annual review 2013 2014

ANNUAL REVIEW

2013/2014

It is always a pleasure to take stock at this time of year with regard to the continuing achievements and success of the National Ice Centre and Capital FM Arena.

This Review is testament to the importance the venue plays in the lives of so many people in the City of Nottingham (and beyond) - whether they are coming to see the incredible line up of International recording artistes and bands - or taking part in ice sports from absolute beginners to the talented skaters in the NIC’s Academy, which in terms of podium �nishes and completion results in 2013/14, is going from strength to strength.

This has been the year of the Winter Olympic Games which took place in Sochi, Russia, and provided heart stopping moments for the GB Short Track Speed Skating squad. We all followed the journey of Elise Christie, Jon Eley, Richard Shoebridge, Jack Whelbourne and Charlotte Gilmartin as they competed in their respective races under the leadership of Stuart Horsepool, Nicky Gooch and the coaching support sta�. Few of us will forget the bad luck (and controversy) experienced by Elise in particular in her quest for medal success. I am sure she will come back even stronger in 2018 when the Games take place in Pyeong Chang in South Korea.

Special mention should also be made of Nick Buckland and Penny Coomes (Ice Dance) who had a very successful result in Sochi by breaking into the top ten. They followed this up by winning the Bronze medal in this year’s European Championships held in Budapest, Hungary.

Financially, the venue enjoyed an excellent performance in a challenging climate by achieving its best ever �nancial results which, after taking into account the payment of £100,000 in rent to Nottingham City Council, represented a direct revenue gain over the 12 month period.

The Review also sets out the progress being made right across the business in terms of capital development projects, environmental commit-ments, IT upgrades, building & maintenance, marketing and sales, and HR statistics and statements. Please take the time to read all the information on these important operational areas to obtain a full understanding of the management and operation of this vibrant and complex building!

Finally, on behalf of the Board of Directors, may I once again pay tribute to the Chief Executive and his excellent team of managers and sta� on yet another successful year in the life of the National Ice Centre and Capital FM Arena.

R Michiel Stevenson OBE DL Hon LLD Hon MA – Freeman of the City of Nottingham

OVERVIEW

“To be successful, you have to have your heart in your business, and your business in your heart”, – Thomas Watson Sr, former Chairman & CEO, IBM.

I start my report with a number of important statistics provided by the HR Manager because I believe they totally encapsulate the evocative quotation above by Thomas Watson Sr, former Chairman and CEO of IBM, whereby the foundation for the continuing success of the National Ice Centre & Capital FM Arena lays at the door of a committed, experienced and innovative workforce, who continue to deliver the highest standards of customer care and professionalism in the day to day operation of this �agship venue in the City of Nottingham.

The HR report identi�es:

• A retention rate of 92.6% of the workforce• An average length of service of 3.5 years and 30% of employees have been employed for �ve years or more• The company gender split is 50% male & female• Approximately 14.6% of employees have an ethnic origin other than “White British”• The absence rate is only 1.3% over the year, which is 0.8% lower than the average UK industry rate

The continued success of the business is in the heart of every employee; a team of people who are always prepared to ‘go the extra mile’ to satisfy the needs of customers, clients, corporate partners, promoters and the thousands of athletes who visit the centre each year. We are fortunate to have such commitment from these talented and hardworking employees!

The key points from individual reports following are as follows:

Sochi Olympic Games

The GB Short Track Speed Skating squad performed to very high standards at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games held in Sochi, Russia, with exceptional performances from Elise Christie and Jon Eley in particular. The nation shared Elise’s trials and tribulations in her races which, by a combination of bad luck and controversy, saw her coming away without a much deserved medal.

Jon Eley achieved a top eight �nish for the third time at his third Olympic Games, and he had the honour of carrying the Team GB �ag at the Opening Ceremony. Jack Whelbourne, competing in his �rst Games, made it through to the Olympic Final in the 1500m, setting the benchmark for the next Olympic Games in Pyeong Chang, South Korea in 2018.

In the Ice Dance section, Nottingham couple Nick Buckland and Penny Coomes �nished in the top ten in the �nal and followed this up with a Bronze medal at the European Championships in Budapest.

Public Skating

Public skating bene�ted from the exposure provided by the Sochi Olympic Games, and the publicity surrounding the 30 year anniversary of Torvill & Dean’s ‘Perfect Six’ scores achieved at the 1984 Olympics in Sarajevo, Bosnia.

• Public sessions attracted almost 129,000 customer visits• 3,000 school children took part in the schools skating programme• In February, the half-term period was one of the busiest ever weeks in the 14 year history of the NIC, with 8,700 people attending the public sessions over the course of the week

Ice Hockey

Yet another successful year for the ice hockey programme ful�lling participation and development targets across the range of provision.

• The Nottingham Ice Hockey Club (NIHC) has 232 registered players making it one of the largest and most successful clubs in the UK• 11 players were selected to represent Great Britain and 14 players were selected to represent England over the season• Nottingham Lions �nished runners up in the Play-O� Final

Figure Skating

The Academy skaters have performed very strongly over the year with excellent results being achieved at all age levels.

