The president of the company with the preferred bid for naming rights for the Sarnia Sports and Entertainment Centre is trying to clear up what he calls misconceptions about their proposal. Sarnia council approved, in concept Monday night, Progressive Auto Sales $42,500 a year, ten-year bid, pending negotiation of a final agreement. President Dan Whitton says any exclusivity clause will not stop Lambton Ford from staging its annual Teddy Bear Toss and other competing car dealers will be welcome to hold events at the rink, as long as they benefit the community.
He added, though, that they must protect their investment by limiting advertising in the building.
"All these sponsors would still be allowed to advertise with the Sting, it's more with the arena itself," says Whitton. "But I mean we're opened minded people, I mean we'd be willing to sit down and talk and discuss these things."
Whitton says every other naming rights agreement they looked at included a suite and tickets, something Sarnia Sting President Bill Abercrombie says would impact their revenues. Whitton says the competing bid from the Labourers' International Union included up to 800 free tickets and a community suite for five nights, as well as 20 tickets for any concerts at the facility.
It was also revealed that city councillor Brian White was the one who approached Progressive Auto Sales in the first place about naming rights for the SSEC. Whitton says his company was approached by White after the city received no expressions of interest in a three-month bidding period that closed at the end of January. White says with a city sponsorship policy months away from being completed, staff and council decided to go out into the community themselves to try to find interested parties. That process led to the two bids that were considered by city council Monday.
-With files from Dave Dentinger