The finalists for TheStadiumBusiness Awards have been announced with Mercedes-Benz Arena selected as one of five international venues in the Venue of the Year category.

Mercedes-Benz Arena has become the first venue to be selected as a finalist within Asia in the history of TheStadiumBusiness Awards which were launched in 2010 in the UK. Now in their third year, the Awards recognize the whole spectrum of achievements, innovation, fresh thinking and the leaders from across the global stadium, arena and sports venue management industry. Not only will the venue and event of the year be acknowledged but also individuals from behind the scenes and successful local community projects.

In the first full year of commercial operations China's Mercedes-Benz Arena has established itself as the premier world class multipurpose arena in Asia. A long list of outstanding events including The Eagles, Usher, Cirque Du Soleil, Akon, Duke Basketball and Arts on Ice have given strong profile and recognition to Mercedes-Benz Arena. The iconic building has hosted a rich range of 128 events and more than one million patrons have witnessed the outstanding venue operation through the year.

"On behalf of the entire team at Mercedes-Benz Arena, Shanghai, we are extremely proud to be selected as a finalist for The Stadium Business Awards in the category of "Venue of the Year 2012" said Guy Ngata, general manager of Mercedes-Benz Arena. "As one of only five finalists, the nomination for this prestigious award by our peers in the industry is testament to the successes of the venue".

As the only one venue from Asia nominated as the Top 5 "Venue of the Year", Mercedes-Benz Arena will be lined up with the other 4 top venues across the world to rival for the highest honor within the stadium industry. They are Amway Center, LIVESTRONG Sporting Park, The American Express Community Stadium and Forsyth Barr Stadium. The winner will be announced at the Gala Awards Evening, held during TheStadiumBusiness Summit at the Museo dell'Automobile Turin, Italy on May 15, 2012. Thousands of nominations were whittled down to create the shortlist, which will be judged by an independent panel of industry experts.

About TheStadiumBusiness Awards

Now in their third year and held annually alongside TheStadiumBusiness Summit, TheStadiumBusiness Awards recognise leadership, innovation and achievement in the delivery, operation and management of sports facilities globally. The awards are organized by Xperiology; creators of TheStadiumBusiness Summit conference and suppliers of stadium management training, consultancy and advisory services to the sports and entertainment sector.

About Mercedes-Benz Arena

Mercedes-Benz Arena is Shanghai's premier live entertainment, culture, sports and lifestyle venue. The six-level complex seats up to 18,000 with state-of-the-art acoustics and production technology for staging the biggest indoor shows in China.

As the first entertainment destination venue in Shanghai that incorporates live entertainment, sporting events, shopping and leisure, the Mercedes-Benz Arena redefines world class management – delivering unprecedented entertainment, service and public interactions exceeding expectations of artists, sponsors, guests and business partners.

The Mercedes-Benz Arena is the automobile giant's first naming entertainment arena outside Germany and sets a new benchmark for naming rights partnerships in Asia.