Entering the new era of arenas

ASM Global’s Maria Bertelli has discussed her efforts to strengthen the company’s market-leading presence in the UK and Europe in her first two years with the firm.

Bertelli, ASM’s SVP of business development, Europe, has been pivotal to forging entry into new markets such us Finland (Kulttuuritalo, Helsinki) and Portugal (LX Factory, Lisbon), as well as cementing ASM’s presence in the UK through contract wins at Utilita Arena and City Hall Sheffield, among others.

A former professional athlete and Olympian, Bertelli’s path to the world’s largest venue management and services company has been nothing if not unorthodox. She competed on the women’s volleyball team at London 2012, where Team GB defied expectations to finish ninth and leap from 69th to 21st in the world rankings, and is also an established leader as coach to the England senior team.

In addition, Bertelli is the most capped female British indoor volleyball player, winning more than 100 international caps for Great Britain and a further 56 for England. She also excelled in a second sport as a semi-professional footballer, competing at elite level including an FA Cup Final.

Bertelli’s sporting career has since evolved into live entertainment, where she specialises in strategic business development as part of another winning team at ASM.

“Fans are choosing to invest in an experience, they want and deserve fabulous environments, great products and outstanding service”

“As both demand and variety have surged, we’ve taken conscious and industry-leading steps to enhance our venues and expand our portfolio to ensure customers have plenty of choice and that when they do attend a show, their experience is nothing short of best-in-class,” says Bertelli. “Our mission at ASM Global is clear – everyone visiting an ASM Global venue should leave with great memories that last a lifetime. Our role is to make sure those memories are truly unforgettable, exceeding expectations at every moment.”

Prior to joining ASM, Bertelli worked in the industry for over 15 years as a venues consultant, helping public and private sector clients on a wide range of entertainment, conference, mixed-use and leisure venues projects from strategy and feasibility through to funding and delivery including first direct arena Leeds, Battersea Power Station, Connexin Live Hull, Becketwell Arena Derby, The Halls Wolverhampton, Sage Gateshead, Royal Arena Copenhagen and Singapore Sports Hub.

There has been a boom in the development and success of venues and arenas in recent years, driven by a growing appetite for an ever-broadening range of live entertainment experiences. The surge has been bolstered further by strategic investments from leading venue management companies such as ASM Global, whose portfolio has seen major growth and development in the UK, Europe and beyond.

Bertelli believes that post-Covid behaviours have changed in terms of people’s priorities. “This applies to individuals but also businesses,” observes Bertelli. “We are in the midst of an experience economy. People want to create amazing memories, be part of live events, and have outstanding experiences from start to finish. This has been superb for our industry.

“Fans are choosing to invest in an experience, they want and deserve fabulous environments, great products and outstanding service.”

“There is also a huge drive from venue owners to maximise the ‘commerciality’ of venues”

Bertelli remarks on the hugely significant role of venues and events in the economy. “They are key to driving both the day and nighttime economy, with the shift to digital and more people working from home, online retail and leisure and this has led to challenging times for many city centres,” she says. “This has given culture and venues a huge opportunity to be at the heart of city centre activity, driving footfall and regeneration. This is not only huge for municipalities but also for private-sector real estate and mixed-use destinations. The demand, and need for, successful venues may be higher than it has ever been.

“There is also a huge drive from venue owners to maximise the ‘commerciality’ of venues, whether that be to grow other city services, enable development or support the overall funding stack. We are seeing many requests for ASM Global’s operational and commercial expertise from existing and new partners.”

Through this shift, ASM Global has embarked upon the UK’s biggest venue redevelopment at AO Arena in Manchester. With a £60 million investment from ASM Global, the reimagination of the venue has proved transformative at every touchpoint.

“The feedback has been exceptional,” reveals Bertelli. “It allows us to confidently position ourselves as the best in the business – from a consumer perspective, artist perspective, promoter perspective, and brand perspective, the list goes on. Through innovation and strategic development across our entire portfolio, we are definitively repositioning the offering at each venue, raising the bar and creating venues which are fit for the future.”

Building on successes in the UK and Stockholm, ASM Global is actively exploring and expanding into new markets across Europe.

“Our team in Italy is doing great; we will have our first partnership operational later this year in Bergamo, where the Chorus Life Arena (part of wider hotel, leisure and residential district) will become one of the most modern venues in Italy with a unique design to cater for diverse event mix,” says Bertelli. “This will be followed by the opening of Cantu Arena, and there’s lots more to come, too. In Finland, we are operating Helsinki’s iconic Kulttuuritalo, which has maintained many of its original and architecturally beautiful features, while modernising areas for evolving customer tastes and demands.

“As the industry evolves, the emphasis on delivering high-quality live entertainment experiences will remain at the forefront”

“We have also recently been awarded the contract to operate the two biggest event spaces at Lisbon’s LX Factory, marking our first move into Portugal. ASM Global’s success in the UK and its strategic expansions into Italy, Finland, Sweden, and Portugal highlight the massive potential for continued growth.

“As the industry evolves, the emphasis on delivering high-quality live entertainment experiences will remain at the forefront, ensuring that our live events experiences continue to captivate audiences across Europe.”

In closing, Bertelli touches on bridging the gap between theatres and concert halls, and large-scale arenas. ASM Global has recognised the increased demand for 3,000+ capacity venues, filling a gap in cities around the UK including Hull, Derby and Wolverhampton.

“We are seeing more and more demand for such venues both in the UK and across Europe,” she says. “The higher capacity and flexibility supports the economics and provides valuable live and business events infrastructure. ASM Global’s success in the UK and its strategic expansions into Italy, Finland, Sweden, and Portugal highlight the massive potential for continued growth in this sector.

“It’s an exciting time for the venue business, and we’re working hard to ensure the output is nothing short of spectacular as we maintain our position as the leading venue management company in the world.”

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