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WAKEHAM & ASSOCIATES MARKETING, INC. ANNOUNCES NAMING RIGHTS AGREEMENT FOR NEW CONFERENCE FACILITY AT EXHIBITION PLACE ALLSTREAM CENTRE A CONFERENCE AND CONVENTION CENTRE AT EXHIBITION PLACE
June 24, 2008
Toronto, ON, – Wakeham & Associates Marketing, Inc. today announced that Toronto City Council has approved a ten-year naming rights sponsorship agreement for the new Conference Centre at Exhibition Place with MTS Allstream, Inc. The new conference centre being built within the heritage façade of the former Automotive Building will be named Allstream Centre – A Conference and Convention Centre at Exhibition Place. Wakeham & Associates Marketing, Inc. represented Exhibition Place and the City of Toronto in selling the naming rights.
The agreement includes naming rights for the centre, and offers MTS Allstream exposure on signage and marketing materials as well as a technology showcase area. All telephony services for the building will be provided through Allstream. Details of the arrangement and the Allstream Centre’s launch will be made public in spring 2009 during a special launch event.
"Allstream Centre will be a wonderful venue to showcase our state-of-the-art service and technology capabilities, and we are extremely proud to have our name on such a prominent and important building in the city,” said John MacDonald, President Enterprise Solutions division, MTS Allstream. “This is another example of our commitment to being actively involved in the communities in which our employees and customers work and live."
The naming rights fees will be used to convert this heritage building to a state-of-the art conference centre with a LEED Silver designation. Allstream will also work with Exhibition Place to develop unique communications solutions to help it achieve its goals of offering conference attendees the very latest in technological innovations.
“Our goal with this relationship is to inspire visitors to consider new communications technologies that will transform how we conduct conferences – and business in general – in the years to come,” Mr. MacDonald continued. “We also look forward to being a part of Exhibition Place’s environmental and energy conservation initiatives – a mandate that our company shares.”
“We are pleased to announce that our facility will be referred to as the Allstream Centre – A Conference and Convention Centre at Exhibition Place as of summer 2009,” said Exhibition Place Chair and Deputy Mayor Joe Pantalone. “This relationship with MTS Allstream will prove to be another major step toward world-class excellence in the facilities and services offered at Exhibition Place. The Allstream Centre will be a showplace of cutting-edge technology as well as North America’s best conference and convention destination.”
Dianne Young, CEO of Exhibition Place said, “We worked with Wakeham & Associates Marketing, Inc. in attaining a naming rights partner for the new conference centre. Wakeham & Associates helped us to define the objectives of our sponsorship campaign, and developed a highly-effective strategy for packaging the various assets associated with the venue. We are thrilled that they have for brokered an agreement with Allstream on our behalf.”
Hugh Wakeham, President of Wakeham & Associates Marketing, Inc. said, “We are proud to have been able to secure a naming rights partner for this exciting new facility. We think Allstream is the ideal partner to make this venue a state-of-the-art facility for conventions and conferences. We were happy to have sold the naming rights to the Direct Energy Centre previously, and this new addition to the facilities at Exhibition Place complements the Direct Energy Centre beautifully”.
About Exhibition Place
Exhibition Place is Canada’s largest entertainment venue, attracting over 5.2 million visitors a year. The 192-acre site is an integral component of Toronto and Ontario’s economy, particularly with respect to sport, festivals, recreation, culture and tourism. The need for additional meeting rooms and ballrooms was identified in the Development Concept Plan of the Board of Governors of Exhibition Place. Exhibitions, meetings and conventions may utilize the Conference Centre as a standalone venue or in combination with the adjacent one million square foot Direct Energy Centre complex – Canada’s largest exhibition and convention centre. The Conference Centre will be connected to Direct Energy Centre via an underground walkway, offering attendees year round, climate controlled access from the exhibition halls and underground parking facilities.
About MTS Allstream
MTS Allstream Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Manitoba Telecom Services Inc., and is one of Canada's leading national communication solutions providers, delivering innovative products and services through the Enterprise Solutions and Consumer Markets divisions. The Enterprise Solutions division, which operates under the Allstream brand nationally and under the MTS Allstream brand in Manitoba, is a leading competitor in the national business and wholesale markets. This division offers customers a portfolio of solutions tailored to the needs of medium and large businesses looking for success in a world of rapidly evolving technology - IP connectivity, unified communications, IT consulting and security services, and voice and data connectivity services.
The Consumer Markets division leads every telecommunications market segment in Manitoba, delivering a full suite of next generation wireless, high-speed Internet and data, digital television and wire line voice services under the MTS brand, as well as small business services in select markets across Canada under the Allstream brand, and security and alarm monitoring services through AAA Alarm Systems Ltd., an affiliate of MTS Allstream. MTS Allstream's extensive national broadband fibre optic network spans more than 24,300 kilometres, and provides international connections through strategic alliances and interconnection agreements with other international service providers. Manitoba Telecom Services Inc.'s common shares are listed on The Toronto Stock Exchange (trading symbol: MBT). For more information, please visit: www.mtsallstream.com.