UBS Arena, home to four-time Stanley Cup Champions the New York Islanders, announced it has teamed with Oak View Group (OVG), the global venue development, advisory, and investment company for the sports and live entertainment industries that owns and operates the venue, to launch its companywide supplier diversity program. Deepening its commitment to economic inclusivity, the initiative is a part of OVG’s continued pledge to be a catalyst for lasting change and inclusion throughout its organization, partners, and the communities it serves while encouraging the growth of minority-owned businesses and women-owned businesses.
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.
Potential supplier partners interested in applying are encouraged to click here to review the required diversity certifications.
About Oak View Group
Oak View Group (OVG) is a global sports and entertainment company founded by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff in 2015. OVG is focused on being a positive disruption to business as usual in the sports, live entertainment, and hospitality industries and currently has eight divisions across five global offices (Los Angeles, New York, London, Philadelphia, and Toronto). OVG oversees the operations of Climate Pledge Arena at Seattle Center, UBS Arena in Belmont Park, NY, and Moody Center in Austin, TX as well as arena development projects for Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs, CA; Co-op Live in Manchester, UK; and projects for Arena São Paulo in São Paulo, BZ; CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore, MD; FirstOntario Centre Arena in Hamilton, ON; a New Arena and entertainment district in Las Vegas, NV; and a New Arena in Cardiff, Wales. More information at OakViewGroup.com, and follow OVG on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
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.
UBS Arena is at the forefront of sustainability, being awarded LEED Green Building Certification in January 2023. The venue also achieved carbon neutrality for operations in Fall 2022 which made it the first arena to do so on the eastern United States seaboard. For more information on the venue’s sustainability efforts, visit UBSArena.com/sustainability.
Located on the historic grounds of Belmont Park, UBS Arena is located just 30 minutes by LIRR from Grand Central or Penn Station and is easily accessible from across the region via mass transit or car. To plan your trip, visit UBSArena.com/plan-your-trip.
For additional information, visit UBSArena.com or @UBSArena on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
