Features
OVG Retains CAA ICON For Project Management On Co-op Live Manchester
– Stephanie Bax.
CAA ICON’s managing director of European operations.
CAA ICON, the owner’s representative and strategic management consulting firm for the sports and entertainment industries, will serve as the project management consultancy for Co-op Live in Manchester, England, the arena’s developer Oak View Group (Pollstar’s parent company) announced today.
CAA ICON is the latest addition to the team that’s going to deliver the £350 million ($492 million) project, which also includes investors City Football Group and Harry Styles, lead designers and architects Populous, the contractor BAM and naming rights partner Co-op.
Stephanie Bax, CAA ICON’s managing director of European operations, has a key role through the opening of the 23,500-capacity arena in 2023.
She will lead CAA ICON’s project management team for Co-op Live, overseeing the contract, design, and construction activities for the arena. She has been representing OVG through the design process and has been integral in the arena development activities leading up to construction.
Now that construction is underway, Bax will oversee the CAA ICON team as it represents OVG and City Football Group interests in activities, such as budget and program management; oversight of procurement and installation of furniture, fixtures, and equipment; and oversight of sponsor related procurement and integration into the venue.
Bax is supported by a team of six regional experts based in London and Milan, providing feasibility and planning, strategic advisory, and project management services for sports, entertainment, and public assembly projects across the UK and Italy.
She brings significant experience in successful major project development, including Stadio della Roma in Ialy and the Moody Center at UT Austin, and management of multiple high-profile projects in North American venues for Major League Soccer, the National Basketball Association, and the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.
– Co-op Live, a new arena for Manchester, England.
Rendering.
Bax commuted, “We are thrilled to be working once again with OVG, this time to deliver their first international venue. Co-op Live will be a groundbreaking project for the UK music industry and an important economic boost to the City of Manchester in the wake of the pandemic.
“This will be the first of many new projects in the UK and Europe for CAA ICON and we are committed to bringing our deep sports and entertainment expertise, alongside our tailored project management approach, to these complex projects.”
Sam Piccione III, President International, OVG, added: “In Co-op Live, we’re planning to create a music and entertainment experience like nothing the UK or Europe has ever seen before. We need a team of world-leading experts to deliver that, and Stephanie and the team at CAA ICON are truly second-to-none in their field.”
CAA ICON has managed the development of numerous venues around the world, totalling nearly $20 billion of investment, including The O2 in London and the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin, Germany.
Supporting the planning process of Co-op Live was the impetus for CAA ICON to open its first UK office in March 2020. This latest UK footprint will support the firm’s plans to emulate its business model in the UK and across Europe.