New Hospitality Provider to Provide Enhanced Guest Experience for Central Canada
The Keystone Centre and Centerplate, the leading hospitality partner to North America’s premier sports stadiums, convention centers and entertainment venues, announced the signing of a long-term contract for hospitality services at Manitoba’s Keystone Centre, a 90-acre event complex. The agreement grants Centerplate exclusivity for all catering, food and beverage services at the multipurpose facility located in Brandon, Manitoba, effective immediately.
“We are thrilled to be partnering to bring great experiences to fans and guests, as we expand our hospitality services within Manitoba,” says Centerplate President and CEO Chris Verros. “For generations of families, the Keystone Centre is where the community has come together for exciting events. It is an honor to be a part of the beating heart of Brandon, and we are extremely happy to bring our team’s talent and experience to the Centre.”
The Centre’s main 5,102-seat arena, Westoba Place, is home to the Brandon Wheat Kings of the Western Hockey League and the annual Royal Manitoba Winter Fair, which attracts more than 100,000 people over the course of a week and has the distinction of being one of only two fairs in Canada to have received Royal patronage. Boasting more than 1,500 event days annually, the Keystone Centre hosts a diverse array of agricultural, musical and corporate activities, and is one of Brandon’s largest economic catalysts. Further, the venue has already been named the host of the 2019 Tim Hortons Brier.
“Centerplate brought exceptional vision and talent to the table, and we are very excited to work with them to enhance the quality of services here in Brandon,” says Jeff Schumacher, general manager, Keystone Centre. “Their team shares our vision and commitment to professional guest services, and is investing in our venue and our people to meet that vision.”
Its combination of incredible facilities and small town hospitality make the Province’s signature events at the Keystone Centre memorable and unique. Centerplate will honor that tradition while investing in new training and infrastructure, with a focus on food quality, customer service and partnerships with premium local, regional and national partners.
Centerplate has a proven track record in managing services for exceptional events and destinations and has been recognized for providing excellent service at high profile venues, including: Bell MTS Place, Burton Cummings Theatre, BC Place, the Vancouver Convention Centre, the Scotiabank Convention Centre, St. John’s Convention Center, the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax and Toronto’s Beanfield Centre.
The company plans to unveil new seasonal offerings, local selections, and catering menus during the upcoming fall season.
The Keystone Centre strives to be the premier service-oriented, multi-functional, community -minded facility in Manitoba, hosting sporting and entertainment events, fairs and agricultural exhibitions and conferences. They are proud to be the home of the WHL Brandon Wheat Kings and the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair. The Keystone Centre generates $62 million annually in economic benefits to the city of Brandon, the Westman region and the province of Manitoba. For more info, visit www.keystonecentre.com.
Centerplate is a global leader in live event hospitality, “Making It Better To Be There” for more than 116 million guests each year at more than 300 prominent entertainment, sports and convention venues. Strategically acquired in December 2017 by world leader in Quality-of-Life services Sodexo, Centerplate has provided event hospitality services to more than 30 official U.S. Presidential Inaugural Balls, 14 Super Bowls and 22 World Series. For more info, visit Centerplate.com, connect via Twitter @centerplate, Instagram @Centerplate_ or Facebook.com/centerplate.
