NIA Naming Rights For Sale

Birmingham’s National Indoor Arena is looking for a naming rights deal similar to the one the nearby NEC Arena did with Korean electronics firm LG.

NEC Group, which runs both venues, wouldn’t say how much it got out of the global electronics giant because the information is “commercially sensitive.”

But LG is believed to have provided a major contribution to the venue’s recent £28 million refurbishment.

It reopened last month with new seating, hospitality, bars, restaurants and other essential customer facilities as well as improved backstage areas.

The Solihull venue, which had been the NEC since it opened 28 years ago, was rebranded the LG Arena as of Sept. 1.

The NEC Group now wants a leading brand name to do a similar deal for the 13,000-capacity NIA in Birmingham.

“The NIA and the LG Arena are within a 90-minute drive time of almost 20 million people, showing that without a doubt this is a national opportunity,” says NEC Group partnership manager Richard Spencer. Apart from the naming rights at the NIA, the NEC Group is also seeking an elite group of premium sponsors to form partnerships to run across both arenas.

“Last year the NIA and LG Arena sold in excess of 1.4 million tickets to live events. These venues represent unique and attractive opportunities for potential sponsors,” he explained.

“The naming rights to the NIA presents a rare opportunity for a brand to interact with a passionate audience as it experiences once in a lifetime world class events.”

Forthcoming live music shows at the NIA include Kasabian, Arctic Monkeys, Ronan Keating, Katherine Jenkins and Will Young.

A recent European Cities Monitor report by global estate agents Cushman & Wakefields ranked Birmingham as the continent’s 14th most desirable business location.