Arizona Office Of Tourism Adjusts Super Bowl Sponsorship

The Arizona Office of Tourism (AOT) and the Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee last month agreed on a new sponsorship arrangement in which the AOT would get 35 tickets to Super Bowl XLII, up from the four it was originally offered for its $750,000 sponsorship, according to Scott Wong of the ARIZONA REPUBLIC.  Several of AOT Dir Margie Emmermann's e-mails "show it took months of intense lobbying to obtain the prized tickets and demonstrate her frustration with the host committee."  Host Committee President Bob Sullivan said that the AOT's ticket package "is now consistent with other sponsors."  He declined to say how many total tickets the NFL provided the host committee or how many each sponsor received, but he did say that sponsors "have received about one ticket for every $21,500 in contributions."  Sponsors also receive media and hospitality benefits, including a presence at media parties and inside the media center, as well as passes to events like the commissioner's luncheon (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 7/18).

HOLD PLEASE: On Sunday, Wong reported the host committee "has reached out to dozens of venues around the Valley and asked them to block out the four-day period leading up to the Feb. 3 game" as part of the Venue Hold Program, which gives the NFL and its sponsors "a one-stop shop to find the perfect restaurant, club or conference center for their Super Bowl-related activities" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 7/15).