Contact(s)
Karen Davis
Columbus Blue Jackets
Director of Communications
(614) 246-4310
Kim Florence
Wheeling Island Racetrack & Gaming Center
Director of Marketing
(304) 231-1839
COLUMBUS, OHIO – The Columbus Blue Jackets announced today that the hockey club has entered into a new marketing partnership with Wheeling Island Racetrack & Gaming Center in Wheeling, West Virginia.
As a corporate partner of the Blue Jackets, Wheeling Island receives prominent signage inside Nationwide Arena including dasher boards, space on the center-hung and auxiliary scoreboards, and in-bowl electronic messaging. Other components of the partnership include game-day, on-ice promotions and media inventory in the form of television spots during Blue Jackets telecasts on FSN Ohio.
“We’re excited to utilize the unique resources associated with our team to further the marketing efforts of Wheeling Island Racetrack & Gaming Center during their current growth stage,” said Larry Hoepfner, Columbus Blue Jackets Columbus Blue Jackets Senior Vice-President of Business Operations.
"The growing exposure of the Columbus Blue Jackets program offers Wheeling Island the unique opportunity to reach out into the Columbus market as we prepare to open 64 table games and a new Poker Room. This is a great partnership for us," said Jim Simms, Wheeling Island Racetrack & Gaming Center Vice President of Marketing.
Single-game tickets for regular-season home games are on sale now. Tickets may be purchased at the Nationwide Arena Ticket Office, FSN Ohio Blue Line locations at The Chiller Ice Rinks and The Mall at Tuttle Crossing and all Ticketmaster Ticket Centers. Fans can also purchase tickets by phone at (614) 431-3600 or online at www.BlueJackets.com and www.ticketmaster.com. Season and group tickets are on sale now. For information, call (614) 246-PUCK or (800) NHL-COLS.
About Wheeling Island Racetrack & Gaming Center
Wheeling Island Racetrack & Gaming Center offers over 2,000 slot machines, 151-room deluxe hotel, the #1 Greyhound Track in the USA (based on purses paid), five delicious restaurants, 550-seat showroom, meeting and banquet services, gift shop and fitness center. Wheeling Island is also currently under construction to open 64 table games including blackjack, craps, roulette and Poker Room.
Wheeling Island provided over $121 million in taxes to the State of West Virginia in 2006 and employs nearly 950 associates with $21.4 million in total payroll. For more information, visit online at www.wheelingisland.com.
Wheeling Island Gaming, Inc. owns and operates Wheeling Island Racetrack & Gaming Center, a premier gaming and entertainment complex located in Wheeling, West Virginia. It is the largest operation of Delaware North Companies Gaming & Entertainment, a wholly owned subsidiary of Delaware North Companies, Inc.
Delaware North Companies is one of the world’s leading hospitality and food service providers. Its family of companies includes Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts, Delaware North Companies Gaming & Entertainment, Delaware North Companies Travel Hospitality Services, Delaware North Companies Sportservice, Delaware North Companies International, TD Banknorth Garden, and American Park ‘n Swap. Delaware North Companies is one of the largest privately held companies in the United States approaching $2 billion in annual revenue and 40,000 associates serving half a billion customers in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. For more information, visit www.DelawareNorth.com.