Los Angeles Avengers bring corporate sponsorship in house
October 24, 2002 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Los Angeles Avengers News Release
LOS ANGELES -- On the heels of last year's stunning success by an internal ticket sales department, the Arena Football League's Los Angeles Avengers similarly have brought the responsibility of securing and maintaining sponsorships in house.
The Avengers have hired David Vinturella as the director of corporate partnerships. He will lead a focused effort by a group that also includes newly hired manager of corporate partnerships Stephanie Pietsch and coordinator of corporate partnerships Marielle Francisco.
In their previous three seasons, the Avengers worked with AEG Marketing to create relationships with sponsors. No stranger to the Avenger organization, Vinturella headed up sales for the Avengers in their first two years (as well as the NHL's Los Angeles Kings and 2002 U.S. Figure Skating Championships) while at AEG.
In establishing an internal corporate sponsorships division, the Avengers are hoping for the same type of success that greeted them when ticket sales for the 2002 season experienced a 62 percent increase over the previous year, when STAPLES Center handled sales.
After drawing a record crowd of 14,426 in their final regular-season game at STAPLES Center last season, the Avengers averaged 12,398 fans at home, placing them near the top of the AFL in attendance.
Although the new corporate partnership group has been working together for only a short time, the Avengers already have worked toward renewing nearly all of their sponsorships from last season and most of them are committing to three-year deals due to the anticipation surrounding the 2003 season, which will be nationally televised on NBC. In addition, the Avengers are expecting to add a number of new partners for the upcoming season.
"Our philosophy is to work with corporations who truly want to embrace the property and reach the enthusiastic and loyal fans in the AFL," said team president and chief operating officer Todd Merkow. "Many of our existing partners have enthusiastically continued their association with us based on the positive response they received from consumers and the success of the Avenger team on the field last season."
A recent ESPN Sports Poll showed that AFL fans' loyalty to sponsor products eclipsed every other major professional sport, including the more referenced and well-publicized NASCAR loyalty figures.
Vinturella has a vast knowledge of the sports and entertainment landscape in Southern California. Prior to joining the Avengers he developed product integration strategies as a consultant to the International Management Group (IMG). Vinturella also supported the Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment Commission by developing marketing strategies for the 2002 Rose Bowl National Championship game and the 2002 Emmy Awards. He is currently on the Board of Advisors for the Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment Commission.
Vinturella's work in sports and entertainment began in Atlanta, where he was the director of sports marketing and promotions for Turner Broadcasting System Inc. During his three years at TBS, Vinturella created and implemented strategic marketing programs to support sports programming on Turner's entertainment networks, TNT and TBS, as well as developing integrated marketing and media platforms in conjunction with major advertisers such as Budweiser, Coca-Cola, Delta Air Lines, Gatorade, and others. In 1998, he was responsible for $20 million in business development/sponsorship sales revenue, and that number jumped to $30 million in 1999. Before joining TBS in April of 1997, Vinturella was the director of business development for Lang & Associates, now GEM Group.
Pietsch worked as an advertising sales manager for the Anaheim Angels this past season, managing and servicing corporate accounts worth more than $1 million. Prior to that, she spent two years with Steinberg Moorad & Dunn/Assante Sports and Entertainment as the director of sponsorship and corporate sales. While with SMD, Pietsch headed up a three-person sales team that generated $1.27 million in cash and $285,000 in trade for the University of Hawai'i athletic department, increasing total revenue by 140 percent.
Francisco has worked with the Avengers for the past three years in a variety of capacities. She spent the 2002 season assisting corporate partners as the team's client services coordinator.
Avenger season tickets are now on sale and can be purchased by calling 1-888-AVENGERS or online at www.laavengers.com. The 2003 season kicks off on Sunday, Feb. 2, at STAPLES Center versus the New Jersey Gladiators.
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