Italian construction products manufacturer Fassa Bortolo has stepped up its involvement in the development of Arena MRV, the new stadium of Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A football club Atlético Mineiro, by acquiring the naming rights to a facility that grants fans an insight into their new home.
At 350m², the Centro de Experiências Fassa Bortolo is divided up into a mock-up of the stadium, an 180° immersion cinema with a film about Atlético and its fans, a virtual reality experience and a club store. Visitors will also be able to follow construction work of Arena MRV with a deck offering panoramic views of the building site.
Fassa Bortolo commenced operations in Brazil earlier this month, choosing to base itself in the city of Matozinhos, in the Metropolitan Region of Belo Horizonte.
CEO of Arena MRV, Bruno Muzzi, said: “Having Fassa Bortolo as the official supplier of mortar and grout for the (construction) work is the certainty that we are on the right path in the search for business opportunities and sponsors. Arena MRV is always ready and with open arms for great partnerships.”
Ivan Aliberti, Fassa Bortolo’s attorney and responsible for the organisational and administrative management of the company in Brazil, said: “Several limestone samples were sent to Italy, collected in different Brazilian regions. What we find in the Matozinhos region is among the best in Brazil. And the quality factor is imperative for Fassa Bortolo.”
The Brazilian unit is the company’s first installed outside of Europe and required an investment of R$160m (£22m/€25.6m/$30m). The company also has 18 production centres in Italy and Portugal, as well as commercial branches in Switzerland, Spain, France and the UK.
Earlier this year, Fassa Bortolo began looking for a partnership that would showcase the company’s credentials. Aliberti added: “At Arena MRV we found a partner with a modern marketing vision that allowed us the agreement that brings us here today: the Centro de Experiências Fassa Bortolo.”
In June, Arena MRV appointed LivePark to market the stadium’s commercial rights and draw up its events calendar. With just over a year to completion, the stadium sought to deliver on its multi-use remit and draw up revenue generating ventures. LivePark was formed last year as a subsidiary of the DC Set Group agency and is led by Rogério Dezembro, Eduardo Rigotto and Heraldo Evans.
In March, Arena MRV agreed a partnership with professional services company Accenture that intends to deliver a stadium that offers the best technological experience in Latin America. Work began on the 46,000-seat Arena MRV in April 2020, with the stadium, which was given the green light in December 2019, located in the northwest region of Belo Horizonte.
The stadium will replace the Estádio Independência as Atlético’s home ground and is expected to open by the end of 2022.
Image: Atlético Mineiro
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