Charlotte Chamber of Commerce Launches Marketing Effort To Help Sell Arena Suites The Charlotte Chamber has launched a Suite Sales Marketing Task Force to sell ?Uptown Suites? for the new Charlotte Arena. Task Force members will work one-on-one with Charlotte businesses to preview the state-of-the-art arena and to encourage corporate support of the sports and entertainment facility, which will play host to more than 100 events annually and serve as the home of the new Charlotte NBA franchise and the Charlotte Sting of the WNBA. The Marketing Task Force captains include: Dell Curry, former NBA star; Peter Pappas, Pappas Properties; Cathy Bessant, Bank of America; David Dooley, R.T. Dooley Construction Company; and, Carlos Evans, Wachovia. ?The new arena will have an incredible economic impact on Uptown Charlotte, and we are committed to its success,? said Chamber President Carroll Gray. ?It is exciting to think we soon will host professional basketball games and a range of cultural entertainment in the heart of the city.? Suite holders will have a ?season pass? providing access to arena events, including professional and college basketball games, concerts, family shows and a wide range of other sporting and special events. ?Charlotte wants to be a balanced community,? Gray said. ?Pro sports is an important part of that balance, bringing importance and recognition to our region. The Chamber has always been a strong advocate of the NBA, motorsports, and the NFL, and anything we can do to help these groups succeed will benefit our community for years to come.? Corporations can show their support of the new team by purchasing one of the 50 ?Uptown Suites? in the new Charlotte Arena. The suites are ideal for corporate entertaining, client development and employee recognition. Each suite will include a comprehensive package of state-of-the-art amenities, ranging from large color TVs programmed with game information to parking passes to fax, phone and teleconferencing services. ?A suite in the new arena offers an unparalleled opportunity for business and entertainment,? said Tom Ward, executive vice president of business operations for the new NBA franchise, which will begin play in the fall of 2004 and move to the new arena for the 2005-2006 season. ?Elegant accommodations, an Uptown Charlotte location and premium seating for more than 100 events each year combine and make this an incomparable value,? Ward said. First priority for all suites will go to original suite holders in the Charlotte Coliseum and NBA team investors. Suite purchasers will be invited to ?draft? their preferred suite locations during an invitation-only special event on June 26 coinciding with the 2003 NBA Draft. A brochure detailing suite availability, amenities and pricing will be distributed to Charlotte area businesses in early June. The NBA team is also in the process of building a marketing center in Uptown Charlotte that will feature an actual size suite as well as other premium suite offerings. Additional seating options, including individual game tickets, will go on sale beginning this fall.
