Barclaycard announces five-year partnership with the NEC Group
Barclaycard today announces a five-year partnership with the NEC Group, which will see Barclaycard become official payment partner of The Ticket Factory, the LG Arena, the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) and National Indoor Arena (NIA).
The partnership will see Birmingham city centre’s arena, the National Indoor Arena, renamed ‘NIA, a Barclaycard Unwind Arena’ as part of its £20.6 million transformation, to be complete by 2014.
Dan Mathieson, head of experiential marketing and partnerships at Barclaycard, said:, “Striking this deal gives Barclaycard a chance to showcase innovation in payment at some of the UK’s hottest entertainment events and venues. The eventual rollout of contactless technology across the NEC Group, means customers will be able to pay quickly and easily for shows they want to see, using their contactless cards or contactless-enabled mobile phones, even if they're on the go.”
Paul Thandi, chief executive at the NEC Group, said: "Having a partnership of this calibre is a landmark in the NEC Group’s renewed evolution. This partnership fits our business philosophy around providing meaningful live experiences for our customers. We share a drive to invest in technology and solutions that simplify the customer journey which means we will be able to offer an outstanding entertainment experience from start to finish. Our customers can look forward to smart technology, exclusive benefits and a next generation arena to visit the world's best performers."