Topics / BUSINESS : City Settles Claims of Loss by 10 Vendors at Soccer Event

The city of Pasadena has reached settlements with 10 vendors who complained that they lost thousands of dollars after setting up booths in the poorly attended Soccer Carnaval, a monthlong festival organized around the recent World Cup games at the Rose Bowl.

Pasadena officials would not release details of the settlements because disclosure could influence negotiations on outstanding claims of about a dozen more vendors, said city spokeswoman Ann Erdman.

One of the vendors who settled was Joseph P. Gonzalez, who flew from Davenport, N.Y., to sell security systems at Soccer Carnaval.

“It’s satisfactory,” said Gonzalez, who agreed to keep details confidential until negotiations on the other claims are concluded.

Gonzalez estimates that he lost about $14,000 in booth rental, travel and other expenses related to Soccer Carnaval.

Most of the outstanding claims are from vendors who recently retained Los Angeles lawyer Jonathan M. Levitan.

Levitan said that last Friday he sent a letter requesting a settlement meeting to Pasadena City Manager Philip A. Hawkey, World Cup USA and Pasadena Productions Inc., which co-produced Soccer Carnaval with the city. The lawyer said Tuesday he was waiting for a response.

The Pasadena festival was to combine soccer clinics, crafts, musicians, international food, retailers and carnival rides to pull in $3.2 million, including $650,000 for the city, from admission fees, booth rentals and corporate sponsorship.

But by opening day, Soccer Carnaval had no major corporate sponsors and the idea of an admission fee had been scrapped. In addition, World Cup officials had forbidden the city to open the festival on game days.