Aug 14
Infinite Energy purchases naming rights for Gwinnett Center
Company will pay $18 million over 20 years
By: Katie Morris
Published: Friday, August 14, 2015
The Gwinnett Center, home to the Arena, Performing Arts Center and Convention Center, has a new name. The popular Duluth venue announced Friday it will officially become the Gas South District.
Infinite Energy secured the naming rights to Gwinnett Center on Friday morning after a vote by the Gwinnett Convention and Visitors Bureau Board of Directors. Under the contract, Infinite Energy will purchase the official naming rights over the next 20 years for $18 million.
“Gwinnett Center’s purpose directly aligns with our mission to provide more opportunities that better the local community,” said Darin Cook, co-CEO and co-founder of Infinite Energy, said in a statement. “People in Georgia have helped us grow for the last 17 years, and now we can give back in a big way.”
Infinite Energy provides natural gas in Florida, Georgia, New York and New Jersey as well as electricity in Texas, serving residential, commercial and industrial customers.
Lisa Anders, executive director of Explore Gwinnett, said the name change isn’t something Visitors Bureau officials have been actively pursuing; the discussion about a potential deal with Infinite Energy began a few months ago.
“We felt like we had similar company cultures and thought we could create a lasting company partnership with them,” Anders said.
Infinite Energy’s commitment to becoming an active participant in Gwinnett also helped seal the deal on the partnership.
“It’s someone who’s going to be invested in the community, so we think that’s a great fit because that’s very important to us as well,” Anders said.
In addition to the overall name change to Gas South District, each venue has been renamed: The 13,000-seat Arena at Gwinnett Center, home to ECHL’s Gwinnett Gladiators and NLL’s Georgia Swarm will become the Infinite Energy Arena.
The 50,000-square-foot exhibit hall formerly known as the Gwinnett Convention Center will become the Infinite Energy Forum, and the former Gwinnett Performing Arts Center will be the Infinite Energy Theater.
“We are thrilled to announce our new name,” said Joseph Dennis, general manager of the newly named Gas South District, said in a statement. “We feel that this partnership will increase the level of impact that Gas South District has on the local and national level.”
Gas South District plans to unveil the new signage this fall, and according to Anders, the transition will be a process that will take place over the next several months.