• Membership has increased by 5% and includes 30 Junior Academy skaters aged 4-6 years• Eight medals were achieved at the British Figure Skating Championships including four Gold medals• Three skaters were selected for the GB Performance Team• Eight skaters have been ranked number one in the National Ice Skating Association (NISA) rankings• Eight podium �nishes were achieved from three International competitions including six Golds• The Nottingham Synchronised Skating Academy (NSSA) Junior team represented GB at the Junior World Challenge Cup and �nished in a very creditable 14th place

Community programme

In the �nal year of the partnership with Capital One, the community programme has continued to deliver ice skating opportunities to some of the most disadvantaged young people and families in the City and beyond, with outstanding results.

• Capital One funded 60 primary schools to take part in the six week ‘Learn to Skate’ programme with 2,000 children taking part• A further 55 schools and over 1,500 students took part in the schools skating programme• In association with the Blue Bell Hill Trust, the NIC delivered the Family Learning Programme to over 100 families from the local area

Arena shows & events

The Capital FM Arena once again played host to a fantastic line up of world class artistes and bands, building on the success of the previous year where the quality of shows continued to attract fans from across the UK and beyond.

However, despite turning in the most successful year ever for the Arena in terms of pro�tability, the volatile nature of concert events came to the fore with the cancellation or postponement of several shows signi�cantly a�ecting the revenue generation for this important aspect of the business.

The results at the Capital FM Arena re�ected the position across the UK, where statistics collated by the National Arenas Association (NAA) reported performances were up by 9% and attendances increased by 12.5% year on year. The average attendance for performances at music concerts was 7,023 (up from 6751), and the average ticket price showed a small reduction to £42.02 from £42.20 compared with the previous year.

• The Arena hosted a number of stars including: One Direction, Alicia Keys, Rod Stewart, Drake, Bruno Mars, André Rieu and Meat Loaf alongside shows from Frank Turner, Stereophonics and Ellie Goulding• Jake Bugg became the �rst Nottingham born artiste to sell-out the Arena• Comedy continued to be a major attraction with shows from Miranda Hart, Jack Whitehall, Russell Howard and Micky Flanagan all achieving ‘sell-out’ • Family shows provided a diversity of acts including Walking with Dinosaurs and Jesus Christ Superstar• Whilst there were no major boxing matches during the year, sporting events continued to �ourish with Varsity Ice Hockey and Basketball taking part along with Premier League Darts, Elite League Play-O� Finals, WWE and Cheerleaders• The merchandise operation supporting the majority of these shows and events continues to be a remarkable success story with contracts being won in open competition for the rights to operate at the arenas in Glasgow, Liverpool and Coventry as well as the in-house operation in Nottingham

Support services

Without outstanding support from the departments and individuals within them it would be impossible for the National Ice Centre & Capital FM Arena to deliver such a range of concerts, events and sports participation and opportunities for the public.

As can be seen from the individual departmental reports, each department has a vital role to play in the day to day delivery of the venue in a safe, welcoming and professional manner. Please take the time to read these individual reports.

In addition to the directly employed sta�, the role of partners including Levy Restaurants UK (bars, catering and hospitality) and CSG (crowd management and security) cannot be underestimated, and their input is duly acknowledged.

Summary

So, to come full circle from the opening quotation, the success of the National Ice Centre & Capital FM Arena is down to a number of factors but not least to the fact that all employees and the Board of Directors have the well-being and future development of the venue at the heart of all that we do.

If you add this energy and commitment to the support provided by our key partners – Nottingham City Council, Capital FM, Capital One, Greene King, and Cadbury – it is not unsurprising that the venue continues to provide such an important function in the lives of so many people in the City, across Nottinghamshire and the East Midlands.

Geo� HuckstepChief ExecutiveJune 2014

Public Skating has performed well in the current economic climate and it was extremely rewarding to see ice skating re-emerge as one of the premier leisure activities in the run up to and during the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics. The team has focused on initiatives to increase participation whilst striving hard to provide an enjoyable and safe experience for all in order to increase customer retention.

• 777 public skating sessions, an increase of 10 year on year• 129,000 customer visits (down 1% compared to 2012/13). Nationally 2013/14 saw a 5-10% decline in attendance (source Ice Rink Managers Association - IRMA)• 3,000 school children (115 schools) skated as part of the six week schools skating programme• Almost 18,000 people enjoyed a festive skate and the magic of Christmas at the NIC. The Christmas lights were switched on and the rink was o�cially opened by WBA and IBF World Super Middleweight Champion Carl Froch• February half-term was one of our busiest ever weeks with 8,700 visits • The make-up of ticket sales included 44% adults, 30% children, 13% families, 6% NUS holders, 4% groups and 2% discounted o�ers• Saturdays are our busiest day with the Saturday afternoon session being 18%, Friday evening Disco session being 12% and Sunday afternoon being 11% of all ticket sales• 165 birthday parties (down by 4%) with a high customer satisfaction rate of 93%.

Themed sessions were programmed to enhance the fun and enjoyment of skating -

Valentine party 640 skaters Christmas foam party with Capital FM’s Dino & Pete 466 skaters Halloween foam party 404 skaters Onesie party 300 skaters Where’s Wally party 264 skaters DJ Battle Skate party in association with NCN 260 skaters

CHAIRMAN’SFOREWORD

The NIC has worked in partnership to develop and deliver a number of innovative programmes for the bene�t of the community. Working with Capital One, the Blue Bell Hill Trust, resident clubs and both national and local sports organisations, the NIC has provided pathways from grassroots to excellence in each of the ice sports disciplines.

