The SkyDome has "changed its sales pitch dramatically
to boxholders by slashing prices as much as [C]$90,000 next
year after a recent campaign turned into an embarrassing
bust," according to Tony Van Alphen of the TORONTO STAR.
Boxholders who paid "huge fees during the last decade can
now get whopping price breaks ranging from" 30-50% on their
leases in "a sweeping overhaul of an earlier offer." Also,
for the first time, boxholders "won't have to buy the
maximum amount of Jays' baseball tickets, which could result
in additional savings" of C$13,000-14,000 per year. The new
offer "also features a deal under which a boxholder can
lease a suite for one quarter of the time, instead of all or
half of it." The SkyDome's campaign "comes after almost all
boxholders rejected or never responded to a late summer
renewal offer." Van Alphen reports that the changes "will
mean a significant cut" in the SkyDome's box revenues, which
brought in about C$12.5-13M annually (TORONTO STAR, 11/11).
DON'T LIKE COMPARISONS TO EXPOS: Also in Toronto, Geoff
Baker reports that the Blue Jays' marketing staff "has been
irked by all the talk this week" that the team is becoming
the AL's version of the Expos because of its trades of Roger
Clemens and Shawn Green, while taking offers for Carlos
Delgado. Jays VP/Marketing Terry Zuk: "I don't think it's a
fair comparison. ... Payroll-wise, I don't think we've
stripped payroll. We've actually grown payroll." Baker
adds that Green and Delgado "both figured prominently" in
the team's marketing last year (TORONTO STAR, 11/11).
