Broward County Arena To Be National Car Rental(R) Center
14 July 1998
Broward County Arena To Be National Car Rental(R) Center SUNRISE, Fla., July 14 -- The Broward County Arena has a name
-- the National Car Rental Center.
The Arena Development Company announced today that National Car Rental has
won the right to name the new Broward County Arena in Sunrise, Florida.
Minneapolis-based National Car Rental acquired the naming rights for $2.2
million per year for ten years. In a separate deal, National Car Rental will
become the official car rental company of the Florida Panthers hockey team.
The sponsorship package includes naming rights, signage and advertising.
Airline passengers into South Florida will even be able to see the National
Car Rental Center logo painted on the building's roof.
"We think National(R) provides an exceptional fit for this state-of-the-
art entertainment venue," said Alex Muxo, President of Arena Development
Company. "We're partnering with an internationally renowned company and the
center will offer world class entertainment, beginning with international star
Celine Dion, which is consistent with the Panthers who feature players from
many countries and compete in an international sport."
"We are so excited to be part of this incredible new facility and Panthers
Hockey," said Jeff Parell, National's President and Chief Operating Officer.
"It's a great opportunity for us to get our name in front of sports fans and
potential car renters around the world. From our standpoint, it has so many
things going for it: Florida is the largest travel destination in the world
and it's a strategic location for us. If you've watched television over the
past year, you know that sports is an intergal part of our marketing strategy.
Sports and sports sponsorships reach our target market. Most important, we
want the world to know that at National Car Rental: 'Green Means Go!' And,
when they watch or hear about events at National Car Rental Center, they will
know about it!"
National Car Rental Center will be home for the Florida Panthers, an NHL
franchise in only its sixth year, but already having won the Eastern
Conference Championship in 1995. In addition to other entertainment events,
the Center will host the 2001 National Hockey League All Star Game. The
872,000 Sq. ft. facility will seat 19,088 for hockey and 20,000 for basketball
with 70 Private Suites, four Party Suites, eight Co-op Suites, two Skyview
Party Suites, and 2,236 Club Seats.
The 135-acre site will be immediately accessible from Sawgrass Expressway
by a new interchange and will provide 7,600 on-site parking spaces including
226 enclosed parking spaces. National Car Rental Center will officially open
October 3rd with a concert featuring Celine Dion. Tickets for the concert
will go on sale July 25th. The Florida Panthers will open the 1998-99
regular season October 9th.
A fast-track design process was implemented to deliver the project in a
record 26 months from the start of design to the finish of the construction.
The completion of the building is seen as an important milestone in the
maturation of the team and the building of fan loyalty over time. Its
character seeks to express the youthful, confident and dynamic character of
the Panthers franchise, as well as an appropriate civic image for the full
range of entertainment offerings in the South Florida region.
Based in Minneapolis, National Car Rental is a leading rental car company
for business travelers in the U.S., and around the world. The Emerald Club
Aisle Service provides quick turnaround for renters who are able to choose
their own cars while bypassing the counter. Today, when customers call their
travel agent or National's toll-free number, 1-800-CAR-RENT(R), they can
reserve a car at any one of nearly 3,000 locations in 75 countries. National
rents cars in the United States, Canada, Europe, Latin America, the
Caribbean and the Pacific and with Nippon in Japan.
