"We are pleased to announce that our facility will be referred to as the Allstream Centre as of summer 2009," said Exhibition Place Chair and Deputy Mayor Joe Pantalone. "This relationship with Allstream is another major step toward world-class excellence in the facilities and services offered at Exhibition Place. With the support of MTS Allstream, the Allstream Centre will be a showplace of cutting-edge technology as well as North America's best conference and convention destination."
The ten-year agreement shall include a title sponsorship of the centre, and offers Allstream exposure on signage and a technology showcase area. Full details of the arrangement and the Allstream Centre's launch will be made public in Summer 2009 during a special launch event.
"Allstream Centre will be a wonderful venue to showcase our state-of-the-art service and technology capabilities, and we are extremely proud to have our name on such a prominent and important building in the city," said John MacDonald, President Enterprise Solutions division, MTS Allstream. "This is another example of our commitment to being actively involved in the communities in which our employees and customers work and live."
The naming rights fees will be used to convert this heritage building to a state-of-the-art conference centre which is targeted to achieve (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) LEED Silver rating design standard. MTS Allstream will also work with Exhibition Place to develop unique Allstream branded communications solutions to help it achieve its goals of offering conference attendees the very latest in technological innovations.
"Our goal with this relationship is to inspire visitors to consider new communications technologies that will transform how we conduct conferences - and business in general - in the years to come," Mr. MacDonald continued. "We also look forward to being a part of Exhibition Place's environmental and energy conservation initiatives - a mandate that our company shares."
About Exhibition Place
Exhibition Place is Canada's largest entertainment venue, attracting over 5.2 million visitors a year. The 192-acre site is an integral component of Toronto and Ontario's economy, particularly with respect to sport, festivals, recreation, culture and tourism. The need for additional meeting rooms and ballrooms was identified in the Development Concept Plan of the Board of Governors of Exhibition Place. Exhibitions, meetings and conventions may utilize the Conference Centre as a stand alone venue or in combination with the adjacent 1 million square foot Direct Energy Centre complex - Canada's largest exhibition and convention centre. The Conference Centre will be connected to Direct Energy Centre via an underground walkway, offering attendees year round, climate controlled access from the exhibition halls and underground parking facilities.
About Allstream
MTS Allstream Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Manitoba Telecom Services Inc., and is one of Canada's leading national communication solutions providers, delivering innovative products and services through the Enterprise Solutions and Consumer Markets divisions. The Enterprise Solutions division, which operates under the Allstream brand nationally and under the MTS Allstream brand in Manitoba, is a leading competitor in the national business and wholesale markets. This division offers customers a portfolio of solutions tailored to the needs of medium and large businesses looking for success in a world of rapidly evolving technology - IP connectivity, unified communications, IT consulting and security services, and voice and data connectivity services. The Consumer Markets division leads every telecommunications market segment in Manitoba, delivering a full suite of next generation wireless, high-speed Internet and data, digital television and wireline voice services under the MTS brand, as well as small business services in select markets across Canada under the Allstream brand, and security and alarm monitoring services through AAA Alarm Systems Ltd., an affiliate of MTS Allstream which also operates in other western provinces. MTS Allstream's extensive national broadband fibre optic network spans more than 24,300 kilometres, and provides international connections through strategic alliances and interconnection agreements with other international service providers. Manitoba Telecom Services Inc.'s common shares are listed on The Toronto Stock Exchange (trading symbol: MBT). For more information, please visit: www.mtsallstream.com.
