Kent's City Council unanimously approved a naming rights agreement with ShoWareTM by VisionOne last month, and, yesterday, the city and SMG unveiled the facility's new logo. The arena's name is "ShoWare Center at Kent" and will open on Jan. 2, 2009. ShoWare will be the exclusive provider of ticketing services for ShoWare Center, an SMG managed facility and the new home of the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds.  

"This opportunity allows VisionOne to showcase our innovative ticketing service – ShoWare – in an emerging entertainment environment like Kent," said VisionOne Senior Partner Ralph Fasi. "Our partnership with the City of Kent and SMG will provide a firm foothold for ShoWare in the ticketing market for larger venues and sports teams in the region and throughout the United States."   
 
"We are delighted that a company with an international presence has chosen to invest in Kent on a long-term basis," said Kent Mayor Suzette Cooke.   
 
The agreement between the city and ShoWare spans 10 years, with a total value of $3.175 million. ShoWare offers the benefit of total in-house control, private labeling, and content management at substantially lower costs to the venue as well as to their patrons. The solution optimizes the complete reservation and sales process to reduce personnel and costs for any event organizer.