OVO Energy has today (Tuesday) been announced as the new naming-rights partner of London’s SSE Arena, Wembley.
As part of the agreement, OVO will support arena operator ASM Global on its journey to achieve ‘Greener Arena’ certification, with ASM Global set to carry out green-focused initiatives across all of its venues.
The certification is supported by funding of specific carbon-reduction and environmental initiatives recommended as a result of the annual accreditation process.
The development and implementation of these strategies at the newly-named OVO Arena Wembley will be backed and bolstered by social responsibility platform ASM Global Acts, which pledges the operator’s commitment to protecting the environment.
In 2020, OVO completed its acquisition of SSE Energy Services, with the latter now forming part of the OVO family. The acquisition also led to the rebranding of Glasgow’s SSE Hydro to the OVO Hydro back in October.
The deal for the OVO Arena Wembley was brokered by AEG Global Partnerships, which originally brokered the SSE agreement for the venue in 2014.
Georgina Iceton, vice-president of activations at AEG Global Partnerships, said: “As part of the rebrand, it was important for AEG, ASM Global and OVO that we had a zero waste to landfill policy, so our priority from the offset was to source from new suppliers who would deliver the most sustainable materials on the market.
“The initiatives, through all aspects of this progressive project, were underpinned by AEG’s drive for meaningful partnerships that support goals of both the venue and partner. Through the work we establish with A Greener Festival, we will be able to implement new solutions for this legendary building which will see even greater energy efficiencies across the venue.”
Colin Banks, OVO’s head of sponsorships and partnerships, added: “At OVO, we’re committed to establishing purposeful partnerships which reflect our commitment to make zero carbon living a reality – not just in the home, but in the things we love doing too, whether that be going to a gig or comedy show.
“That’s why we share in the OVO Arena Wembley’s ambition to help live entertainment in becoming more sustainable. It’ll take time, but together, we want to identify meaningful ways through which to make lower-impact live events a headline act in their own right and working with A Greener Festival represents a very positive step on that journey.
“But we know that’s just the beginning, and we want to continue to support the venue in identifying practical ways in which we can help to further reduce its environmental impact, without detracting from OVO Arena Wembley’s first-class visitor experience. We look forward to releasing more detail around some of the initiatives already being considered in the very near future.”
OVO Arena Wembley has a capacity of 12,500 and hosts music and sporting events throughout the year. The venue was used to stage badminton and gymnastics events during the London 2012 Olympics.
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