For now, The Epicenter is still only officially called San Jose Earthquakes Stadium. (1/2) Statement from #SJEarthquakes on possible naming rights: "Discussions with potential naming rights partners are ongoing..." #mls— Jeff Carlisle (@JeffreyCarlisle) October 23, 2014 (2/2) "...At this point in time, we have not finalized an agreement with a naming rights partner." #SJEarthquakes #mls— Jeff Carlisle (@JeffreyCarlisle) October 23, 2014 FWIW, Avaya, the company tightly linked w/Quakes stadium naming rights, didn't return a phone call seeking comment. pic.twitter.com/5tNlM9IJg0— Jeff Carlisle (@JeffreyCarlisle) October 23, 2014 Avaya spokesperson Deb Kline on rumored stadium rts deal w/ #SJEarthquakes: "We're in ongoing conversations but nothing has been finalized."— Jeff Carlisle (@JeffreyCarlisle) October 23, 2014 GO SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES!!! -G
So there is still a possibility that we get Check N Go, Hollywood Detox Body Wrap or 1-877-Kars4Kids?
This is one of my favorite startups, proving my theory that anything can get funded. http://www.crunchbase.com/organization/secret $35mm in funding to support a website where people post secrets. https://www.secret.ly/ So they've got plenty of cash, and after the two employees buy their Teslas and houses in Palo Alto, what are they going to use it for? How cool would that be, the word SECRET on the front of our jerseys?!?! I would get one in every color.
Asking people what "Avaya" is. Some of the responses. ... A tropical fruit New Age singer A Tolkien elf Recently discovered tribe in the Amazon. How they say hello and goodbye in the South Pacific A fancy bottled water. Those creatures in Avatar. And.....a hi tech company. (the wife's guess).
"Avaya Stadium? Tech giant rumored for San Jose Earthquakes naming rights" (Silicon Valley Business Journal - Thursday, 10/23/14) GO SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES!!! -G
I believe Avaya was one of the corporate sponsors for US Soccer years ago, so this won't be their first foray into soccer...
Perhaps this is just an Avaya rah rah meeting in which they were talking about their discussions with us about naming rights? I very much expect the new stadium to be call The Epicenter officially. Avaya Stadium is pretty generic. So probably this isn't a done deal, yet. Maybe we will get Avaya, which would be fine with me, but it really sounds like they are still working on the details. Go Quakes! Fire JD!! - Mark
Maybe as a modifier or unofficial name. But it'll be Avaya Epicenter or Avaya Stadium (or barring that Corporate name Stadium) officially. Unofficially I'm sure we'll all call it the Epicenter in common usage. Buy don't tell Avaya that.
The meeting in Cancun was for the Avaya Aces which it appears is there sales club ... ie. End of the year party/meetings for the guys that met there numbers. You can find photos on twitter (not of the stadium) that are in the same room as the stadium shot. I no longer think the photo is fake :0. So yes, it was an internal rah rah meeting for the top sales guys. They were getting them excited about all the cool things Marketing is doing.
It won't be called the Avaya Epicenter. You don't send $5M on naming rights and encourage people to use a nickname instead.
I asked when they were going to officially announce the leaked stadium sponsor at my stadium tour yesterday. I was met with a lot of uncomfortable silence and Earthquakes staff looking at their shoes. One guy tried to make light of it by saying, "Nice try. You must read Twitter." Their reaction was a pretty strong confirmation, I think.