REGINA — The Regina Exhibition Association Limited has announced that it's venue in the Queen City is rebranding with a new name and logo after more than a decade.
Evraz Place in Regina has been renamed the REAL District, announced REAL president and CEO Tim Reid on Wednesday.
“We took a lot of time to weigh the value of naming rights versus our brand identity,” said Reid. “We value the corporate partnerships we currently have, and REAL District speaks to our role of
developing our property and in bringing people together to create great memories and experiences.”
The name change is bundled with a rebrand for the property, said Reid, which will include more commercial leasing opportunities on the REAL campus, like the coming YQR Distillery, as well as plans to make the campus more pedestrian and cyclist friendly.
The naming rights to Evraz Place have been held by Evraz North America, formerly known as Ipsco, for 15 years, said Reid. The sponsorship expired in May 2021 and was not renewed.
“We have valued our partnership with first Ipsco, and now Evraz, for the last 15 years,” said Reid. “They stepped up at a time when our company needed a partner.”
Reid said the new name was chosen in December, after consultation with the public and stakeholders.
The REAL campus houses a number of facilities and buildings — including Mosaic Stadium, the AffinityPlex, the Brandt Centre, and the Co-operators Centre — each of which offers it's own sponsorship and naming rights opportunities.
Reid said the change announcement was originally scheduled to take place later this month, but was moved up due to the war in Ukraine.
“[We] felt it was important to accelerate the timeline,” said a written statement from REAL.
REAL has fielded some attention since Russia invaded Ukraine last week, after it was noted that Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich is Evraz’s largest shareholder, with a 28 per cent stake in the company.
Reid said that the rebrand rollout is immediate for the corporate website and on social media, while the property signage, letterhead and other logos will be changed over time.
REAL will continue to be the entity that operates REAL District, clarified Reid, on behalf of the city.
