Title sponsorship agreement extends through 2019
BIRMINGHAM – Effective Jan. 1, 2015, the BJCC Arena will take on the name of Legacy Arena at the BJCC, The Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex and Legacy Community Federal Credit Union announced today. Under an agreement approved today by the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Authority, the arena will be branded with a new “Legacy Arena” logo, which will be visible on the arena’s interior and exterior as well as in its ads, social media and digital platforms. Birmingham-based Red Mountain Entertainment brokered the partnership between the BJCC and Legacy.
Joe McGee, President and CEO of Legacy Community Federal Credit Union, said the title sponsorship continues Legacy’s “long history of supporting events and causes that bring value and positive economic impact to the people we serve.
“Our Board and staff have a keen understanding that what contributes to our local community also contributes to our members, and we have been excited to see all of the recent development in the Birmingham area,” McGee said. “We have been especially impressed with the energetic environment that is emerging in the Uptown Entertainment District adjacent to the Convention Complex. Our partnership with the BJCC is just a tangible way that Legacy can help ensure that this positive momentum is sustained and that our members and potential members continue to enjoy the benefits of a growing and vibrant community.”
Dennis Lathem, Board Chairman for the Jefferson County Civic Center Authority, noted that the BJCC and Legacy each have long histories of supporting the economic vitality and quality of life of the Birmingham area. “We’re proud to partner with a local institution expressing Legacy’s values, and we’re excited about the co-branding opportunities this agreement brings to both our organizations,” Lathem said.
Birmingham Mayor William A. Bell also praised the partnership. “The BJCC is a great asset to our community, and we are appreciative to Legacy for embracing our vision of being a destination City. This is the first of many anticipated announcements of this kind as we work towards Birmingham hosting next level events,” he said.
As the 18,000-seat arena approaches its 40th anniversary in 2016, the sponsorship speaks of even more great things to come for a facility that has been a landmark for both Birmingham and Alabama, said Tad Snider, BJCC CEO and Executive Director.
“For many, many people in Birmingham and beyond, a show at the BJCC arena is at the center of an important memory,” Snider said. After the arena opened in 1976, its first show was Holiday on Ice, and its first two concerts were sell-out shows by John Denver and Elvis.
“Since then, generation after generation has flocked to the arena to see the seminal performers of their times,” Snider said. “Maybe your first concert was Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA” in 1985, or maybe you took your child to hear Justin Bieber just last year. For every generation, there’s been something unforgettable, from Pavarotti to Lil Wayne, The Who to Foo Fighters, Tina Turner to Jay-Z, George Strait to Miranda Lambert.”
On Saturday, Eric Church packed the arena for his Outsiders World Tour, and Chris Brown takes the arena stage Sunday with his X Tour Live.
As a sports facility, the arena has hosted Davis Cup Tennis, NCAA basketball and gymnastics tournaments, hockey and arena football, as well as rodeos, professional fishing weigh-ins, monster truck events, professional wrestling and more. The venue is a major stop for the Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus and an ever-changing series of Disney shows, both on and off the ice. It’s also a popular venue for inspirational speakers, religious events, and conferences.
