To thrill fans and support the community

Just over a year-and-a-half since we announced the exclusive 20-year naming rights agreement for the New York Metropolitan area’s most eagerly anticipated, cutting-edge live entertainment venue, and home of the New York Islanders ice hockey team, UBS Arena finally opened its doors on Saturday, 20 November 2021.

“This is a landmark day for our firm and our brand. New York City is home to our Americas headquarters, and the metropolitan region has more UBS clients and employees than any other US market,” said Tom Naratil, Co-President Global Wealth Management and President UBS Americas, on opening day. “We have deep roots in the Tri-state area and a fundamental commitment to revitalizing the economy and growing our presence in the US. This is an opportunity to demonstrate and accelerate that commitment, while having a positive and lasting impact on the surrounding community.”

We have deep roots in the Tri-state area and a fundamental commitment to revitalizing the economy and growing our presence in the US. This is an opportunity to demonstrate and accelerate that commitment, while having a positive and lasting impact on the surrounding community.

On top of the initial USD 1.5 billion private investment in the Arena and its surrounding campus, UBS Arena, which is located on the historic Belmont Park horse-racing grounds 20 miles east of our offices in Midtown Manhattan, is expected to generate close to USD 25 billion of economic activity over the full term of our naming rights agreement. A welcomed boost to the regional economy after a slowdown of economic activity due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ten thousand jobs were created during construction, with plans in place for 30 percent of UBS Arena’s 3,000 permanent jobs to go to residents of its surrounding neighborhoods. Thirty percent of construction funds were earmarked for state-certified minority and female-owned businesses, and an additional USD 100 million of investment in transit and infrastructure enhancements, including the first newly constructed Long Island Railroad station in almost 50 years, a Metropolitan Transportation Authority bus stop and electric shuttles, will benefit residents and visitors for decades to come. 

Support for the local area will extend to philanthropic and community outreach programs, such as our five-year partnership with 43 Oak Foundation – a youth hockey organization dedicated to increasing diversity and accessibility within the sport of hockey – as well as college and career-readiness and financial literacy initiatives that are being implemented into local school districts.

In total, 750,000 bricks covering 700,000 square feet, to be precise. 

UBS Arena was designed and built in accordance with the strictest environmental, sustainability and energy standards, with the goal of achieving a LEED v4 certification, the international benchmark for such large-scale, high-performance infrastructure developments. Across the East River, 1285 Avenue of the Americas, home to our Americas headquarters, holds LEED Gold certification, with UBS’s space on the first floor holding Platinum certification. 

UBS Arena also aims to be 100 percent carbon neutral by 2024 by using only renewable energy, making it the first venue of its kind to achieve that on the US eastern seaboard. It’ll reduce water consumption by 40 percent compared with other buildings of its size by using low-flow plumbing. 

As the doors opened to the public, a dedicated engineering team was enlisted to ensure that the air quality within the Arena was safe, as many people took tentative steps into large-scale events for the first time in almost two years. The latest sanitization solutions, including long-term protectants and sanitizers, are also firmly in place to minimize pathogens on all surfaces. 

Then, to round off the experience with top-class catering facilities, a variety of food and drink is on offer from grab-and-go, marketplace-style vendors. The Arena will source 75 percent of ingredients within a 300-mile radius, based on seasonality. And, to reduce food waste, UBS Arena will partner with the venue concessionaire, Delaware North, and local food banks to donate appropriate unused food. 

We’re proud to have the UBS brand associated with a historic franchise like the Islanders and the country’s most state-of-the-art sports and entertainment venue.

Tom Naratil joined in on cutting the ribbon to officially open UBS Arena on Friday, 19 November, the day before it opened to the public. The next day, after opening the NHL season with 13 games on the road, the four-time Stanley Cup champion New York Islanders brought the energy for the team’s long-awaited first home game at the venue, playing to a sell-out crowd of more than 17,000 fans in attendance. And, as our grand opening act, international pop star Harry Styles was the first musician to perform a sell-out concert a few days later. 

“We’re proud to have the UBS brand associated with the country’s most state-of-the-art sports and entertainment venue and a historic franchise like the Islanders,” said Brian Hull, Executive Chairman UBS Americas.