Toledo Receives Overall Award of Excellence
Published on June 29, 2012 under ECHL (ECHL) News Release
PRINCETON, N.J. - The ECHL announced on Friday that the Toledo Walleye have been selected as the 2011-12 recipient of the ECHL Team Award of Excellence .
The award recognizes the ECHL organization that executes a well-rounded business plan including, but not limited to, sales, marketing, media relations and merchandising while also distinguishing themselves in their community, on and off the ice.
The other finalists were the Alaska Aces, Bakersfield Condors, Cincinnati Cyclones, Gwinnett Gladiators and Stockton Thunder.
It is the second time in the last three seasons that Toledo has won the award. The Walleye drew 225,060 fans during the 2011-12 season, finishing second in the ECHL with 6,252 per game. The team set a new club record with 8,250 fans for its home opener on Oct. 15 against Chicago. Toledo had a six percent increase in sponsorship sales for the 2011-12 season, and their Cleaner & Dryer sponsorship activation was recognized nationally in the online trade publication Partnership Activation.
Toledo developed an opening video that brought its region, mascot and hockey together in a larger than life format, with the music bed incorporated into player introductions. In order to attract non-hockey fans to games, the Walleye created the "Not a hockey fan? Perfect!" message, using humor in all media advertising and print collateral to drive ticket sales to this demographic.
The Walleye's social media grew at an impressive rate during the 2011-12 season. From May 2011 through April 2012, the team added nearly 6,000 Facebook "likes" and just under 1,600 new Twitter followers, to push the number of fans linked to the team's social media pages to over 31,000 and 4,000 respectively.
ECHL Award of Excellence Winners
YEAR TEAM
2012 Toledo Walleye
2011 Bakersfield Condors
2010 Toledo Walleye
2009 Stockton Thunder
2008 Gwinnett Gladiators
2007 Stockton Thunder
2006 Alaska Aces
2005 Pensacola Ice Pilots
2004 Johnstown Chiefs
Florida Everblades
ECHL Stories from June 29, 2012
- Support the Wranglers with Your Fireworks Purchase - Las Vegas Wranglers
- Stingrays' Zakrzewski a Finalist for 2011-12 ECHL Broadcaster of the Year Award - South Carolina Stingrays
- Chicago's Mills Named ECHL Broadcaster of the Year - ECHL
- Walleye Receive Team Award of Excellence - Toledo Walleye
- Toledo Receives Overall Award of Excellence - ECHL
- Gladiator's Chapman Re-Elected Chairman of the ECHL - Atlanta Gladiators
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