Nicola MacdonaldBarclaycard Arena has strengthened its partnership with Firestone Tyres by launching the Firestone Stage, previously called the Unsigned Stage.
The stage was officially launched on 21 March during Ellie Golding’s Birmingham show; going forward, it will play host to unsigned artists in the pre-show entertainment arena.
Phil Mead, managing director of the Barclaycard Arena, said: “This reinforces the Barclaycard Arena as being an attractive proposition for many companies wishing to target a young-at-heart demographic.
“Hosting some of the world’s top events, featuring state of the art facilities and its central locality within the UK’s second city, means the arena attracts a wide variety of music lovers, ensuring brand exposure to over half a million customers every year.
“Further investment from Firestone Tyres in our pre-show entertainment area, is testament to how companies are recognising the benefits of this exposure. The partnership will further strengthen our offering for customers, and provide a great platform for unsigned artists to showcase their talents.”
The stage will also act as a platform for Firestone’s annual battle of the bands competition, where local musicians compete to win music equipment and an opportunity to perform on the stage in the future.
Firestone’s brand manager Stuart Attfield added: ““We can see huge potential through our relationship with the Barclaycard Arena, which represents a focal part of our plans for 2016.
“We always strive to activate sponsorships in tangible ways for our customers to benefit from. The Firestone Stage allows us to do that and we look forward to seeing all manner of talented music acts on our stage.
“Who knows, they might go on to perform on the main stage one day, which would be a dream scenario for everyone.”