OVO Arena Wembley all set to Gre‘energ’ize

Image: OVO Arena

OVO Arena Wembley is the new name for one of United Kingdom’s most coveted live entertainment venues, managed by ASM Global, the world’s leading venue management and services company.

The ‘OVO Arena Wembley’ stated that synonymous with some of the world’s biggest artistes and shows for over 60 years, the iconic concert and events venue is expected to welcome around one million visitors in 2022.

The 12,500-capacity North London arena, which was built in 1934 and is currently managed by ASM Global, was previously known as The SSE Arena, Wembley. The arena will now be known as the OVO Arena Wembley, with the energy supplier OVO Energy partnering with ASM Global. It is an indoor arena adjacent to the 90,000-capacity Wembley Stadium in Wembley, London (UK). Used for music, comedy, family entertainment and sport, it is London’s second-largest indoor arena after the 20,000-capacity The O2 Arena, and the ninth-largest in the United Kingdom.

ASM Global is a venue and event management company based in Los Angeles (US) specializing in managing stadiums, convention centers, theaters, and unique venues.

OVO Energy is United Kingdom’s third biggest energy supplier and is based in Bristol, England. It was founded by Stephen Fitzpatrick and began trading energy in September 2009, buying and selling electricity and gas to supply domestic properties throughout UK.

The ‘OVO Arena Wembley’ further stated that fans will be treated to an array of talent, with international artistes such as American rapper 50 Cent, Dutch DJ Armin van Buuren and Norwegian singer Sigrid joining UK stars including British YouTuber KSI, English rock band The Cure and English singer Anne-Marie.

In what is set to be a stellar year of entertainment at the OVO Arena Wembley, the venue will also continue to develop its sustainability credentials as part of a journey to achieve ‘Greener Arena Certification’. A Greener Festival’s rigorous, independent certification process provides external verification that carbon reduction and transition strategies are at the heart of all venue operations, from catering to materials used and circularity.

With a shared vision for a greener live events industry, OVO will support venue operator, ASM Global’s goal to achieve this ‘Greener Arena Certification’, set to be implemented across all ASM Global venues. Through funding of specific carbon-reduction and environmental initiatives recommended as a result of the annual accreditation process, the certification will allow fans and artistes to experience the joy of live entertainment at the iconic London venue, with the feel-good factor of minimizing their impact on the environment.

The development and implementation of these sustainable strategies at the OVO Arena Wembley will be backed and bolstered by social responsibility platform ASM Global Acts, which pledges the venue operator’s commitment to protecting the environment.

Averred OVO’s Head of Sponsorship and Partnerships, Colin Banks, “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.”

Added Banks, “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.”

Added John Drury, Vice-President (VP) and General Manager at OVO Arena Wembley, “ASM Global is delighted to support OVO Energy on the renaming of OVO Arena Wembley. The live entertainment industry has endured a challenging couple of years, but ASM Global is now looking forward to a bumper schedule of events across 2022. As we look to welcome more fans than ever before, we’re working hard to manage the environmental footprint of our operation – one show at a time. This partnership between OVO Energy and ASM Global means that our brilliant events will be aligned with our shared desire for a carbon-free future.”

Asserted Chris Bray, Executive Vice-President (EVP) Europe, ASM Global, “ASM Global is committed to providing sustainable solutions and initiatives across our portfolio of venues around the world. Our social responsibility platform, ASM Global Acts, pledges our longstanding commitment to protecting the environment as we work towards ‘Greener Arena Certification’ in all ASM Global venues. We are pleased, therefore, to continue our relationship with OVO Energy, a brand which shares our vision for greener strategies in the live events industry.”

Added Bray, “Alongside the OVO Energy team at Wembley, we are excited to see how we can continue to work together to develop and collaborate on our ongoing sustainability strategies. Together, we aim to continue to ensure this iconic London concert and events venue remains a world class experience whilst developing it into one of the most sustainable arenas in the world.”

Exulted Georgina Iceton, VP Activations at AEG Global Partnerships, “We’re thrilled to support our partner, OVO Energy, on their renaming of such a legendary venue in London. 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.”

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