The Committees areHard at Work
Rimouski, November 11, 2008 – The Organizing Committee of the MasterCard Memorial Cup has already been at work for several months, planning and organizing this large tournament which will take place in Rimouski next May 14 through May 24. In fact, many tasks have already been accomplished, notably concerning volunteers, tickets and the logistics at the Rimouski Colisée. The Organizing Committee has also unveiled the official logo for the event, as well as a number of promotional items and corporate kits that will soon be available for sale.
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The leadership of the Organizing Committee of the 2009 MasterCard Memorial Cup notes that more than 420 people have already signed up to become volunteers for the event. Their goal is to attract approximately 500 volunteers in all. Each of the organization’s committees is currently identifying the exact number of volunteers they will need in order to better determine the total number of volunteers that will be required.
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Next February, close to 500 standing-room-only tickets will be placed on sale for $350 per package (including taxes). Although the precise format of the ticket sale has not yet been settled, the Organizing Committee has definitively chosen to sell these tickets in a very brief time period. As for regular seated tickets, most season ticket holders have exercised their priority option to buy ticket packages for the 2009 MasterCard Memorial Cup.
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Concerning the logistics for the Colisée, three representatives from Rogers Sportsnet visited the facilities of the Rimouski Colisée on October 29th, in company with Karl Jahnke, the Director of Communications and Marketing Services for the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The Rogers Sportsnet representatives found that the arena, with which they are relatively familiar, met their requirements, although some minor adjustments are foreseen. Moreover, the Rogers Sportsnet team, in collaboration with RDS, is negotiating to broadcast one of the Océanic’s matches during the second half of the season, to try out the facilities and confirm that everything works well with the various personnel involved. The date for this match remains to be determined.
The Organizing Committee also unveiled the official tournament logo. Completely redesigned in 2007, the logo’s characteristics represent various aspects of the event. First, the majority of the logo is composed of the Memorial Cup trophy, the heart of the event and the ultimate goal for the competing hockey clubs. The MasterCard logo is featured as well, as the company is the title sponsor of the tournament. In addition, a red poppy is included in the logo as a reminder of the origin of the event, which was presented for the first time in 1919 to honor the Canadian soldiers who lost their lives in combat during the First World War. Finally, in addition to the word “Rimouski” inscribed on the logo, the city is represented by a wave that refers to the maritime nature of Rimouski and, of course, Rimouski’s Océanic Hockey Club.
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In conjunction with the unveiling of the logo, the Organizing Committee also presented various promotional items that will be available for sale at the beginning of December. These items can be purchased on the Océanic website at www.oceanic.qc.ca, in the “Boutique” section, or by calling Gagnon Image at 418-723-2394. In addition, the Organizing Committee will place their corporate kits on sale, at a cost of $100 (plus taxes) and for a limited time only, to allow local businesses to display the 2009 MasterCard Memorial Cup colors and those of the Océanics, the “team of a whole region”. A representative of Gagnon Image will visit business owners in the next few days to that end. The kits are also available directly from Gagnon Image.