Florence Civic Center unveils new name, branding design

By: Joshua Lloyd, Morning News

FLORENCE, S.C. – The 2018 season at the Florence Civic Center will be one for the books.

Next year will mark the 25th anniversary of the center’s opening, as well as the grand opening of the $16 million expansion that’s under construction and set to be complete by this year’s end.

Amid this forward progress, a new branding campaign was born, and officials revealed Tuesday what that entails. Starting in January, the facility will be called the “Florence Center,” and a new logo and color scheme will reflect that. The new slogan is “We’re at the Center of what’s happening.”

The new brand incorporates a “rivers, rail and roads” theme, to capture what makes this area special.

“This component is true to us, and we wanted to make sure what we’re promising is authentic to who we are,” said Barry Townsend, who designed the logo. “You have to make a promise you can keep. This idea of rivers, rails and roads is true to us and carries out authenticity.”

Becky Davenport – founder of Strategiz, a marketing company involved in the rebranding – said the goal with this rebrand was to get to the core of what the center is doing where it realistically wants to be: at the center.

“The mission the team developed is to deliver a unique experience that meets the diverse needs of our clients and creates an economic impact for our community,” she said. “Looking forward, the goal is to be truly be a destination for local, regional, national and even international events.”

Holly Beaumier, executive director of the Florence Convention and Visitors Bureau, said this expansion and rebranding will usher in a new, transformative era for Florence.

“There’s this connectivity that’s being carried out in the design and brand, but it’s also carried over to the team,” she said. “It’s very exciting to see this connectivity with this team and the community. We have the same goals of creating an impact through events, and I’m excited to see what the future holds.”

The forthcoming expansion will add 28,000 square feet to the center, which includes 8,000 square feet of subdividable space, 5,000 square feet of new kitchen space and 12,000 square feet of lobby and meeting room space. There will also be an additional outdoor pavilion and sitting area.

The grand opening tentatively is scheduled in mid-January.

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