Boom time for ACC Liverpool
THE Arena and Convention Centre in Liverpool achieved its highest annual turnover since opening in 2008 in the year to March.
The venue, home to BT Convention Centre and Echo Arena, delivered a turnover of £14.7m, up 14%.
Pre-tax profits grew 23% to more than £303,000.
During the year it hosted the BBC Worldwide Showcase, the National Cancer Research Institute and the National Union of Teachers annual conferences.
A total of 85,000 delegates attended 98 events and the Echo Arena attracted 523,000 punters to gigs by the likes of George Michael and One Direction, and other event such as the table tennis World Cup.
Chief executive Bob Prattey said: “These figures relate to our fifth year since opening and reflect another successful period for ACC Liverpool. Both the arena concert and conference markets experienced a significant upturn in the financial year 2012-13. We welcomed quality artists, sizeable national and international conferences and will continue to do so.
“Performance for the year ending March 2014 looks set to be even stronger with BBC Worldwide Showcase and NHS Confederation among returning conferences while arena highlights include Premier League Darts, Gary Barlow and Dolly Parton to name but a few. It will also herald the start of an exciting new phase for us with the start on site of Exhibition Centre Liverpool.”
Staff number have more than doubled to 150 since the centre launched in 2008.
