Exhibition Centre Liverpool – the UK’s newest events venue – opens its doors for its first event on Sept. 2.
The 8,100 square meter building is the latest addition to ACC Liverpool, home to BT Convention Centre, Echo Arena and now Exhibition Centre Liverpool, on the city’s international waterfront. It will host trade and consumer exhibitions; large national and international conferences; banquets; concerts and global sporting events.
The venue is now the only purpose-built interconnected arena, conference and exhibition centre in Europe.
A series of events will kick off the opening period with the first trade exhibition – Wound Expo – taking place today (Sept. 2 and 3), followed by The Venue Expo on Sept. 8 and 9 next week. The first consumer show is Bliss Wedding Shows’ The Liverpool Wedding Show on Sept. 12 and 13.
Bob Prattey, chief executive of The ACC Liverpool Group, said: “This is a hugely significant moment in the development of The ACC Liverpool Group and we are extremely proud to add the new facility to our range of venues.
“Discussions regarding this project first came to light after ACC Liverpool opened in 2008 as we started to experience the scale of the demand for additional exhibition space from our existing clients in the conference market. We used space in the arena to allow for large conference plenary spaces or additional exhibition space.
“Now we have a new venue which will strengthen our position in the existing sectors in which we operate and of course open up new opportunities.”
Exhibition Centre Liverpool features three principal halls, a glazed atrium with waterfront views as well as food and beverage outlets, multiple meeting rooms and box office. External areas include a riverside balcony overlooking the River Mersey as well as The Deck, an outside exhibition space for events.
It will include an integrated four-star 216-room Pullman hotel which is taking bookings from January next year.
Joe Anderson, the Mayor of Liverpool, said: “The new exhibition centre enhances Liverpool’s place as one the leading visitor destinations in the UK.
“It adds a whole new dimension to our ability to stage high-profile events and will attract a new level of exhibitions and conferences. We are a city with unlimited ambition and this new addition will secure our global reputation in this sector.”
Consumer shows confirmed for the first year include The Ultimate Christmas Fair; Toytopia; Dualco Antiques and Collectors Fair; Girls Day Out; MCM Expo; The Allergy and Free From Show North and the Telegraph Cruise and Travel Show.
Trade exhibitions include Lift Ex and the Federation of Petroleum Suppliers. Conferences include RenewableUK and the European Association for International Education (EAIE).
