DELIVERING FANTASTIC EVENTS

Faye Dyer, Chief Executive of the organisation – operator of the M&S Bank Arena where the hub of the action took place along with the convention and exhibition centres – is focusing on the next chapter in the company’s incredible journey.

“We are still feeling elated following Eurovision,” says Dyer. “The grand final was the culmination of seven months of hard work by all parties involved. We successfully showcased the Liverpool we all know and love, a city that’s welcoming, inclusive and accessible to all and rich in culture and music. We showed our extensive capabilities in hosting and amplifying the positive impact of large-scale global events; but most importantly, we hope we did Ukraine proud.”

The phenomenal event was much more than just seven months of hard work – it was the culmination of 15 years of live events.

“It felt like a huge milestone to host Eurovision in our fifteenth year and a truly memorable moment. We opened our doors in 2008 at the start of Liverpool’s European Capital of Culture year and since then we’ve developed our campus into world-class event venues suitable to host the world’s largest music event.”

The ACC Liverpool Group is utilising Eurovision as a catalyst for objectives it set out in its strategic plan, launched last year. This identifies eight key themes for development and opportunity for the company and launched following a significant amount of research, analysis and stakeholder engagement.

People, international reach and legacy are among the eight themes and have been key focus areas since the plan’s launch.

As Dyer explains: “Eurovision has provided us with a springboard to further champion the things that matter most to us.

“We aim to actively contribute to and encourage a re-positioning of the industry as an attractive career, to overcome recruitment challenges and skill gaps.

“In terms of international reach, our overarching aim is to create and deliver an international strategy for business tourism that attracts increasing numbers of overseas delegates and events to the Liverpool City Region. We will continue to drive international brand awareness and contribute towards a refreshed, recognisable modern brand for Destination Liverpool.”

Legacy, now accelerated by Eurovision, continues to be a focus across the city.

“One of our key aims is to maximise the positive legacy we leave on our communities, environment and the events industry. We are focusing on attracting events linked to the city region’s growth plan and Eurovision was a perfect example of this. It contributed to the financial recovery of the city and provided a much-needed boost to the visitor economy.

“Legacy crosses all the sectors in which we operate. We were the first venue in England to launch a toolkit to assist conference organisers with plans on how their events can leave a legacy. We can facilitate links between organisers and our local stakeholder groups - such as health, education or sustainability - who can support and help to implement plans.”

A Eurovision music legacy fund, driven by the Liverpool City Region Music Board, is underway which will support local grassroots artists.

Plans include engaging with TikTok to platform the local music scene. “As a UNESCO City of Music, we want to fully embrace the slogan United by Music. Eurovision has been a living, breathing example of the power of live events,” adds Dyer.

Now entering its second year, the strategic plan will focus on a number of the other eight themes including ecosystem catalyst –contributing to a positive change in the way businesses connect, collaborate and create value with The ACC Liverpool Group starting to work closely with organisations in the cultural, digital, charitable and academic sectors.

As part of its Tech for Good objectives, the organisation aims to be at the forefront of creating opportunities for immersive event content, both for audiences in person and to share with a broader digital audience, which it hopes the wider city region will become involved with. For its Optimisation of Site objective, it will continue to enhance the campus for the benefit of visitors and communities with plans to reduce the environmental impact of events. Indeed, the organisation has achieved a number of targets set out in its Social Value Impact Plan – launched in 2021 – including investing in LED lighting throughout the campus, raising over £10,000 for local charities and developing and delivering its staff wellbeing strategy.

“Customer experience continues to be a key priority and we are focused on optimising our campus so that all visitors have the best possible experience when they attend an event.” adds Dyer. “We’re investing in creating a new bar and additional toilet facilities on the arena floor over the coming months and are in the process of rolling out the NIMBUS accessibility scheme.

“We’ve caught our breath after Eurovision and there’s still so much to focus on ahead as we celebrate our fifteenth year. I’m really proud of the entire team and what we’ve achieved so far. We’ll continue to deliver great events with ambition, versatility and teamwork.”

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