SHORT TRACK SPEED SKATING

During the four competitive seasons that culminated in the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, the GB Short Track skaters top achievements included:

• 19 ISU World Cup medals• Three World Championship medals, including Britain’s �rst ever individual female world medallist in Elise Christie.• World record in the sports blue ribbon event, the men’s 500m relay• Three medals at the 2014 European Championships (Elise Christie won Gold in the 1000m and Silver overall, and the Ladies 3000m relay team won Silver)• The GB Short Track Development athletes competed in three ISU Star Class events securing seven Gold, two Silver and �ve Bronze medals along with 32 top eight �nishes• The total medal tally at International events during the 2013/14 season was 30 including 15 Gold, six Silver and nine Bronze.

History was made at Sochi 2014 as Jack Whelbourne became the �rst British male to reach an Olympic �nal in the 1500m, while Elise Christie became the �rst British female to reach an Olympic �nal. Plus, Team GB Flag Bearer at the Sochi 2014 Opening Ceremony, Jon Eley, achieved his third top eight �nish at his third consecutive Olympic Winter Games and 7th place in the 500m.

Nottinghamshire Ice Racing Club (NIRC) had one of its most successful years in the clubs history with key achievements including:

• 45 active racing members (registered with NISA, up by 6% on last year)• 40 top three results at domestic competitions • 19 International medals • Seven new British records • Five NIRC members selected for the GB Short Track Team, and three for the GB Talent ID Squad• The NIRC Chairman, Peter Worth, was assigned as Chief Referee to the men’s Short Track at the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games• The NIRC hosted the 21st Junior British Short Track Open competition in Nottingham.

FIGURE SKATING

• Academy membership increased by 5% and includes 30 Junior Academy members aged 4 – 6 years• Three skaters were selected for the GB Performance Team and eight skaters representing Nottingham were ranked number one in the NISA rankings• Academy members achieved 61 top three results from 12 domestic competitions (27 Gold, 22 Silver and 12 Bronze medals)• Eight podium finishes were gained from three International competitions (six Gold and two Silver medals)• Eight medals were claimed at the British Figure Skating Championships (four Gold, one Silver and two Bronze) including one Gold at the British Solo Ice Dance Championships• Joshua Brown’s winning score in the Advanced Novice Men’s category was the highest ever achieved in the UK since the introduction of the International Judging System in 2006• Nottingham’s Penny Coomes and Nick Buckland won Bronze at the European Figure Skating Championships and achieved top 10 finishes at both the 2014 Winter Olympics and World Championships• The NIC’S Christmas Gala ‘Dance to the Music of Time’ featured over 200 skaters and 50 dancers from the Gedling Ballet School and was performed to an audience in excess of 2,000• The Nottingham Synchronized Skating Academy (NSSA) competed with six teams and a membership of 97 skaters during the season• NSSA teams achieved 17 podium positions (14 Gold and three Silver medals)• NSSA dominated the British Synchronized Skating Championships with four out of the five teams winning Gold and the fifth team claiming Silver• The Junior team represented GB at the Junior World Challenge Cup and increased their world ranking from 15th to 14th place, a remark able achievement given the average age of the team was 14 in a category of under 18s.

ICE HOCKEY

The ice hockey programme has gone from strength to strength ful�lling participation and development targets across the range.

• The Nottingham Ice Hockey Club (NIHC) registered 232 players making it one of the largest and most successful development programmes in the UK• The programme was delivered by 40 volunteer coaches • The Nottingham Lions �nished second in the Play-O� Finals• The Lions Academy provided 30 talented players with additional training• 18 NIHC players were selected for the Midlands Conference Team of which four players were selected to the All Stars Team• 14 NIHC players were selected to represent England and 11 were selected to represent Great Britain• The Nottingham Universities Mavericks Ice Hockey Club (NUMIHC) increased player membership by 37% year on year • The Varsity Match attracted another sell-out crowd• The Recreational Teams increased from three to �ve over the course of the year with each club reporting increased membership year on year.

COMMUNITY PROGRAMME

• Almost 5,000 skaters enrolled onto one of the NISA accredited Skate UK courses (down 16% compared to last year). This includes the newly introduced Skate UK Tots course speci�cally for children aged 2 to 4 years• The �agship Capital One Inspiring Community Engagement Programme (ICE) has provided positive skating experiences to thousands of school children and families in Nottingham along with funding 100 skating scholarships over the course of the year• Capital One funded 60 primary schools to take part in the six week schools skating programme providing almost 2,000 children with skating tuition• 55 schools (1,500 pupils) enrolled onto the schools skating programme• Capital One funded 21 schools (over 1,500 pupils) to take part in the Urban Hockey programme• Blue Bell Hill Trust, in partnership with the NIC, delivered the successful Family Learning programme to over 100 families, funded by Nottinghamshire County Council and the Big Lottery Fund• Capital One funded 16 schools to attend the Skate and Motivate Programme enabling almost 400 children to develop their computing and skating skills.

It was another productive and successful year for the sports development team. The community programme has gone from strength to strength supported by Capital One and this has been instrumental in providing the ice sports with new talent.


