Officials with the Woodward Dream Cruise today announced that the MotorCity Casino Hotel has been named as the presenting sponsor of the event this year. The event has been in search of a title sponsor since 2007 after Eaton Corp. pulled out. Eaton had been the presenting sponsor since 1999. As a nine-year sponsor of the event, MotorCity COO Rhonda Cohen said that after casino executives heard that sponsorships were low, it was decided that this is the year to step up. “Of all years, this is the year that we need to take pride in and celebrate our automotive roots,” she said. Cohen would not disclose how much money the sponsorship cost the casino, though she did say it involves more money than the casino has spent in the past. She said that the casino will be pulling back its level of sponsorships and advertising in other sectors, though did not say specifically what will be cut back. Tony Michaels, executive director of the dream cruise, said there are two other “large sponsors” that haven’t been named yet in addition to “quite a few” smaller sponsors. He said a grand marshal choice is still in the works as well. The MotorCity sponsorship deal includes naming rights, so the official name of the event is now “The Woodward Dream Cruise Presented by MotorCity Casino Hotel.” “You are going to see the name MotorCity everywhere,” Michaels said. “It will on all the banners, the signs and the billboards.” Cohen said the exposure will be a positive for the casino, but doesn’t expect an immediate revenue increase to result. “This is more about our commitment to the region and to this event,” she said. “We’re the only locally-owned casino. I don’t know about the other guys, but we’ll be here for a long time, and an event like the Woodward Dream Cruise is aligned with our values, so it’s important for us to support it.” The dream cruise will be held August 15.