Rocket movers

What exactly does being the official movers of the Kelowna Rockets mean?

Well, for Bekins Moving & Storage it means buying some in-rink advertising in Prospera Place, where the Western Hockey League team plays, doing some on-ice promotions and sponsorships.

And, yes, if players belongings need to be moved in, or out, of Kelowna, it will be with Bekins.

“This partnership is not simply about putting up a banner in the arena,” said Bekins sales and marketing vice-president Joe Gagnon.

“We can help the team if they have any moving requirements or if any renovations take place at Prospera Place, where moving and storage services may be required. People are crazy about their hockey team. Teaming up with the Rockets gives us credibility as well as publicity and recognition.”

The affiliation with the Rockets will also be incorporated into Bekins other advertising, website and branding.

Gagnon recently moved to Kelowna from Montreal, where he owned Westmount Moving & Warehousing.

The company also had locations in Kitchener and Ottawa.

It was with Westmount that Gagnon struck similar deals to be the official movers of the Montreal Canadiens, the Kitchener-Waterloo Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League, the Montreal Alouettes and Ottawa Senators. So, he knows about such partnerships. “With the Canadiens, we did more than $250,000 worth of moving services when players were traded or with moving other players around,” said Gagnon.

“I love working on marketing with sports teams as it is a good way to support the community.”