This Review is testament to the importance the venue plays in the lives of so many people in the City of Nottingham (and beyond) - whether they are coming to see the incredible line up of International recording artistes and bands - or taking part in ice sports from absolute beginners to the talented

results in 2013/14, is going from strength to strength.

This has been the year of the Winter Olympic Games which took place in Sochi, Russia, and provided heart stopping moments for the GB Short Track Speed Skating squad. We all followed the journey of Elise Christie, Jon Eley, Richard Shoebridge, Jack Whelbourne and Charlotte Gilmartin as they competed in their respective races under the leadership of Stuart Horsepool, Nicky Gooch

success. I am sure she will come back even stronger in 2018 when the Games take place in Pyeong Chang in South Korea.


into account the payment of £100,000 in rent to Nottingham City Council, represented a direct revenue gain over the 12 month period.


yet another successful year in the life of the National Ice Centre and Capital FM Arena.


CHAIRMAN’SFOREWORDIt is always a pleasure to take stock at this time of year with regard to the continuing achievements and success of the National Ice Centre and Capital FM Arena.




























OVERVIEW







Sochi Olympic Games




Public Skating



Ice Hockey



Figure Skating



Community programme








Support services




Summary








CHIEF EXECUTIVE’SSUMMARY








FIGURE SKATING


ICE HOCKEY



COMMUNITY PROGRAMME



OVERVIEW


I start my report with a number of important statistics provided by the HR Manager because I believe they totally encapsulate the evocative quotation above by Thomas Watson Sr, former Chairman and CEO of IBM, whereby the foundation for the continuing success of the National Ice Centre & Capital FM Arena lays at the door of a committed, experienced and innovative workforce, who continue to deliver the highest standards of customer care and professionalism in the day to day operation

• A retention rate of 92.6% of the workforce• An average length of service of 3.5 years and 30% of employees have been

• The company gender split is 50% male & female• Approximately 14.6% of employees have an ethnic origin other than “White British”• The absence rate is only 1.3% over the year, which is 0.8% lower than the average UK industry rate



Sochi Olympic Games


for the next Olympic Games in Pyeong Chang, South Korea in 2018.

Bronze medal at the European Championships in Budapest.

Public Skating

Torvill & Dean’s ‘Perfect Six’ scores achieved at the 1984 Olympics in Sarajevo, Bosnia.


Ice Hockey

• The Nottingham Ice Hockey Club (NIHC) has 232 registered players making it one of the largest and most successful clubs in the UK• 11 players were selected to represent Great Britain and 14 players were selected to represent England over the season

OVERVIEW







Sochi Olympic Games




Public Skating



Ice Hockey


CHIEF EXECUTIVE’SSUMMARYOVERVIEW







Sochi Olympic Games




Public Skating



Ice Hockey










OVERVIEW







Sochi Olympic Games




Public Skating



Ice Hockey



Figure Skating



Community programme








Support services




Summary








CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S SUMMARY CONTINUED...








FIGURE SKATING


ICE HOCKEY



COMMUNITY PROGRAMME











OVERVIEW







Sochi Olympic Games




Public Skating



Ice Hockey



Figure Skating



Community programme








Support services




Summary















FIGURE SKATING


PUBLIC SKATING

ICE HOCKEY



COMMUNITY PROGRAMME



Photography: Michael Poole









OVERVIEW







Sochi Olympic Games




Public Skating



Ice Hockey



Figure Skating



Community programme








Support services




Summary















FIGURE SKATING


SPORTS DEVELOPMENT

ICE HOCKEY



COMMUNITY PROGRAMME



Photography by Michael Poole









OVERVIEW







Sochi Olympic Games




Public Skating



Ice Hockey



Figure Skating



Community programme








Support services




Summary















FIGURE SKATING


SPORTS DEVELOPMENT CONTINUED...

ICE HOCKEY



COMMUNITY PROGRAMME











OVERVIEW







Sochi Olympic Games




Public Skating



Ice Hockey



Figure Skating



Community programme








Support services




Summary















FIGURE SKATING


ICE HOCKEY



COMMUNITY PROGRAMME




Figure Skating


• Membership has increased by 5% and includes 30 Junior Academy skaters aged 4-6 years• Eight medals were achieved at the British Figure Skating Championships including four Gold medals• Three skaters were selected for the GB Performance Team• Eight skaters have been ranked number one in the National Ice Skating Association (NISA) rankings

in a very creditable 14th place

Community programme

the most disadvantaged young people and families in the City and beyond, with outstanding results.




business.

reported performances were up by 9% and attendances increased by 12.5% year on year. The average attendance for performances at music concerts was 7,023 (up from 6751), and the average ticket price showed a small reduction to £42.02 from £42.20 compared with the previous year.

• The Arena hosted a number of stars including: One Direction, Alicia Keys, Rod Stewart, Drake, Bruno Mars, André Rieu and Meat Loaf alongside shows from Frank Turner, Stereophonics and Ellie Goulding

• Comedy continued to be a major attraction with shows from Miranda Hart, Jack Whitehall, Russell Howard and Micky Flanagan all achieving ‘sell-out’ • Family shows provided a diversity of acts including Walking with Dinosaurs and Jesus Christ Superstar

• The merchandise operation supporting the majority of these shows and events continues to be a remarkable success story with contracts being won in open competition for the rights to operate at the arenas in Glasgow, Liverpool and Coventry as well as the in-house operation in Nottingham

Support services



management and security) cannot be underestimated, and their input is duly acknowledged.

