Dunkin’ Donuts has “reached agreement with the Rhode Island Convention Center Authority to extend its naming rights" to the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence for another 10 years, according to Alex Kuffner of the PROVIDENCE JOURNAL. The company “will pay $425,000 annually for naming rights, sponsorship and advertising for the downtown facility.” Dunkin’ Donuts Center GM Lawrence Lepore said that the “base payment will be tied to the Consumer Price Index, so it will almost certainly be higher in later years.” Dunkin' Donuts will “promote events at the facility through a minimum $75,000 cash sponsorship during each year of the contract.” Lepore said that the contract “was agreed to about three months ago, but the deal wasn’t officially announced until now because it took time for Dunkin’ Donuts’ corporate headquarters to sign off on it.” The company under the old contract “had right of first refusal on renewing its sponsorship and naming rights, so no competing bids were sought.” The deal covers a period starting May 1, 2011, when the previous contract expired (PROVIDENCE JOURNAL, 6/4).
