Greensboro, NC: Vela Strategic Marketing and Public Relations, based in WinstonSalem, NC, has been named the Official Advertising and Design Agency, and Bronze Sponsor, for the 2016 USA Masters Games. Vela is a full-service marketing, advertising, and public relations agency that has a wide array of clients, including a number from the sports industry including NASCAR, Minor League Baseball, and the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
2016 will mark the first-ever USA Masters Games competition, which will be held in Greensboro, NC next July. The ten-day event will include adult athletes from around the U.S. and a number of foreign countries competing in more than 20 different sports. In recent decades, multi-sport Masters Games have become common in Australia, Europe and Asia, and the format has proven to be a draw with both athletes and spectators alike.
“Vela is excited to play a major role in the 2016 USA Masters Games,” said Ginger Gallagher, Vice President, of Account Management and Business Operations. “We have athletes in the office in sports like martial arts and cycling, so we have a personal connection. From a business perspective, it gives us the chance to further grow our sports portfolio and make a significant contribution to a new major chapter in the Triad’s event history.”
Vela’s work covers many facets of marketing including branding, digital and social media, event and meeting planning, and public and media engagement. Vela is creating and developing the look for the inaugural edition of the USA Masters Games, to be held at venues throughout Greensboro and the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina.
“We are thrilled to have Vela join our 2016 USA Masters Games team,” said Hill Carrow, CEO of the Games, “We have developed a wonderful relationship with Vela, working together on the 2011 and 2015 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. It was their sports clients that drew us to Vela originally, but their excellent design concepts and outstanding service have made for a very productive and successful 6 years together.”
“Our goal for the look of the Games, was one that was bold, distinctive, colorful, and conveyed the motion and energy of the athletes,” said Michelle Soyars, Vice President of Creative Strategy at Vela. “We wanted something that would help set these Games apart.”
Vela’s creative look for the Games will be extended far beyond collateral and promotional materials. It will be used to dress the venues and even the community itself in such a way that it will help define the Games presence while building tremendous anticipation and excitement for the Games.
About Vela: Vela Strategic Marketing and Public Relations is a full-service marketing and advertising firm based on Winston-Salem, NC. The agency’s 25+ years of experience includes consumer package goods, retail, automotive and trucking, healthcare and service industries and event/sponsorship marketing. Vela’s background in corporate America brings an important business perspective and strategic insight to all of their accounts. Visit www.VelaAgency.com.
About the USA Masters Games: The USA Masters Games is a major sports festival for adult athletes 21 years of age and older, featuring 20+ sports, Opening & Closing Ceremonies, and a Games Village. The inaugural USA Masters Games will take place from Friday, July 22 to Sunday, July 31, 2016 in Greensboro, NC. The Games are expected to be staged at 12 to 15 locations in Greater Greensboro and possibly as many as 20 different venues. The Greensboro Coliseum Complex will serve as the hub for the Games and will be the site of the Games Village. Games are planned to be held every two years in the even year. Sponsors of the USA Masters Games include Gold Sponsor: the Greensboro Convention & Visitors Bureau; Silver Sponsors: the Joseph M. Bryan Foundation and the Greensboro Coliseum Complex; Bronze Sponsor: Vela Strategic Marketing & Public Relations; and Official Supplier: Hagan Barrett & Langley PLLC. For more information on the USA Masters Games, visit www.usamastersgames.com.