Dozens of companies, from BankAmerica, TransAmerica,
Pacific Bell and NationsBank to CA-based companies such as
Callidus Software, PeopleSoft and Hartmann Studios, have
each paid "more than" $120,000 for hospitality tents at the
'98 U.S. Open at the Olympic Club, according to Swartz &
Howe of the S.F. CHRONICLE. Overall, 152 companies are
spending "an estimated" $11M to rent space at the Open, and
that doesn't include food or alcohol. All fees for tent-
renting go to the USGA. There are four "tent villages" at
the Open, each housing several 40-foot-by-40-foot air
conditioned and carpeted tents. For the fee of over
$120,000, companies can rent the tent for the week, as well
as receive over 100 Open tickets, at least 40 parking passes
and other amenities (S.F. CHRONICLE, 6/17).
IS IT WORTH IT? Caddilus, a San Jose-based start-up
software company, is spending more than $160,000 during the
Open to bring the company "to the attention" of top execs.
Senior VP/Marketing Phil Ressler said that he "could have
launched his marketing campaign" at this week's PC Expo in
N.Y. at a cost of about $80,000, but that "everybody else in
the corporate software business is there, too." J.P. Morgan
bought half of a tent for $65,000 for the week, and is
splitting the cost among four divisions in the company. The
company brought in NBC's Johnny Miller to talk with some
"favored customers." BankAmerica's tent is "modeled after
the TV series 'Cheers,'" and the company will bring in
Masters champ Mark O'Meara to speak to a group of VIP
customers (Swartz & Howe, S.F. CHRONICLE, 6/17).
