September 9, 2010 - Mike Modugno
Director of Public Relations and Broadcaster

Kalamazoo, MI- Stadium Management Company (SMC), which operates the Wings Stadium Complex announce a name change of the S2 Arena (formerly Twin Star) to Wings West.

Built in 2002, S2 Arena, which has two regulation hockey rinks and a full service restaurant, is home to youth and adult hockey, roller hockey and figure skating.    

During the past month, SMC has been unveiling a plan to the user groups of both facilities (Kalamazoo Optimist Hockey Association, Michigan Amateur Hockey Association, Southwest Michigan Skating Club, USA Hockey, Southwest Michigan High School Hockey League, Kalamazoo Curling Club, Kalamazoo Figure Skating Club, and Western Michigan men’s and women’s club hockey teams) to illustrate the benefits of having SMC operating five rinks in southwest Michigan.

 “The biggest obstacles facilities face in today’s business climate is they worry too much about competing against each other and not enough worrying about the needs of their consumers,” said Paul L. Pickard, president of Stadium Management Company. “This action plan will bring our user groups and community together in ways we have only imagined”.

The training model, which is listed below will serve as the guidelines to help better utilize and captivate all current user groups of both facilities and gain more participants.

• Promote the sport first: hockey, figure skating, curling;how can we attract more participants?
• More participants drive registration fees/costs down, heightens awareness & interest of the sport
• What’s best for the participant’s?
• A full “a la carte menu” for participants in each specific sport
• Multiple organizations in the same community creates a dilution of the product and opportunities
• Resources/choices…
• Excellent volunteers, administrators & coaches with facilities and ownership second to none!
• We must provide the best choices and options for all ages, skill levels and experience
• Educate participants, officials, coaches, administrators & parents
• Select-Grow-Multiply
• Engaged and inspired!
• Community Capitalism – a successful concept already being used in our local business community…This is in the best interest of this community!

Part of the plan to help build participation and grow each sport is to have one user group organization per ice sport so as to fill the void of any current programs not being offered (i.e. HPC, Jr. “A” hockey), and to meet the sanctioning requirements of the governing bodies of each specific sport as well as work closely with these various organizations.

“We want to create an atmosphere where a child could participate in KOHA, stay in Kalamazoo for junior hockey, play collegiate hockey at Western Michigan University and then become a K-Wing,” said Pickard. “This acquisition is step one of that becoming reality.”

Stadium Management Company owns the Wings Stadium Complex, the Kalamazoo Wings hockey team and now Wings West. The Wings Stadium Complex is comprised of three buildings; Wings Stadium seats more than 5,100 fans for K-Wings home games and more than 8,000 people for concerts and other stage events. The Annex seats 1,367 for ice events and can seat up to 2,850 for non-ice events such as car, boat, and trade shows. The Cube is the newer of the three facilities and plays host to both ice and non-ice events. All three buildings along with the newly acquired and named Wings West facility are available for rental and feature numerous catering and meeting opportunities.

For more information regarding Wings West, please contact: Mike Modugno, director of public relations/broadcaster at (269) 349-1125, extension 220.