Wasps, the professional rugby union club and owner of the Ricoh Arena, one of the leading sports, exhibition, conferencing and events arenas, announces a 15-year extension to the existing partnership between Compass Group UK & Ireland and Arena Coventry Ltd (ACL), the club’s subsidiary company, which runs the Ricoh Arena, in a deal expected to generate £195 million in total turnover.
Levy Restaurants UK, the sports, leisure and hospitality sector of Compass Group UK & Ireland, will provide all catering services for match day, conferencing and events until 2030, having retained and extended the contract which previously ran from 2007.
Compass Group UK & Ireland is one of several service partners of the Wasps Group, as well as official club partners; Land Rover, EMC2 and DS Smith, plus the club’s new Technical Wear Partner, Under Armour, which was confirmed last month.
Wasps recently announced a series of planned improvements for the Ricoh Arena, including a partnership with Hilton Worldwide to convert the Ricoh Arena Hotel into a DoubleTree by Hilton. When all upgrades have been completed by the end of 2015, the Ricoh Arena will offer visitors a total of five bars, three restaurants on-site and over 20 food and beverage outlets.
David Armstrong, Group Chief Executive Officer, Wasps, said: “We are very pleased to have extended our partnership with Compass Group UK & Ireland. The increased length and investment of this new contract reflects the upward curve Wasps and ACL have followed since Wasps acquired the Ricoh Arena and aligned the brands. It also indicates a firm belief in what we can achieve off the field at our new home, through the powerful combination of sport, business and entertainment.
“Alongside the tripling of match day attendances, hospitality has increased by over 500% in comparison to Wasps’ offering the previous season and the Ricoh Arena’s Conference & Exhibition business turnover has increased in the first six months since Wasps’ acquisition of the venue. We are confident both businesses will continue to grow as we aim to establish the Ricoh Arena as the UK’s leading venue for sport, business and entertainment.”
Colin Bailey, Managing Director, Levy Restaurants UK, said: “We are pleased to have extended our partnership with ACL and to be part of this exciting new chapter with Wasps at the Ricoh Arena. Wasps’ arrival at the Arena has generated huge excitement among the local and sporting community.
“We pride ourselves on our powerful partnerships that create legendary experiences and this is a great example of how we’ll be bringing this ethos to life - working to put the guest first at the Ricoh Arena to ensure they have a unique experience every time.”