Activations Will Bring Sonoma County Wines to One of California’s Fastest Growing Regions
SANTA ROSA, CA (December 17, 2024) – Building on its growing success in bringing world-class Sonoma County wines to new and divergent audiences, Sonoma County Winegrowers has announced it has agreed to become the official sponsor for Acrisure Arena and the Coachella Valley Firebirds.
“This is an exciting new opportunity to showcase and share our Sonoma County wines in a vibrant community with people who clearly love the arena and the team,” said Karissa Kruse, president and chief executive officer of the Sonoma County Winegrowers. She added, “Our focus is to reach new audiences in different settings to create memorable experiences and with this new partnership we will accomplish that in a big way in the Coachella Valley.”
Acrisure Arena is a world-class entertainment venue strategically located in the Coachella Valley in Southern California within 90 miles of more than 8.5 million residents. Since opening, the arena has quickly become the region’s top entertainment venue and cultural destination. It hosts music, sports, family and live events over 100 nights a year. The Coachella Valley Firebirds are newest team in the Pacific Division of the American Hockey League. They began playing in the 2022-23 and are an owned and operated affiliate of the NHL’s Seattle Kraken. During the 2023 Calder Cup playoffs, the Firebirds established an American Hockey League record for total playoff attendance with 138,053 fans attending 16 postseason games. The team touts back-to-back Western Conference Championship titles and continues to thrill fans and sports enthusiasts as in their third season.
“We are excited to launch this new and innovative partnership with Sonoma County Winegrowers to provide our fans with the opportunity to enjoy world-class wines from Sonoma County as well as collaborate to create enhanced guest experiences,” said John Page, SVP of Acrisure Arena, Coachella Valley Firebirds and Oak View Group. He added, “We continue to expand our offerings as a venue from programming to hospitality, so partnering with Sonoma County wines is the perfect blend our customers will savor.”
The sponsorship includes TV advertising, in-arena advertising, sponsorship of the Firebirds’ annual pre-season dinner, exclusive collaborations for premium and season ticket members, sampling nights of Sonoma County wines, opportunities for fans to visit Sonoma County, and more.
In addition, Sonoma County Winegrowers will be the presenting sponsor of the Cactus Cup Hockey Tournament for the next two years. The Cactus Cup Presented by Sonoma County Wine growers is a two-day NCAA tournament featuring four Division 1 men’s hockey teams. The participants in the 2025 event include the University of Massachusetts, Lowell River Hawks; the Michigan Tech Huskies, the Holy Cross Crusaders, and the University of Nebraska, Omaha Mavericks.
About Sonoma County Winegrowers:
Sonoma County Winegrowers represents more than 1,800 growers and works to increase awareness and recognition of the quality, sustainability and diversity of Sonoma County’s grapes and wines through dynamic marketing and educational programs targeted to wine consumers and influencers around the world. In 2014, Sonoma County’s winegrowing community embarked on a major initiative to have all Sonoma County vineyards certified sustainable. Today, 99% of the vineyard acreage in Sonoma County has completed certification by a third-party auditor making Sonoma County the most sustainable winegrowing region in the world. SCW’s sustainability efforts have been recognized with California’s highest environmental honor, the 2016 Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award (GEELA).
About Acrisure Arena:
America’s hottest music festival destination finally has the world-class arena it deserves. Opened December 2022, the Acrisure Arena provides the greater Palm Springs area of Southern California with a premiere 11,000+ capacity venue to host the biggest artists and acts on the planet. Designed specifically for hockey and concerts, the new arena provides top-tier hospitality, artist amenities, and all of the benefits of a modern music and sports venue. In addition, the facility serves as the new home of the American Hockey League affiliate of the Seattle Kraken.
The Acrisure Arena is a $300+ million project that is 100% privately funded through outstanding partners Oak View Group, Seattle Kraken, and Live Nation. Learn more at AcrisureArena.com and follow Acrisure Arena on Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn.
About the Coachella Valley Firebirds:
The Coachella Valley Firebirds are the AHL’s 32nd Franchise and the affiliate of the Seattle Kraken. The Firebirds are the league’s back-to-back Western Conference Champions and play their home games at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, CA. Visit www.cvfirebirds.com for the latest news and information.
