So Long Kings?
From June 2005
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Season ticket holders, obviously, would be affected the most. They shell out anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000 per season, depending upon the plan – and that doesn’t include the eight bucks a night for parking and another $15 to $25 per game on refreshments.
But some avid Kings fans have a broader perspective. “When you look at the Kings’ impact, they’re really nothing more than a small business,” says Bill George, a Sacramento-based marketing executive and former vice president of global marketing for Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, Michigan.
“Excluding the players, there are other small businesses that pay their employees a much larger salary and have more of a benefit to the community,” he says. “I didn’t notice Los Angeles sinking into the Pacific when the Rams and Raiders left.”
The local hotel industry, however, sees the Kings’ color purple as green. “On a macro level, having an NBA team in the city probably nets $1 million in revenue to this hotel, in terms of room rentals and associated revenues,” says Jerry Westenhaver, general manager of the Hyatt Regency in downtown Sacramento, which, with the downtown Sheraton, houses visiting NBA clubs.
Admittedly, $1 million is a small figure, but Westenhaver believes the Kings contribute to the city’s visibility and economic vitality. “Sacramento is rapidly acquiring an international flavor – Peja (Stojakovic) is a star from Europe; Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is known worldwide and the Kings bring a lot of cachet to the city.”
Westenhaver worries that if the Kings left town, it would deal a crushing blow to the city’s psyche. “I’ll tell you this, the city of Sacramento would take it pretty hard,” he says. “From a marketing standpoint, it would be a huge loss. If the Kings left, does that mean the Monarchs go, too? The Kings are one of the most popular teams in the country.”
The Kings are adamant that they’re not leaving Sacramento, despite a series of setbacks to replace Arco Arena. Kings spokeperson Sonja Brown admits that owners Joe and Gavin Maloof have been disappointed that a deal for a new arena has not occurred. “They’re disappointed but not discouraged,” she says. “But we have always viewed this team as a community asset. From their earliest days in business, they have felt responsible to give back to the community in which they work and live.”
The Kings figure prominently in the Sacramento Area Commerce and Trade Organization’s overall corporate attraction strategy. Says executive director Barbara Hayes: “Internally, the Kings give the region something to rally around and create a sense of community that resonates. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve talked with companies and the Kings are inevitably mentioned,” she says.
Cachet and prestige can translate indirectly into extra dollars for the region. But because of a plethora of intangibles and variables, putting an overall dollar figure on the impact of the Kings on the Sacramento region is difficult to calculate.
Continued...
But some avid Kings fans have a broader perspective. “When you look at the Kings’ impact, they’re really nothing more than a small business,” says Bill George, a Sacramento-based marketing executive and former vice president of global marketing for Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, Michigan.
“Excluding the players, there are other small businesses that pay their employees a much larger salary and have more of a benefit to the community,” he says. “I didn’t notice Los Angeles sinking into the Pacific when the Rams and Raiders left.”
The local hotel industry, however, sees the Kings’ color purple as green. “On a macro level, having an NBA team in the city probably nets $1 million in revenue to this hotel, in terms of room rentals and associated revenues,” says Jerry Westenhaver, general manager of the Hyatt Regency in downtown Sacramento, which, with the downtown Sheraton, houses visiting NBA clubs.
Admittedly, $1 million is a small figure, but Westenhaver believes the Kings contribute to the city’s visibility and economic vitality. “Sacramento is rapidly acquiring an international flavor – Peja (Stojakovic) is a star from Europe; Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is known worldwide and the Kings bring a lot of cachet to the city.”
Westenhaver worries that if the Kings left town, it would deal a crushing blow to the city’s psyche. “I’ll tell you this, the city of Sacramento would take it pretty hard,” he says. “From a marketing standpoint, it would be a huge loss. If the Kings left, does that mean the Monarchs go, too? The Kings are one of the most popular teams in the country.”
The Kings are adamant that they’re not leaving Sacramento, despite a series of setbacks to replace Arco Arena. Kings spokeperson Sonja Brown admits that owners Joe and Gavin Maloof have been disappointed that a deal for a new arena has not occurred. “They’re disappointed but not discouraged,” she says. “But we have always viewed this team as a community asset. From their earliest days in business, they have felt responsible to give back to the community in which they work and live.”
The Kings figure prominently in the Sacramento Area Commerce and Trade Organization’s overall corporate attraction strategy. Says executive director Barbara Hayes: “Internally, the Kings give the region something to rally around and create a sense of community that resonates. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve talked with companies and the Kings are inevitably mentioned,” she says.
Cachet and prestige can translate indirectly into extra dollars for the region. But because of a plethora of intangibles and variables, putting an overall dollar figure on the impact of the Kings on the Sacramento region is difficult to calculate.
Continued...
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