Sponsorship program sounds good to House of Blues.

As the new vice president of sponsorship sales for the House of Blues. Bill Benjamin faces a different kind of challenge than he did in the world of sports, where sponsorship is a known marketing strategy. In the world of music, sponsorship is still a new phenomenon.

"Sports sponsorship is a mature industry," he said. "Behind home plate you always see signage and sponsors. HoB is very new."

In his new post, Benjamin finds corporate partners for HoB clubs and amphitheaters as well as House of Blues tours. Part of that means researching clients to make sure they are the right brand fit.

Benjamin is now working on a deal between HoB and Lincoln Mercury. The band Lifehouse is doing a multi-city tour for the House of Blues sponsored by the new Lincoln Zephyr. The promotion includes a display of the car at concert sites, signs and logos, plus direct marketing to HoB's 1.2 million core group of customers.

After researching the House of Blues, he found that part of the appeal was the concert venue chain's position as the second largest live music promoter in the country. Live Nation, formerly part of Clear Channel, is the largest.

"I love HoB," he said. "It has a real great vibe. What's great about HoB is that you don't have to be a musician or a hardcore fan to enjoy it. Everyone loves music. It's a great place to see a show in any genre."

Benjamin moved to Los Angeles for grad school at UCLA where he received his MBA in 1993. He stayed because he liked the business climate. "I think it's really diverse."

He worked in sponsorship for a variety of entertainment studios, in the theme park business, and most recently as head of the ESPN Zone Sponsorship Sales team for Disney Regional Entertainment.

Benjamin lives in Sherman Oaks with his wife, who works at Kaiser Permanente. In his free time he bikes and takes part in community issues as a member of his homeowners association.