Figure Skating


• Membership has increased by 5% and includes 30 Junior Academy skaters aged 4-6 years• Eight medals were achieved at the British Figure Skating Championships including four Gold medals• Three skaters were selected for the GB Performance Team• Eight skaters have been ranked number one in the National Ice Skating Association (NISA) rankings

in a very creditable 14th place

Community programme

the most disadvantaged young people and families in the City and beyond, with outstanding results.




business.

reported performances were up by 9% and attendances increased by 12.5% year on year. The average attendance for performances at music concerts was 7,023 (up from 6751), and the average ticket price showed a small reduction to £42.02 from £42.20 compared with the previous year.

• The Arena hosted a number of stars including: One Direction, Alicia Keys, Rod Stewart, Drake, Bruno Mars, André Rieu and Meat Loaf alongside shows from Frank Turner, Stereophonics and Ellie Goulding

• Comedy continued to be a major attraction with shows from Miranda Hart, Jack Whitehall, Russell Howard and Micky Flanagan all achieving ‘sell-out’ • Family shows provided a diversity of acts including Walking with Dinosaurs and Jesus Christ Superstar

• The merchandise operation supporting the majority of these shows and events continues to be a remarkable success story with contracts being won in open competition for the rights to operate at the arenas in Glasgow, Liverpool and Coventry as well as the in-house operation in Nottingham

Support services



management and security) cannot be underestimated, and their input is duly acknowledged.

FM


2013/14 was the most successful year ever for Arena event profitability. Strong comedy show sales and reduced stewarding costs resulting from the change in the crowd management contract being the main contributory factors.However, the Arena suffered from a shortfall of nine concerts against the initial target projection because of an unprecedented large number of postponements and cancellations during the year including Gary Barlow, Rizzle Kicks, Tinie Tempah and The Wanted. Inevitably, the shortfall resulted in reduced income from merchandising, rental fees, bars, catering and ticketing commissions.

Family/Ice shows had a good year overall, ahead of budget by £12,000. This was due to the volume of shows rather than strong rentals, as ticket sales for this genre continue to struggle.Sports events had a particularly good year with a favourable result of £45,000 ahead of budget. The Nottingham Panthers participa-tion in the Continental Cup and more commercially negotiated rentals for the Varsity assisted this result.

The results at the Capital FM Arena reflected the position across the UK where statistics collated by the National Arenas Association (NAA) reported that event performances were up by 9.6% year on year and attendances increased by 12.5%. Live music performances (pop, rock and indie music) accounted for 51% of all events held across NAA arenas and saw an increase from 2012 of 25% in atten-dance at these shows. The average attendance for music concerts was 7,023 (up from 6,751) and the average ticket price showed a small reduction to £42.02 from £42.20 compared with the previous year.

Unfortunately, the Nottingham Panthers could not repeat their ‘Grand Slam’ year but had the satisfaction of retaining the Challenge Cup for the fourth consecutive year. Very disappointingly, though, they failed to reach the Play-Off Finals weekend for the first time since 2008.

The resurgence of quality arena shows seen in 2012/13 continued through 2013/14, with performances from One Direction, Alicia Keys, Rod Stewart, Drake, Bruno Mars, Meat Loaf and Andre Rieu bringing an International dimension to the programme, alongside outstanding shows from Frank Turner, Stereophonics, Ellie Goulding and Jake Bugg, the first Nottingham born artiste to sell-out the Arena.

Comedy continues to be ever popular in Nottingham, headed by four shows from Miranda Hart and performances from Jack White-hall, Russell Howard and Micky Flanagan, all of which achieved ‘sell-out’ status.A key feature of the ‘Family Show’ genre was the diversity of acts – from Jesus Christ Superstar and Walking with Dinosaurs to Cirque du Soleil and Peter Pan – coming to Nottingham along with regular favourites such as Strictly Come Dancing and Disney on Ice.

Whilst there were no major boxing matches during the course of the year (with Carl Froch moving to the O2 and Manchester Arena to take advantage of their larger seating capacities), sporting events continued to flourish with Varsity Basketball being staged here as a result of the outstanding success over the past five years of Varsity Ice Hockey, along with Premier League Darts, the Elite Ice Hockey League Play-Off Finals, Cheerleaders and WWE.

The merchandise operation continues to be a remarkable success story under the direction of the Head of Merchandise and Retail and his team. Contracts to provide the merchandise service were won in open competition at Glasgow, Liverpool and the Ricoh Arena in Coventry. The commissions generated from these operations are proving to be an integral element of improving the financial performance of the business as a whole and help to achieve the targets set by the City Council.

.

It’s been a busy year with over 2,400 support tickets opened and closed, enabling the team to assist people across the business with IT requirements. Three of the team recently passed their Microsoft Hyper-V certifications, and the whole team has nearly completed CompTIA N+ courses, which means each team member is trained in the fundamentals of networking.

It’s the first year that members of the team have worked remotely at other sites full time, to support National Merchan-dise at Glasgow SECC and the Liverpool Echo Arena. A number of technologies have been applied to enable staff to access email, our intranet, shared folders and applications from other venues.

