ALSD International welcomes Co-op Live

With the 2023 ALSD International Conference & Exhibition taking place at the home of treble cup winners, Manchester City Football Club’s Etihad Stadium in less than a month’s time, we are delighted to welcome Co-op Live on board as a top tier sponsor.

Set to become one of the world’s premier music and entertainment venues, Co-op Live holds a substantial positive impact on sustainability and community at its core. With its location in the heart of the Etihad Campus – home to Manchester City FC, City Football Group and the City Football Academy – the arena makes for a perfect partner to the event, not least as ‘hospitality’ is a key offering of OVG.

Co-op Live is being developed by Oak View Group (OVG), City Football Group (CFG), Harry Styles and Co-op. So it is apt that Gary Roden, Executive Director & General Manager, Co-op Live will be giving the opening keynote on the morning of October 9th, outlining the trailblazing developments at the Etihad Campus, alongside Danny Wilson, Managing Director, Manchester City Operations.

Gary Roden says:

Teaming up with ALSD International is a no-brainer, with Co-op Live’s dedication to elevating the premium experience for fans, and with the event taking place at our home on Etihad Campus. We’re working closely with our hospitality brands, including celebrated homegrown suppliers, building on their incredible knowledge to deliver an all-round venue experience like never before come April 2024.

Becci Thomson, Head of Premium Sales at Co-op Live, has been an ALSD International Advisory Board member for the last two years and has provided invaluable insights at both the 2021 and 2022 editions.

Becci Thomson says:

The premium landscape is always evolving, and we’re busy establishing Co-op Live as a leader in VIP experiences, food and beverage, and all-round unrivalled entertainment. There really will be no better place to experience the world’s best artists.

ALSD International 2023 will take place at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium this October 9-10th. Optimising revenue through New Builds, Renovations & Service Expansions is the key focus of this industry-leading event. Co-op Live’s Gary Roden, Becci Thomson and Sara Tomkins, as well as Manchester City’s Danny Wilson and Pete Bradshaw, are just some of the 90+ speakers.

Becci will be joining the panel session entitled “Club Level: Optimising Your Premium & Hospitality Spaces” alongside Vicky Jaycock, Head of Premium Sales – New Stadium, Everton; Matt Botten, Senior Director, Premium Seating, The O2; Jake Bye, Senior VP, Ticketing & Premium, New York Mets; and Will Hitch, Director, Motion Project Management.

Sara Tomkins, Marketing & CSR Director, Co-op Live, will be joining the “Green Credentials: Focus on Sustainability” panel alongside Scott Frisby, Strategy Director, Elavon; and Pete Bradshaw, Director of Sustainability, Manchester City Football Club. 

Katie McIntyre, Executive Director, ALSD International and CEO, Sports Venue Business, adds:

We are very much looking forward to welcoming industry executives from across the globe to Manchester in 4 weeks’ time and to showing off the Etihad Campus during the 2023 ALSD International Conference & Exhibition, organised and delivered by Sports Venue Business on behalf of the ALSD. 

Having the Co-op Live as a partner, and Manchester City Football Club’s Etihad Stadium as a host, is something that we’re incredibly proud of.

About Co-op Live 

Oak View Group (OVG), City Football Group (CFG), Harry Styles, and Co-op are joining forces to create Co-op Live, the UK’s largest live entertainment arena. Based in Manchester, the project is injecting £365m of private investment into the Northwest. Co-op Live will be one of the world’s premier music and entertainment venues, rivalling New York’s Madison Square Garden, The Forum in LA and The O2 in London. 

World class, planet friendly and at the heart of the local community, Co-op Live will deliver one of the world’s most pioneering, sustainable and socially responsible venues, delivering Co-op’s vision of a fairer world into the entertainment industry. The project will create 3,350 construction jobs and over 2,000 roles and apprenticeships on completion of the venue, as well as giving over £1m back to national and local good causes.   

Co-op Live will be located on the Etihad Campus, and will host live music, sport, comedy, award shows and family entertainment. Co-op Live’s smart ‘bowl’ design means it is big but intimate with cutting edge visual technology, incredible acoustics and 41 bars, restaurants, lounges, and club spaces. 

About Oak View Group 

Oak View Group (OVG) is a global sports and entertainment company founded by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff in 2015. OVG is focused on being a positive disruption to business as usual in the sports, live entertainment and hospitality industries and currently has eight divisions across five global offices (Los Angeles, New York, London, Philadelphia, and Toronto). 

OVG oversees the operations of Climate Pledge Arena at Seattle Center, UBS Arena in Belmont Park, NY, Moody Center in Austin, TX, Acrisure Arena in Greater Palm Springs, CA; and the newly opened CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore, MD; as well as arena development projects for Co-op Live in Manchester, UK; Anhembi Arena in São Paulo, Brazil; FirstOntario Centre Arena in Hamilton, ON; a New Arena and entertainment district in Las Vegas, NV; a New Arena in Cardiff, Wales; and Vienna, Austria. 

More information can be found online at OakViewGroup.com, and you can follow OVG on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.