THE Villa Marina in Douglas could face a name change from October 1 this year.
The Department of Community, Culture and Leisure is considering the appointment of a media organisation to acquire the naming rights of the venue for a year, with the option of a second year.
However the name Villa Marina will remain part of the overall branding.
Many venues worldwide now incorporate the name of a commercial partner in their name - such as the 02 Arena (formerly the Millennium Dome) in London, The Liverpool Echo Arena, The Manchester Evening News Arena and The Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle to name but a few.
Expressions of interest are being sought and the tender document for a media partner for the Villa states: "This proposal will include rebranding the Villa Marina to match the successful organisation and include the newly rebranded name on all venue advertising, tickets, literature and onsite promotion relating to the Royal Hall and Promenade Suite.
"The name of the Villa Marina should continue to be part of the overall branding.
"In addition the successful organisation will get significant onsite presence within the Villa Marina, exclusive promotion rights and access to added value opportunities to offer their customers such as competition tickets and meet and greet events.
"The selection criteria will involve potential audience reach (in terms of both volume and compatibility with the demographics of the customer base), financial value of the proposal, quality of promotional opportunities, compatibility with the Villa Marina brand, quality of design of visuals to be used in association with the branding."
It went on to say: "With almost universal name recognition, acquiring the naming rights of the Villa Marina represents an excellent opportunity to raise the profile of your organisation and establish your brand at the forefront of customers' minds when thinking about entertainment."
The naming rights do not include the Gaiety Theatre, Broadway Cinema, Dragon's Castle and the Villa Marina Arcade.
The Villa Marina is the Island's largest indoor arts and entertainment venue and in the past week alone has hosted performances by the Halle Orchestra, Blondie and Roger Daltrey.
The deadline for submissions is noon on August 26.
Details are available from Dawn Maddrell, Head of Culture and Arts, Villa Marina and Gaiety Theatre, Unit 8, Villa Marina Arcade, Douglas, IM1 2HJ or ring 686703.
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