College Park Center Opens at the University of Texas at Arlington

The University of Texas at Arlington is celebrating the opening of College Park Center, its new $78 million, 7,000-seat, on-campus special events center, with a series of special events.

College Park Center opened to the public February 1 with "a party the likes of which UT Arlington has never seen," the university noted. Corporate Magic staged the grand opening ceremony featuring video productions, special effects and pyrotechnics, performances by the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, and an oversized ribbon cutting ceremony.

Corporate Magic, the Dallas-based production company, scripted the event, produced the videos, developed original content, choreographed the various media and production numbers, and assembled the technology needed to power the sold-out event.

"Our grand opening extravaganza was the kind of campus and community event that will serve as a source of pride for the university, our students, our alumni, and the City of Arlington for years to come," said Jerry Lewis, vice president for communications at UT Arlington. "Corporate Magic partnered with UT Arlington to provide the additional talent and expertise we needed to produce an event of the highest caliber. "College Park Center will be home to UT Arlington men's and women's basketball, women's volleyball, concerts, and a wide variety of community events. The hip-hop artist Drake performs a sold-out concert at College Park Center on March 2. Former Florida governor Jeb Bush speaks at the center March 23 as part of the university's Maverick Speakers Series. Many area school districts already have scheduled June commencement exercises at College Park Center.

The special events venue anchors the university's 20-acre College Park District, a residential and retail development adjacent to downtown Arlington. The development will add space for an additional 600 students in campus housing when it is fully open in August 2012. At that point, about 15 percent of UT Arlington's nearly 34,000 students will live on campus.

"UT Arlington has developed a vibrant campus environment," said Meg Lohr, Corporate Magic's international account manager. "The opening festivities for College Park Center put an exclamation point on the university's emergence as a nationally recognized research institution."

Corporate Magic also partnered with UT Arlington to stage the "Festival on the Plaza," a February 11 street fair for the University's homecoming weekend. The event featured music, activities, a pep rally, and a homecoming parade. Opening festivities conclude March 1 with an invitation-only gala honoring generous supporters of College Park Center.

"College Park Center will instantly become one of the top venues in the Southwest for concerts, sporting competitions, and other special events," Lohr said. "We're proud that Corporate Magic was entrusted with the responsibility of introducing this landmark facility to the university community, the national media and the general public."