September 2019 should have marked a new chapter for the Scottish events market when Aberdeen ’ s P & J Live opened its doors following a £ 333m construction .
But more than two years on , the venue is now having to start afresh following an extremely turbulent journey .
The ASM Global-operated arena was only able to host 12 exhibitions between opening and the outbreak of Covid-19 , including Offshore Europe , followed by BBC Sports Personality of the Year in December 2019 . It was finally able to reopen in September 2021 .
The venue follows in the footsteps of the previous Aberdeen City Council owned arena , the AECC , which closed in 2019 and was demolished in 2020 after 44 years of activity .
“ It wasn ’ t fit for purpose anymore – it had been there for decades and it was tired and dated . Aberdeen deserved new and sophisticated ,” says P & J Live marketing manager Lynsey Shepherd .
In contrast , P & J Live ’ s 48,000sqm “ flexible ” space can host 12,500 – 15,000 people standing and can be tailored for use to host meetings , conferences and large-scale events , with a 15,000sqm space dedicated to exhibitions .
Misconceptions The challenge that the arena has is not so much selling the space to consumers and event organisers , but rather selling Aberdeen as a city – one that is often disregarded according to the venue ’ s
Aberdeen is ready for action
Following its ill-timed opening just six months before the first lockdown , a new ( ish ) event space is ready to host large scale exhibitions again in the ‘ overlooked ’ city of Aberdeen . Joe Gallop reports
team due to its perceived inaccessibility .
“ For us , the difficulty is that a lot of people don ’ t look past the Central Belt , so they will automatically go to Edinburgh or Glasgow ,” says Shepherd .
“ Aberdeen can sometimes be overlooked by exhibition organisers , which is a pity as we are very well connected , and we ’ ve got the airport literally just over the fence from our venue .
“ It ’ s about breaking down those perceptions that we ’ re in the middle of nowhere or too far north .”
Aberdeen also benefits from a major road route that was completed in 2019 , meaning it ’ s now far easier to travel to the 228,000
“ It ’ s about breaking down those perceptions that we ’ re in the middle of nowhere or too far north ”
populated port city from the Central Belt .
Untapped audience Shepherd adds that there is an “ untapped audience ” up north when you consider the Scottish Highlands , as well as nearby places such as the coastal city of Dundee which has a population of 150,000 .
As well as having the UK ’ s second highest disposable income next to London , Shepherd claims show organisers can be attracted by the fact that 25 % of Scotland ’ s food is produced in the Aberdeen region , and the city ’ s new harbour will have the largest berthage in Scotland .
To increase sustainability , the venue , which has the highest possible Building Research Establishment ’ s Environmental Assessment Method ( BREEAM ) rating , features its own energy centre to generate the site ’ s heating , cooling and power the two on-site hotels .
Thinking positively , Shepherd says the venue ’ s prolonged closure has given more “ breathing space ” to plan for future events and think about its target market .
This year is looking far healthier for P & J Live with eight shows lined up , including the Dog Lover Show , Gin to My Tonic , Comic Con Scotland and the Scottish Skipper Expo .
44 — February