First pictures of the luxury suites at the new arena

Luxury suites in the new Sault Ste. Marie Sports and Entertainment Centre will be marketed at a special event next Thursday.

Jeff Elgie (shown), president and general manager of the integrated communications firm Lucidia, said Thursday that a wine and cheese reception will be held on June 23 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Best Western on Great Northern Road.

To get an idea of what those suites will look like, please click here. "Over 500 business and professional people have been invited," Elgie told a meeting of the Sports and Entertainment Centre Steering Committee.

Elgie also said they will be running advertisements to invite everyone.

Lucidia (a sister company to SooToday.com) is organizing the event for the committee.

Lucidia senior communication strategist Jean-Marie Allard and public relations strategist Tiffany Caicco also made presentations.

As part of her background research, Caicco said she spoke with representatives of a recently constructed arena in southern Ontario.

"In Sarnia, there was much more interest in these [luxury suites] than anticipated," said Caicco.

The committee is so confident it will sell the 13 luxury box suites in the first phase of development that it even devised a lottery system to help pick which of the many interested parties get the suites.

"People who come in with a deposit and fill out the registration process will then have priority selection," said City Commissioner of Community Services Nick Apostle.

Apostle also talked about what will be in the suites.

"There are three sizes right now," he said. "There are eight, nine and ten feet and each one of those has a common area behind the viewing seats with a wet bar, coat closet, a refrigerator and a bar with some bar stools."

Apostle said the architects are currently designing the details of the interiors of the suites, such as the colour schemes and accessories, but the floor plans are in order.