Major Live events at Coventry Building Society Arena generates Millions for Local Economy

Major live events at Coventry Building Society Arena generated more than £3 million local economic impact last year as it prepares to welcome more than 100,000 Take That fans next month.

The stadium, which is in its 20th anniversary year, generated more than £3 million economic impact across its live events programme las year.

This figure includes a range of sell-out shows which took place in the Indoor Arena, including Ed Sheeran, Bob Dylan and Tom Grennan.

The shows attracted a combined audience of around 25,000 fans, with the Take That three back-to-back nights of Take That in June set to attract four times that number.

Major live events positively impact the visitor economy, including increased bookings at local hotels, people visiting other hospitality business and the increased use of local suppliers to support major events.

Take That will take to the stage in the stadium bowl from Thursday 4 June to Saturday 6 June as part of their major ‘The Circus Live’ UK stadium tour, with the shows coming as part of a huge weekend for Coventry as the city also hosts Motofest in the city centre.

Businesses in the city are already reporting increased bookings ahead of the shows, with hotels such as the Telegraph Hotel in the city centre already reporting full occupancy for all three nights.

With overnight stays set to rise, hospitality businesses are building plans for Take That themed promotions and events to encourage concertgoers to spend more time in the city before and after the shows.

Venues including The Yard in Coventry city centre are planning special activities, including a Take That-themed bottomless brunch and free entry on the nights to revellers who show their Take That concert ticket.

There will also be a Take That bottomless brunch at the Ramada Hotel, with the hotel reporting an uplift in room bookings for the Friday and Saturday nights, while Ibis Coventry Centre has launched accommodation packages and is launching a Take That themed bar for the weekend.

Coventry Building Society Arena has been a catalyst for growth in the visitor economy in Coventry for more than 20 years, with Take That the latest in a long list of global stars to take to its stage, from Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen and the Spice Girls to The Killers, Oasis and Rihanna.

Major events at the arena also provide opportunities for local suppliers and businesses to support activity around the stadium.

Examples include local Nuneaton business Frank Parker’s Butchers supplying meat for sausages and burgers, Coventry-based Poison Cocktails running drink stands around the venue and businesses such as Purple Planet Packaging providing sustainable packaging for products.

The impact of major events is also felt in the communities surrounding the Arena, with Coventry Building Society Arena working with churches and community centres around the local area to provide additional parking capacity for major events.

Paul Michael, managing director at Coventry Building Society Arena, said: “We all know the value of bringing major events to this city, both in terms of profile but also in terms of economic impact for businesses across Coventry and Warwickshire.

“Coventry Building Society Arena was built to bring events of this scale to the city, it was one of our founding goals 20 years ago and something we continue to deliver on today.

“We will be speaking to venues and businesses across the city following the shows to understand the full impact of the events this year.

“It is going to be a huge weekend for Coventry and we hope the whole city gets behind it.”