Biz (2599)

NEC to become "The LG Arena"

£28 million sponsorship for "lifestyle" drive

4 July 2008 11:55 GMT / By Amy-Mae Elliott

LG has announced a £28m sponsorship deal with Birmingham’s NEC Arena that will see the venue renamed as "The LG Arena".

The 8-year-long deal will see the venue redeveloped with new hospitality suites, bars, restaurants and improved backstage areas.

Similar to O2's £6m-per-year re-branding of the Millennium Dome, LG is the first mobile phone manufacturer to secure exclusive naming rights to a major UK venue.

LG is getting involved in the deal in order to increase its brand visibility, an LG marketing bod said:

"Consumer alignment to a brand is no longer simply about preference for that brand's products. It's about how the brand makes a consumer feel. Our relationship with the NEC brings us closer to the lifestyle sector and all that is associated with it."

Full tags

Biz, Phones, Mobile phone industry, LG, NEC