What's in a Name: How Bridgestone Arena Came to Be

When the more than one million visitors per year venture to 501 Broadway to see the Nashville Predators or their favorite artist perform, one of the first things their eyes are drawn to is a name affixed to the top of the venue.
Now, nearly seven years since the logo was first illuminated, Bridgestone remains prouder than ever to have their name on the building. As the arena prepares to celebrate the 20th anniversary of hosting its first show, the Bridgestone brand is now synonymous with one of the most recognized venues in not only the country, but the world.
In fact, it was seven years ago this month when the Predators needed a partner, that they reached out to a company already entrenched in the Nashville community with an idea.

"Bridgestone, typically, hadn't entertained naming rights deals in the United States, or even on a global scale, so it was a unique situation for us, and the team put together a very compelling proposal," Bridgestone Americas Chief Administrative Officer Christine Karbowiak said. "From the first moment, we could tell that they were going to be good people to work with; they were open with us about all of the challenges the team was facing and everything presented was sincere and transparent.
"From the Bridgestone standpoint, our brand is very important to us and to enter into a deal like this, where your name is so closely affiliated with a team and a structure, we needed to make sure this was the kind of deal we wanted to live with."
After consideration, it was time to take the proposal across the world as Bridgestone Americas needed to get approval from Bridgestone Corporation in Japan before anything could move forward. There was a level of comfort with the proposal from the Nashville headquarters, and that was communicated to the company's leadership in Japan, especially in regard to the importance of the deal to the city of Nashville and the NHL.
It didn't take long to receive a response.
"The amazing part was Bridgestone Corporation's intellectual property group got back to me the next morning with approval," Karbowiak said. "I told [Predators Chairman] Tom Cigarran and the team later that I've never had anything turned around that fast, especially something that was so different and unique for Bridgestone."

Once the deal was signed in March of 2010, the momentum continued to build. In addition to serving as the home venue of the NHL's Predators, Bridgestone Arena is also host to numerous national and international events, including the Country Music Association Awards and SEC Men's Basketball Tournament.
The arena has the distinction of being one of the busiest venues in the United States over the past decade and a half, and the rest of the industry has taken notice. In addition to being nominated for Pollstar's 2015 and 2016 Arena of the Year, Bridgestone Arena received Facilities Magazine's Prime Site Award for 2016, given to the top entertainment venues in North America.
Bridgestone Arena was named 2014 Arena of the Year by Pollstar Magazine during the Pollstar Live! Concert Industry Awards Ceremony, and also took home Venue of the Year honors by the International Entertainment Buyers Association (IEBA) during their annual Honors and Awards Ceremony in October of 2015.
"We play a very small part in the overall success of the arena, but there is a sense of pride in being associated with an organization and a facility that is so well recognized globally," Karbowiak said. "Yes, the arena has a very strong position in the North American market, but the arena has also positioned itself on an international stage, and it's great to see what a dedicated, focused and energized team can do. I really have to give credit to the team, the ownership and everyone down at 501 Broadway for everything they've done over the years. They've really produced a product that is second-to-none."

It won't be long before the arena has a downtown neighbor that shares its name. Currently under construction, Bridgestone is scheduled to move to its new Americas headquarters on the corner of Fourth Avenue and Demonbreun Street in the SoBro section of Nashville in the fall of 2017, just a block away from one of the top venues in the world.
As the corporation grows across the country and around the world, Nashville is still home. And Bridgestone wouldn't have it any other way.
"It's a remarkable feeling of inclusiveness within the city for our brand," Karbowiak said. "The arena is representative of what we do to support the city and our community on any number of different fronts. We're active in so many other parts of the city and our partnership with the arena is one of the most visible embodiments of our civic support.
"So I hope that our teammates, and especially those who will be moving here from other locations next year to our new headquarters building across from the arena, see how integral Bridgestone is in the Nashville community and how supportive we are of things that matter to the community."