The Phantoms, the American Hockey League’s top
development team of the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers, announced a 10-year
agreement with Coca-Cola Bottling Company of the Lehigh Valley to make the
company exclusive pouring rights partner of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and its
future arena in Allentown, Pa., PPL Center. When the puck drops for the
inaugural season on October 1, 2014, the team will be known as the Lehigh
Valley Phantoms. Coke will be the
official soft drink of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and the company will name a
Coca-Cola Party Suite in PPL Center that will be available for rent during
events. The announcements were made jointly by Joe Brake, President and General
Manager at Coca-Cola Bottling Company of the Lehigh Valley, and Jim and Rob
Brooks, co-owners of the Phantoms.
PPL Center will be at the heart of the Lehigh Valley and
is a catalyst for the renovation and revitalization of downtown Allentown.
Scheduled to open in the fall of 2014, PPL Center will host more than 140
events each year, including Phantoms games, live concerts, trade shows, youth
sports, high school and collegiate events, conferences, graduations and family
programs like Disney on Ice, Cirque du Soleil and the Harlem Globetrotters. PPL
Center will seat more than 8,500 people for hockey and over 10,000 for concerts
and other events.
“The Coca-Cola Bottling Company of the Lehigh Valley is
very proud to partner with Jim and Rob Brooks as the official soft drink of the
Lehigh Valley Phantoms,” Brake said. “We are excited to have a first-class
professional ice hockey team located in the Lehigh Valley, and are happy to
have the opportunity to be a part of the excitement and energy of center city
Allentown.”
“Coca-Cola Bottling of the Lehigh Valley has strong
partnerships with many of the region’s entertainment venues, and we look
forward to a successful tie-in with the Coca-Cola brand and this family-run
company for the next decade,” said Jim Brooks.
