In addition to UBS Arena, other venues committed to participating in the pilot program include Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, the world’s first carbon zero certified arena and home to the NHL’s Seattle Kraken; Moody Center, OVG’s newest world-class arena in the Live Music Capital of the World, Austin Texas; and the newly rebuilt state-of-the-art Miami Beach Convention Center.
“We are pleased to provide our commitment to the OVG supplier diversity program,” said Kim Stone, UBS Arena President. “UBS Arena is built within one of the most diverse communities in the country. We are dedicated to helping support these local multicultural businesses within our area.”
“We understand that to provide exceptional guest experiences at our venues, we need to think beyond customer service and start to deepen our commitment to underrepresented communities. Minority-owned businesses are the social, economic, and cultural fabric of our economy and we want to be a part of empowering those communities,” said Tim Leiweke, chairman and CEO, Oak View Group. “Investing in these businesses is being intentional about the ways we invest in the communities. If you don’t have a multicultural business strategy today, you won’t be competitive or around in the next 10 years.”
Providing maximum opportunity for local, small, and diverse businesses to become OVG vendors, OVG will work to identify and increase sourcing from suppliers that are at least 51 percent owned, operated, and managed at least 51 percent by a non-white minority, a disabled person, or a woman. OVG currently recognizes a wide range of diverse certifications that include minority businesses, women, veterans, LGBTQ+, disabled persons, and other local city certifications. The program aims to foster economic inclusivity by making OVG’s supply chain more diverse by encouraging the use of vendors that are historically overlooked while ensuring a positive impact is made in the communities where OVG operates.
“OVG believes in the power of a diverse community and recognizes the opportunity to be intentional in the ways they support and uplift the diverse business communities they serve. Our supplier diversity program won’t just benefit underrepresented businesses, it will uplift the communities where these businesses are located through job creation, increases wages, and tax revenue,” said Dr. Debonair Oates-Primus, OVG’s vice president of diversity, equity, inclusion. “This isn’t just a business strategy, it’s our commitment to making a long-lasting economic impact in underrepresented communities. Minority-owned business encounter unique barriers that challenge their growth efforts such as access to capital and networking opportunities. The pilot program aims to alleviate some of those pain points.”
When vetting potential suppliers, OVG will consider multiple factors which may change from market to market. These include capacity, based on the size of the potential partner’s company, and where within OVG’s operations they would most likely succeed; and key differentiators such as what sets partners apart from competitors, cost savings, reduction in delivery or setup times, value-added services, product/services quality, and sustainability.
About Oak View Group
About UBS Arena
UBS Arena at Belmont Park is made for music and built for hockey. New York’s newest premier entertainment and sports venue and home of the New York Islanders is developed in partnership with Oak View Group, the New York Islanders, and Jeff Wilpon. The state of the art arena opened in November 2021 and has welcomed numerous top artists including Harry Styles, Sebastian Maniscalco, Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa, TWICE, Eagles, John Mayer, Kendrick Lamar and Post Malone. The venue delivers an unmatched live entertainment experience for guests including clear sightlines and premier acoustics.