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EAA appoints PEC chief as director, adds new arena

The European Arenas Association (EAA) has appointed Paris Entertainment Company CEO Nicolas Dupeux to its the board of directors effective immediately and welcomed the UK’s Co-op Live as a new member.

The announcements were made at the association’s recent spring general meeting at the Schleyer-Halle and Porsche Arena in Stuttgart, Germany.

PEC is the umbrella organisation operating Accor Arena, the Bataclan, and Adidas Arena. Prior to taking up his position at with the company in 2018, Dupeux was general manager of business solutions.

“I look forward very much to welcoming Nicolas as a board member,” says EAA president Olivier Toth. “His extensive
experience and industry presence will add great value to the association as we continue to develop our activity across the key pillars of knowledge-sharing, networking and representation.”

Dupeux will be directly responsible for the members from the central European region and joins board members Jorge Vinha da Silva of Altice Arena Lisbon covering the southern region, Konrad Koziol of Arena Gliwice covering the eastern region, Lotta Nibell, of Got Event AB Gothenburg covering the northern region and Adrian Doyle of The Odyssey Trust Belfast covering the western region.

“The demand for entertainment is booming in Europe”

“The demand for entertainment is booming in Europe and we have taken this into account in the development of the customer experiences at the Accor Arena,” adds Dupeux. “I’m really enthusiastic to discuss with my counterparts about their ecosystem and to share with them what we’ve learned about our transformation and the creation of a unique business model in France”.

Meanwhile, Co-op Live, which is under construction in Manchester, UK, is the fifth new arena to become a member since the EAA set out its realigned vision in 2021 to become the leading authority on arenas in Europe.

The purpose-built, music-first Co-op Live will have a maximum capacity of 23,500, making it the largest indoor live entertainment venue in the UK. It will also be one of the most sustainable live entertainment venues, supporting Manchester’s net zero carbon pledge.

“We continue to follow our policy to embrace new members that enhance our existing expertise,” says Toth. “Co-op Live is setting the standard for the modern arena to deliver a safe, sustainable and inclusive entertainment environment for all stakeholders and we are very pleased they are joining us in our efforts to build a better and stronger industry.”

“We look forward to working closely with The EAA to further cement the evolving role of venues on a local, national, and international scale”

EVP business development OVG International Brian Kabatznick says: “We are delighted to have Manchester’s innovative Co-op Live join the European Arenas Association, of which many of our senior executive team have previously been members. As part of the EAA, we look forward to sharing and learning best practice to further develop our industry, and to keep Co-op Live at the top of its game.”

Co-op Live executive director and general manager Gary Roden adds: “Co-op Live is preparing to bring the best global talent to Manchester with a strong commitment to community and planet. As the UK’s largest and most sustainable live entertainment arena, we look forward to working closely with The EAA to further cement the evolving role of venues on a local, national, and international scale.”

The EAA represents 37 arenas in 20 European countries. In 2022, the association’s member arenas hosted over 2,700 annual events attracting a total audience of more than 18 million people.

 


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