"Jordan Brand Classic 2013. Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY" by Jose Elias (José Elias DLC) is licensed with CC BY 2.0.
Barclays Center looks to diversify its vendors
BSE Global is actively seeking minority- and women-owned businesses to supply goods and services for their teams and arena
After months of finding the Barclays Center at the hub of Black Lives Matter and other social justice demonstrations last summer, parent company BSE Global released a plan to pursue social justice initiatives. Put out by BSE Global owner Joe Tsai, the plan included an emphasis on community engagement and the promise to strive for diversity in selecting vendors for the Barclays Center and its teams.
Last week, Tsai’s promise shook shape with the announcement of BSE Global’s Supplier Diversity Program. The program seeks to identify Brooklyn-based suppliers for BSE Global’s arena and teams that are at a minimum 51 percent owned, operated, and managed by minorities, women, disabled, and/or military veterans.
“Understanding the barriers that many of these business owners currently face, our goal is to provide them with a new opportunity to grow their revenue and gain more exposure for their company,” said BSE CEO John Abbamondi in a statement.
By submitting an application, suppliers will be considered for the BSE vendor registry, described in a press release as the “central information source that all BSE Global business units use to seek locally-supplied goods and services.” In addition, select restaurateur and food vendor applicants will be eligible for the Brooklyn Taste Program, the arena’s food and beverage offerings.
While the program is part of a continuation of BSE Global’s broader social justice efforts targeted at Black, indigenous, and people of color in Brooklyn, it is also a direct response to how minority-owned businesses have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic.
For many Brooklynites, the Barclays Center has generated mixed feelings since its opening in 2012. While the state of the art arena generated jobs, brought sports back to Brooklyn, and undoubtedly sparked excitement, it also displaced a significant number of residents and businesses.
However, over the past year the Barclays Center has become much more than an arena for the Brooklyn Nets and New York Liberty. In the midst of the Black Lives Matter movement, the Barclays Center has found itself at the epicenter of social justice demonstrations in New York City.
