Sydney Entertainment Centre renamed the Qantas Credit Union Arena

After hosting 4,000 events to 26 million customers since 1983 in the Harbour City, the Sydney Entertainment Centre has undergone a name change. It is now known as Qantas Credit Union Arena.

The move comes as venue management company AEG Ogden assumes responsibility to operate the venue until the end of 2015.

SEC General Manager Steve Hevern said that the Qantas Credit Union deal ensured there would be a major entertainment venue (the SEC has a capacity of 13, 250) in the Sydney central business district for most of the time that the new  International Convention Centre Sydney was under construction.

“Our business case for the Sydney Entertainment Centre remaining open for a further two years included the securing of sponsorship revenue,” Hevern said. “Qantas Credit Union has stepped up to the plate in being a major contributor to the financial viability of the Centre during the next two years.”

He added, “Qantas Credit Union represents excellence in the financial services industry. It is a brand that is very customer orientated and their strong customer service fits hand in glove with our philosophy in the entertainment business. In addition, they have a range of very attractive financial products we want to help promote to our large and diverse audiences.”

The SEC is currently ranked #4 in the world in ticket sales for venues with between 10,000-15,000 seats.

Qantas Credit Union has 90.000 members with $2.79 billion in assets. Its chief executive officer Scott King pointed out, “We’ve been the best-kept secret in banking for a long time and this is a great opportunity for us to communicate our strength and the importance of giving back to the community.

“Partnering with such an important Sydney icon will give us the opportunity to spread the word about where Australians can get a better deal for their banking, as well as giving back to our Members with a number of promotional opportunities we are currently working on with AEG Ogden.”