A new football 'air dome' in Oulu is set to be officially titled the 'Garam Masala Hall' for the next five years after a local Indian restaurant won a raffle for the sponsorship naming rights.
The arena will be shared by Division One football team AC Oulu and Second Division outfit Oulun Luistinseura.
"The intention was that small local businesses, who usually do not get the chance to be involved in such things, would also be eligible for the draw," AC Oulu CEO Juho Meriläinen said. "Many times these naming rights go to big companies that can afford to invest the money needed. Personally, I'm quite happy that the prize went to a small local business."
After winning the draw, the Garam Masala restaurant owners indicated that they wished to use the restaurant name for the arena, which Meriläinen said has generated both interest and hilarity.
"We have received positive feedback that the arena will have a special and perhaps a somewhat funny name. It remains to be seen however how the name will be used by the public," he said.
Construction work on the arena, which is located in the Heinäpää area of the city, began in July and the dome is set to be raised in November, after which work on the interior will begin.
Kotus: Name should be descriptive
According to Ulla Onkamo, a name planner the Institute for the Languages of Finland (Kotus), the naming of arenas such as the 'Garam Masala Hall' is not really ideal, even though sponsorship names for arenas have been used for a long time.
"Sponsorship names are generally not considered good as they are not descriptive," Onkamo said, adding that the purpose of the name of a location, such as a sports hall, is to direct people to the right place and provide some essential information about the destination.
The problem with sponsorship names is that they can often contain different letters or odd spellings, that can cause confusion, Onkamo adds.
"The sponsor's names change quickly, which means that the hall may be known by an old name and that can cause problems too," she said, and suggested that instead of using the company’s name for the arena, the sponsorship relationship could be brought out in some other way.
"The key question is whether the name directs visitors to the right place," Onkamo said.