ACC Liverpool has achieved a record year
ACC
Liverpool has achieved its highest annual turnover since opening in 2008,
though pre-tax profits took a hit due to extensive investments.
The
venue, home to BT Convention Centre, Echo Arena and Exhibition Centre
Liverpool, delivered a turnover of £16.1 million in the year to 31 March 2015,
up from £15.4m for the previous 12 months.
Pre-tax
profits were down £270,000 due to a £2.3m investment in the arena and
convention centre ahead of September's opening of the new exhibition centre.
The
venues welcomed more than 93,000 delegates for 121 conferences, including the Audi UK National Forum, the BBC Worldwide Showcase, the
European Society of Biomaterials and the Royal College of Nursing Congress.
Bob
Prattey, chief executive of The ACC Liverpool Group, said: “In our latest
financial period we achieved our highest ever turnover, welcomed 703,000
visitors to 214 events and brought £113m in economic benefit to
Liverpool. We have now generated £1bn in economic impact to the city
region since we opened in 2008.
“2015 is
a significant year for us with the opening in September of our new exhibition
centre and, in order to continue to provide world class conference and
entertainment facilities, we carried out a comprehensive £2.3m programme of
maintenance to the existing buildings to enhance facilities for visitors and to
invest for the future. These included the refurbishment of VIP boxes in
the arena, Wi-Fi upgrades, a wider range of technical equipment and
improvements to the Galleria space in the convention centre.”
Conferences and exhibitions to take place in 2016 include the return of the BBC Worldwide
Showcase, the International Festival for Business - which will bring 70 events
over three weeks - and the Labour Party conference.
Prattey
added: "Our expansion not only enables us to host larger exhibitions, more
national and international conferences and major entertainment events, it is a
new major asset to support the visitor economy in the city region. We are
creating jobs, bringing more visitors, boosting our contribution to the
region’s economy and helping to raise Liverpool’s international profile.”