The team has worked closely with marketing and ticketing on Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). The changes made now mean that most of our events appear at number one in search engines during the event on-sale.

Following the departure of our Web Developer, we employed the services of a local web agency to develop new email templates and build the National Merchandise website.

The systems management platform and server infrastructure have been upgraded. There’s now additional monitoring of temperature, power, humidity and other systems in our main server room and a new backup system has also been installed.

We went live with a new cloud-based telephone platform that filters incoming calls to the right destination and can handle higher call volumes.

Other notable achievements include enabling the printing of documents from iOS devices, such as iphones and ipads. This has been invaluable for the operations and events teams.

TRAINING

Annual training for all staff included Safeguarding, Equality and Diversity, Accessibility and an update on fire and emergency procedures, has taken place.

A number of live exercises in the venue culminated in a full (planned) evacuation of the venue during a conference with 5,000 delegates in attendance.

CROWD MANAGEMENT

During the summer of 2013 the NIC underwent a crowd management contract procurement process with the support of Nottingham City Council. The contract was awarded to Controlled Solutions Group which has now been in situ since August 2013. A review of the financial benefits has shown that significant cost savings have been made whilst also maintaining the safety of customers at events.

ACCESSIBILTY

This year has seen the NIC successfully achieve the Gold Standard Award from Attitude is Everything. Our Accessibility Officer continues to build relationships with local venues and customers, engaging in discussions and feedback to maximise the potential for improvements and enhance customer satisfaction and enjoyment.

Our Accessibility Officer leads on enhanced in-house staff training, with the focus on ‘making reasonable adjustments’ across all areas of our business.

Plans are in motion for our Accessibility Officer to co-operate with local event venues to form a City wide access forum, aimed at creating a best practice approach to accessibility from booking a ticket to the physical environment.

ENVIRONMENTAL

Tremendous results were seen across all environmental performance indicators, with a significant reduction in the use of all utilities and incinerated waste. This was achieved despite additional event nights and the ninth warmest summer since records began.

Onsite recycling has been increased by 100%. We began to separate glass bottles in the New Year and in three months alone, have captured 1.28 tonnes.

Just over 15% of total waste is diverted to recycling. The improved recycling tonnage is almost equal to the reduction in general waste incinerated. There has been a great effort from the Housekeeping and Catering teams in particular, to separate items at source.

We entered into a Triad incentive alongside Enviroenergy, where we actively use less electricity during high national peak demand periods and in return receive a financial incentive. We hit two out of the three Triad periods, resulting in generating several thousand pounds, as well as reducing consumption during this period by approximately 48%. We are looking to develop this concept across the business in future years.

We have successfully received an accreditation by OFGEM called ROOFIT which will result in a significant revenue return from our PV installation (solar panels).

The annually updated Environmental Policy is available for review on both our websites.

Stakeholder feedback is welcomed and encouraged to help the NIC and Capital FM Arena assess its environmental impacts. Comments or suggestions can be sent to [email protected]

BUILDINGS

The Buildings team completed all of the planned preventative maintenance works and provided technical support to 96 events including Ice Hockey. Several large projects were delivered, including -

Photo Voltaic (Solar) Panels Installation - the installation of 2500SqM of solar panels on the roof of the Olympic Pad (as photo above shows). So far the NIC has generated 85,000KWH of electricity and saved 44,619.09 kg of CO2.

Arena bar 3-4 - The small merchandise outlet was combined with Arena Bar 3 to create a large Catering outlet populated with state of the art catering equipment.

Large merchandise outlet – this was combined with Arena bar 4 to produce a double sized merchandise outlet at the entrance by Block 10.

Level 4 VIP Foyer - The walls were clad in polished MDF strips, a black ceramic tiled floor and new carpet was laid, black doors were installed on the toilets and Platinum Suite, and a new look reception desk was fitted. Mood lighting and a TV for advertising completed the look.

Emergency Lighting - A five year project to replace and upgrade the emergency lighting with energy saving LEDs in the whole building commenced.

EVENTS Following the change of crowd management providers, the events team now staff and manage the backyard and load in security. This has been a huge success and has generated additional revenue for the business.

This year saw the events team facilitate the first ever comedy event ‘in the round’ for Jack Whitehall, which showed the flexibility of the venue and increased capacity for this genre of show.

Event Managers have been involved in the creation and review of the ‘A Guide’ for the National Arenas Association. This is an agreed safety guidance document for events taking place in an arena environment and has been rolled out throughout the UK. The team has also been key players in the writing of the European Arenas Association Rigging Guidance which will be used in venues across the UK and Europe.

The Events team installed the new black Kevlar net which is now in situ for all hockey games. The net was installed in time for the Elite League Play-Off Weekend and was well received by fans. The net is widely used in the National Hockey League (NHL) by teams such as the Boston Bruins and the Detroit Red Wings.

CATERING - LEVY RESTAURANTS UK

Levy Restaurants UK, has successfully operated and delivered a huge number of diverse events over the past year with each catering offer specifically tailored to different crowd demographics.

A re-brand from Leiths to Levy Restaurants UK has been completed. This is a brand that operates the Sports Leisure and Hospitality division of Compass Group UK & Ireland.

