Compass signs £125m deal with Ricoh Arena
The Compass Group has signed a £125 million catering and facilities management deal with the Ricoh Arena – the first of its kind in the sports and leisure market.
The contract involves catering for the whole complex which is home to Coventry City FC and has emerged as an international concert venue hosting artists including Bon Jovi, Take That and Oasis.
Compass will also be responsible for hotel management, housekeeping, security, guest services, portering and the venue’s sales and marketing operation for the next ten years.
The Ricoh Arena has attracted more than 100 major events over the past 12 months including conferences, exhibitions, banquets, product launches and Christmas parties.
It can host concerts for 8,000 people as an indoor arena and also includes an integrated hotel and health club and the largest casino in the UK.
Chief executive Daniel Gidney, said: “This is the first time any support services company has entered into such a wide-ranging multi-services deal in the leisure industry in the UK.
“This contract with Compass underlines the growth in size and international reputation of the Ricoh. It will see both companies continuing the progress they have made in partnership over the last five years.”
Compass Sports Leisure and Hospitality is the market leader in the UK in this field, providing innovative and flexible catering and facilities management solutions to large multi-service venues across the country. It recently secured the contract to provide catering for Jockey Club Racecourses which stages many of the largest events in the racing calendar including the Cheltenham Festival, the Aintree Grand National and the Derby at Epsom.
Matthew Thompson, managing director of sport, leisure and hospitality for Compass, said: “We have major joint ventures at other sporting venues which take in catering and facilities, but this is the first time we have entered into such a deep integrated facilities management deal for multiple services with an operating company.
