After previously delaying a decision on a sponsorship partner for the Great Park earlier this year, the Great Park Board approved a $5.7 million presenting sponsorship agreement with UCI Health on Tuesday, Nov. 23. The 10-year sponsorship agreement will come with the addition of “As Presented By UCI Health” on Great Park signage and bring several co-branded wellness events and seminars to Irvine.

In a 4-0 vote, the board unanimously approved the new partnership contract, which was originally written as a “sponsorship” and amended to “partnership” after director Larry Agran expressed reservations about the terminology.

“The sponsors, the owners, the operators of the Great Park, it’s we the people – people of Irvine, historically, to some extent the people of Orange County,” he said. “I’m troubled by the word sponsorship.”

During the meeting, Pamela Baird, Director of Community Services for the Great Park, explained that all final language could be altered for consideration if the directors wished to do so.

“I believe that the logo is still being updated, and will be shared with the Great Park Board for consideration, and we could definitely make some adjustments at that time to change that to ‘collaborated with UCI Health,’” Baird said.

Earlier this year, the board opted to pause on making a decision on this agreement, with Anthony Kuo and Director Tammy Kim voicing concerns about exclusivity, while bringing into question the city’s ability to host alternative sponsorships within different sections of the Great Park. Kuo said that concept would be feasible.

“This notion that sponsorship applies to existing parts of the park, and that future parts of the park could be under different sponsorship – with due respect, I just don’t buy that,” Kuo said on Tuesday, Sept. 23 meeting. “No one’s going to say, ‘This is the sponsorship for the Great Park, or this is the sponsorship for Great Park South.’”

Irvine has been searching for a presenting sponsorship since February 2020, when it enlisted the services of the Superlative Group, a corporate sponsorship and naming rights analytics firm.

The Superlative Group began outreach for this specific partnership in March 2020, targeting local, regional and national organizations. A staff report included in the November 23 agenda indicated that UCI Health emerged as the “preferred” candidate, “with the highest financial offer most advantageous to the city.”

In terms of revenue, the contract with UCI Health includes a $500,000 investment over the first year, with a 3 percent annual escalator. The contract also includes two additional five-year extension periods, which would bring the contract to a 20-year duration, with total compensation of $13,435,187.

Per the contract, Superlative will be provided a 10 percent commission on annual sponsorship payments.

In addition to UCI Health covering some of the costs for new and updated signage, the partnership would also bring more discussion around the construction of the Botanical Garden and the expansion of Irvine’s Farm + Food Lab.

Brian O’Dea, Executive Director of Marketing and Communication with UCI Health, said that as a health care provider in Orange County, entering a partnership with the Great Park is an accomplishment that encapsulates UCI Health’s core mission and values.

“When this opportunity was presented to us it just seemed like such a natural fit. As a health care provider to sponsor a park – where so much athleticism takes place, so much exercise takes place, was something that we’re interested in,” O’Dea said. “But another thing that caught our attention was the agenda item for the botanical garden, which also is a wonderful addition to the [Great] Park and the city.”

With the recent groundbreaking of UCI Health’s $1.3 billion medical complex in Irvine, which will include a 144-bed acute care hospital with an emergency room, along with the outpatient Center for Advanced Care and the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and Ambulatory Care building, UCI Health wants to continue to provide cutting edge health care in Irvine, while strengthening relationships locally.

“We’re building a second medical center in Irvine. We’re an Irvine-based health care provider, we want to be a good neighbor,” O’Dea added.

In terms of other benefits, UCI Health plans to host a variety of health and wellness events for the public, and specifically focus on Irvine’s senior population. The partnership also indicates that UCI Health will provide strategic guidance on health-related practices to the city of Irvine.

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