It was a busy 2018 for BBVA Compass in the world of sponsorships

BBVA Compass touts a tagline of “Creating Opportunities”, which was launched in 2017. Since then, the bank has made various efforts to bring those words to life, in multiple ways, including its sponsorships.

“Every sponsorship the bank undertakes has a focus of creating opportunities,” said BBVA Compass Chief Marketing Officer Jennifer Dominiquini. “We don’t team up with organizations and initiatives to simply put our name on advertisements. We do it with a focus of bringing the age of opportunity for everyone."

Below is a timeline of key initiatives the bank sponsored in 2018:

December 18: Birmingham Legion FC announced a multi-year partnership with BBVA Compass, extending the banking giant marketing rights across Legion FC platforms and in-stadium at BBVA Compass Field on the campus of the University of Alabama-Birmingham. The partnership aims to create opportunities for Birmingham’s communities.

October 2: After months of anticipation, the BBVA Compass Iron City Showdown tipped off at Legacy Arena in front of 16,888 fans in attendance, culminating in a 131-115 Houston Rockets win over the Memphis Grizzlies. The high-profile sports experience, made possible through BBVA Compass’ relationship with the Houston Rockets, was the first pro-basketball game played in Birmingham in 12 years.

October 1: BBVA Compass hosted a star-studded ribbon cutting at public basketball courts near Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala., featuring city leaders, bank representatives, former professional basketball players, and current Houston Rockets players. The event, recognizing the renovation of two public basketball courts, also served as a preview for BBVA Compass Iron City Showdown.

September 24: Three Texas cities got a dose of high-end items when BBVA Compass brought its Christie’s events to the Lone Star State. The bank regularly holds the gatherings in its markets, with most attendees being bank Global Wealth clients. It held three events from September 25 to the 27 in McAllen, Texas, San Antonio and Austin.

September 20: Joan Roca, a world-renowned chef and co-owner of El Celler de Can Roca, the world’s no. 2 restaurant in 2018, traveled to Manhattan with BBVA Compass to treat bank clients to dinners for two nights in the heart of the city.

September 11: Waller Creek Conservancy announced BBVA Compass as its lead corporate partner in the Waller Creek Park Community Program. The ambitious Waller Creek Park project, which stretches from Lady Bird Lake to 15th Street, includes 35 acres of new and redeveloped parkland, more than three miles of pedestrian and bicycle trails, and the ecological restoration of lower Waller Creek.

August 13: Exactly 50 days away from the BBVA Compass Iron City Showdown, Birmingham City Schools (BCS) recognized William J. Christian K-8 students as winners of the BCS Attendance Challenge. The school hosted a pep rally in the gymnasium to inform students of the honor.

July 24: When BBVA Compass, in tandem with the Colonnade Group and Summit Media, announced the BBVA Compass Iron City Showdown, a pro basketball exhibition game between the Houston Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies to be played in Birmingham, Ala., it emphasized that the game would also focus on community involvement. One of those opportunities came to fruition, when the Iron City Hoop-A-Palooza officially tipped off at John Carroll High School.

June 20: BBVA Compass and the Houston Rockets announced Buy On Purpose as the winner of the Small Business Opportunity Contest, awarding them the top prize of $10,000. Buy On Purpose, located on the northside of Houston, sells office supplies and delivers orders the next business day. The company then donates 50 percent of its profits to organizations around the world that fight human trafficking and ensure clean water supplies for communities in need, among other causes.

June 12: BBVA Compass and the Houston Dynamo announced that the 2018 BBVA Compass Dynamo Charities Cup would benefit the KIPP Opportunity Campus. The BBVA Compass Dynamo Charities Cup is an annual exhibition match featuring the Houston Dynamo and an international opponent, with a portion of match revenues going toward a Houston-area charitable organization.

May 15: The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston unveiled the newest addition to its Susan and Fayez S. Sarofim Campus, the new Glassell School of Art and BBVA Compass Roof Garden and The Brown Foundation, Inc. Plaza. Then-President and CEO of BBVA Compass Onur Genç was on hand to help MFAH Director Gary Tinterow and MFAH Chair Richard D. Kinder announce the completion of the project.

May 4: BBVA Compass and the Houston Rockets teamed up at a press conference held at the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame to announce the date, location and opponent of the BBVA Compass Iron City Showdown. The preseason game, which was initially announced in August 2017 by Houston Rockets superstar James Harden in front of 800 Parker High School juniors and seniors, was set for October 2 at 7 p.m. at the Birmingham–Jefferson Convention Complex against the Memphis Grizzlies.

April 24: Author and television star Sandra Lee made an appearance in Dallas as a keynote speaker at BBVA Compass's "Creating Opportunities, Growing Business event." A bank brand ambassador, Lee headlined this and multiple, similar bank events throughout the country in 2018.

April 12: The Houston Astros and BBVA Compass announced the new presenting sponsorship of the Astros Buddies Club presented by BBVA Compass, the official Kids Club of the Houston Astros. The Astros Buddies Club is the ballclub's longest-standing fan program, dating back to the 1960's. The Six Shooter Club debuted in 1962 and then became the Astros Buddies Club when the franchise changed names and moved to the Astrodome in 1965.

April 5: BBVA Compass and AEG officially kicked off the BBVA Music Session concert series, with the first event being held at the Renaissance Dallas. The concert featured rising country music artist Luke Pell, who crooned in front of 150 die-hard fans and BBVA Compass clients.

March 14: BBVA Compass’ commitment to the Mile High City and surrounding areas was on a high-profile display for the second time in five months, when the bank brought Kevin Mitnick to speak to clients at a forum.

March 12: Los Angeles-based food blogger, author and home cook Veronica Hendrix was announced as the winner of the BBVA Compass Student Chef Experience Sweepstakes, getting a rare opportunity for a hands-on training with a top culinary mind at the All-Star Chef Classic at L.A. LIVE.

February 14: For the second year in a row, BBVA Compass teamed up with Miami Dolphins Foundation to co-sponsor the Dolphins Cancer Challenge – the annual cycling event that raises funds for cancer research at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami.

February 12: BBVA Compass announced it would extend and expand its brand ambassador agreement with May 2018 Texas Longhorn graduate and rising country music singer Tyler Dial. The then-senior at the McCombs School of Business had just finished recording the first EP for his second album project, recording in Nashville, Tenn. with new industry veterans by his side for production, instrumentation, background vocals and more.

January 31: BBVA Compass’ longstanding relationship with Christie’s Auction House hit another year when the first event of 2018 was held in Houston. The event featured jewelry for invited BBVA Compass Global Wealth clients, who are the usual attendees at events held throughout the bank’s footprint. Clients were also treated to information from a Christie’s expert and a private reception held at the bank’s River Oaks office, a global wealth hub for the market’s operations.

January 30: BBVA Compass announced that Joan Roca of the three-star restaurant El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, Spain, would design and prepare a sumptuous dinner for the Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF)’s 26th annual Academy Awards Viewing Party. El Celler de Can Roca has been among the top three restaurants on the influential World’s 50 Best Restaurants list from Restaurant magazine the past three years, claiming the top spot in 2015.

January 9: BBVA Compass announced it would offer an updated Bama-branded Visa® debit card, giving University of Alabama’s football fans another way to display their Crimson Tide colors after the team’s 17th national championship win. BBVA Compass also offered similar debit cards after the school’s championship victories in 2012, 2013 and 2016.