AS THE steel skeleton of Liverpool's Arena and Convention Centre(ACC) begins to rise from the Kings Dock the ECHO reveals the latest images of the £146m project that will attract 500,000 visitors and tens of millions of pounds for the Merseyside economy.
Scheduled for a January 2008 opening to coincide with the city's year as European Capital of Culture, the centre will create a 10,000-seat concert and sports arena and a 1,350-seat conference hall.
But even with 18 months to go before the big opening, Liverpool's status in the conferences and entertainment sectors is soaring with 170 active inquiries for conference bookings already being dealt with and a major campaign targeting the music and entertainment world set for launch this December.
In fact, the latest survey in trade magazine Meetings and Incentive Travel said that Liverpool had already picked up 10% of the UK conference market, biting at the heels of London, Manchester and Birmingham, "and they don't even open until January 2008."
The trade and professional associations sector books conferences further ahead than corporate clients, so the Liverpool ACC team is already targeting them and has so far secured five firm bookings during 2008.
A recent visit to a Frankfurt conferences trade show resulted in more than 100 follow-ups, said arena general manager Tim Banfield.
"The reaction from the international and national market has been incredibly positive and that is reflected in the number of inquiries we have taken.
"Liverpool as a destination scored very highly compared with cities throughout the rest of the world, not just the local market."
He said the team would exploit Liverpool's new transatlantic link to Newark next August to visit Boston and spread the word in America about the city's new centre.
WATCH a video presentation of how the Kings Dock Arena will look
Mr Banfield, who, like ACC chief executive Bob Prattey, has experience at similar centres in Scotland and Birmingham, said the Kings waterfront scheme had already established a niche in the market because it was one of the most flexible developments of its kind.
"We have the best of all worlds in one site. Fantastic conference facilities, an arena that will host all the top acts and supporting events, and an exhibition business as well. We have three buildings in one."
Bob Prattey said: "This building is uniquely flexible. In fact, the conference organisers will probably lead howwe will use it, maybe in ways we haven't thought of ourselves yet."
He said it is such an ideal facility that some clients are already talking about multiple year commitments: "They want to come back in future years. That level of commitment is really encouraging.
"The industry is watching us very carefully. They're taking notice of us and we are reg arded as a credible competitor in a very competitive market."
Work on the 1,600-space car park alongside the centre is nearing completion, and the multi-storey block will be open to the public from November.
Construction of two hotels alongside the centre, the Jury's Inn and Staybridge Serviced Apartments, providing about 450 rooms between them, will then begin, with openings set for spring 2008.
They will make the offer even better, said Mr Prattey: "People want to come to Liverpool for all sorts of reasons, like sport and music. The brand of Liverpool is really strong.
"Conference organisers have wanted to come here but haven't. These people are saying, 'we haven't been here because you haven't got the facilities now you have, let's talk'."
He said the combined offer of the centre, the nearby Albert Dock and the £920m Paradise Street shopping devel opment would be a big hit with conference delegates who have high disposable incomes.
"The zone we are creating is like a virtuous triangle down on the river front and we can all feed off each other.
"I anticipate the arena and convention centre will attract about 500,000 visitors a year and that will bring in tens of millions of pounds."
It is hoped that the Arena will attract more artists of the calibre of Bob Dylan, The Who and Elton John, who have all easily sold out the Summer Pops tent in recent years.
City council leader Cllr Warren Bradley said: "The new arena and convention centre will provide a major boost to the local economy.
"Liverpool has missed out in the past but we are now in a position where we can really sell ourselves to an unlimited audience."
* LIVERPOOL ACC is funded by the European Union, Northwest Development Agency, English Partnerships and Liverpool council.
* Construction costs are currently running at £1m a day. About 350 construction workers are on site.
Bookings flood in
THE Arena and Convention Centre is expected to create the equivalent of up to 2,200 new jobs.
Confirmed bookings so far include: The European Senior Boxing Championships in February 2008; followed by a classical musical spectacular in March; The British Association of Dermatologists in July; The British Equine Veterinary Association in September; and the British Society of Interventional Radiology in September.
Source...
Originally Posted by Waterways
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