Birmingham amphitheater to be called the Coca-Cola Amphitheater

Ted Snyder BJCC, executive director and Ceo Michael Keel, Chairman BJCC, Mayor Randall Woodfin Robert Simon, president, corporate realty associates, Ernie Merritt Cocola United Central Region, Vice President. And thanks to all of our colleagues at Coke United who worked so hard on this project. Too many to name, but they certainly know who they are. Uh Andy Pecan, senior Vice president and head of venue sales, Live Nation, Jim Trotter, director of sponsorship, Sales, live Nation. And finally, I want to offer *** special thanks to Jay Wilson, senior Vice president of Booking Live Nation, Southeast Jay did *** superb job of keeping all the parties together, guiding us through this journey and getting us across the finish line. So Jay, I want to thank you for your continued support. We literally could not have done this without you. The BJCC Live Nation and Coca Cola are all in the business of bringing joy and little magic to people's lives. The Coca Cola amphitheater is poised to become *** major venue for live performances in Alabama and we are invested in promoting the city of Birmingham as *** vibrant cultural hub. We're excited to support the All new Coca Cola amphitheater and look forward to many unforgettable moments under the magic city sky. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mike and Conrad for your partnership and sharing your vision and enthusiasm for this project. Now, I'm pleased to invite Mayor Randall Woodford to speak. The mayor has been *** steadfast supporter of this amphitheater from day one, helping bring this dream to life mayor. Hey, good morning, everyone. And thank you Jay for the introduction. I was just with y'all five months ago. Same space. So only live nation in Coca Cola Coke United can make us all look alike. We didn't look *** like five months ago. Y'all don't see what I see with these hard hats on. It was great best but honored, honored, honored, honored to have this moment with everyone today. Um Let me first acknowledge my colleague on the city council, Hunter Williams, who's not only the representative for city council district two, but he serves as the chairman of the Economic Development and Tourism Committee. So without his help and his colleagues help, we wouldn't be able to have today's moment. So thank you on all of your colleagues behalf. I do want to thank Tass Knight or our leader of the BJCC as well as all my colleagues on the board of the BJCC for all the work you do. And then again, Mike, Mike, y'all, I love Mike. All right, Mike's my friend. So I'm gonna go off script right quick. And just simply say this, I'm keeping this hat. Don't try to take my hat from me. I didn't wear red socks to everybody. So the hat will do. But in all seriousness, corporal Robert Simon, all the partners that made today possible. But for the two main partners, live Nation and Coke United. What I can say is this everybody. *** namesake is extremely important. Namesake is extremely important. Coke United for 100 plus years, has been *** community partner, not just *** business but *** community partner. We look forward to not only what this amphitheater represents, to community, not only what this amphitheater re represents to tourism. Um but it, what it represents in naming rights and continue deeper partnership for revitalization for this entire footprint area and the residents who live here. So Mike, on behalf of *** very grateful city. Thank you, Jay. Thank you on behalf of live Nation. Thank you everybody, Jimmy Stevens. Um County Commission, everybody. You know, as I stand here, I look out and see some of my Coca Cola friends and when I say that I truly do mean it having spent 53 years in the grocery business and growing up with Coca Cola and making some money with Coca Cola, but it, it means *** great deal. And I'm, I'm gonna tell you this would not be possible if not for the Cooper operation in working together through our public and private partnership are city of Birmingham partners, Mayor Randall Woodman, I mean 110%. I wanna thank Commissioner Joe Knight. She uh, Commissioner Sheila Tyson, uh, and all of our other commissioners for stepping up and doing our part to make sure that this becomes *** reality live nation best in class first in industry. What can you say when you put live Nation? You put Coca Cola and you put the city of Birmingham and Jefferson County together. You can't have anything but *** success. I am truly looking forward not to just having this as *** an entertainment destination for the entire Southeast. I am looking to see what it's going to do to improve this community that was once an icon for the city of Birmingham. That is the true benefit that