Features
SMG Europe Hires Waight For Aberdeen
SMG Europe announced the hiring of former NEC Group MD Nick Waight to run the new £333 million Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre, which is due to open in the Scottish port city in 2019.
– SMG EuropeWaight will take on his new role in April. He was previously managing director of group convention centres for the NEC Group. Before that he oversaw the design, build and operation of the £185 million Convention Centre Dublin.
Waight was also instrumental in delivering The Vox, a new £10m conference space as part of NEC Group’s Resorts World Birmingham.
– Nick Waight
John Sharkey, SMG’s executive VP of European operations, said he was “delighted to welcome Nick to the team. Nick brings with him a wealth of skills and experience in both operational and commercial management which are the perfect fit for both the existing and new AECC.”
Waight said: “I am thrilled to be joining SMG Europe at this exciting time in its development. I am very grateful to John Sharkey for giving me this opportunity and look forward to taking up the new role in April, when it will be a privilege to lead the team at the AECC both at the existing venue and transitioning into the fantastic new facility in 2019.”
At the end of last year, SMG agreed to a 10-year deal with Aberdeen City Council to manage, operate and program the new AECC, which features a 12,500-capacity arena with a movable stage, as well as 50,000 square meters of flexible exhibition space, a conference centre, three hotels and its own energy centre.
The new AECC is being constructed in Bucksbur and will succeed Aberdeens exhibition center in Bridge of Don.