Associated Bank Announces Multi-Year Partnership with Marcus Center

Milwaukee, May 4, 2015 - Associated Bank and the Marcus Center today announced a new partnership designed to ensure the vitality of the arts in the greater Milwaukee area. As part of their long-term agreement, Associated Bank will sponsor the Marcus Center facility and its Broadway at the Marcus Center series. This positions Associated Bank as the Center's lead corporate sponsor.

"Associated Bank has long supported the arts because they enrich the community and our economy," said Philip B. Flynn, Associated president and CEO. "Extending that support to the Marcus Center increases our commitment to the Milwaukee area and helps ensure a vibrant arts scene."

"We are so pleased that Associated Bank has chosen to support the Marcus Center through a long-term partnership," said Marcus Center President & CEO, Paul Mathews. "Corporate partnerships are vital to keeping us and the resident groups of the Marcus Center financially strong while we continue to engage the community in the performing arts."

The 2015/16 Broadway at the Marcus season premiers in October 2015 and includes such Broadway hit musicals as Wicked, Newsies, Cabaret, Once and Kinky Boots.

Nearly 800,000 people attend various events each year at the Marcus Center, including performing arts, children's and education programs, community events, commercial presentations, business meetings, social gatherings, fundraisers and other special events. Touring Broadway events alone bring 85,000 to 150,000 patrons to the Marcus Center each season.

Associated Bank's Broadway Title and facility agreement will help the Marcus Center underwrite operating and capital costs for this key community not-for-profit asset plus allows the Center to keep rental costs for the Milwaukee Symphony, Florentine Opera, First Stage, Milwaukee Ballet and Handsberry-Sands Theatre Company at an affordable level.

The partnership also allows the Center to strengthen its unique diversity and audience engagement efforts with veterans, multicultural audiences, families and the greater Milwaukee community including the over 150,000 students that visit the Marcus Center each year to attend various cultural and educational programs.

Associated anticipates a number of new initiatives with the Marcus Center moving forward, according to Associated executive vice president and chief marketing officer, Christopher Piotrowski. "We are excited by the vitality and breadth of Marcus Center programming and the opportunities for shared initiatives that it provides. I'm confident those future opportunities will enrich the community and benefit Marcus patrons, as well as Associated clients and colleagues," Piotrowski said.