Louisa DaleyOne year after going into administration and being bought by Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group, Coventry Building Society (CBS) Arena said the venue has “rebuilt and set the foundations for success.”
Since being acquired in November 2022, the venue has pursued a major investment plan and been able to introduce initiatives for sustainability and community engagement.
The venue has improved the fan experience on match days with an enhanced concourse, as well as the guest experience in the onsite Doubletree by Hilton Hotel. It has also installed a new ANPR parking system.
The venue has been driving forward new strategies for sustainability, improved accessibility and increasing the work it does in the local community. Latest figures show that the arena is now recycling more than 97.5% of its waste.
It has also seen more than 150% growth in number of staff, with total headcount now standing at 150 permanent employees and over 900 casual staff.
CBS Arena has restructured its senior team to help drive the venue forward, which was headlined by the appointment of operations director Claire Harkness in August. The appointment of Harkness was central to one of the Arena’s core goals over the next year – to strengthen its live events portfolio and become a night time leisure destination.
Frasers Group has already invested millions of pounds in the venue and is pursuing a long-term multi-million investment plan.
Paul Michael, who became managing director of the venue in July, said that the strategic priority initially for the venue was stabilisation, but now it is focused on growth, breaking into new markets, enhancing its reputation internationally and investment to enhance visitor experience.
He said: “We have come a long way since the venue was acquired by Frasers Group and we are now focused on the future and achieving our long-term goals. We’ve put every part of the business under the microscope and identified where we need to improve, some of those changes have been short-term, while others are built into our long-term strategy.
“Frasers Group has been brilliant and we have been able to make key investments to position the venue for growth. We are focused on growing our conference and exhibitions portfolio, strengthening our live music and events offer, and boosting our international footprint.”