Ricoh Arena has added 11 new shows to its existing events roster for the next two years. The confirmed events are a mixture of conference-style shows and exhibitions, and include eight brand-new shows.
Among the brand-new shows debuting at the Ricoh Arena include the Offsite Expo, Sole Fashion show and the Being Well Festival, as well as the Design in Mental Health and Rugby Show.
Other events have relocated to the Ricoh Arena from elsewhere, including The Robotics Show, MATLAB, Merchandise World and the RCCG religious celebration.
Chief executive (venue) at Wasps Group, Stuart Cain, said: “This is a fantastic long-term vote of confidence for Ricoh Arena’s standing within the events industry, and lays solid foundations for us to continue attracting more shows to the venue.
“There is stiff competition to attract events as organisers’ expectations continue to rise and evolve, so the variety and calibre of events that we have attracted over the coming months is a coup for the venue.
“What’s more exciting is that we have the opportunity to grow the venue further by converting these event organisers into long-standing customers along with the other 75 per cent of event organisers who come back to us every year.
“We’ve made some game-changing digital investments recently – including the opening of a new 5G space in our Vodafone Business Lounge as well as installing superfast Wi-Fi – to ensure we have the infrastructure that puts the venue at the front of the industry curve.
“When you combine our 6,000-square-metre event space, central UK location with an on-site hotel and our experienced and personable event staff, we have the ideal blend to help events to develop and grow.”
Over the past 12 months, the venue welcomed 1.4m people across 1,350 different events, from live sport and music, to conferences, exhibitions, meetings and weddings.