Overview

ACC Liverpool is a landmark regeneration project on the Liverpool waterfront, a centrepiece of European Capital of Culture celebrations in 2008. It sits at the heart of the city on Kings Waterfront, alongside the Grade I listed Albert Dock and adjacent to the World Heritage site at Pier Head. 

Designed by architects Wilkinson Eyre, ACC Liverpool houses the award-winning BT Convention Centre – with facilities including a 1,350 seat auditorium, 18 breakout rooms and 7125m2 of exhibition space – and the 11,000 capacity Echo Arena, creating a unique space with a multitude of possibilities for clients and visitors.

ACC Liverpool is also one of the most sustainable venues in Europe. Designed to reduce by half our CO2  emissions, our cutting-edge design includes a raft of green innovations, from sensor-controlled lighting and rooftop rainwater harvesting to riverside wind turbines.

ACC Liverpool was conceived as part of a broader plan to regenerate Liverpool city centre, boosting the local economy and improving the city’s image. The project was funded by a number of partners; the European Union (Objective 1 funding), the NWDA, English Partnerships, Liverpool City Council and Liverpool Vision.

Echo Arena opened in January 2008 with the European Capital of Culture Opening Ceremony and BT Convention Centre opened its doors in April of the same year. The success of our first year of operations was unprecedented, with over 665,000 visitors and more than 200 events.

In 2009 the venue continued to attract high profile artists, events and conferences for a successful second year of business which saw 225 events hosted and 688,583 visitors through the doors.  Echo Arena highlights included performances from Beyonce, Lionel Ritchie and Pink whilst the epic show ‘Walking with Dinosaurs’ was a massive summer hit.  BT Convention Centre hosted Gordon Brown’s first Cabinet meeting of 2009, the NHS Confederation and the TUC annual conference.

In 2010, confirmed business into Echo Arena remained robust, despite the gloomy economic outlook, with 200 events staged and 581,789 visitors throughout the year to a variety of events which included Lady Gaga, Mamma Mia and the MOBO awards. The adjoining BT Convention Centre enjoyed a similar year of success as the Liberal Democrats staged its autumn conference and the National Cancer Research Institute moved its conference to Liverpool for the first time in its history.

In 2011, ACC Liverpool welcomed 644,732 people through its doors with 195 events staged in total.  Highlights in BT Convention Centre included the Royal College of Nurses, the return of the National Cancer Research Institute and the Labour Party Annual Conference, which saw 11,000 delegates come to the venue over five days.

Echo Arena hosted a variety of performances by artists including Justin Bieber, Katy Perry and Paul McCartney, who performed at the Arena for the first time, playing a homecoming gig for the final date of his latest tour.  Comedians Peter Kay and John Bishop also performed at the Arena in 2011.

ACC Liverpool is a unique venue, staffed by dedicated professionals in an inspiring city. Our vision is to become a world class arena and convention centre, serving customers to the best of our ability, attracting visitors and contributing to the prosperity of the business, the city of Liverpool and its people. We aim to make face-to-face events of all kinds flourish in the city, creating a positive experience for visitors, which is a credit to our people, business and the city as a whole.