The Packers yesterday announced plans for their annual shareholders meeting on July 24 at Lambeau Field, but “shareholders will not be allowed to bring guests to this year’s annual meeting, a result of a very successful stock sale earlier this year,” according to Richard Ryman of the GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE. The team in past years “allowed as many as four guests to attend with each shareholder, but with 250,000 new owners of stock, they are concerned the stadium’s meeting capacity of 50,000 could be reached.” All shareholders “must be accommodated if they want to attend the meeting.” If two names appear “on the same share, such as a husband and wife, both may attend the meeting.” In the “case of a custodian for a minor shareholder, both the adult and the minor can attend.” Ryman notes about “half of the new shareholders are from outside the state ... but the number of new shareholders who live in Wisconsin exceeds the total number of shareholders than before the sale.” If half of the new Wisconsin shareholders “attend the meeting, they will fill the stadium.” Therefore the Packers are “asking shareholders to request tickets only if they have firm plans to attend.” Packers President & CEO Mark Murphy said that the team “will re-evaluate the guest policy in future years, after an attendance trend is known.” After a record attendance of 18,707 for the meeting in ‘98, the number “dropped to levels generally from 7,000 to 10,000” (GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE, 4/25).
