HEINEKEN celebrated its appointment as official supplier of cider and beer to the SSE Hydro, Scotland’s new home of live entertainment, when the arena opened its doors to the public earlier this week. As well as hosting trade customers as the very first concert – a Rod Stewart extravaganza, John Hutchison, Key account manager, HEINEKEN North and Neil Convery, Regional Sales Director, HEINEKEN North managed to find time for a refreshing pint with John Sharkey – Chief Executive Officer, SECC and Peter Duthie – Commercial Director, SECC.
HEINEKEN’s exclusive five-year agreement with the SSE Hydro will provide the arena with nine Foster’s branded bars, serving a range of draught and packaged lager and cider including Foster’s, Heineken®, Amstel, Strongbow and Bulmers. The contract was awarded by Scottish Exhibition Centre Ltd who operate the SECC complex.
The SSE Hydro has a seated capacity of 12,000, and is the first purpose built concert venue of its scale. The impressive arena will host to around 140 events each year, including national and international artists and bands as well as being a venue for major comedy stars and sporting events. It will also play an integral role in The Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games as the home for both the gymnastics and netball finals. With a projected audience of 1 million visitors each year, it is also set to become one of the top 5 busiest indoor music arenas in the world.
Neil Convery, Regional Sales Director – West and Central Scotland for HEINEKEN said, “We are proud to partner the SECC in this landmark development for Scotland. The partnership will allow us to showcase best- in- class brand activation and the superb opportunity it offers for customer hospitality will significantly enhance our engagement with the trade. With more than 1 million visitors expected per year, the new SSE Hydro arena will provide outstanding prestige and exposure for our business and our brands.”
While Peter Duthie, Commercial Director of the SECC, said, “We are delighted to be working with HEINEKEN at such an exciting time for the SECC. This partnership with such a prestigious international company reflects the positioning of The SSE Hydro as a venue of global significance. Our customers expect to have plenty of choice when it comes to purchasing tickets for events just as they do when looking at the food & beverage options available. We are confident that HEINEKEN and its highly respected brands will more than satisfy this demand.”
