Whirlwind of change ahead for Epcot pavilion
By Robert Johnson , Orlando Sentinel | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted August 29, 2002
After three years of sponsoring exhibits in the Innoventions pavilion at Disney World's Epcot, Xerox and a nonprofit group are pulling out and two new sponsors will take their place.
The Xerox display, in which Disney employees photograph guests and print the pictures on Xerox copiers, will be discontinued at the end of September.
"We simply chose to redirect some of this marketing activity to areas more closely linked to our primary customer base," said Christa Carone, a spokeswoman for Xerox, based in Stamford, Conn.
The Radiological Society of North America, a nonprofit group, also is leaving next month. That company's display was designed to show what a radiologist's role is in health care.
"While we were very pleased with what the project accomplished, we are ready to try something else," said Peggy Fritzsche, a doctor and head of the exhibit committee for the Radiological Society, based in Oak Brook, Ill.
Taking their places: Underwriters Laboratories and Whirlpool Corp.
The changing of the guard is a familiar one at Epcot's Innoventions, where there have been 20 new sponsors since 1994, a replacement rate more than double that of the individual corporate pavilions such as ExxonMobil's World of Energy.
One reason for the high turnover rate at Innoventions is the relatively low sponsorship fee -- essentially an advertising charge: typically $4 million or so to set up an exhibit with Disney's help and about $1 million a year to maintain and staff. Those white-smocked attendants at the radiological display aren't really nuclear technicians, they're theme park employees.
Disney World doesn't usually seek long-term commitments from Innoventions sponsors. Only IBM Inc. and Motorola Corp. have maintained a presence there for the pavilion's entire two-decade history.
Most sponsors are required to sign contracts of only three years, and Disney doesn't encourage them to stay longer.
"The purpose of Innoventions is to provide fun experiences for our guests that are centered around innovation and technology," said Rena Callahan, a Disney World spokeswoman. "Because of the nature of the attraction, sponsors generally come in for a brief time and then move on."
Barbara Guthrie, director of consumer affairs for Underwriters Laboratories, a not-for-profit company that tests everything from air conditioners to television sets and issues its seal-of-approval to those that pass, said Epcot is an excellent marketing venue.
"We wanted to reach a broad audience in an interactive setting, and Disney is an expert in that area," Guthrie said.
She would not describe details of the Underwriters display but expects it to open near the end of this year or in early 2003.
Spokesmen at Whirlpool, based in Benton Harbor, Mich., said their company's exhibit will include the "latest innovative advancements and futuristic product concepts in home appliances . . ." The sponsorship will expand the presence of some Whirlpool products already displayed at Innoventions, including the "Personal Valet" system for removing wrinkles from clothes.
Robert Johnson can be reached at 407-420-5664 or rwjohnson@orlandosentinel.com.
Copyright © 2002, Orlando Sentinel
By Robert Johnson , Orlando Sentinel | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted August 29, 2002
After three years of sponsoring exhibits in the Innoventions pavilion at Disney World's Epcot, Xerox and a nonprofit group are pulling out and two new sponsors will take their place.
The Xerox display, in which Disney employees photograph guests and print the pictures on Xerox copiers, will be discontinued at the end of September.
"We simply chose to redirect some of this marketing activity to areas more closely linked to our primary customer base," said Christa Carone, a spokeswoman for Xerox, based in Stamford, Conn.
The Radiological Society of North America, a nonprofit group, also is leaving next month. That company's display was designed to show what a radiologist's role is in health care.
"While we were very pleased with what the project accomplished, we are ready to try something else," said Peggy Fritzsche, a doctor and head of the exhibit committee for the Radiological Society, based in Oak Brook, Ill.
Taking their places: Underwriters Laboratories and Whirlpool Corp.
The changing of the guard is a familiar one at Epcot's Innoventions, where there have been 20 new sponsors since 1994, a replacement rate more than double that of the individual corporate pavilions such as ExxonMobil's World of Energy.
One reason for the high turnover rate at Innoventions is the relatively low sponsorship fee -- essentially an advertising charge: typically $4 million or so to set up an exhibit with Disney's help and about $1 million a year to maintain and staff. Those white-smocked attendants at the radiological display aren't really nuclear technicians, they're theme park employees.
Disney World doesn't usually seek long-term commitments from Innoventions sponsors. Only IBM Inc. and Motorola Corp. have maintained a presence there for the pavilion's entire two-decade history.
Most sponsors are required to sign contracts of only three years, and Disney doesn't encourage them to stay longer.
"The purpose of Innoventions is to provide fun experiences for our guests that are centered around innovation and technology," said Rena Callahan, a Disney World spokeswoman. "Because of the nature of the attraction, sponsors generally come in for a brief time and then move on."
Barbara Guthrie, director of consumer affairs for Underwriters Laboratories, a not-for-profit company that tests everything from air conditioners to television sets and issues its seal-of-approval to those that pass, said Epcot is an excellent marketing venue.
"We wanted to reach a broad audience in an interactive setting, and Disney is an expert in that area," Guthrie said.
She would not describe details of the Underwriters display but expects it to open near the end of this year or in early 2003.
Spokesmen at Whirlpool, based in Benton Harbor, Mich., said their company's exhibit will include the "latest innovative advancements and futuristic product concepts in home appliances . . ." The sponsorship will expand the presence of some Whirlpool products already displayed at Innoventions, including the "Personal Valet" system for removing wrinkles from clothes.
Robert Johnson can be reached at 407-420-5664 or rwjohnson@orlandosentinel.com.
Copyright © 2002, Orlando Sentinel
