Ricoh Arena

Set within a site covering more than 40 acres, the Ricoh Arena is unlike any other development of its kind in the UK.
The main entrance to the Ricoh ArenaWith its state-of-the-art conference, banqueting, exhibition, hotel and sports facilities, the multi-purpose complex has already won awards for its design.
The unique development also has some of the finest transport links in the country meaning it is an attractive and easily accessible location no matter where you are in the country.
The Ricoh Arena is run and managed by Arena Coventry Ltd, a joint venture company consisting of Coventry City Council and the Alan Edward Higgs Charity.
The Ricoh has acted as a catalyst for regeneration in the north of the city and forms an important part of the city council's bigger plan to rejuvenate the entire area.
The Alan Edward Higgs Charity is a charitable foundation that helps benefit the people of Coventry and Warwickshire through grant-making activities and makes an enormous difference to the lives of many people.
Arena Coventry Ltd was formed in August 2002 and had successfully co-ordinated and delivered the scheme in three years - including an 18-month build programme.
As well as delivering a unique package, the Ricoh Arena is also distinctive in the way it works with numerous partners such as Coventry City Council, the Alan Edward Higgs Charity, Advantage West Midlands and the European Regional Development Fund along with sponsors Ricoh, Telent, Jewson, Coventry Telegraph, Jaguar, E.ON and Yorkshire Bank as well as tenants Coventry City Football Club, Coventry Sports Trust and the Isle of Capri.
Work started in earnest on the site of the former Foleshill gasworks site in September 2004 which saw the controlled implosion of the last remaining gas tower.
Edmund Nuttall Ltd was appointed to carry out the decontamination work and the cut and fill work needed to prepare the site.
In 2003, Laing O'Rourke, the company which built the Millennium Stadium and the City of Manchester Stadium, was appointed the preferred contractor to build the impressive development.
Work started in January 2004 and the Ricoh Arena opened for the first time on August 20, 2005 as Coventry City beat Queens Park Rangers 3-0.
The Ricoh Arena offers:

• A 32,000-seater stadium
• The Jaguar Exhibition Hall measuring 6,000sq metres and capable of holding 8,000 people for concerts, or a banquet for up to 5,000 people
• More than 3,000sq metres for conference and banqueting, seating around 2,500 diners including the largest column-free conference and banqueting space in the Midlands
• 19 Kiosks built around stadium and four serving the Jaguar Exhibition Halls
• The 71-bedroom Arena Hotel
• he Bistro, a 100-seater restaurant
• The Arena Health and Fitness Club - featuring 100 fitness stations, sauna, steam room, treatments and therapies as well as the first ever dedicated youth gym in the West Midlands for eight to 16 year olds.
• More than 2,000 car parking spaces