The Queen to visit ACC Liverpool, home of the Echo Arena and BT Convention Centre
8 May 08The Queen is to tour the Arena and Convention Centre Liverpool (ACC Liverpool) and unveil a plaque marking its completion and formal opening, it is announced today.
Her Majesty will be in the city on 22 May, visiting several attractions including St George's Hall, the Philharmonic Hall and Liverpool One – as well as ACC Liverpool, home of the Echo Arena and BT Convention Centre.
Bob Prattey, ACC Liverpool Chief Executive, said: "It is an enormous privilege to be welcoming The Queen to the Echo Arena and BT Convention Centre and we're very much looking forward to showing her around the facility.
"ACC Liverpool is a magnificent symbol of the city's rebirth and we are sure Her Majesty will be left with a sense of the impact it has already made. We're very proud to be a part of the Royal visit."
The 10,600 seat Echo Arena held its first events at the start of 2008, including the opening event of the city's year as European Capital of Culture – Liverpool: The Musical – on January 12.
This was followed by the adjoining BT Convention Centre, which opened in stages to host events such as the Liberal Democrats Spring Conference and the National Association of Headteachers conference.
The facility was fully completed last month and The Queen's visit will mark its formal opening.
The Liverpool Culture Company has also created a programme of activity to give Her Majesty The Queen a taste of the European Capital of Culture programme. This will include a number of performances themed around the 2008 celebrations and an opportunity to meet participants from community projects.
HM will also get to see one of the Culture Company's most ambitious educational projects - The Orrery. Inspired by traditional astronomical instruments which show how planets orbit the sun in the solar system, The Orrery has been created to reflect Liverpool's position at 'the Centre of the Creative Universe'. The six-metre high mechanical sculpture tours primary schools across the city, allowing children to experience the programme for European Capital of Culture 2008.
ACC Liverpool consists of the 10,600-seat Echo Arena and the state of the art BT Convention Centre. The latter features a 1,350 seat auditorium, a 3725 sq metre multi-purpose hall 18 meeting rooms and total exhibition space in excess of 7000 sq metres.
Warren Bradley, leader of Liverpool City Council, said: "I'm sure that The Queen will be truly astounded at Liverpool's terrific renaissance. Although it is only a short amount of time since HM was last here, the skyline has changed dramatically. I will be honoured to show HM first hand some of the city's breathtaking new developments which are creating a brighter future for the city and will be a lasting legacy of 2008."
Liverpool's Lord Mayor Councillor Paul Clark said: "It's wonderful that Her Majesty is making yet another return trip to Liverpool – just six months since she was last here. I think we could definitely start claiming that Liverpool is one of the Royal Family's favourite places! This is sure to be yet another tremendous day in what is proving to be an extremely memorable Capital of Culture year."
Phil Redmond, creative director and deputy chair of the Liverpool Culture Company, said: "It's great news that Liverpool will be receiving such a high profile visit during our European Capital of Culture celebrations. We're looking forward to giving HM a flavour of the many cultural events and activities taking place in the city this year."
ACC Liverpool's partners are Liverpool City Council, Liverpool Vision, national regeneration agency English Partnerships, the European Objective One programme and the North West Regional Development Agency.
For further information, please contact Jane Wolstenholme at Factory Communications on 07983 649 747 or email jane@factory-pr.co.uk