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Atlanta Beat Announces Local Sponsorship Deals

March 22, 2002 - Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA)
Atlanta Beat News Release


ATLANTA (March 22, 2002) - The Atlanta Beat, Atlanta's women's pro soccer team, today announced that it has signed Ed Voyles Hyundai, the Southeast United Dairy Industry Association (SUDIA)- "got milk?" and Crunch Fitness, as sponsors for the 2002 season.

Crunch Fitness was a sponsor and the Beat's official fitness center in 2001, while Ed Voyles Hyundai and the SUDIA are partnering with the Beat for the first time in 2002.

Ed Voyles Hyundai has signed on for the first time, to be a Presenting Sponsor for the Atlanta Beat. Presenting Sponsor status denotes the second highest tier of sponsorship offered by the Beat, through which Ed Voyles Hyundai will sponsor one of the Beat's halftime promotions. They will also be providing Hyundai vehicle displays at multiple Beat home games. Hyundai was a national charter sponsor for the WUSA in the inaugural season and has resigned for 2002 season.

"Ed Voyles Hyundai and the Atlanta Beat make a great team," said Pete Richards, General Manager of Ed Voyles Hyundai. "Hyundai national had a successful year in 2001, as a charter sponsor of the WUSA and we wanted to continue the support for the WUSA on a local level, as a partner of the Atlanta Beat. Through this partnership, we are able to reach the coveted soccer moms and dads demographic in the Atlanta area, and we are confident that both teams, ours and the Beat, will be successful in 2002."

Also joining the Atlanta Beat as a partner for the 2002 season is the SUDIA, the name behind the southeast's "Got Milk?" campaign. The SUDIA has signed a one-year agreement to be a Presenting Sponsor for the Beat. They will be the title sponsor for the Kid's Zone on Beat Street, the Beat's fan-friendly interactive fun zone.

"The Atlanta Beat provides the SUDIA with an outstanding opportunity to promote "got milk?" to Atlanta and Georgia families," said Cheryl Hayn of SUDIA. "We're happy to be a part of the Atlanta Beat and we are looking forward to a winning season in 2002."

"In a time where companies are being especially careful about how they spend their advertising and sponsorship dollars, the Atlanta Beat offers an extremely cost-effective way to reach out to the very desirable family audience," said Eddie Rockwell, general manager of the Beat. "The Beat offers sponsors the means to not only communicate their messages, but to really interact and establish relationships with their customers. We're glad to have Ed Voyles Hyundai, SUDIA and Crunch Fitness on board for the upcoming 2002 season."

Crunch Fitness, the workout headquarters of the Atlanta Beat and a sponsor in 2001, will be joining the Beat again, as a Match Sponsor for the 2002 season. The partnership provides Crunch Fitness with in stadium signage for multiple Beat home games and gives the Atlanta Beat a world class fitness facility, with state of the art equipment, for Beat players and staff to train.

"We are again excited and proud to be a sponsor of the Beat," said Kelly Roberts Director of Public Relations for Crunch Fitness. "Our partnership is a special one in that we are able to offer our world class facilities to some of the best women's athletes in the world. In return we are able to see the benefits of the partnership at work on the playing field."

The Atlanta Beat and the WUSA provides sponsors with the unique ability to reach an extremely loyal, highly satisfied, family audience. The Beat averaged 11,179 fans in 2001 (2nd in the league) and 99% of all fans said that they are likely to attend multiple games each season. For information about remaining sponsorships opportunities, contact Lori Strottman at (404) 843-5735.

Single game tickets for the Beat's 2002 season go on sale this Saturday through TicketMaster. Tickets for Atlanta Beat home games range in price from $8-$20 and can be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling the TicketMaster number in your area. In Atlanta, call (404) 249-6400 and from outside Atlanta call 1-800-326-4000. Fans can also find a link to TicketMaster on the Beat's web site at www.theatlantabeat.com.

The Atlanta Beat is one of eight professional women's soccer teams that make up the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA), the world's premier women's soccer league. In the inaugural 2001 WUSA season, the Beat finished as champions of the regular season and runner-up in the league's championship game, Founders Cup. For more information about the Atlanta Beat visit www.theatlantabeat.com.

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