Top > Business > 2006 > September > 2006-09-19

Famous Shrine Opening Up to Outside Marketing

The Shrine Auditorium - which has hosted more entertainment events than any other venue, including the Emmys, the Miss Universe pageant, the Academy Awards and the Grammys - will open its doors and welcome sponsors, according to the company that manages the site. The Shrine Auditorium`s decision is significant, as for eighty years now "The Shrine" has been the preferred home only for Hollywood`s royalty and internationally-known "red carpet events" and will now offer businesses the chance to be a partner in its rich and ever-growing heritage.

"With hundreds of thousands of visitors annually and more nationally televised award shows than any other facility, `The Shrine` provides unrivaled visibility for corporations," said Scott Cooper, Executive Vice President of MJA Advertising, which will oversea the ad sponsorship at the Shrine. "Los Angeles is one of the most unique and exciting markets in the world - the heart of the entertainment industry - and I have no doubt that many businesses will recognize the tremendous benefits from a brand association like this."

The Shrine Auditorium was founded in 1906 by the Shriner`s Fraternity (which provides funding for the 22 Shriner`s Hospitals for Children throughout North America). The Moroccan-themed venue is one, if not the only, last remaining Hollywood bastions of history to be made available for outside business sponsorship. Recent years have seen other successful venues offer title sponsorship in this manner, including the Kodak Theater and Staples Center, a major sports and entertainment venue in the Los Angeles area.