Stadium naming rights in play

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 13/08/2011 (5200 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are hunting for a naming-rights sponsor for the “architectural monument” that will be their home starting next season.

The team doesn’t have a deadline by which the sponsor must be named but has begun negotiations with potential local and national candidates.

Jeff Thompson, the Bombers’ chief transition officer, said the team has conducted some studies to determine how much naming rights to the new stadium would be worth, but he declined to provide specific numbers. He said a company’s ability to cut a cheque is secondary to sharing the same values and ethics as the football club.

“We’re looking for a tremendous partner, one that has the same position in the community as we do,” he said.

Canad Inns, the Winnipeg-based owner and operator of the largest hotel chain in Manitoba, acquired the naming rights in 2005 for what used to be known as Winnipeg Stadium.

The Free Press reported last year that Canad Inns has paid the Blue Bombers $120,000 annually for stadium naming rights.

Canad Inns president Leo Ledohowski wasn’t available Friday to comment on whether his company is interested in continuing the naming-rights partnership with the Bombers.

Thompson said it’s safe to say the new deal, regardless of whom it’s with, will be richer than the one signed six years ago.

“That was done based on valuations created six years ago. Today, the valuations are in current terms. When valuing the analytics, you include signage, television, radio, all of those elements. The TV viewership back then was different than it is today. The exposure rates today are much higher. There’s all of the pre-game and post-game coverage, too. The patch that’s on the jersey gets viewed thousands of times when a highlight is shown,” he said.

In the Bombers’ favour for negotiating a significant value for the naming rights, Thompson said, is that the new stadium will not only be a state-of-the-art facility, but will also be the first new home for a CFL team in more than two decades.

“We’d be hard-pressed to see anyone on the corporate side who wouldn’t want that national exposure so they could build their brand, both nationally and internationally. A lot of times, the naming-rights sponsor wants to make a specific impact in the market (of the facility),” he said.

As True North Sports & Entertainment did with the MTS Centre, the Blue Bombers plan to sign a primary sponsor, then bring on board other founding partners and sponsors in various categories, including pouring rights for soft drinks and beer, automobiles, building products and banking.

“Each category will be represented here, for sure,” Thompson said.

The fact the Bombers are currently in first place in the CFL and their defence has carved out an identity as “Swaggerville” doesn’t hurt the naming-rights negotiations, but Thompson said both the team and potential corporate partners are thinking longer-term.

“When you look at what’s being built here and how it’s being built by coach Paul LaPolice and (general manager) Joe Mack, these are the same type of elements we want to bring to the business side,” he said.

“Each one of the men who is playing on this team loves the community. They’re connected to the community, they’ve got a tremendous work ethic, they want to win, and losing isn’t an option for these guys. The leadership from the coaching staff is phenomenal, too. That momentum absolutely carries through on the business side.”

geoff.kirbyson@freepress.mb.ca

State-of-art field swagger-worthy

If you think Swaggerville looks good now, just wait until next year.

The stadium that will be the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ new home is more than 20 per cent complete and on schedule for a ribbon-cutting prior to next season’s home opener in June.

And if you had any doubt that the $190-million project was going to be anything but spectacular, spend a few minutes with Mike Clynes, who is co-ordinating arguably the most talked-about construction site in Manitoba.

(Judging from his last project, a $4.8-billion resort in Las Vegas, the stadium should be a relative walk in the park.)

“This is going to be a world-class stadium. It will blow a lot of North American stadiums out of the water,” Clynes said. “This will be a monument to the people of Winnipeg and Manitoba for years to come. It’s going to be an impressive stadium.”

With construction costs on the low end, at about $5,900 per seat, great care has been taken to ensure the fan experience will be top-shelf. It will start before fans even hand over their tickets at the gate, as the stadium’s trusses will tower over them from above. Once at their seats, they’ll be able to look at one of two giant high-definition screens, 10.5 metres by 34.8 metres, at either end of the stadium. They won’t have to miss a minute of the action when going for a beer or hotdog, as all the concession counters will be located on the inside perimeter of the stadium.

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Ossama AbouZeid, the Bombers’ interim CEO, said fans want three things when they come to a football game — good concessions, a good seat and a reasonable number of washrooms.

“On all three fronts, I think our fans will be very happy with what we are offering,” he said.

The technological features in the new stadium will make those in Canad Inns Stadium look like it’s from the Stone Age. AbouZeid said fans will be able to use their smartphones to view highlights and order food directly to their seats. As at airports, they will also be able to gain entry with a ticket on their phones.

The new stadium will have 57 luxury suites, complete with outdoor seats in front. None has been sold yet, but Bombers officials said the corporate community has already shown strong interest.

– Geoff Kirbyson