After a "slow start," the Trail Blazers' corporate
division that sells advertising at Portland Int'l Airport
(PDX) is turning a profit and selling 96% or more of the PDX
ad sites during any one month, according to Robert Goldfield
of the PORTLAND BUSINESS JOURNAL. Gross revenues from PDX
sales will exceed $1M this year, officials said. Moreover,
the Blazers' ad division has since signed a contract for the
airport in Burbank, CA, "and is a finalist for the job at the
San Diego airport." Steve MacKelvie, Dir of the Blazers'
Airport Division: "We've proven that a themed concept to
airport advertising and design works. We're starting to get
calls from around the country" (BUSINESS JOURNAL, 10/24).
ROSE GARDEN DEALS: Goldfield also reports that the
Blazers "recently scored on corporate sponsorship deals that
promise to deliver an extra" $2.5M annually. Coors Brewery
agreed to use the fourth and final "media totem" on the
concourses of the Rose Garden and five companies will place
their names on new rotating signs that will ring the arena's
seating bowl. Coors joins Coca-Cola, Panasonic and Visa on
the media totem. The totems' original price are $395,000 a
year over 10 years, with 10% jumps in the fourth and seventh
years, but Visa and Coors are paying "slightly less" each
year in five-year deals "largely" because they lack
exclusivity agreements with the arena. Thomason Auto Group,
Airtouch Cellular, Henry Weinhard's, Southwest Airlines and
Godfather's Pizza appear on the rotating signs. Blazers VP/
Sponsor Sales & Client Services Erin Hubert said that the
sign system will generate $1-1.5M in ad revenue this fiscal
year and could produce more than $2M in succeeding years
(Portland BUSINESS JOURNAL, 10/24 issue).