In the past year, Levy Restaurants UK has recruited and trained over two hundred new team members from the local area. On-going detailed training is continually delivered to maintain high standards of service.

Bar Pass has been launched which is an app allowing customers to order food and drinks from their mobile phone and collect via a “fast track lane” at one of the catering outlets. Customers need never miss any of the action again.

Following on from last year’s environmental initiatives, recycling has been taken one stage further with glass bottle recycling added to the separating and recycling of cardboard and PET plastics. This will have a significant reduction on landfill.

We have also consolidated our supply chain ensuring fewer trucks deliver to the venue.

FACILITIES

A significant upgrade of the ice plant controls system has taken place which has squeezed maximum efficiencies from the process of refrigeration and making ice. This upgrade has shown significant electricity savings since the installation and this year we have used the lowest ever electricity to run the ice plant.

For the first time, the facilities team has contracted out its services to clean and make the ice at the new Streatham Ice Rink. Members of the Housekeeping and Ice Maintenance teams spent a number of days in Streatham ensuring the project was successful.

The Marketing team has seen fewer changes than in previous years. However, following the departure of the Digital Marketing Manager, skills and knowledge have been developed across the team so while individuals have their specialisms and focus, the whole team is able to contribute effectively to all areas of marketing whether digital or traditional.

The development of our first Social Media Strategy document highlights the importance of digital marketing to the venue. Social media posts and interactions are now tracked, enabling the team to measure and regularly evaluate the value social media brings to the business. A focus on Instagram has resulted in the venue being the most followed arena in the UK surpassing the O2, and our combined social media following across all channels stands at just over 75,000 an increase of 61%.

Year on year social media statistics:

Email is still a cost effective tool for informing our customers about events and delivering customer service messages. In the last 12 months we have grown the database from 57,000 to over 97,000 subscribers an increase of 70%.

The drive to understand our customers and find new markets has resulted in the team undertaking a mapping research project on our catchment area, enabling the team to discover hot and cold spots within a 90 minute drive of the venue (in terms of who is buying tickets). An investment in data capture tells us which types of individuals buy our tickets, where they live and their potential buying habits. The data also allows us to find similar customers in our catchment area.

The team has increased the profit generated from event marketing revenue by 11%. This builds on last year’s record figure and illustrates the effectiveness of the team and the good relationships the team has with both promoters and the owners of media and advertising channels across the East Midlands.

Key projects supported by the Marketing team in the last year include:

• National Merchandise• Christmas Skating• The NIC Christmas Skating Gala • PR for PV solar panels• Management of TV crews and other media at the venue before, during and after the GB Speed Skating squad competed at the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi.

SHOWS & EVENTS

SALES

The sales team has gone from strength to strength this year and again has achieved its most successful year to date by surpassing last year’s income figures. This year’s figures were a fantastic achievement.

HOSPITALITY

The hospitality team has also experienced another successful year making 2013/14 the most successful to date, with a combined revenue of £432,865. Annual hospitality has seen a 14% increase year on year. This includes six multi-year contracts, one of which is the hospitality team’s first five year contract. Single event hospitality has seen a 12% decline year on year, due to the high number of comedy and family shows that have taken place rather than the larger music events and boxing on which single event hospitality thrives. Improvements to the single event hospitality booking experience were made with Premier Seating Hospitality becoming available to purchase online.

ADVERTISING

This year’s advertising performance was strengthened by a number of factors, including high renewal percentages and the increased effectiveness of online opportunities and prime advertising sites within the venue, all of which attracted new clients and grew profits by 26%.

CONFERENCE & EVENTS

Conferences and events have achieved a 45% increase in profit after a disappointing 2012/13. This year’s figures were greatly helped by two large events for a local financial organisation and the commitment throughout the year from two training organisations.

PARTNERSHIPS

Our successful five-year partnership with Capital One came to an end this year following a new direction in strategy for Capital One.

Significant agreements with Eden Tyres, Thomson Holidays and Greene King are enabling us to re-invest in our services and facilities. A good working relationship has been maintained with our main arena sponsor, Capital FM.









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Photography: Michael Poole









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Year on Year % increaseArena Twitter Followers 47%Arena Facebook Fans 15%NIC Twitter Followers 25%NIC Facebook Fans 9%









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NATIONAL IDEA CENTRE

An ideas generation platform, Crowdicity has been introduced. Branded ‘The National Idea Centre’, it provides an area for sta� to suggest ideas and improvements to the business.

We have adopted several ideas which include better public skating signage to help direct people to the correct entrance, queu-ing signage on the concourse bars, and better signage for out of order cash machines.

Ideas relating to the customer experience were also proposed and implemented. Information on when customers will receive their tickets is included in the event con�rmation email once the tickets have been booked. The pre-event email is now sent to customers eight weeks before the date of the event.

Instead of customers queuing on busy event nights, tickets can be emailed to them, helping alleviate queues and enhancing the customer experience. A lea�et has been produced to communicate this message.

An easily accessible schedule for the Customer Services Team to view conference room bookings has been adopted, so when delegates enter the building unsure of where they need to be, the team can inform them promptly.

EMPLOYEE DEMOGRAPHICS

Our headcount increased by 17% from 258 to 301. This is mainly due to increased employee numbers within our merchandising team for the delivery of merchandise operations at Glasgow and Liverpool Arenas.

