Author: Kevin L. Chouinard (@KLChouinard)
ATLANTA, GA — When the Atlanta Hawks take the floor this October following a
$192.5 million-dollar renovation of their home, it will have a new name: State
Farm Arena.
The club has entered into a 20-year partnership with the largest home and
automobile insurer in the United States to rename its home building, an arena
that hosts nearly 170 events and 2 million guests each year. The Hawks and State
Farm will also team up to begin new philanthropic initiatives and community
engagement programs.
Fans will get to see State Farm Arena from the inside for the first time on
Saturday, Oct. 20. The arena debuts with a “Welcome to the Neighborhood” Open
House Party, a free, public event inviting fans to experience all that the new
building has to offer, including the Topgolf Swing Suites, Killer Mike’s SWAG
Shop (a four-chair barbershop overlooking the court) and the NBA’s first-ever
courtside bar.
The team announced the move in a press conference last week attended by top
executives from each group, as well as Keisha Lance Bottoms, mayor of the City
of Atlanta, and Hawks players Kent Bazemore, John Collins, Taurean Prince and
Trae Young.
“We are so fortunate in the City because we are strong,” Mayor Bottoms said,
“and we are strong because we have strong partners. What I can say about the
Atlanta Hawks is that there is no stronger partner.”
Hawks Principal Owner Tony Ressler said that State Farm was an exemplary
organization with whom the Hawks could join forces for a sponsorship of the
10th-busiest arena in the world.
“We’ve always viewed the Hawks as a community asset in search of a
championship,” Ressler said. “State Farm is an exceptional company committed to
being a great member of the community. At the Hawks Organization, we’ve tried to
build bridges through basketball to all of metro Atlanta, and we have truly the
ideal partner to pursue this endeavor.”
State Farm Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Michael Tipsord echoed the same
sentiment from the other half of the partnership.
“When I met with Tony, one of the things that I took away was just how committed
he is to lifting up people in the community – the difference that he wants to
make in the community. And that aligns perfectly with where our organization
is.”
Hawks CEO Steve Koonin summed it up best when describing the function of an
arena in a city.
“An arena done well is not only a town hall for a city, it’s a place where a
lifetime of memories are made,” he said
The Hawks start their memory-making Oct. 24 when they take the floor of
renamed-and-rebuilt State Farm Arena for the very first time.
Media Content: https://www.nba.com/hawks/state-farm-arena-neighborhood
Media Keywords: NBA, Sports, Atlanta Hawks, Atlanta Hawks
Media Thumbnail: https://www.nba.com/hawks/sites/hawks/files/sfstory.jpg
Taxonomy: Story, State Farm Arena, Announcement, Open House
Story Link: https://www.nba.com/hawks/state-farm-arena-neighborhood
