Yormark, CEO of Nets Sports & Entertainment; Joe Harbert, New York Metro Region Chief Operating Officer for Cushman & Wakefield; Olympic gold medalists Misty May and Kerri Walsh, and AVP volleyball stars Holly McPeak and Dain Blanton; local elected officials; the Nets Drumline, the Nets Dancers and volleyball players from Coney Island's Lincoln High School. The emcee for the press conference was Marv Albert, the legendary Nets broadcaster.

The AVP Brooklyn Open, in partnership with New York City Department of Parks & Recreation and the New York City Sports Commission, marks the first time the AVP will hold a tournament in New York City. It also features a promoter partnership with Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, which will be responsible for selling all local sponsorships, tickets, hospitality and concessions for the tournament.

More than 150 of the top professional beach volleyball athletes will compete in the tournament which will be televised live on NBC Sports. The AVP Brooklyn Open will kick off with a qualifier on Thursday, August 17 and continue through the weekend with the men's and women's finals on Saturday, August 19 and Sunday, August 20. The AVP will construct a temporary 4,000-seat stadium, as well as 12 outer courts that will offer general admission seating.

"We are thrilled to welcome the AVP Brooklyn Open and the world's premier beach volleyball players to Coney Island," said Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. "The AVP Brooklyn Open will showcase the renovations taking place in Coney Island as part of the $83.2 million redevelopment plan that will transform Coney Island into a year-round visitor destination. New Yorkers will have the opportunity to enjoy one of the nation's fastest-growing sports while soaking up the natural waterfront beauty of Coney Island. I can think of no better way to spend a summer weekend in New York City than enjoying a Nathan's hot dog, taking a stroll on the boardwalk and then being treated to exciting volleyball action on the beach."

"We are thrilled to bring the excitement of AVP to New York," said Leonard Armato, CEO and Tour Commissioner. "Brooklyn is a great market with some of the most loyal and enthusiastic sports fans and we look forward to introducing AVP, its fans and its sponsors to this high-energy sports environment. The involvement of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment in the promotion of this event is very significant for AVP as we see their desire to participate as a great proof point to the growing popularity of beach volleyball and the success of AVP. Our organizations will both be working hard to make sure that this is one of the premiere stops on the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour."

"It is incredibly exciting for Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment to be teaming with the AVP to bring the thrill of volleyball to one of the most celebrated spots in Brooklyn," said Brett Yormark, CEO of Nets Sports & Entertainment. "We will strive to make this tournament an historic event for the borough and to put on a great show for current and future volleyball fans on the beach. This is also an important opportunity for Brooklyn to be showcased on NBC in a significant way."

Said Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz: "Beach volleyball may have had its origins on the west coast, and its Olympic premiere in Atlanta, but with an AVP tournament coming to Coney Island, the sport's hit the big time--Brooklyn, USA!"

"Cushman & Wakefield is excited about sponsoring the AVP and helping to bring this world-class sport to New York and, especially to Brooklyn," said Bruce Mosler, president and chief executive officer of Cushman & Wakefield. "As a global real estate services firm founded in New York City in 1917, we see AVP's being here as another indication of our belief that Brooklyn's development is increasingly dynamic, making it one of the greatest places to live, work and play anywhere."

"Coney Island is synonymous with summer sports and recreation here in New York City," said Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe. "We are thrilled to be able to host such a celebrated event in one of our landmark locations by teaming up with the AVP. This summer's tournament will offer New Yorkers the ultimate Coney Island beach experience and mark the union of the hottest, most contemporary summer sports and one of the country's oldest, most beloved public beaches."

"We are thrilled to welcome the AVP Tour to Coney Island and thank Brooklyn Sports and Entertainment for their efforts to bring this spectacular event to Brooklyn," said NYC Sports Commissioner Ken Podziba. "There is no better place to showcase the world's finest beach volleyball players than on the world's greatest stage--New York City."

Tickets for the five ticketed sessions will be available for purchase beginning today on Ticketmaster at 212-307-7171 or at www.brooklynavp.com.

Following today's press conference, the four players, Misty May, Kerri Walsh, Holly McPeak and Dain Blanton, this afternoon will attend the unveiling of a giant-size AVP Brooklyn Open billboard that will be draped alongside a building on 42st Street and 8th Avenue in Manhattan. Later this evening, the players will attend the Nets-Atlanta Hawks game at the Continental Airlines Arena.

To date, local sponsors that have committed to the AVP Brooklyn Open include New York Sports Clubs, ANM Funding and Apple Bottoms Jeans.

AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour, Inc. is a leading lifestyle sports entertainment company focused on the production, marketing and distribution of professional beach volleyball events worldwide. AVP operates the industry's most prominent national touring series, the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour, which was organized in 1983. Featuring more than 150 of the top American men and women competitors in the sport, AVP staged 14 events throughout the United States in 2005. In 2004, AVP athletes successfully represented the United States during the Olympics in Athens, Greece, winning gold and bronze medals, the first medals won by U.S. women in professional beach volleyball. For more information, please visit www.avp.com.

The New York City Department of Parks & Recreation is the steward of nearly 29,000 acres of land, which make up 14 percent of New York City and include almost 4,000 individual properties, ranging from Yankee Stadium and Central Park to community gardens and greenstreets. Parks operates more than 800 athletic fields and nearly 1,000 playgrounds; manages 550 tennis courts, 52 swimming pools, 36 recreation centers, and 14 miles of beaches; cares for 1,200 monuments and 22 historic house museums; looks after 500,000 street trees, and 2 million more in parks. The agency is New York City's principal provider of athletic facilities, and is home to free concerts, world-class sports events, and cultural festivals.

The New York City Sports Commission ensures the continuation and growth of a healthy environment for professional, amateur and scholastic sports activities in New York City. In recent years, the Sports Commission has played a role in attracting or creating many new sporting events, including the NFL Kickoff Live from Times Square, NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series™ Champions Week, the BMC Software NYC Cycling Championship, the NYC Fiesta Cup, the Ford NYC Triathlon, Senior Men's Tennis Championship, Let Freedom Run and The Wild Onion Urban Adventure Race.

Contacts:

Barry Baum, 917-847-1737
Lupe Todd, 212-981-5241, 917-202-0116
Cara Greenberg, 212-841-7660
Andy Gould, 212-487-5665