Media office

The award-winning Ricoh Arena in Coventry has launched a major push to land more international business for its exhibition and banqueting operation.

Suites at the 15,000 sqm purpose-built conference and exhibition centre have previously been marketed as separate spaces at the multi-purpose venue.

The International Events Centre (IEC) at the Ricoh Arena is to be unveiled to market the £113 million Ricoh’s state-of-the-art conference and exhibition facilities under one easily identifiable product.

The IEC at the Ricoh Arena will be promoted at the National Venue Show at the NEC in Birmingham between September 25-27 when the Ricoh will be sharing a stand with Marketing Birmingham and CV One.

Daniel Gidney, chief executive of the Ricoh Arena, said there were few venues in the UK which offered modern conference, exhibition, banqueting and hotel facilities within the same site.

“The Ricoh Arena’s unique selling point is that we provide a dedicated conference and exhibition centre as well as the largest column-free banqueting space in the Midlands and we believe it should have its own identity,” he said.

“We have had enormous success since we opened in 2005 but we are now marketing the venue as a world-class destination for business, sport and entertainment.

“The IEC at the Ricoh Arena will encompass the Jaguar Exhibition Hall, the Yorkshire Bank Lounge and E.ON Lounge which have attracted trade shows and dinners which were previously held in London or Birmingham because of the high standard of the facilities that we offer.

“It is also unusual for a venue of this kind to have a boutique hotel on site and our 71 Rooms & Silk Suites hotel ensures top-class accommodation.

“The IEC at the Ricoh Arena will run independently of any other sporting events taking place at the Ricoh because we have a dedicated entrance for conference and exhibition delegates when other functions are taking place at our diverse venue.

“Event organisers will continue to be offered competitive prices at the IEC as the Ricoh Arena aims to build on its success in the UK market by gaining further business from Europe.

“We are determined to become an internationally recognised business to business centre of excellence and the IEC at the Ricoh Arena is another step towards turning our business plan into reality.”

The Ricoh Arena also contains 2,000 on-site parking spaces and is just yards from junction three of the M6 as well as near the M1, M69, M40, M42 and M5 which means it is accessible for 75 per cent of England’s population within a two-hour drive.

The 1,295 sqm E.ON Lounge is the only 1,000 seat conference suite in the Midlands and the only column-free space of this kind in the region.

The sound-proofed column-free 6,000 sq m Jaguar Exhibition Hall can be divided into 4,000 sqm and 2,000 sqm and the 1,000sqm Yorkshire Bank Lounge can be split into three areas and there are also more than 50 suites, lounges and executive boxes.

Coming soon will be the Ricoh Data Centre providing printing, copying, faxing and e-mailing facilities in a dedicated office in the main Atrium for delegates.

* The Ricoh Arena has pledged to offer 25 per cent discount on the rack rate for the first ten bookings made before October 31, 2007, over £5,000. Contact Catherine Meade on 0870 611 6565.