Liverpool’s ACC moves into profit
LIVERPOOL’S Arena & Convention Centre turned a pre-tax profit for the first time in the year to March, making £104,000 on turnover of £13m.
The two-year-old waterfront venue made a loss of £106,000 last time on income of £12.2m.
In a statement chief executive Bob Prattey said the figures had exceeded expectations.
“To turn a profit in just the second year of operation, with a new venue and in a city with little track record in staging major conferences or hosting top flight arena events, is a significant achievement,” said Mr Prattey.
“We effectively had a cold start when we launched so had to convince many major players to bring their business to a venue and a city which was effectively untested – all this in an economic climate which has been challenging for all sectors.”
He added: “The real impact of ACC Liverpool is not in its profit line, however, but in the important economic benefits that arise from the numbers of visitors attending events at the venue as well as the enhancement of the city brand and reputation that follows.”
Since opening the venue has hosted more than 700 events and attracted some 1.7 million people to the city. Events have included the TUC Annual Congress and performances from artists such as Tom Jones, Pink and Girls Aloud. Liverpool City Council owns the venue but did not take a dividend.
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