CLEVELAND, Oct. 28, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Cuyahoga County Council has approved legislation to partner with FirstMerit Corporation (Nasdaq: FMER) for naming rights for the Cleveland Convention Center. Upon contract finalization, this will mark the first naming rights partner for the Cleveland Convention Center since opening in 2013. The facility will now be known as the FirstMerit Convention Center of Cleveland.
The partnership will begin November 1, 2015 following the signing of the contract. Proposed building signage is currently being reviewed by the architectural review board and will be installed as soon as possible following formal approval.
The 20-year agreement includes updated building signage to reflect the new name as well as FirstMerit ATMs located inside both the Convention Center and the Center for Global Health Innovation. During the 20-year term, the name will be used in all press releases, promotions, advertising and other written and print materials. The new FirstMerit Convention Center of Cleveland logo will be placed on all uniforms, badges, letterhead, event credentials, collateral and similar materials.
"FirstMerit is committing more than their name to our county's future – they are becoming a partner to promote us as a destination for work, play and education," said Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish. "Our collaboration with FirstMerit on the Convention Center is a great opportunity to highlight this spectacular building as a resource for the region and the nation; it is a state of the art facility in the heart of our city. We're looking forward to many years of welcoming visitors to the FirstMerit Convention Center of Cleveland."
The Cleveland Convention Center, which will play a key role in the 2016 Republican National Convention, opened in June 2013 and has hosted over 525 events attracting more than 400,000 visitors to downtown Cleveland. The economic impact of the more than 225 events hosted through 2013-14 was estimated at approximately $111 million. The Convention Center includes 225,000 gross square feet of Class A, divisible exhibit space, 35 state-of-the-art meeting rooms and a 32,000-square-foot, column-free ballroom with spectacular views of Cleveland's lakefront. The building, owned by Cuyahoga County, is managed by SMG.
"With the County's approval, we are pleased to now begin a long and mutually beneficial relationship in the heart of downtown Cleveland," said Paul G. Greig, FirstMerit chairman, president and CEO. "We look forward to revealing the external signage for the FirstMerit Convention Center of Cleveland soon."
FirstMerit has maintained its commitment to Cleveland and Northeast Ohio through partnerships with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Browns and by supporting nearly 100 different nonprofit organizations last year in Cuyahoga County including the Greater Cleveland Foodbank, College Now and University Circle, Inc.
Visit www.FirstMerit.com for details or join the conversation on social media: Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn and YouTube.
About FirstMerit Corporation
FirstMerit Corporation is a diversified financial services company headquartered in Akron, Ohio, with assets of approximately $25.3 billion as of June 30, 2015, and 367 banking offices and 399 ATM locations in Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois and Pennsylvania. FirstMerit provides a complete range of banking and other financial services to consumers and businesses through its core operations. Principal affiliates include: FirstMerit Bank, N.A. and FirstMerit Mortgage Corporation.
| FirstMerit Media Contact: |
Cuyahoga County Media Contact: |
| Melanie Long |
Jeane Holley |
| d: 216.331.5922 |
d. 216.698.2544 |
| c: 678.643.8268 |
c. 216.640.0821 |
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151028/281445LOGO
SOURCE FirstMerit Corporation
Share this article