Key stats from 2023: Over One Million Visitors and Surge in Business Enquiries Under New Ownership

Coventry Building Society Arena welcomed more than one million visitors and saw an increase in new business enquiries as it enjoyed a strong first full year under new ownership.

The multi-purpose-venue saw overall visitor numbers grow to 1.2 million which signalled a 17 per cent increase on the previous year’s figures.

Major events including sell-out concerts from Harry Styles and Arctic Monkeys, the return of large-scale Christmas party nights and increased attendances for Coventry City fixtures, in particular its play-off semi-final, have been factors in driving the growth.

There was also significant growth for visitors to the Arena’s onsite Grosvenor Casino, with 171,000 people visiting the casino over the year, with key events including the Goliath X and Poker 888 tournaments.

The return of major Christmas party nights with the ‘Christmas at the Chocolate Factory’ theme saw nearly 6,000 people celebrate at the Arena during the festive period.

More than 112,000 people attended live music events at the Arena across three nights in May, with over 600,000 attending football fixtures at the stadium as Coventry City enjoyed a hugely successful 2023.

Coventry Building Society Arena hosted 592 conferences, exhibitions, meetings, dinner and award events in 2023, which included more than 110 exhibitions and large conferences.

Over 20,000 more people attended conferences and events at the Arena compared to last year and the venue is also seeing positive trends in exhibition spends and the number of small meetings it hosts.

Annual awards and dinner events are also thriving at the venue, as its reputation continues to grow in this area, with revenue generated by these types of events growing by 34 per cent.

Market confidence in the business continues to grow with new business enquiries up 5 per cent, equivalent to more than £1 million, in comparison to last year’s figures.

Coventry Building Society Arena was recognised for its strong year by being shortlisted for three major industry awards, including AEO Excellence Awards, the Stadium Business Awards and Stadium Events & Hospitality awards.

The year also saw the venue begin its new strategy to drive more indoor live events at the venue, with announcements of shows for rock superstar Bryan Adams, comedian Paul Smith and Chris Moyles’ 90s Hangover.

Coventry Building Society Arena’s digital presence has grown alongside its visitor numbers with its social media channels totalling a reach of more than 20 million over the course of the year.

Paul Michael, Managing Director at Coventry Building Society Arena, said: “It was a fantastic year for us at Coventry Building Society Arena as the business recovered from administration and set the foundations for continued growth.

“Our live music and events business is thriving, we have seen more visitors at exhibitions and conferences and the success of Coventry City has played a big part too, with their record season ticket sales and huge crowds.

“We have made significant investments across the venue to enhance the experience for all visitors this year, whether that is for conference and exhibition delegates, guests staying in our on-site hotel, football fans or concertgoers.

“This was our first full year since being bought by Frasers Group and the business has now been stabilised and is ready to thrive.

“This is the first time since before the pandemic we have surpassed one million visitors, and we are now seeing growth in new business enquiries and moving forward with our new strategy to bring more live entertainment events to the venue.”