What will the Sportpaleis be called within a year? “Definitely nothing with ‘palace’ in it,” according to Machiel den Dekker, CEO of AFAS. — © Belgian
Through the collaboration with AFAS Software, the Antwerp Sports Palace will receive a new name in September 2025. “But without a ‘sports palace’ or even ‘palace’ in it,” explains Machiel den Dekker, CEO of AFAS Belgium. “A new hall deserves a resolutely different name.”
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When the Sportpaleis turns 100 in 2033, nothing will be the same. Under the impetus of Oosterweel, the hall is turning around and the main entrance will be located at the current rear, where a park will be built by 2033. The redevelopment that this entails is partly financed by the marketing of the name of the hall.
The public can choose which name Europe’s largest hall will bear by September 2025, “as long as it includes AFAS,” says Machiel den Dekker, who also stated that ‘AFAS Sportpaleis’ is not an option. But also ‘sports palace’, or ‘palace’ everything short the AFAS boss does not like this.
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“We want a resolute break with the past. If we revert to a ‘palace’ variant, the building will continue to be popularly called ‘the Sports Palace’. The current name still refers to the cycling track of yesteryear, but much more has been organized in the building than just sports competitions. With the upcoming innovations, the building of tomorrow will also be very different from that of today.”
Is the name AFAS Live, which the former Heineken Music Hall was renamed, a contender? “That’s not a bad name, but two rooms with the same name could cause confusion. If Madonna comes to AFAS Live, will she perform in Antwerp or Amsterdam?”
According to Den Dekker, there is no reason to assume that the name change for the Sportpaleis would cause major problems. “Yes, we challenge the public to choose a completely different name, but with some creativity we will certainly come up with a solution.”(id)
Proposals for the new name can be submitted via www.sportpaleis.be/nieuwenaam
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