CAA ICON is now project management consultancy for Co-op Live in Manchester, as Oak View Group brings the firm on to oversee contract, design, and construction activities for the new arena, set to open in 2023.
CAA ICON joins investors City Football Group and Harry Styles, lead designers and architects Populous, the contractor BAM and naming rights partner Co-op on the project.
CAA ICON’s Managing Director of European Operations Stephanie Bax will lead CAA ICON’s project management team for Co-op Live, overseeing the contract, design, and construction activities for the arena. Bax has been representing OVG through the design process and has been integral in the arena development activities leading up to construction. Now that construction has commenced, Bax will oversee the CAA ICON team as it represents OVG and City Football Group interests in activities, such as budget and programme management; oversight of procurement and installation of furniture, fixtures, and equipment; and oversight of sponsor related procurement and integration into the venue.
Bax brings significant experience in successful major project development, including Stadio della Roma and the Moody Center at UT Austin, and management of multiple high-profile projects in North American venues for Major League Soccer, the National Basketball Association, and the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.
“We are thrilled to be working once again with OVG, this time to deliver their first international venue. Co-op Live will be a groundbreaking project for the UK music industry and an important economic boost to the City of Manchester in the wake of the pandemic,” Bax said via press release. “This will be the first of many new projects in the UK and Europe for CAA ICON and we are committed to bringing our deep sports and entertainment expertise, alongside our tailored project management approach, to these complex projects.”
“In Co-op Live, we’re planning to create a music and entertainment experience like nothing the UK or Europe has ever seen before,” Sam Piccione III, President International, OVG, said via press release. “We need a team of world-leading experts to deliver that, and Stephanie and the team at CAA ICON are truly second-to-none in their field.”
Rendering courtesy Oak View Group.
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