WestJet, Calgary Stampede ink five-year extension to decades-long partnership

Article content material

WestJet has underscored its dedication to its residence metropolis by upping the ante on a five-year partnership extension with the Calgary Stampede.

Article content material

The brand new deal will elevate the Calgary-based airline to the champion stage on the Best Out of doors Present on Earth, although the corporate’s publicity on the occasion will probably be comparable. It’ll stay the title sponsor for the bull using and the WestJet Skyride, together with different on-site activations.

Article content material

Persevering with the 20-year partnership was a precedence for WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech.

“This can be a key sponsorship for WestJet,” he mentioned. “We’re an organization that was introduced up in Calgary, we’re the house provider of the west, and Stampede is probably the most seen image of the custom and the tradition of Western Canada.”

Simply don’t ask von Hoensbroech to get on a bull anytime quickly. He was, nevertheless, engaged on mastering the artwork of flapjack flipping on the first pancake breakfast of the season on Thursday on the WestJet campus for an estimated 1,500 WestJetters and Stampede personnel.

Anticipate to additionally see WestJet employees on the bottom and within the air in additional cowboy gear throughout the Stampede this yr.

Monetary particulars of the deal weren’t disclosed.

WestJet amongst Calgary Stampede’s high sponsors

Joel Cowley, Calgary Stampede CEO, mentioned the partnership has developed over the past 20 years and the airline is now considered one of a small handful of firms within the high flight of sponsorship.

Article content material

Article content material

He added sponsorships have already absolutely recovered from the pandemic and at present exceed 2019 ranges.

The bottom line is to get Stampede attendance numbers again to pre-pandemic ranges as nicely. Final yr, 1,216,859 individuals got here by way of the gates, simply 60,000 off of 2019.

“Main as much as (2022), there was nonetheless some uncertainty concerned as a result of the pandemic restrictions weren’t lifted till early March,” mentioned Cowley. “This yr, we see customers returning to their pre-pandemic buying sample, which implies that we’re on par with our 2019 ticket gross sales yr up to now.”

This deal has the potential for a good larger affect for each firms with the enlargement of the BMO Centre 12 months out from completion and the Stampede’s efforts to grow to be a bigger year-round operation.

“That ease of entry is extremely essential,” mentioned Cowley. “Having the Calgary airport right here and WestJet more and more including direct flights from across the globe — that will probably be actually, actually essential as we proceed to develop the conference enterprise and generate financial affect year-round inside the metropolis of Calgary.”

Article content material

The kickoff for Stampede is 29 days away and the BMO Centre development will nonetheless be impacting the occasion, although not as a lot as in 2022. It’ll nonetheless pressure full operations onto a smaller-than-normal footprint, although the occasion can have expanded house to make use of on the south aspect of the Elbow River and within the basement of the Massive 4, together with a re-oriented Coca-Cola Stage to enhance /movement and restrict congestion.

[email protected]

Twitter: @JoshAldrich03

Article content material