Park's new name draws mixed reactions

The wait is over: the former Hard Rock Park has a new name.

The park will now be the Freestyle Music Park, offi cials announced Thursday, to complement another park the owners are developing in Russia.

"It was always kind of our plan B, our backup plan if we were not successful with obtaining the Hard Rock brand. We knew it was always a possi bility from the minute we bought the park,'' said Steve Baker, president of the park's owner FPI MB Entertainment .

It was a natural choice. The companies that joined to form FPI MB Entertainment _ including Baker's company and Freestyle Park International, a division of MT Development of Moscow _ are also building a park in Russia called Freestyle Park Moscow.

That $620 million park is to include an indoor ski slope, water park, science center, hotel and shop s.

Focus groups were put together in Myrtle Beach, Char lotte and New York to get feed back about the name Freestyle Music Park, and the response was positive, Baker said.

"I hope people think of it as free dom of expression, of freedom to express yourself. We like to say, freedom to explore your inner rock star,'' Baker said, although he added that the park will include many types of music.

The moniker drew mixed reactions from some local residents Thursday.

As a "brand-new name,'' Freestyle will take some getting used to for locals _ just as other brands once did, such as the Pelicans baseball team, said County Council chairwoman Liz Gilland. But the name fits for a theme park, and she said she was enthusiastic about it.

" `Let's go to Freestyle' is going to be just as catchy as `Let's go to Six Flags' or `Let's go to Carowinds,' '' Gilland said. "[But] it's not just catchy _ it embodies an attitude.''

Vin cent Lehotsky, who worked at the park last year, said it reflects the variety of music in the park.

"I like it because it's overall. It covers a lot of music,'' he said. "Hard Rock was just, it just signified maybe something with Ozzy Osbourne or Pantera or Deep Purple or just Led Zeppelin.''

But Rich Hair, former senior vice presi dent for amusements and attractions for Burroughs & Chapin Co. Inc., said he's not a fan.

He thinks names that reflect the location or culture of the region fare better _ like Hershey Park in Hershey, Penn., or Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tenn.

"I'm baffled by it,'' he said, but also noted that what's inside park is more important than the name.

"Your name is not going to stop you. What's going to stop you is a poor product or an overpriced park,'' Hair said.

The park will incorporate genres of music including rock n' roll, country, reggae, beach music, pop, R&B, alternative, Christian and disco, officials said.

The park must now be scrubbed of anything that bears the Hard Rock name. Many of the rides, restaurants and areas in the park are being re-themed, but park officials are staying mum about what they will be called. FPI is also adding rides and developing musical and live stage shows. One of the shows will be an extreme sports show, Baker said.

Bands will also play at the park, although none have been lined up yet, said John Stine, the director of sales and marketing for the park. Last year, Hard Rock Park snagged bands such as The Eagles and The Moody Blue s.

To get in the park, people will have to pay $39.95 apiece, or $29.95 for children ages 3-9, Stine said. Children 2 and under get in free.

Last year, tickets were $50.

There will also be a locals discount and special pricing through packages offered through local businesses the park partners with, but Stine didn't give details about what those discounts would be.

Now that the new name has been set, the owners can start marketing their attraction for its target Memorial Day weekend opening.

"They need to have billboards announcing what they are and where they are. They need to have a great brochure a rack folder and get them in all the hotels,'' Hair said. "You better show them in pictures just what you are. You can not be cheap or skimpy in your introductory years.''

Though Stine declined to say how much the park is spending on marketing and advertising, he said he has already begun partnering with hotels, timeshare companies, camp grounds, visitor centers and air carriers to offer pack ages and make sure their brochures get in people's hands. Billboards will be placed on major highways leading into Myrtle Beach.

Brad Dean, president of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, said that by starting so late in the season, the park has missed the boat on some advertising opportunities already, but the owners seem to be reaching out to local businesses. Efforts like that will be crucial, he said.

"Without an established recognizable brand identity attached to the park, it makes the marketing plan all that much more critical,'' Dean said.

The park could also benefit if a 1 percent local sales tax for tourism promotion is imposed in Myrtle Beach. A law passed Wednesday that would enable cities in Horry County to impose the tax.

Stine said they're poised to work with the Chamber of Commerce as it uses those funds.

"We see anything like that as positive for the destination,'' Stine said.

Dean said the funds must be used to promote a destination _ not an individual attraction or business. But those adver tisements will showcase the activities in Myrtle Beach and could show, for example, a glimpse of the park's roller coaster in photos in print ads.

FPI plans to open more attractions and entertainment venues under the Freestyle Park banner. More parks could be announced within the year, Baker said.

"With Freestyle Music Park, we own the name, leaving us unencumbered by one specific brand,'' Baker said in a statement. "This will allow us, from a partnership perspec tive, to explore other opportun ities and collaborate with national and international brands that will strengthen and extend the Freestyle brand in Myrtle Beach and throughout the world.''

The theme park's moniker has been up in the air since FPI bought the $400 million park out of bank ruptcy for $25 million in February.

The new owners said at the time that they wanted to keep the Hard Rock name, but couldn't reach an agreement with Hard Rock International. The park's previous owners leased the Hard Rock name for $2.5 million per year.

Staff writer Robert Morris contributed to this report.

Contact JESSICA FOSTER at 626-0351.