Ricoh Arena shortlisted for major award

The Ricoh Arena has been short-listed for a prestigious national conference and exhibition award.

The £113 million multi-use development is among illustrious company with Wembley, The O2, ExCeL and Manchester United competing for the title of Venue of the Year.

The highly competitive AEO Excellence Awards 2009, run by the Association of Event Organisers (AEO), are the Oscars of the event industry and this year they received a record number of entries this year.

Last year, the Venue of the Year category was won by The O2 with Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium being highly commended.

Daniel Gidney, chief executive of the Ricoh Arena, said he was delighted the venue had been short-listed alongside so many household names.

“The AEO is widely recognised as the key national industry body in the conference and exhibition industry and this is a real breakthrough for the Ricoh,” he said.

“The competition is fierce because we are competing against venues that have built up their conferences and exhibition business over many years. This shows how far we have come in a short period of time.

“We have always promoted our versatility and our conference and exhibition business is a vital part of our venue.

“Our location, flexibility, state-of-the-art facilities and the wide range of conferences and exhibitions that we hold throughout the year are testament to our growing success.

“We wouldn’t be in the running for this award if it wasn’t for the dedication of our staff because even in these tough economic times we are continuing to attract exhibitions and conferences by being flexible and creative and always going the extra mile.

“We are delighted to be putting Coventry and the Midlands firmly on the map in the UK’s conference and event industry.”

Mark Greenhalgh, who organises fashion accessories exhibitions Chic and Boutique by Chic, said he was thrilled that the Ricoh had been short-listed.

“We have been exhibiting at the Ricoh since it opened in 2005 and we have expanded continuously, holding four events annually now at the arena,” he said.

“Fashion buyers constantly report back that they love coming to the Ricoh because it is so easy to reach, the facilities are great, there is plenty of parking and the staff are always willing to help in any way.

“It is a great coup for the region that the Ricoh has been nominated for such a competitive nationwide award and I wish Daniel and his team the best of luck at the presentation ceremony.”

The winners will be announced at the London Hilton, Park Lane, London, on Friday, June 19.

PICTURE CAPTION: Boutique by Chic which was held at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry