Visitors to the Lethbridge and District Exhibition will notice Coca Cola is the new exclusive non alcoholic beverage provider for the venue. A new partnership was announced between the two companies on Sept. 15, which will see a large presence of the Coke brand at events and in the building.
“It is a tremendously exciting day where we are integrating a world class brand with our organizational culture,” said MIke Warkentin, Lethbirdge and District CEO. “Coke aligned with the visions on Lethbridge and District Exhibition for our campus growth, for our culture growth and the way we want to elevate our event delivery into the future.”
He added one of the key factors to the seven-year deal was Coke’s investment into the community. Warkentin would not go into specifics about financial impact and investment into the community.
“What we were really impressed with through the Coke deal was that they were here in this community, they were increasing their presence in this community both from a community investment standpoint, from a financial representation — but also the encouragement to their staff to be involved in the community at a broader scope,” he said.
Trevor Lamb, vice president of Western Canada, Coke Canada Bottling, said he is thrilled at the new exclusivity deal.
“Our Mission is to deliver optimism and create a better future in the local communities where we operate. By partnering with Lethbridge & District Exhibition, we can do just that, reaching the thousands of Lethbridge community members who attend the venue’s events each year.
The Exhibition is set to open its new agrifood hub building in spring 2023 and Warkentin said he anticipates announcing more partnerships before then.