ATHABASCA – The Athabasca Regional Multiplex is looking for a corporate sponsor for the front lobby in hopes that the revenue will help offset the facility’s bill.
Multiplex manager Rhonda Alix said they view it as a partnership to promote a local company that will also help the facility subsidize some of its operational costs.
“By providing an opportunity for naming rights at the front entrance, we can help promote a corporate business which in turn will help show their company’s commitment to our community in general,” said Alix in a July 11 e-mail.
The request for proposal (RFP), which opened June 26 and runs until July 28, lists the minimum bid as $15,000, and a minimum 10-year term. The sponsorship won’t be the first for the facility as currently the arena is named after Cenovus, while the fieldhouse is dubbed the Jim Woodward Rotary Fieldhouse.
Besides the naming rights, there are two walls inside the building that have the names of donors listed, with one being in the aquatic centre, and the other in the main building, which includes companies that donated money when the facility was being built.
“The sponsorship drive doesn’t signify any financial problems either,” said Alix in a July 13 follow-up. “The board and administration team are always looking for different strategies to increase our revenue. (Sponsorship) is a common practice for any business, and most recreational facilities have a corporate sponsor name at the front entrance.”
Interested companies will have until the end of the month to submit their proposals and the multiplex is asking companies to include information about their products, market reach, presence in the region and more to help ensure a good fit.
Neighbour’s Pub leaving Multiplex
In addition to the naming rights from the front entrance, the multiplex is also looking for a new vendor to run the concessions, after Ryan and Natalie Hamzah made the decision to not renew their lease on the downstairs concessions and upstairs lounge area.
“It was a good experience, I really enjoyed it,” said Natalie, who spent most of her time at the multiplex. “The biggest thing was just the time commitment between all the events. If it wasn’t for the fact that we have young kids we would have absolutely kept it up as the staff and the multiplex were all amazing.”
Ryan agreed, saying that it was a great experience they would “absolutely do it again if we were at a different point in our lives” and added that they did let the multiplex know that they would be willing to continue operating the lounge if no one else stepped up.
The RFP, which is open until July 21, was first posted on the Athabasca County website May 26. In it the county said that the multiplex was looking for “quality food and beverage services for the concession, with the option of covering the lounge as well.”
The lease would be for a minimum of two years; the multiplex had last advertised for the space in 2021, when it was rented out to the couple.
Candidates will be judged on a 125-point rubric, which includes quality and food services (25 pts), experience and performance history (25 pts), business plan and suitability (20 pts), financial fitness and revenue/compensation (15 pts each) and the interview, which will only be for short listed candidates, and is worth the final 25 points.
“We’re hoping that we are successful, and that someone steps up and wants to operate not only the concession, but the lounge as well,” said mayor Rob Balay, who sits on the board for the multiplex and had previously managed the facility.
