ASM Global to carry the ball of Utilita Arena

Article posted by Coliseum, March 4^th, 2024

Image: Sheffield City Council

The leading venue management company ASM Global has been announced as the new operator for the Utilita Arena Sheffield in Sheffield, England (UK), as of January 2025.

‘SheffNews’ stated that last year, the Sheffield City Council revealed that the City’s leisure and entertainment venues were set to receive £117 million of investment including rebuild of some of the City’s most popular leisure centers and improvements to Sheffield’s Arena and City Hall.

Los Angeles (US)-based ASM Global is a company that manages venues and events and produces live entertainment experiences. They are the world’s largest and most trusted venue management company. ASM Global has more than 350 venues across five continents, including stadiums, arenas, convention centers, and performing arts venues. They also offer venue naming rights and branded experiential spaces.

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ASM Global is one of the world’s leading producers of entertainment experiences, venue management and event strategy. The company’s programing team delivers world-class content to venues around the United Kingdom and Europe – ranging from major sporting events as well as tours from artistes of international acclaim.

The 12,500-capacity Sheffield Arena, known for sponsorship purposes as the Utilita Arena Sheffield, is a multipurpose arena located in Sheffield, England (UK). It is situated near Meadowhall and lies between the Sheffield City Centre and the Rotherham Town Centre.

Sheffield (UK)-based the Sheffield City Council is the local authority for the City of Sheffield, a metropolitan borough with City status in South Yorkshire, England (UK). The Council consists of 84 councilors, elected to represent 28 wards, each with three Councilors.

‘SheffNews’ further stated that as part of these plans, in June 2023, a competitive procurement process was launched in a bid to attract the best in leisure and entertainment provision to run Sheffield’s venues.

Operators were invited to bid on the running of the Utilita Arena Sheffield.

Following a robust eight-month tender process, the Council has now selected ASM Global as the successful bidder and the new operator for the arena.

Commented Councilor Richard Williams, Chair of the Communities, Parks and Leisure Committee, Sheffield City Council, “I am really pleased to welcome ASM Global onboard as the new operators of the Sheffield Arena, this is a major step forward in our ambitious plan for the City and the entertainment facilities. The ASM Global has an unrivaled reputation in the global venue industry and this new investment will certainly allow us to compete on a global scale.”

The Utilita Arena Sheffield joins ASM Global’s network of more than 350 venues around the world, which collectively host 20,000 events and welcome 164 million guests every year. With a matchless network and best-in-class operations, the company will further enhance the arena’s competitive position in-market.

Added Councilor Tom Hunt, Leader, Sheffield City Council, “We are thrilled that the ASM Global has chosen to work with us to bring the benefits of global scale to operate and invest in Sheffield’s Utilita Arena. Sheffield is a City on the up. Coming on the back of hosting the Music of Black Origin (MOBO) Awards (an annual British music award) and with the City’s rich musical and sporting history and our reputation for hosting major events, this new exciting partnership with the ASM Global is another example of our ambition for Sheffield.”

Shared Chris Bray, President of ASM Global Europe, “Sheffield is a City with a rich cultural heritage. It’s known and loved for producing some of the United Kingdom’s most exciting musical talent who’ve gone on to put Sheffield on the map on a global scale. We are hugely excited to have been appointed to operate the Utilita Arena, which joins ASM’s industry-leading UK portfolio. Our goal is to ensure the venue is a must-play for the world-class artistes, and that the content is diverse, exciting and world-leading. We have exciting plans for reimagining the customer experience too and are looking forward to getting better acquainted with the City very soon.”

The Utilita Arena is home to the Sheffield Steelers – Sheffield’s celebrated professional ice hockey team. This year alone, the venue has hosted the MOBO Awards and has the English comedian Peter Kay, the English pop group Take That, the worldwide boxing promoter Matchroom Boxing, the darts tournament Premier League Darts, and the English singer-songwriter Liam Gallagher, and more visiting the venue this year.

The Sheffield Steelers are a professional ice hockey team located in Sheffield, England (UK). They were formed in 1991 and play their home games at the Utilita Arena. They are currently a member of the Elite Ice Hockey League, the highest level of ice hockey competition in the United Kingdom.

It also celebrated its best-ever performance in the European venue rankings for the live entertainment industry, being rated as the sixth best arena in the United Kingdom.

Maintained Tony Smith, Managing Director, Sheffield Steelers, “The Steelers are delighted to be working with the ASM Global and excited to see where they take the Utilita Arena. Going forward, investment is key, and we have many ideas on how the existing facilities can be improved to benefit our fans and the many visitors to the arena. The future is going to be very bright and we look forward to working closely with our new operator.”

Alongside the Council’s earmarked investment, which will benefit a number of venues and services across the City, the ASM Global have committed to significant investment to revamp the already popular arena.

The next steps for the projects include finalizing tenders for the City Hall and leisure services.

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