MasterCard Brands China Arena

Bloomage International Investment Group and AEG announced Jan. 11 a deal with MasterCard to name the Wukesong Arena in Beijing the MasterCard Center (“Wanshida Zhongxin” in Chinese) for the next five years.

Built as the basketball venue for the 2008 Olympic Games, the arena seats 18,000 and is the first of the Olympic venues to be rebranded.

Jacky Cheung will officially launch the MasterCard Center Jan. 21 with a concert. Other upcoming events include concerts by the Eagles and Hong Kong pop star Aaron Kwok, not to mention NBA basketball, table tennis, bandminton and other sports events.

In a promotional statement, MasterCard said that the branding deal “demonstrates MasterCard’s long-term commitment to China, while helping to ensure the legacy of the Olympic Games.”

In related news, AEG’s Asia Division has appointed Adam Wilkes to the new position of senior vice president of music and touring, Asia.

Wilkes will work under AEG China’s John Cappo on the company’s China venues and under AEG Live’s John Meglen to develop an Asia tour circuit.

Wilkes already has extensive experience promoting concerts throughout Asia and has been instrumental in the growth of live entertainment in China, having promoted more than 100 concerts and sports events in the region, including the first Western pop show to attract an audience of 35,000 (Celine Dion), the first stadium rock concert (Linkin Park), and the first major hip-hop tour (Black Eyed Peas).