Legends grand opening so big it gets a title sponsor

The grand opening celebration that begins this week at Legends at Sparks Marina marks a new era in sponsorships in northern Nevada as Q&D Construction has signed on as title sponsor of the event.

While title sponsorships are commonly offered for nonprofit fundraisers and banquets, they haven't been part of grand opening events in the private sector.

But RED Development LLC, the Kansas City company that created Legends, has used title sponsorships at other properties it's developed around the country, says Jim Bauserman, who heads The Bauserman Group and Seismic Events, the Reno companies that are organizing the grand opening.

As title sponsor, Q&D will be recognized in advertising throughout the grand opening schedule and its logo will be prominent during festivities.

The event begins with a ribbon-cutting at 10 a.m. Thursday, followed by a weekend of family-oriented activities. More grand-opening celebrations are scheduled at Independence Day and in early August.

A series of free concerts are scheduled throughout the summer.

Tim Kretzschmar, senior vice president of Q&D's building division, says groundbreakings and grand openings are commonly on company executives' calendars but this is the first time the builder has become the title sponsor of a grand opening.

"It always makes good marketing sense for Q&D to join in celebrating a successful project," Kretzschmar says. "We usually offer to buy food or beverages, but the magnitude of the Legends celebration includes weeks of entertainment so the price tag was higher."

Bauserman said Q&D executives were eager to take on the title sponsorship.

"They couldn't say 'yes' fast enough," he says. "They were fantastic."

Legends at Sparks Marina, projected to include 2 million square feet of retail, restaurant and entertainment space when it's completed, will have 24 new stores opening this week. Another five already have opened, and 16 are scheduled to open during the summer.

RED Development estimates the project will draw 600,000 to 800,000 visitors a year to the region, and it projects taxable sales revenue from the project at $600 million a year.