The Bombers’ state-of-the-art training and administrative base, The Hangar, is set to enter an exciting new era with the club today announcing a major naming rights partnership with NEC Australia.

The deal will also see NEC Australia become the club’s official information and communications technology (ICT) solutions partner and a premier partner of the recently established The EFC Network.

NEC Australia is an ICT transformation company with a major focus on public safety, delivering a complete portfolio of ICT solutions and services to large enterprise, small business and government customers.

The premium partnership includes the establishment and development of an NEC ‘living lab’ as part of the club’s expanded facilities, featuring NEC’s world-leading technology providing visitors and Essendon fans a truly immersive experience when they visit the NEC Hangar.

Essendon chief executive officer Xavier Campbell welcomed NEC Australia to the Essendon family.

“On behalf of the club, I want to formally welcome NEC Australia to the Bombers through this exciting new alliance,” Campbell said.

“This strategic partnership presents an opportunity for the club to strengthen its commitment to innovation in technology, while also transforming the customer experience for members and supporters and exploring opportunities and technologies to improve team performance across our high performance and data/analytics departments.

“The club moved away from a commercial naming rights for our facility to establish an identifiable brand for our home base at Melbourne Airport. We now believe The Hangar is truly unique and well established and we are delighted to be able to evolve and grow our business with the introduction of a premium brand like NEC.

“We believe the value NEC will bring to The Hangar specifically and the club more broadly will ensure our facility continues to be industry-leading and through this partnership we will support NEC’s exciting growth plans for the future.”

NEC Australia’s managing director and CEO – ANZ Mitsuhiro Murooka said NEC Australia was delighted to partner with the Bombers.

“It is fitting that NEC celebrates 50 years in Australia by partnering with a club as famous as Essendon and a sporting code as loved and wide-reaching as the AFL,” Mr Murooka said.

“My time in Australia quickly taught me how popular and important the AFL is to sports fans and large business communities and how much support Essendon enjoys, not just in Melbourne, but nationwide.

Xavier Campbell with Mitsuhiro Murooka. (Photo: Essendon FC)

“Sport across the world is always changing with technology, and technology is what NEC is all about.

“This partnership will highlight the many areas of NEC’s expertise in servicing business and government sectors, including our world-leading Safer Cities technologies.

“We look forward to empowering fans and business communities through this strategic partnership featuring NEC’s world-leading technologies and Essendon’s leadership in developing sport for current and future generations.”

NEC has a series of strong partnership agreements with major sporting organisations around the globe, including ownership of the NEC Green Rockets in the Japan Rugby Top League, an international partnership with the Washington Wizards in the USA (NBA) and a sponsorship agreement with the Los Angeles Angels in the USA (MLB).