Volkswagen Signs Major Sponsorship Deal With Washington Wizards and Verizon Center
New sponsorship deal includes presenting sponsorship of the Verizon Center and the official automobile sponsor of the Washington Wizards
HERNDON, Va., Oct. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Volkswagen of America, Inc.
announced today a three-year sponsorship deal as the presenting automotive
sponsor of the Verizon Center, the Washington D.C. home of the Washington
Wizards, Capitals, Mystics and the Georgetown Hoyas. Also announced,
Volkswagen will be the official automotive sponsor of the Washington Wizards.
"This is another great opportunity for Volkswagen of America to support
the community in which we live and work," said Tim Ellis, vice president
marketing, Volkswagen of America, Inc. "The Verizon Center is a great sport
and concert arena and Volkswagen is excited about this opportunity to expose
our brand to a whole new group of consumers."
As the exclusive automobile partner for Verizon Center and the Washington
Wizards, Volkswagen will become the presenting sponsor of the upper concourse
at the Verizon Center. Volkswagen will also place six automobiles between the
main and upper concourses. Signage will also be given on the LED fascia boards
and high-definition scoreboard at Verizon Center, as well as in-game
promotional opportunities, courtside signage, a suite section of The Player's
Club, and advertising opportunities on the building's outdoor video marquee.
Presence on both the Verizon Center and the Washington Wizards websites will
also be given.
"We're very excited and proud to partner with one of the world's great
business brands, Volkswagen," said Chairman of the Washington Wizards and
Verizon Center, Abe Pollin. "We're proud that Volkswagen and its CEO Stefan
Jacoby and Marketing Vice President Tim Ellis have recognized that this
partnership will be a winning situation for both companies. We welcome
Volkswagen to the Verizon Center family."
Verizon Center is a 20,000 seat multi-purpose venue consistently ranked in
the top 10 among venues nationwide, and ranked in the top 20 worldwide, by
leading trade publications Pollstar, Billboard and Venues Today. Pollstar
nominated Verizon Center for arena of the year in 2007 alongside seven other
top performing venues, including Madison Square Garden, Air Canada Centre and
the Staples Center. The venue is home to over 220 events per year ranging from
professional basketball and hockey to concerts to family shows to world-class
tournaments. Within the past year, the arena has surpassed the 25 million mark
in attendance, celebrated its tenth anniversary in sparking revitalization to
the tune of $6.2 billion in the surrounding neighborhood and installed the
first true indoor high-definition scoreboard for an arena in the country.
Verizon Center is located in the downtown Chinatown neighborhood of the
nation's capital.
About Volkswagen of America, Inc.
Volkswagen of America, Inc. recently announced Electronic Stability
Program (ESP) as standard equipment on all its 2009 vehicles. As a result,
Volkswagen is one of the only original equipment manufacturers to offer an
electronic stability control system on their entire product line - ahead of
the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) deadline
requiring vehicles in the 2012 model year to include stability control
systems. Volkswagen's ESP technology works in conjunction with anti-lock
brakes and helps reduce loss of control.
Founded in 1955, Volkswagen Group of America is headquartered in Herndon,
Va. It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany.
Volkswagen is one of the world's largest producers of passenger cars and
Europe's largest automaker. Volkswagen sells the Rabbit, New Beetle, New
Beetle convertible, GTI, Jetta, Jetta SportWagen, GLI, Passat, Passat Wagon,
CC, Eos, Routan, Tiguan and Touareg through approximately 600 independent U.S.
dealers. Visit Volkswagen of America online at vw.com.
