"Transpertainment" Comes to Las Vegas

Nextel Communications "is becoming a principal sponsor of a monorail system that is scheduled to start serving Las Vegas in January, underwriting the branding of the
Convention Center stop as well as one of nine four-car trains with the Nextel name, logo and colors. ... Coca-Cola is also negotiating with the Las Vegas Monorail
Company to become a sponsor there, along with companies that include Discovery Communications and General Motors. Bacardi and Motorola have signed letters of intent to become sponsors ... . ... Patrick Pharris, president and chief executive of Promethean Partners in Las Vegas, which is selling the sponsorships for the monorail system [comments] 'the biggest brands in the world are saying, we understand
consumers are perhaps numbed to traditional advertising, and we have to engage them in our experience. Then the consumers are more likely to become brand proponents and tell their friends about it. If you can convert transportation to 'transpertainment' it becomes a better experience for the consumer and the advertiser.' "

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