Ice Bats Top Marketing Team
Published on June 7, 2004 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Austin Ice Bats News Release
The Austin Ice Bats of the Central Hockey League were named CHL "Marketing Franchise of the Year" for the 2003-04 season, at an awards banquet capping the League's Spring Conference in Phoenix, Arizona. The award is presented annually to the CHL franchise which "best exemplifies the qualities of excellence, creativity and imagination in the areas of promotion and marketing."
"We had success with a number of things last season that helped reintroduce the team to the marketplace, and attract new fans to the game," said Ice Bats President Jeff Buch. "Clearly, the âCrown Royal Concert Series' was a âhat trick' in terms of popularity. The introduction of the âBat Girls' and community events like âLance Armstrong Foundation Night' were all things that helped us create excitement and awareness to a broad range of fans in our market."
The three-game "Crown Royal Concert Series" attracted over 20,000 fans, including a franchise record 8,316 that attended the team's final home game and post-game concert from "Los Lonely Boys" on February 28th.
"We plan to greatly expand the series this coming season, with between eight and ten concerts," Buch said. "And we're working hard this summer to implement events to attract more fans, especially new ones."
In other news from the Conference, new divisional alignments were announced. The Ice Bats will continue to compete in the Southeast Division, along with Corpus Christi, Rio Grande Valley and the President's Cup champion Laredo Bucks. The Southwest Division will also remain as last year, with Amarillo, Lubbock, Odessa and San Angelo.
Moving from Indianapolis, the soon-to-be-named team in Topeka will join the Northwest Division with Colorado, New Mexico and Wichita. Oklahoma City and Tulsa shift to the Northeast, joining Bossier-Shreveport, Fort Worth and Memphis.
Eight of the CHL's 17 teams will continue to qualify for post-season play, but all playoff rounds will now be best-of-seven series.
The Ice Bats will begin their ninth season of play this October at the Travis County Expo Center. Season tickets and corporate partnerships are currently available for the upcoming season. Fans may call the Ice Bats ticket office at (512) 927-PUCK, or log onto the team's website at www.icebats.com for more information.
Central Hockey League Stories from June 7, 2004
- Ice Bats Top Marketing Team - Austin Ice Bats
- RiverKings play in memorial tournament honoring Special Olympics athlete - Mississippi RiverKings
- Preston Captures Ticket Award - Laredo Bucks
- Memphis RiverKings recognized for excellence in game operations for second straight year - Mississippi RiverKings
- Gorillas broadcaster chosen as CHL Broadcaster of the Year - Amarillo Gorillas
- Let's make it official - Corpus Christi IceRays
- Killer Bees Earn CHL Franchise of the Year Honor - Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees
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