UPS and Live Nation Entertainment Form Green Sponsorship Alliance
ATLANTA and LOS ANGELES, May 24, 2011 - UPS (NYSE:UPS) and Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE:LYV) today announced a groundbreaking, multi-year sponsorship alliance aimed at promoting UPS’s environmentally responsible logistics solutions to millions of music fans across North America as well as recording artists committed to reducing the environmental impact of their concert tours.
UPS now is the exclusive global package, shipping and logistics sponsor of Live Nation Entertainment and select Live Nation Entertainment tours and venues. UPS also will serve as an Official Sustainability Partner of Live Nation Entertainment, with both parties working together to reduce waste and use more efficient products and services across all Live Nation Entertainment tours and venues.
A first step in this sustainability effort is to provide carbon neutral UPS shipping for music fans across the United States. Through UPS, Live Nation Entertainment will purchase certified carbon CO2 offsets to mitigate the emissions produced by the transportation of ticket orders for events at Live Nation owned and operated venues and merchandise purchased from the Live Nation Entertainment store.
As part of the alliance, UPS also is launching an innovative new sustainability program created exclusively for the live music industry to help eco-conscious musical artists reduce the CO2 output generated by the transport of their concert tours. UPS will provide participating artists with an accurate, verified measurement of their existing transportation carbon footprint; develop customized plans that leverage UPS’s integrated, multi-modal network to reduce emissions, then mitigate any remaining CO2 output by purchasing and retiring certified carbon offsets.
Over the last decade, UPS has expanded its capabilities far beyond small package delivery, giving it the ability to handle the most complex logistical challenges through the widest range of package, freight and supply chain management services in the industry. UPS also provides solutions many people don’t naturally associate with the company, such as inventory management, product repairs and returns, order fulfillment, international trade consulting and even online printing and other retail services.
“Managing the logistics of a concert tour is not unlike what UPS does for other high-stakes customers that require flawless execution, such as the healthcare and high-tech industries and the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games,” said Ron Rogowski, UPS vice president, sponsorship & events. “More and more of our customers are depending on UPS to help them find more efficient and sustainable ways to manage their entire supply chains. We’re very excited to now offer our insight and expertise to the live music industry by helping musical artists conduct their tours in the most environmentally-responsible manner while giving them the speed, efficiency and reliability they need.”
Beyond the sponsorship’s sustainability initiatives, UPS will promote its brand across Live Nation Entertainment’s diverse entertainment platforms, which serve over 30 million fans annually in North America, including in-venue signage, hospitality events, VIP ticketing and backstage experiences. UPS also will advertise across Live Nation Entertainment’s online platform, which attracts an average of nearly 17 million unique monthly users, ranking among the top five e-commerce destinations in the world.
“This is an ideal B2B partnership aimed at tapping into our world-leading entertainment assets and artist relationships to expand UPS’s business and build awareness of its pioneering approaches to environmentally-sensitive logistics management,” said Russell Wallach, president of Live Nation Network. “As we work together to drive measurable results, we’ll create visibility of our alliance that showcases how we’ve integrated UPS into every part of our business, from ticketing to concert tours to social media to our network of venues.”
“We are continually looking for innovative ways to connect with customers and build awareness of our sustainable and efficient logistics capabilities,” added Rogowski. “Live Nation provides us with an unparalleled platform for introducing our robust portfolio of solutions to the world’s top performing artists and showcasing our brand among millions of people.”
About Live Nation Entertainment:
Live Nation Entertainment is the world’s leading live entertainment and e-commerce company, comprised of four market leaders: Ticketmaster.com, Live Nation Concerts, Front Line Management Group and Live Nation Network. Ticketmaster.com is the global event ticketing leader and one of the world’s top five eCommerce sites, with over 26 million monthly unique visitors. Live Nation Concerts produces over 20,000 shows annually for more than 2,000 artists globally. Front Line is the world’s top artist management company, representing over 250 artists. These businesses power Live Nation Network, the leading provider of entertainment marketing solutions, enabling over 800 advertisers to tap into the 200 million consumers Live Nation delivers annually through its live event and digital platforms. For additional information, visit www.livenation.com/investors.
About UPS:
UPS (NYSE: UPS) is a global leader in logistics, offering a broad range of solutions including the transportation of packages and freight; the facilitation of international trade, and the deployment of advanced technology to more efficiently manage the world of business. Headquartered in Atlanta, UPS serves more than 220 countries and territories worldwide. The company can be found on the Web at UPS.com and its corporate blog can be found at blog.ups.com. To get UPS news direct, visit pressroom.ups.com/RSS. To learn more about UPS's responsible business practices, visit www.ups.com/responsibility