Canadian corporations snub Grey Cup

CFL Talk
1

Exactly as I figured if this is true. But, of course, these same companies will tell us "buy Canadian". Weasels I'll say. To do with Toronto? Probably.

"In a month, the Grey Cup game will be played in Toronto. Plenty of tickets remain available, largely because Canadian corporations have not been interested in buying them.

And so, now, hundreds of Grey Cup tickets that were initially set aside for suits and VIPs suddenly are available for substantially reduced prices to ordinary, everyday CFL fans.

Selling them to Joe Fan at cheaper rates is Plan B. When Sportality, a renowned sports-hospitality firm with a head office in Toronto, first purchased 400 tickets for Grey Cup Sunday at Windows Restaurant in the Rogers Centre, the idea was to attract Canadian corporations who would pay about $10,000 for 10-person tables and treat their guests to not only the game, but also to an all-you-can-eat-and-drink party that would begin hours before kickoff, feature pretty young ladies courtesy of Urban Male Magazine, and include CFL legends who’d be available for mingling. The event would end well after the game with presentations, prizes and appearances from Grey Cup participants who’d make their ways up to the restaurant.

There has, however, been a rather strange development. Canadian corporations have turned up their noses at the Grey Cup package.

“What we’ve discovered to our amazement,? says Sportality vice-president Patrick Gallo, “is that there’s a certain amount of corporate indifference about the Grey Cup. Frankly, we’re stunned. We’ve never seen anything quite like this.?

Over the years, Sportality has been inundated by Corporate Canada with interest in its hospitality events at the Super Bowl, global Formula One races and PGA tournaments such as the Masters, the U.S. Open and the Presidents Cup.

“But we’re finding indifference now for the Grey Cup from corporations outside the sponsorship realm of the CFL,? says Gallo, a former defensive halfback with the University of Western Ontario Mustangs. “For whatever reasons, the companies are not identifying the Grey Cup as a venue for entertaining their clients.

“So we’ve come up with a new idea. While Sportality is usually all about corporate hospitality and VIPs, we’re opening up our Grey Cup packages to true-blue, CFL fans...?

Tickets for the game and all the accompanying frivolity have been reduced substantially. For details, check out www.sportality.com, but trust me, this is a nice deal.

Heck, I might take advantage myself. The way I look at it, Corporate Canada’s loss would be my gain. And I don’t believe I’ve ever had a chance to say that before."

Marty York - www.metronews.ca/story.aspx?id=85818

2

I would say this is as much about an unknown commodity "sportality" as anything else.

I have attended a number of Grey Cup events. Last year in WInnipeg, the Rider venues were packed with Corporate sponsors buying into the game.

I suspect the web site reflects the price change. It is now $495 per person...that is a very reasonable amount, given tickets last year were $200...so you are paying $295 for all you can eat and drink...but the venue lacks excitement....you miss out on the crowd up in the restuarant.

3

This is a story about a poor marketing concept, not about companies snubbing the CFL. Nobody said it would work and Sportality's failure has little to do with the popularity of the CFL or GC.

If this was a published news story, the writer is obviously an idiot, theorizing that corporate Canada is snubbing the CFL because they won't buy ten-$1000 seats in Windows restaurant.

Typical Toronto crap with columnists trying to tear down the Grey Cup and CFL with spurious conjectures.

Brunt also did it last week claiming that, since the Bills were planning to play a 2009 game in Toronto, this will burst the balloon of next month's Grey Cup celebrations because the Argos and CFL were "blindsided". I guess he could only wish, but why do these Toronto writers continually invent mythical problems, just to discredit the CFL? What is the point??

4

It IS a Marty York column ...

5

Good points xvys.

6

The 2007 Grey Cup in Toronto will be a HUGE success! Guaranteed. They game is virtually sold out and there are plenty of corporate sponsors on board.

Writers who argue otherwise are either delusional or ticked off that the CFL is thriving in T.O. again.

7

You must have got a heck of a deal last year, cause my tickets were 350. But they were some of the best seats in the house. So 495 for all that stuff isn’t that bad at all. I would say.

8

Well Billy I didn’t need to sit on the 55 yard line…updeck 30 yard line was good for me.

Historically, Grey Cup Games in Toronto and to a certian extent in Montreal and Vancouver haven’t had the feel they do in places like Calgary, Regina, or Winnipeg, (would say Hamilton but never been to a game there) where the community gets involved and it is easy for people linked to teams to get parties going. Last year the Convention Centre was great…from the Rider party I was able to hook up with a number of former contacts that had hospitality rooms close by. Even arranged a couple parties for the Sunday before and after the game. No shortage of corporate people spending money.