ACC Liverpool
Liverpool event campus
General information
TypeExhibition and Conference Centre
LocationKings Dock, Liverpool, England
Coordinates53°23′50″N 2°59′28″W / 53.3971°N 2.9912°W / 53.3971; -2.9912
Opening22 May 2008
Cost£164 million
OwnerLiverpool City Council
Design and construction
Architect(s)Wilkinson Eyre
Structural engineerBuro Happold

Arena and Convention Centre Liverpool, also known as simply ACC Liverpool is a multi-purpose event complex[1] on the former Kings Dock, Liverpool, England. Opened in May 2008, it is part of Liverpool's event campus, consisting of an interconnected arena, convention and exhibition centre, positioned on the banks of Liverpool's heritage waterfront.

In 2016, the four-star Pullman Liverpool Hotel was opened within the complex, offering luxury accommodation with its 216 bedrooms.[2]

History

The entrance to the ACC Liverpool (December 2017)

ACC Liverpool was officially opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip on 22 May 2008.[3]

On the evening of 31 December 2017, a fire broke out in the car park and as a consequence, the Liverpool International Horse Show, taking place at the arena, had to be cancelled.[4] The horses were safely evacuated from temporary stabling built on the ground floor level of the car park, and held on the arena floor and the land surrounding the building. The fire continued into the small hours of 1 January 2018. The structure had to be demolished later and cars were removed.[5][6] Virtually all of the 1,400 cars there were destroyed, but no serious harm to people or horses was reported.[4]

Facilities

Pullman Hotel in April 2017

The building, designed by Wilkinson Eyre, Sport Concepts and Buro Happold, has a 3,725 square metre multipurpose hall on the ground floor, with a 1,500 capacity auditorium and 21 break out rooms above. The arena has capacity for 10,600 people.[7]

Large events can take advantage of the Liverpool event campus' interconnected facilities. By using the connecting lower Galleria, it is possible to extend exhibitions into the arena's 3,400m2 open floor area. This gives a total exhibition floor space of 7,125m2.

Exhibition Centre Liverpool, connected by a covered bridge, gives an additional 8,100m2 of multi-purpose exhibition space. The exhibition centre is also linked internally to the onsite 4* Pullman Liverpool hotel.

The John Lennon Peace Monument is on the waterfront adjacent to ACC Liverpool.

Events

Since 2011, ACC Liverpool has regularly hosted the Labour Party's annual conference.[8] Alternating between venues and locations, ACC Liverpool along with its interconnecting sister venues, Liverpool Arena and Exhibition Centre Liverpool, has hosted Labour Party conference five times to 2023.[9] In 2023, the conference was attended by 18,000 party members, businesses, and visitors drawing in an estimated £29m for the local economy.[9]

References

  1. ↑ History - Who We Are | ACC Liverpool, last accessed 20 September 2020.
  2. ↑ Stewart, Gary (1 October 2012). "Will Liverpool get its very own London Eye?". Liverpool Echo. (Trinity Mirror). Archived from the original on 13 October 2012. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
  3. ↑ Jones, Catherine (22 May 2008). "Carnival welcome as Queen opens ECHO Arena". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  4. 1 2 "'Ferocious' fire engulfed arena car park". BBC News. 2018. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  5. ↑ "Liverpool Echo Arena car park fire destroys 1,400 vehicles". BBC News. 1 January 2018.
  6. ↑ "Car park fire at Liverpool's Echo Arena has destroyed all vehicles". Sky News. 1 January 2018.
  7. ↑ "ACC Liverpool" (PDF). Sandy Brown.
  8. ↑ "ACC Liverpool wins 2011 Labour Party Conference contract". www.campaignlive.co.uk. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  9. 1 2 "Labour conference boosts Liverpool by £29m". Liverpool Business News. 17 October 2023. Retrieved 21 October 2023.

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