Best Western, THE WORLD’S LARGEST HOTEL CHAIN®, has become an official supplier to curling’s 2003 Season of Champions. The sponsorship agreement, announced by the St. Clair Group, marketing agent for the Canadian Curling Association (CCA) and World Curling Federation (WCF), provides Best Western International with commercial time on TSN, RDS and CBC-TV, identification on the Canadian Curling Association website (www.curling.ca), venue and on-camera signage and program advertising for the seven Season of Champions events.

The five Canadian and two world championships which comprise the Season of Champions are the recently-concluded Canadian Mixed in Abbotsford, British Columbia and Canadian Seniors, January 18-26 in Lethbridge, Alberta; the upcoming Kärcher Juniors, February 1-9 in Ottawa, Ontario; Scott Tournament of Hearts, February 15-23 in Kitchener, Ontario; Nokia Brier, March 1-9 in Halifax, Nova Scotia; World Junior Curling Championships, March 22-30 in Flims, Switzerland and Ford Worlds, April 5-13 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

“We’re pleased to welcome Best Western hotels as an official supplier to the Canadian Curling Association and the Season of Champions,” said David Beesley, vice-president, Sales, St. Clair Group. “We very much look forward to working with them throughout the 2003 season and into the future.”

Best Western is currently an official supplier to the popular, two-time Brier finalist Guy Hemmings’ Rockin’ the House Tour, comprising curling clinics, fundraisers and personal appearances across Canada, as well as being the official hotel supplier to the Ontario Curling Association and Alberta Curling Federation.

TSN is devoting more than 190 hours to this year’s Season of Champions, which began Sunday, January 19 with telecasts of the semi-final and final of the Canadian Mixed Curling Championship. RDS will offer more than 70 hours while CBC-TV will air almost 25 hours of live Championship curling.

“For several years our hotel owners have supported curling on a regional level, and it has been very well-received by our guests” explains Neil Hornsby, Canadian Marketing Director. “We are very pleased to strengthen our relationship with this popular sport, and expand our sponsorship to include the Canadian Curling Association and the Season of Champions,” he added.

Best Western is THE WORLD’S LARGEST HOTEL CHAIN® with more than 4,000 hotels in 80 countries and territories. It is a membership association of independently owned and operated hotels that provides marketing, reservations and operational support to its member hotels. Reservations can be made at 800-WESTERN or online at www.bestwestern.com

Best Western joins title sponsors Ford Motor Company of Canada, Kärcher Canada, Nokia Products Limited and Scott Paper Limited, along with other official suppliers Labatt Breweries, Tim Hortons, True Value, Nova Scotia Tourism and Communication Canada as corporate partners of the Season of Champions.
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