Hillside Stadium will be known by a new name once sponsorship is in place. The smaller sign on the right is the proposed size of the sign that would be posted at the stadium.
(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)
June 07, 2014 - 4:29 PM
KAMLOOPS — When a new city sports facility naming program rolled out just over a year ago the city had high hopes it would be a great way to help reduce the amount of fundraising local sports groups would need to do, but so far not one sponsorship has been sold.
“The uptake is a bit slower than expected, but we’re still optimistic,” Parks Operations Supervisor Shawn Cook says. “We have potential clients coming on board. We’re hoping we’re close (and) that it will help get the ball rolling.”
The program has not yet signed on a single sponsor and they have not heard a lot of feedback on why no one has signed on. Cook says another company has been added to sales team in an effort to cast a wider net.
“No definitive road block has been mentioned, just a lot of kicking tires,” he says. “There’s a lot of thinking about it and needing to budget. It is a three year commitment.”
While the city was anticipating about $350,000 in annual revenues from the program the funds were to be earmarked for local sports organizations and not the city budget.
“The impact is on local sport organizations, they are required to raise more funds,” Cook notes. “The onus is on event organizers to raise more sponsorship dollars. It’s less help for these groups at this point.”
The venues available for in-venue naming rights include two ice pads and two soccer fields at McArthur Island; Memorial, Brocklehurst and Valleyview Arenas; Hillside Stadium Field, Fieldhouse Championship and Middle Court, Wellness Centre and Athlete's Performance Centre at Tournament Capital Centre; leisure pool and waterslide at Canada Games Aquatic Centre and two fields at Tournament Capital Slo-Pitch Ranch.
Venues will retain their current names but will be referred to under the sponsorship name and additional signs with that name will be placed at entrances and around the facility.
To contact a reporter for this story, email Jennifer Stahn at jstahn@infotelnews.ca or call 250-819-3723. To contact an editor, email mjones@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2014