Stop saying ‘KAA Gent Arena’ or ‘Ghelamco Arena’: owner Sam Baro pays 1 million euros per year for this new stadium name (Ghent)

Say no more Ghelamco Arena. The home base of KAA Gent has found a new name sponsor and the choice ultimately fell on Planet Group, Sam Baro’s HR company. He took over number 7 last summer.

It is a deal that earns KAA Gent 1 million euros per year, twice as much as what Ghelamco paid for it and not an insignificant amount for the Buffaloes. In January, the club was forced to sell Gift Orban, Malick Fofana and Hugo Cuypers to get the accounts ‘green’ again.

Paul Gheysens

When the Buffalos moved into the brand new football stadium in the summer of 2013 – the first in our country since the Bruges Olympia Stadium – the futuristic football temple was immediately given a ‘brand name’. The choice fell on Paul Gheysens’ construction company: he had finally completed the construction project after years of procrastination.

That contract expired at the end of June 2023 and both parties quickly made it clear that an extension of the contract was not an option. KAA Gent gave itself the time – pending a new club owner – to enter the market and identify all possible interested companies.

When Sam Baro came to the fore last year, he did not immediately ostentatiously remove the ‘Ghelamco letters’, but it soon became clear that one of his companies could well buy the naming rights.

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Baloise?

When main sponsor Baloise emerged as the successor to VDK Bank, it also sounded nice that they had studied the file carefully, but preferred a role as main sponsor.

Months passed without news and ultimately we had to wait until the spring of 2024 before the KAA Gent Arena, as the stadium was called in recent months, finally had a new name sponsor. The Planet Group has acquired the naming rights for an indefinite period. Within the club it is clear that Baro is serious and wants to leave the name unchanged for several years.

Sporty brand

Planet Group may not be an international player, but it should certainly not be considered a small shrimp either. With an annual turnover of more than 125 million euros and a workforce of more than 2,000 people, the company, which was founded by Sam Baro in 2004, has become a permanent fixture in the HR sector.

In addition, from next year Planet Group will also be housed in the Blue Towers, close to the football stadium. With this, both Planet Group and Baro want to further market the HR group as a strong and sporty brand.

“I think it is important to link Planet Group to sports,” says Sam Baro. “It is no coincidence that we have been nominated as sports company of the year. This is because we take many initiatives to make sports part of our corporate culture.”

It is no coincidence that the Planet Group Ekiden took place in Ghent on March 16. And padel enthusiasts can visit the Planet Group padel court at The Loop in Ghent. Now the puzzle pieces all fit together neatly.