Amphitheater has an opening for a sponsor

The amphitheater formerly known as Sleep Country has a new name, but don’t get too used to it.

The venue changed its name to “Amphitheater Northwest” on Jan. 1 when the sponsorship deal with Kent-based mattress retailer Sleep Country expired. That deal began in 2010.

Before that, the 18,000-seat $40 million venue, built on county land at the Fairgrounds in 2002, was called the “Amphitheater at Clark County.”

Quincunx, the a New York company that built and still owns the venue, is searching for a new partner and has been talking to several interested parties, said Andy Holland, the marketing manager.

“Hopefully we’ll have a deal in place soon,” Holland said. “We’re confident it won’t be very long.”

When that happens, there will likely be yet another name change, he said.

“It’s the nature of the business,” Holland said with a laugh.

He couldn’t say why Sleep Country decided not to renew the deal.

In 2013, the company signed a 10-year naming rights deal with Washington State Fair’s ShowPlex exhibition center in Puyallup, renamed the Sleep Country ShowPlex that year, but Jennifer Ritchie, a spokeswoman for Sleep Country, said that didn’t play in to the decision to not renew the deal.

“Sleep Country, they’re constantly evaluating new ways to engage,” Ritchie said. “It was a 4-year sponsorship, and it ended, and they decided not to renew it. It was just an internal business decision.”

Sponsorship details aren’t usually revealed, and Holland said he couldn’t share any specifics about the price or what a new deal would support at Amphitheater Northwest. The change hasn’t affected any plans to line up new shows though, he added.

“We’re looking forward to a really great 2015, and we’ll announce what I think is our best lineup ever later this month,” Holland said.

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