EMPLOYEE TURNOVER

Employee turnover rates reduced from 31.2% to 24.3%. This mirrors a substantial fall in the hospitality industry average to 20%.

The stability index, which measures the extent to which the experienced workforce is being retained, is currently at 92.6%, this represents an increase of 12.6% compared to last year.

FLEXIBLE WORKING

60% of our workforce is employed on a casual basis, 27% on a full-time basis, and 13% on a part-time basis. Age & Length of Service

Our employees range from age 16 to 73. Just under 50% of our workforce is under the age of 25, and our median age is 25.Our average service length is 3.5 years, and 30% of our employees have been employed for �ve years or more.

GENDER

The company gender split is currently 50% male to 50% female. This gender ratio is also re�ected across our management and supervisory roles, with 52% of roles held by males and 48% of roles held by females.

GENDER PAY COMPARISON

The average hourly pay for female employees is £9 compared to £9.47 for male employees. This represents a 5.2% gender pay gap favourable to male employees.

DIVERSITY

Approximately 14.6% of employees have an ethnic origin other than ‘White British’, and 4% of employees consider themselves to have a disability.

ABSENCE

The absence rate this year decreased by 1.3% to 2.5%, which is 0.8% lower than the average UK industry rate (Source: Absence Management Annual Survey Report 2013, CIPD).

Our adjusted absence rate (with the removal of long term absences) has reduced to our lowest recorded level of 1.6%. 82% of absences were short term in nature (less than one week), with 57% of absences being attributable to minor illnesses such as sickness and colds.

The average cost of absences per employee was £169. This is £426 lower than the average cost in the UK industry and £300 lower than the average cost in the private sector.

RECRUITMENT

Recruitment within a number of departments across the business resulted in the HR team processing in the region of 1,000 applications for vacancies. 117 new employees were appointed as a result of this recruitment.

TRAINING

A full review of our Safeguarding Policy was undertaken and a new Diversity Policy was introduced. Training on both policies was delivered in-house to all Nottingham based employees.

An ideas generation platform, Crowdicity has been introduced. Branded ‘The National Idea Centre’, it provides an area for sta� to suggest ideas and improvements to the business.

We have adopted several ideas which include better public skating signage to help direct people to the correct entrance, queu-ing signage on the concourse bars, and better signage for out of order cash machines.

Ideas relating to the customer experience were also proposed and implemented. Information on when customers will receive their tickets is included in the event con�rmation email once the tickets have been booked. The pre-event email is now sent to customers eight weeks before the date of the event.

Instead of customers queuing on busy event nights, tickets can be emailed to them, helping alleviate queues and enhancing the customer experience. A lea�et has been produced to communicate this message.

An easily accessible schedule for the Customer Services Team to view conference room bookings has been adopted, so when delegates enter the building unsure of where they need to be, the team can inform them promptly.

EMPLOYEE DEMOGRAPHICS

Our headcount increased by 17% from 258 to 301. This is mainly due to increased employee numbers within our merchandising team for the delivery of merchandise operations at Glasgow and Liverpool Arenas.

EMPLOYEE TURNOVER

Employee turnover rates reduced from 31.2% to 24.3%. This mirrors a substantial fall in the hospitality industry average to 20%.

The stability index, which measures the extent to which the experienced workforce is being retained, is currently at 92.6%, this represents an increase of 12.6% compared to last year.

FLEXIBLE WORKING

60% of our workforce is employed on a casual basis, 27% on a full-time basis, and 13% on a part-time basis. Age & Length of Service

Our employees range from age 16 to 73. Just under 50% of our workforce is under the age of 25, and our median age is 25.Our average service length is 3.5 years, and 30% of our employees have been employed for �ve years or more.

GENDER

The company gender split is currently 50% male to 50% female. This gender ratio is also re�ected across our management and supervisory roles, with 52% of roles held by males and 48% of roles held by females.

GENDER PAY COMPARISON

The average hourly pay for female employees is £9 compared to £9.47 for male employees. This represents a 5.2% gender pay gap favourable to male employees.

DIVERSITY

Approximately 14.6% of employees have an ethnic origin other than ‘White British’, and 4% of employees consider themselves to have a disability.

ABSENCE

The absence rate this year decreased by 1.3% to 2.5%, which is 0.8% lower than the average UK industry rate (Source: Absence Management Annual Survey Report 2013, CIPD).

Our adjusted absence rate (with the removal of long term absences) has reduced to our lowest recorded level of 1.6%. 82% of absences were short term in nature (less than one week), with 57% of absences being attributable to minor illnesses such as sickness and colds.

The average cost of absences per employee was £169. This is £426 lower than the average cost in the UK industry and £300 lower than the average cost in the private sector.

RECRUITMENT

Recruitment within a number of departments across the business resulted in the HR team processing in the region of 1,000 applications for vacancies. 117 new employees were appointed as a result of this recruitment.

TRAINING

A full review of our Safeguarding Policy was undertaken and a new Diversity Policy was introduced. Training on both policies was delivered in-house to all Nottingham based employees.

HUMAN RESOURCES

HUMAN RESOURCES CONTINUED...

annual review 2013 2014

Documents

ice sports

successful year

continuing success

medal success

city of nottinghamoverviewto

time of year

nottingham city council

penny coomes ice dance