The ACC Liverpool Group has announced its highest annual turnover since opening in 2008.
 
The company, which owns the BT Convention Centre, Echo Arena and the Exhibition Centre Liverpool, achieved a turnover of £17.2m, compared to £16.1m the previous year. Figures are based on audited accounts for the year ending 31 March 2016.
 
During that period, 210 events took place across the group’s venues, attracting more than half a million delegates and visitors. An estimated £128m in economic benefit was generated fro the Liverpool city region, bringing the complex’s overall economic impact to more than £1.2bn since opening.
The group’s venues hosted a wide range of events from the NHS Confederation to a concert by Sir Paul McCartney and the launch of the Liverpool International Horse Show.
 
The latest addition to the campus, Exhibition Centre Liverpool, hosted 19 exhibitions including MCM Liverpool Comic Con, The Liverpool Wedding Show.
 
Bob Prattey, chief executive of The ACC Liverpool Group, commented: “The financial year from 2015–16 was a year of rapid growth for The ACC Liverpool Group with the opening of Exhibition Centre Liverpool in September 2015 and Pullman Liverpool in February 2016. This expansion has enabled us to enhance our facilities and host bigger and better exhibitions, national and international conferences and entertainment events, thus contributing more economic benefit to the local economy.”
 
Referring to the £2.7m operating reporting loss recorded by The ACC Liverpool Group, Prattey added: “The operating loss we are reporting 2015–16 is due to delays in the completion of our new venues. We incurred extended pre-opening costs which were set against only part year trading.
 
“We are forecasting a further increase in revenues and a return to overall group trading profit as we retain existing events and bolster the programme with major events, such as the British Style Collective presented by The Clothes Show.”
 
Events during the current 2016–17 financial year have so far included the International Festival for Business, the Labour Party Conference, the European Association for International Education, Elton John and Rod Stewart. Additionally, ACC Liverpool was recently announced as principle venue and official partner of British Style Collective presented by The Clothes Show, which is set to take over the city of Liverpool in July 2017.
 
Prattey concluded: “We continue to build on the success of previous years. Despite our operating loss we have achieved our highest ever turnover and are predicting further revenue growth and a return to profit. We are looking forward to another busy year of national and global conferences; public and trade exhibitions and entertainment events.”