AEG Global Partnerships secures new Asian collaborations

AEG Global Partnerships has advised of alliances it has agreed with IG Group, Bacardi and Volvo at its live events venues in Japan and Thailand.

The first of these links has seen AEG join forces with The EM District retail centre in the Thai capital of Bangkok to secure a naming rights deal with UOB which has seen the leading Asian bank lend its brand to the newly opened live entertainment venue UOB Live.

Bacardi and Volvo have also signed deals to become the first founding partners at UOB Live, with both to have a large-scale brand presence and partnerships across the venue, with Bacardi becoming the exclusive beverage partner and Volvo becoming the exclusive automotive partner.

In Japan, AEG has welcomed financial services company the IG Group taking the naming rights for the new 17,000-seat arena currently under construction in the city of Nagoya, which will now be known as the IG Arena.

The 10-year deal between IG Group, the Aichi International Arena Company and AEG Global Partnerships is one of the largest-ever naming rights agreements in the Asia Pacific region.

Matthew Zweck, AEG Global Partnerships Vice President - Asia-Pacific, explained “IG Group, Bacardi and Volvo are all world leaders in their respective industries, and their commitment to excellence matches our own.

“Together, we will be able to enhance fans’ world-class experiences at our state-of-the-art venues, while offering opportunities for brands to excite, engage and reward both existing and prospective customers.”

Commenting on the UOB Live partnerships, UOB LIVE General Manager, Craig Grossarth explained “we are proud to align UOB LIVE with two of the world’s most iconic, global brands - Bacardi and Volvo, each of which is best-in-class in their respective industries.

“Their commitment to excellence matches ours and will help us amplify the world-class experiences that our guests can expect when they visit our venue.”

Over the past 12 months, AEG Global Partnerships has signed new agreements across Japan, China, Thailand and Singapore worth US$100 million - and growth is expected to continue throughout 2024 and into 2025. Further new AEG venues are already under construction in Osaka, Japan, and Seoul, South Korea, with AEG Global Partnerships poised to extend further naming rights and sponsorship agreements.

AEG Global Partnerships Executive Vice President, Paul Samuels added “the live entertainment industry in the APAC region is going from strength to strength and, as part of AEG, we can offer unrivalled naming rights and venue partnership opportunities at some of the best venues in the world.

“We are constantly reimagining partnerships, creating bespoke, integrated strategies designed to meet brands’ objectives, while enhancing fans’ experiences at some of the world’s leading venues.” UOB LIVE, which promises to “reshape the live entertainment landscape” in the region, is managed by AEG Global.

Images: The UOB Live venue on the 6th floor of Bangkok's EmSphere mall (top, credit: AEG) and Ed Sheeran on stage at the opening of UOB LIVE (below, credit: Mark Surridge).