Coventry Building Society Arena senior Leaders Take Centre Stage at Global Arena Summit

Speaker: Tom Davies Head of Procurement and Sustainability Manager

Senior leaders at Coventry Building Society Arena have taken centre stage at a global summit of arena operators and developers.

The Arenas Operators and Developers World Summit brought together an exclusive community from across the UK and Europe.

Paul Michael, Managing Director at Coventry Building Society Arena, and Tom Davies, Head of Procurement and Sustainability Manager, both spoke as part of the programme at the two-day conference.

The conference presented the opportunity for leaders to discuss growth, innovation and the future of multi-purpose venues. The conversation revolved around how to create fresh revenue streams, improve experiences and create dynamic live-event venues.

Representatives from major venues across the UK and Europe spoke at the event, including European venues such as Johan Cruijff ArenA in Netherlands and Nokia Arena in Finland.

Coventry Building Society Arena was the focus for much of the afternoon of the second day, with Paul Michael joining Saul Wordsworth, editor of Stadia Magazine, for a fireside discussion.

Paul shared his learnings and experiences from leading the Arena in Coventry - one of the UK’s first true multi-purpose venues – and being a driver for the local economy and community in Coventry and Warwickshire is vital for the venue.

Paul said: “We have to think differently and combine all our assets to improve in everything that we do. We have to become the ecosystem for the region. Our motto is endless opportunities, so to keep creating those opportunities we must constantly challenge ourselves. “We do everything in house and that is under our control. Sales, hotel, catering, event management all speak and work together. We are removing the fragmentation to improve the experience of customers.”

He also discussed the operational challenges of running a 24/7 venue for sport, business and live events, and how his past career drives his passion for providing the best possible customer experiences.

"We are constantly looking 12 to 18 months ahead to ensure we can continue delivering great experiences. I am a customer centric person. I take pride in what the venue is, why it was built and the role it must play as a catalyst for the visitor economy,” added Paul.

Tom Davies took to the stage later in the afternoon to chair a panel titled ‘Tackling Sustainability Requirements in an Increasingly Challenging Economic and Political Climate’.

The session explored how sustainability is now a core business requirement for venues, in the same way health and safety has become embedded across the sector.

Tom was joined on the panel by Eddie Dos Santos (The ACC Liverpool Group), Jamal Chalabi (A Greener Tour - A Greener Future), Pelle de Laaf (Johan Cruijff ArenA) and Sara Tomkins (Co-op Live), bringing together expertise from major UK and European venues and sustainability specialists.

Tom challenged the panel to consider where arenas should focus their efforts first for sustainability.

He asked the panel to share insight into the importance of engaging workforces in sustainability objectives, embedding cultural change across organisations and working with local communities to maximise social value.

Panellists debated where venues can make the greatest operational gains, including improving energy efficiency through smarter HVAC usage, integrating battery technology supported by renewable energy, addressing Scope 3 emissions and strengthening carbon reporting and certification.

Tom said: “Sustainability has moved from a nice to have to a core requirement for venues.

“The discussion focused on the key pillars of sustainability, power, transport, food and waste, and how venues can balance people, planet and profit while remaining financially viable in a challenging economic climate.

“It was great to explore the practical realities of this with the panel and learn how they are approaching sustainability, social value and the use of technology.”

Speaker: Paul Michael, Managing Director at Coventry Building Society Arena