tnis week INOVEMDE! 20, 177U. Frage NII!

THE GAMES

‘ By BRIAN DAVIS
& DEANNA BINDER
here’s still nearly
four years to go

before the first ath-
lete proudly steps
onto the Centennial
Stadium track for the open-

ing ceremonies of the XV
Commonwealth Games,
but already the action’s in
full swing in the business
. community. For those licen-
cees already signed up for
the Games, the race to 1994
is well under way.

‘
!

Victoria94

XV Commonwealth Games

“I'm amazed at the response at
this stage,” says Tony Wilson,
whose company, Wilson Inter-
national Products of Vancouver,

@has the shirt licence for the 94
Victoria Commonwealth
Games.

After being awarded the con-
tract during the first week of
October, Wilson’s staff “worked
virtually every day to come up
with the designs for the T-shirts
and sweatshirts for the Games
kick-off party at UVic during the
Installation Festival honoring
president Dr. David F. Strong.

We sold over $2,000 worth of
shirts that day.

“The response is going to be
staggering leading up to the

Games. I estimate we'll do $10
million of business at the retail
level, and that may even be con-
servative.”

Wilson, who merchandises for
the B.C. Summer and Winter
Games, the B.C. Lions and Van-
couver 86ers, and also did the
weekend’s Grey Cup, adds that
the way his shirts are selling
he'll need to open a warehouse
in Victoria for the final year. Al-
ready a major department store
has had to re-order to keep up
with the demand.

T-shirts and sweatshirts aren't
the only souvenirs already out
there in the marketplace. Local.
retailers are also offering flags,
banners and caps sporting the
Victoria Commonwealth Games
logo.

Roberta Moyer, account execu-
tive for the Canadian Textile
Screen Prints, has the licence for
flags and banners.

“Right now we have table
flags, larger flags and wall pen-
nants in two different designs
for sale in local stores. As we get
closer to the Games we'll add
more designs and start market-
ing them in Seattle and the
Lower Mainland.

“As a native Victorian I’m real-
ly happy to be involved with the
Games. I’m sure it will be a big
boost for us all and a great suc-
cess.”

Although they have not yet hit
the market with their line of
souvenirs, Dale Boniface of
Spectrum Specialities is also an-
ticipating an overwhelming
response. “We should be out next
month with our first set of lapel
pins.”

“I was in Calgary for the ’88
Winter Olympics and I wit-
nessed the huge success of pin
trading. Although we're basical-
ly a fund-raising company
(through Spectrum Marketing)
and helped raise the funds for
the Victoria bid, when we saw

s VICTORIA ©RPERATIC SOCIETY

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Games souvenirs: just in time for Christmas!

ee

SOUVENIRS for the 1994 Commonwealth Games are already being marketed in B.C. , as

shown here by Heather Crossweight of Wilson International Products and Norm Kilarski of
B.C. Cellular. Caps, T shirts and sweatshirts are some of the items already available.

the success of pin trading we
decided to get more involved.

“Our contract for pins is our
first venture licence.”

With these licensees already
marketing their initial line of
games souvenirs, and a fourth
about to join them any week
now, the excitement leading up
to 1994 is spreading fast.

“Five more licencees are about
to be announced,” says lan
Howard of Pascoe Nally, the

firm responsible for obtaining
the servicing licencees and
major sponsors. And that will
more than double the number of
businesses for whom the 1994
Games have already started.
“We've made over 80 presenta-
tions to licencees and major
sponsors, and even though we're
going through difficult economic

times right now andit’s still four
years away from the event, the
reception has been excellent.”

Uf
Uh oe

ULL
SIH,

Terry Wright, the vice presi-
dent of finance for the Games
has the last word. “Every item of
licensed merchandise sold earns
a royalty. When you buy official
merchandise, not only are you
giving a nice Christmas present,
but you are also directly sup-
porting the Games.”

Brian Davis is a Victoria Com-
monwealth Games Society
volunteer. Deanna Binder is
manager of communications.

Mvictoria
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