OVO Hydro new name at SEC

The OVO Hydro is the new name for Scotland’s home of live entertainment.

Having re-opened its doors in September following an 18-month absence, Scotland’s flagship venue is expected to welcome over 1.2million visitors next year thanks to a record-breaking schedule of shows.

With over 40% more events programmed for 2022 than in an average year, the OVO Hydro will welcome more fans than ever before – and new title partner OVO Energy is committed to supporting the venue in further reducing the environmental impact of its world-class entertainment programme.

The OVO Hydro’s biggest ever year of live entertainment will also see the venue continue to develop its sustainability credentials as part of a journey to achieve ‘Greener Arena Certification’; A Greener Festival’s rigorous, independent certification process providing external verification that carbon reduction and transition strategies are at the heart of all venue operations, from catering to materials used and circularity.

OVO will support the venue’s goal to achieve ‘Greener Arena Certification’ through funding of specific carbon-reduction and environmental initiatives recommended as a result of the annual accreditation process, so fans and artists can experience the joy of live entertainment with the feel-good factor of minimising their impact on the environment.

OVO’s Head of Sponsorship & Partnerships, Colin Banks said:
“At OVO, we want to develop purposeful partnerships which reflect our commitment to make zero carbon living a reality – not just in the home, but in the things we love doing too, like going to see our favourite band or comedian.”
“That’s why we share in the OVO Hydro’s ambition to help live entertainment in becoming more sustainable. It’ll take time, but together, we want to make lower-impact live events a headline act in their own right and the ‘Greener Arena Certification’ process is an incredibly positive step on that journey.”
“We’ll also be supporting the venue in identifying practical ways in which we can help to further reduce its environmental impact, without detracting from the OVO Hydro’s first-class visitor experience. We look forward to releasing more detail around some of the initiatives already being put in place, in the very near future.”
Debbie McWilliams, Director of Live Entertainment at the SEC added:
“We’re delighted to welcome OVO Energy as title partner of the OVO Hydro at what is a hugely exciting time for the venue.”
“We’ve endured a long wait for live entertainment to return, but now we are back and looking forward to our biggest ever schedule of events in 2022.”

The work with OVO and A Greener Festival will build on sustainability initiatives already in place across the SEC campus. SEC recently launched a sustainable food strategy with 80% of the food on campus being sourced in Scotland and grown by producers using sustainable and responsible agriculture processes.

The campus also introduced digital ticketing when fans returned last month, reducing paper usage by removing the need to print tickets at home. New initiatives such as these underpin a long-standing partnership with Trees for Life, the conservation charity dedicated to linking up several fragments of the Caledonian Forest in the Highlands to create a corridor of native woodland. With contributions made to Trees For Life for every conference hosted at the SEC, the campus has already supported the growth of almost 170,000 trees over the last decade.