With hockey on ice, Anaheim Arena Management LLC, manager of the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim, hustled to bring in more events last year.
The arena was staring at a number of empty slots, largely due to the loss of Mighty Ducks of Anaheim games with the National Hockey League lockout.
The team usually plays 45 games at the Pond during the season, which was supposed to start in October.
It’s now looking like the whole season could be lost.
“We have to replace that content,” said Bob Wagner, Anaheim Arena’s vice president and chief marketing officer.
Anaheim Arena, which is owned by Broadcom Corp. cofounder Henry Samueli, has sought to fill the gap with other events, including the U.S. Olympic Gymnastic Trials, the post-Athens gymnastics tour and Disney on Ice.
The Anaheim Storm lacrosse team also has taken up some of the slack, according to Wagner.
So far so good.
The Pond hosted 154 events last year, including 41 concerts, a record for the venue, Wagner said.
Last year, the arena hosted 171 events and 23 concerts.
“We’ve been working closely with our partners to create more concerts and content,” he said.
Even so, “In the long term it could be more of a challenge” to continue making up for lost hockey games, Wagner said.
We “need to protect the investment of the suite holders” and advertisers, he said.
Plus, Wagner said he doesn’t want part-time workers to be pinched.
“If you start taking away events it could become an issue,” he said.
The Pond also has been doing more promoting of events.
The facility recently added five people to its marketing and publicity staff, Wagner said.
Wagner came to Anaheim Arena six months ago and said he saw a need to “solidify business operations.”
“It’s our goal to offer our clients and partners full-service marketing, public relations and event support,” he said.
The Pond recently was nominated for Pollstar Magazine’s 2004 Arena of the Year Award.
Wagner said it speaks to the reputation the Pond has built in the industry during the past 11 years.
The arena “has its own identity in the entertainment industry,” Wagner said. “Promoters want to come to Orange County. (They) will say we’ll play in Los Angeles and Orange County. One doesn’t cannibalize the other.”
Wagner said he’s seen OC develop its own identity, which has helped the Pond “attract top names and top acts.”
That’s in contrast to the Angels baseball team and owner Arte Moreno’s bid to broaden its appeal by renaming it the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
A judge recently denied the city of Anaheim’s effort to stop the name change by refusing to grant a preliminary injunction against Moreno. That clears the way for the Angels to start the season under their new name.
Wagner, former vice president of advertising sales for the Ducks and the Angels, declined to comment on the Angels’ issue.
Pushing Leftovers
Irvine-based El Pollo Loco Inc. just launched a new campaign aimed at families.
The Mexican restaurant chain is offering a whole chicken, tortillas and salsa for $4 with the purchase of any family meal through March 6. Takers also get recipes for dishes using leftover chicken.
El Pollo Loco recently launched TV ads pushing the offer. The commercials, some of which are in Spanish, are running in various West Coast areas, including OC and Los Angeles.
The campaign also includes marketing for individual restaurants, such as roof banners and window and drive-through signs.
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Wienerschnitzel book: hot dog chain out to appeal to kids |
Hot Dog Tales
Wienerschnitzel has a new way to try and hook kids: little books.
The hot dog chain, part of Newport Beach’s Galardi Group Inc., recently launched eight books titled “Teenie Weenie Tales: Food Dude Adventures.”
Each book, which comes with a kid’s meal, has 10 pages and features Wienerschnitzel’s animated hot dog mascot, the Delicious One, and his buddies.
“In addition to the fun artwork in the books, they also offer educational value, as the food dudes visit eight different regions of the world in the January series and highlight career paths in the February series,” said Tom Amberger, Wienerschnitzel’s director of marketing in a statement.
