New Charlotte Arena Construction Site Hosts Charlotte Bobcats TV Shoot

The construction site of the New Charlotte Arena was turned into a stage recently when the Charlotte Bobcats brought in television cameras and crew to film rookie draft pick Emeka Okafor and hired actors for TV commercials that are part of a political spoof-style advertising campaign the NBA team has launched called ‘Okafor in ’04.’

“We are confident that the New Charlotte Arena will be a premier entertainment destination when it opens next fall, and we’re excited to see that even in its construction stages it is an attraction site for the advertising and entertainment industry,” said Marty Bechtold, senior vice president event booking and marketing for the New Charlotte Arena.

Located in the center city area of Charlotte, N.C., the arena, its construction trailers and the Queen City skyline made the ideal backdrop for the TV spot, which plays off the increasingly heated presidential election and parallels political candidate qualities with Okafor’s basketball skills. Traffic stopped alongside the arena construction site to watch the 6’10’’ Okafor don a construction hat and, in answer to a construction worker-constituent’s request for “a candidate who is tough on defense,” say to the camera, “I’m Emeka Okafor, and I am that man.”

The Bobcats campaign has permeated Charlotte with its television, print and radio ads, yard signs and voter buttons and will run up to the Bobcats inaugural season tipoff, two days after Election Day on Thursday, November 4, at the Charlotte Coliseum. The team will play at the Coliseum until the New Charlotte Arena opens in November 2005.

Construction on the New Charlotte Arena began in July 2003 with a public ground-breaking event and has progressed steadily since. The concrete superstructure was completed on schedule in August 2004 and the steel superstructure is on track for completion in January 2005.

The New Charlotte Arena opens in November 2005 and will be home to the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats and the WNBA’s Charlotte Sting. The state-of-the-art facility is located in the heart of Charlotte, N.C., with more than 4,000 hotel rooms within walking distance. The arena, which will have seating configurations for audiences ranging from 6,000 to 18,500, will feature restaurants, retail and a range of visitor-friendly amenities. It is adjacent to the city’s planned light rail corridor and is just a few miles from Interstates 77 and 85. For booking information contact Marty Bechtold of the New Charlotte Arena at (704) 329-4909 or mbechtold@bobcatsbasketball.com.