SPATEX host building on prize success
Andy Slater- 2 years ago
SPATEX host venue the Coventry Building Society Arena is building on the success of landing the prestigious Venue of the Year under 20,000 square metres industry prize in the AEO Excellence Awards.
These awards, organised by the Association of Event Organisers (AEO), recognise the best that the events industry has to offer and the Coventry Building Society Arena overcame competition from across the UK to win the honour; beating the likes of ACC Liverpool, Farnborough International and Business Design Centre.
It comes on the back of a hugely successful year following the hosting of SPATEX 2022 for the world-class exhibition, event and conference centre since the lifting of Covid restrictions, with more than 350 large conferences and meetings, over 55 exhibitions and ten new shows giving the Arena its most successful year yet.
The venue has also attracted major concerts and events including the MOBO Awards and world famous bands The Killers, Rammstein, and The Specials. Coventry Building Society Arena has grown to a repeat business rate of 77 per cent and welcomed more than one-and-a-half million visitors.
After SPATEX 2023, the venue will be hosting Harry Styles ‘Love on Tour’ dates on May 22 and 23, followed by The Arctic Monkeys on May 31, with tickets for this leg of the UK and Ireland tour expected to be snapped up quickly after going on sale today.
Success for the venue follows the announcement of a new ten-year naming rights deal with Coventry Building Society, and a major rebrand taking place across the venue. While a new sports bar, The Anecdote, also opened its doors for the first time this year and has welcomed thousands of visitors.
With the venue thriving, work continues behind-the-scenes to strengthen the Arena as a market leader in the exhibition industry. Investment is being made to expand available space at the Arena, giving organisers access to 7,750 square metres of conference and exhibition space, and also to enhance its digital capabilities.
One of the success benefits of the venue has seen occupancy levels at its onsite hotel recover to pre-pandemic levels and the average room rate exceed the heights of 2019 – with the rate better than first forecast when reopening when Covid-19 restrictions allowed.
Commercial Director at Coventry Building Society Arena Paul Michael has reported that the team at the venue is delighted to have been recognised by the AEO and that the award is testament to the dedication of staff at the venue over a challenging 12 months.
“We’re incredibly proud to have been named the top venue less than 20,000 square metres by the Association of Event Organisers,” divulged Paul.
“Coventry Building Society Arena has had a phenomenal year and we continue to go from strength-to-strength. The foundation of that success is the strength of our relationships with event organisers and that is reflected in the continued growth of our repeat business rates.
“This has been a year of significant challenges for the events industry, including Covid, staffing and recruitment. In the face of these challenges, we have delivered highly successful events ranging from intimate meetings, to exhibitions and conferences, to sporting events and music concerts.
“From operations and events, to sales and marketing, and hospitality and logistics, our teams have worked very hard to win this prestigious award and we look forward to building on this success.”
SPATEX 2023 will again be hosted at the Coventry Building Society Arena, from January 31 to February 2.
www.coventrybuildingsocietyarena.co.uk
