Austin, Texas, Jan. 2, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Circuit of The Americas today announced its roster of inaugural corporate partners for the new purpose-built motorsports and entertainment facility in Central Texas. The Circuit hosted the 2012 FORMULA 1 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX Nov. 16-18, which was the second most-attended Formula 1™ race of the season with more than 117,000 fans attending the race itself and 265,000 spectators visiting the Circuit over three days.
In 2013, Circuit of The Americas will host four new motorsports series, including MotoGP, V8 Supercars, GRAND-AM Road Racing and American Le Mans and the World Endurance Championships, in addition to its prestigious Formula 1 event. The Circuit will also open its highly anticipated Tower Amphitheater, the largest outdoor entertainment venue in Central Texas, which will host a variety of national touring shows booked by Live Nation, the world's largest live music and entertainment company.
The Circuit's list of partners includes a number of prominent international, national and regional brands, plus several companies that are headquartered in or have significant footprints within the State of Texas.
The Circuit's international and national partners include (listed alphabetically):
- Anheuser-Busch
- AT&T
- Best Buy
- Frito Lay
- Manitou Americas
- Pepsi
- Pirelli
- Red Bull
- Topo Chico
The Circuit's regional partners include (listed alphabetically):
- Austin American-Statesman
- Bazaarvoice
- Gatti's Pizza
- Seton Healthcare
- Texas State Highway 130
- The Salt Lick Bar-B-Que
- The Texas Lottery
"We are excited that these great partners have chosen to align their brands with our world class, state-of-the-art motorsports and entertainment venue," Circuit Chief Sales Officer Ben Cahalane said. "There is no other facility like Circuit of The Americas in the United States. This uniqueness, combined with our event diversity and global reach, is attractive to brand marketers, as is our ability to create year-round activation opportunities for partners through a variety of prestigious sports and entertainment events. In addition to premium motorsports, our multi-purpose facility can host driving experiences and academies, boxing and tennis matches, running, cycling and corporate events, and our Tower Amphitheater will host 15-20 major outdoor concerts each season. We offer great creativity and flexibility in how brands can activate with us, and our inaugural partners are already taking advantage of that."
Consumer brands experienced in sports marketing saw immediate value in connecting with the Circuit.
"PepsiCo is proud to continue its tradition of aligning its brands with major events," said Tom Greco, President of Frito-Lay North America, a division of PepsiCo. "Circuit of The Americas is attracting the types of events that blend well with our leading consumer brands."
"We're thrilled to partner with Circuit of The Americas to support a world class motorsports and entertainment property in the United States," said Ryan Garcia, director, regional trade marketing, Anheuser-Busch. "Not only does this partnership provide a great platform for Stella Artois and Bud Light in Texas, it provides us the opportunity to connect with a national and international fan base."
International brands, such as AT&T, saw the value of being involved with the Circuit literally from the "bottom up."
"AT&T has been able to build its technology into Circuit of The Americas from day one," Andy Geisse, chief executive officer of AT&T Business Solutions, noted. "And our team was on site at every stage of construction, helping to ensure that Circuit of The Americas has one of the most advanced communications networks of any sporting venue in the world."
"We are excited that our partners have chosen to complement their sponsorship investment with strong marketplace activation programs to bring the Circuit of The Americas' brand to their customer base while raising awareness of our marquee motorsports," Circuit Chief Marketing and Revenue Officer Geoff Moore said. "These brands are great marketing partners and have demonstrated their ability to activate at retail and cross-promote our event line-up through database marketing, social media and paid media campaigns. For instance, one of our regional partners, the Texas Lottery, introduced a branded scratch-off game before we opened our venue for the Formula 1 event, and their racing-themed game is now a top seller across the state. That kind of investment and consumer response really underscores the unique impact our facility will have on the State of Texas and how we can help businesses reach customers."
About Circuit of The Americas
Circuit of The Americas is a world-class destination for performance, education and business. It is the first purpose-built Grand Prix facility in the United States designed for any and all classes of racing, from motor power to human power, and is home to the 2012 FORMULA 1 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX™. Racing series joining the Circuit's 2013 line-up include MotoGP™, V8 Supercars™ and GRAND-AM Road Racing™. The Circuit of The Americas' master plan features a variety of permanent structures designed for business, education, entertainment and race use. Its signature element is a 3.4-mile circuit track. Other support buildings include an expansive outdoor live music space, an iconic 251-foot tower with observation deck, an events and conference center, a banquet hall as well as a state-of-the-art medical facility. For more information and downloadable video, audio and photos, visit: www.CircuitofTheAmericas.com.
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