San Francisco 49ers Chief Sales Officer John Vidalin is selling naming rights and other marketing assets around a proposed $937 million stadium in Santa Clara that has not yet been fully funded. Last week, the team also tabbed CAA Sports to assist in the naming-rights sales. Vidalin spoke with editor-at-large Terry Lefton about the vision for the 49ers’ new home.
■ What’s going to make this stadium unique?
VIDALIN: The vision is to make it the most environmentally sound stadium, a building of sustainability, technology that will be built with an open-source platform where technology and fan experience are intertwined, whether you are a technology company or a fan.
■ Given Silicon Valley’s proximity, will you be shocked if your naming-rights deal doesn’t come from the technology sector?
 |
| Vidalin |
VIDALIN: We’ve already had discussions with blue-chip brands inside and outside of the technology space. It will depend on the deal, but it could be a great fit with a company that aligns with the mission and values of sustainability and technology we are pushing. Many traditional brands have a sustainability or technology play in their DNA. Of course, we are in the heart of a technology market, but it’s also a top market and a very international market. So it could make sense for a lot of reasons.
■ There’s still some doubt locally that the stadium will be built, since it isn’t totally funded. Is there any doubt in your mind that it will get built?
VIDALIN: We’re still in the infancy stages of the financing piece, but the city of Santa Clara is on board, so I think we are well on our way.
■ Hard to believe that the labor uncertainty would affect sales of naming rights, but has the prospect of a delayed season or no NFL season affected sales per se?
VIDALIN: It’s been business as usual. We’ve had an awful lot of meetings, no different from any other year.
