Hockey fans go crazy for WorldSkills

By WorldSkills Calgary 2009 Ltd.

Whether in the midst of playoff fever or during the anticipation of a new season, visitors to Calgary, Alberta, Canada can’t help but get caught up in the city’s love of hockey and our home team, The Calgary Flames.

WorldSkills Calgary 2009 Ltd. made sure to have a presence in the last game of regular season and during the first round of playoffs, by sponsoring two rink boards in the Saddledome arena. Our board was also seen by those fans attending the playoffs of the number one ranked junior hockey team in Canada, Calgary Hitmen.

“This is a tremendous opportunity to connect with our target audience, both in the arena and on national television,” said WorldSkills Calgary 2009 Ltd. Marketing Director Sue McMaster.

Beyond the nearly 20,000 fans in the stands at each home game, the WorldSkills Calgary 2009 Ltd. logo on the rink board was viewed by over 1 million television viewers per game. Flames playoff games are nationally televised on TSN in Canada and on RDS, CTV's French network, nationally in the US and regionally around Chicago on Comcast Sportsnet.

The Hitmen are deep into the playoffs, questing for the Western Hockey League crown. WorldSkills Calgary 2009 Ltd. attended an early playoff game and connected with 20 per cent of the approximate 10,000 people in the attendance. To promote The 40th WorldSkills Competition, WorldSkills Calgary 2009 Ltd. distributed yo-yo kits, complete with assembly instructions and marketing message to youth and adults alike. WorldSkills Calgary 2009 mascot's Tug and Tess were also on hand, interacting with fans and handing out yo-yo’s.

Finally, to attract more attention of the target market aged 17-25, the WorldSkills Calgary 2009 logo and link to their website has been added to the Calgary Flames site at www.calgaryflames.com. The Calgary Flames site averages 1 million unique viewers monthly during the playoffs, so its another excellent opportunity to reach a wider audience and encourage more eyes to visit the WorldSkills Calgary 2009 website at www.worldskills2009.com.