we will have is that it will revitalize this entire area and make it *** focal point for people coming in and seeing the rich heritage that we have. Uh I'm gonna leave it with this because everyone's made it pretty short growing up. We had all kinds of slogans and sayings when we did it. But this one gives you ***, let's have *** Coke and *** smile. Thank y'all. Thank you, Commissioner Stevens. Next, I'd like to welcome Tad Snyder of the BJCC. Tad has been an invaluable partner throughout this process, working tirelessly and I mean, tirelessly to make this amphitheater *** unique addition to our city's cultural landscape. Tad. Good day, everyone. I want to make sure I start off. So I don't forget this. It's really important to recognize, you know, Birmingham is made up of 99 neighborhoods. We're standing in Druid Hills. Druid Hills is the, the footprint. Druid Hills encompasses the BJCC. They're our partner when we're looking to advance any type of development, including uh where we're sitting now and what is going to be Coca Cola amphitheater. So we have, you know, Janet Maycock here, who's the neighbor president? We have uh um you know, Miss Edna here. Uh Thank you very much for being here. Are there any other residents of Jewett Hills who, who are here today? So, thank you very much. We just want to recognize and appreciate your partnership in all this. Also, I just want to also take *** moment to recognize every one of my BJCC board members because, you know, you know, even though there's, there's, there's parts of this that, um you know, in working through all the, all the logistics um between Jay and myself and live nation, none of this happens without the support, leadership and vision of our board of directors because ultimately, they approve everything we do. Thank you very much. Uh I really appreciate working with you on this project. This amphitheater has been, you know, quite *** bit of time in the making and I think we have to recognize and I heard his name earlier. But again, Mr Robert Simon and corporate realty. They are the ones who had the bold vision to redevelop the former care hospital campus with the amphitheater serving as the urban Anchor or you kind of what's gonna, you know, hold everything together, you got to recognize and appreciate the lift that was and the vision uh that was involved in that. So thank you to Robert. It also allowed the BJCC and why this project is very interesting to us with the opening of the Coca Cola amphitheater, we now have every major venue type within the expanded footprint of the BJCC. We have the arena, we have our two performing arts theaters, we have the stadium. Now we have an amphitheater, really solidifying this area as the center of entertainment for the State of Alabama. And that's one of our uh priorities, one of our goals and with Cocoa amphitheater, we think we've, you know, kind of completed that circle. Um I also want to recognize that this partnership with Coca Cola is very meaningful in so many ways because of the long history we've had together, uh going way back, we were telling *** story earlier of uh something that occurred at the BJCC back in the nineties that really galvanized our partnership, um get into what that is. But anyway, that history is long and deep. And when this opportunity came together for Coca Cola to be the name and rights partner for the amphitheater, we couldn't have been more thrilled and also Live Nation is one of our most significant suppliers of programming entertainment to deepen that relationship as well by getting this venue built and opening it together with, with the partnership of Lab Nation Coca Cola, the city of Birmingham Jefferson County, the BJCC and the Druid Hills community. It's *** great day for everybody. Thank you. Thank you, Tad from the talent we will bring to the stage right behind you to the unforgettable hospitality experience for the fans. We can't make, we can't wait to make the Coca Cola amphitheater the go to destination for live music fans, Conrad. Do you want to do *** toast? Join us up here, grab your cokes in our world. We often celebrate good news with *** sip of classic Coca Cola. If you will, please join me in raising your coke bottles, I'd like to offer *** toast to the future of our partnership and all of the events we will host at this wonderful venue. May this partnership bring as much refreshment to our city spirit as Coca Cola has brought to tables across the world to the new Coca Cola amphitheater. Cheers, cheers, cheers, cheers, cheers, cheers. Thank you, everybody. Appreciate your attendance. Great. Thank you for joining us today to celebrate this incredible milestone. We will see you next summer when the Coca Cola amphitheater opens in 2025.