GROCERY BILLS: WILL TRAINING CAMP DEAL START NFL TREND?

          The "blooming relationship" between Rochester-based
     Wegmans Food Markets and the Bills, which includes a five-
     year deal naming the Bills' new training camp the "Wegmans
     Buffalo Bills Training Camp," is "drawing attention within
     the NFL," according to David Tyler of the ROCHESTER DEMOCRAT
     & CHRONICLE.  When the camp opens later this month at St.
     John Fisher College, the Wegmans name "will be everywhere,"
     as the company will "have its name on the camp's official
     logo and will get extra signs around the camp."  The
     sponsorship also gives Wegmans the "right to sell tickets
     and to host player appearances and other promotions." 
     Additionally, Wegmans is "handling merchandising" for the
     camp and will "introduce some products -- from mini-
     footballs to official jerseys -- both at camp and in its
     stores."  Wegmans is also running consumer contests tied to
     the partnership, sponsoring an Expo Tent "filled with vendor
     and sponsor displays" and "helping supply" some of the food
     concessions.  Wegmans Dir of Marketing Steve Michelson: "We
     could measure [the fit of the sponsorship] in our customer
     reaction.  So many of our customers are Bills fans, it
     seemed like a sensible thing" (DEMOCRAT & CHRONICLE, 7/10).

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