Stuart WoodM&S Bank has announced that it will become the official naming partner of the Liverpool Arena, which will be renamed the M&S Bank Arena early in 2019.
The Liverpool Echo, the city’s daily newspaper, will continue its 10-year partnership with the arena as a key business partner.
Sue Fox, CEO of M&S Bank, said: “M&S Bank has been based in the North West since the business was formed in 1985. It has continued to evolve over this time to the full-service bank it is today and our past, present and future are firmly rooted in the region.
“We’re very much committed to supporting our local community and over the last 10 years we’ve seen the Arena bring a phenomenal breadth of entertainment and cultural events to the city of Liverpool. It has also delivered fantastic economic benefits to the city and the wider region.
“We’re delighted to be a part of something incredibly special and look forward to the launch of the M&S Bank Arena early in 2019.”
The Arena has hosted over 1,200 performances since it first opened its doors in 2008. Entertainment highlights have included the European MTV Awards, the Davis Cup, Sir Paul McCartney, the MOBO Awards and BBC Sports Personality of the Year, which returned for the second time in December 2017.
The venue has welcomed 5.6 million visitors since opening and the ACC Liverpool campus, also home to the Convention Centre and Exhibition Centre Liverpool, has generated £1.6billion in economic benefit for the Liverpool city region.
Carl Wood, Regional Managing Director of the ECHO, said: “The ECHO has had an amazing 10-year association with ACC Liverpool and we feel very proud to have played a key role and supported what has become such a success for our city, our region and for the arena, convention and exhibition industry.
“We are also very pleased to announce that we will remain a key business partner of ACC Liverpool and will continue to be part of this incredible success story. We are delighted to welcome M&S Bank as the new naming partner and wish them every success for the future.”