“Over the last week, we have noticed some inaccurate reporting and negative commentary surrounding the news of BA’s sponsorship contract coming to an end later this year. There have also been various inaccuracies reported about the loan payment from Brighton i360 to Brighton & Hove City Council that was due in December 2021. So I want to take the chance to explain in detail what the sponsorship change means to Brighton i360 and provide you with the latest update about the repayment of the loan.
Brighton i360 is sponsored by British Airways after the airline signed a five-year naming rights sponsorship from August 2016. The original contract expired last August, but it is testament to the strong, positive partnership between our two organisations, that BA extended the sponsorship by a further fifteen months until 3rd November 2022.
We have enjoyed a successful partnership with British Airways. The globally recognised BA brand helped to catapult Brighton i360 on to the international stage from the very beginning.
We have been anticipating a change of sponsor as it is rare for naming rights sponsors to extend beyond their original contract. Some of the UK’s largest attractions and stadiums have had several sponsors over their lifetimes.
The airline sponsors Brighton i360, they do not own it. Therefore, the business will continue to operate as usual, irrespective of this sponsorship change. Brighton i360 will not be dismantled and no employees will lose their jobs as a result of BA’s sponsorship coming to an end.
Brighton i360 is the city’s contemporary landmark and the number one paid-for visitor attraction in the city so it is no surprise that we have already received several initial new sponsorship enquiries. We are excited about the next chapter and what a new sponsor might hold in store for our business and the city of Brighton.
Since it opened in 2016, nearly 2 million people have visited the Brighton i360 site and it has had a strong beneficial impact on the local economy and been the catalyst for regeneration on the central seafront. Of course, the covid pandemic has had a significant impact on visitor numbers across the city and affected income and cashflow to many businesses including Brighton i360. Despite this, the attraction is performing well and is showing good signs of recovery.
In December 2019, the Policy and Resources Committee of Brighton & Hove City Council (B&HCC) approved a proposal to reschedule its loan to Brighton i360 Ltd. Due to the Coronavirus pandemic progress on this restructure was stalled which affected the December 2021 repayment. Details of a sustainable restructure that safeguards both the attraction and the council’s loan will be reported to the next Policy & Resources committee in March 2022. Brighton i360 will make a loan repayment once the council conclude the restructure.
We are now inviting interested organisations to talk to us about the exciting opportunity to sponsor Brighton’s contemporary landmark attraction. The deadline for submissions is 31 July 2022.
Register your interest in sponsoring Brighton i360 by emailing marketing@britishairwaysi360.com. We will be happy to discuss the multiple benefits of sponsorship and provide you with more detail.”