Nashville Tenn. (October 20, 2015) – Bridgestone Arena was named the Venue of the Year by the International Entertainment Buyers Association (IEBA) during the annual Honors and Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, Oct. 13.

The IEBA is the leading non-profit trade organization for live entertainment industry professionals, and works to help members improve relationships and increase revenue by offering its members networking and education opportunities.

“We have taken great strides over the years to fulfill our mission of being the No. 1 sports and entertainment venue in the United States,” Bridgestone Arena Senior Vice President of Booking David Kells said. “This award, along with the other accolades we have received over the last two years, is a testament to the relentless pursuit of excellence exhibited by our building staff and Metro Davidson County. We also owe a debt of gratitude to the great performers, agents, managers and promoters that bring quality entertainment to Nashville.”

Serving as the home for numerous national and international events, Bridgestone Arena has the distinction of being one of the busiest venues in the United States over the past decade-and-a-half. In addition to being named Pollstar’s 2014 Arena of the Year, Bridgestone Arena was named the Academy of Country Music’s Large Capacity Venue of the Year in March of 2014. Kells has also recently received recognition and was named IEBA’s Venue Executive of the Year in 2014.

Bridgestone Arena underwent $11.2 million in renovations this summer, and included the addition of metal detectors at each entrance, in-bowl LED lights, 7,000 seats in the Lower Bowl, new concession stands and renovated restrooms.

The NHL’s Nashville Predators have been the primary tenant of Bridgestone Arena since 1998 – just two years after the venue opened its doors for its first concert. On Oct. 17, 2014, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman visited Bridgestone Arena to announce that the arena, the Predators and the city of Nashville had been named hosts of the 2016 NHL All-Star Game and festivities that will take place on Jan. 30 and 31, 2016. The awarding of the NHL All-Star Game comes on the heels of the announcement in October 2013 with the Southeastern Conference that Bridgestone Arena would be the home of 12 consecutive SEC Basketball Championships, including the 2015 SEC Tournament in March.