The Scottish Exhibition + Conference Centre (SECC) has announced that its new arena will be called The Scottish Hydro Arena as part of a £15m deal. Energy supplier Scottish Hydro will invest £1.5m per year over the next 10 years as the naming rights partner at the venue, which is due to open in spring 2013. The arena – which is being referred to as ‘The Hydro’ – is set to play host to national and international music concerts as well as entertainment and sporting events. With a seating capacity of 12,000, The Hydro will hold around 140 events per year and it is aiming to attract an audience of one million visitors each year – positioning it alongside Madison Square Gardens and The O2 arena. According to an economic study, The Hydro has the potential to inject an additional £131m annually into the local economy.
