Kristyna O’Connell travelled north to meet Rob Wicks, MD of P&J live in Aberdeen, and to check out Scotland’s biggest venue
Originally from South Africa, Rob Wicks worked as commercial director for Aberdeen Football Club for over five years before joining ASM Global as managing director at P&J live, the region’s largest convention centre.
P&J Live is located adjacent to Aberdeen International Airport in north east Scotland. The giant venue spans 48,000sqm and features a 10,000-seat arena, seven conference spaces, 11 meeting rooms, and four exhibition halls. P&J Live can simultaneously host a day’s convention, two corporate dinners for 500 and 1,500 guests respectively, and a 10,000-person entertainment event.
An on-site energy centre utilises the city’s food and garden waste to provide heating, cooling, and power for itself and the two on-site hotels, Hilton ICA and Loft Hotel. Wicks says confidence in the industry is again high: “We’re seeing, particularly on the conferences and events front, bigger bookings, with more of a longer-term view.” He says stability has returned but notes shorter lead times in the market.
P&J live has carved a strong niche in the association market through hard work, but Wicks urges a visit to get the full first-hand experience. “Until you come to Aberdeen, you don’t really appreciate all that north east Scotland has to offer,” he says. “Until you come here, and you taste the whisky, play the golf, and you see the castles, you don’t really appreciate it.” In terms of a longer-term strategy, the sustainability piece and what the venue can offer is going to be key, Wicks believes, and points to a strong relationship with both Visit Aberdeenshire and the convention bureau.
From oil to energy capital
Aberdeen, referred to historically as the ‘Oil Capital of Europe’, has a rich history centred around the energy sector, particularly in oil and gas. Wicks says that they’re seeing an increase in events from this sector, with the major supply chain either already here or on the way to the city to support the transition to net zero. Wicks says: “Aberdeen is very much transforming itself from being a city of oil and gas to a city of energy. If you take just one example, such as floating offshore wind, which is run by Renewable UK, we’ve seen the amount of space they rent from us go up by 50% and we’ve seen a quadrupling of their delegate numbers in two years. So that is a good barometer and there are events in the venue regularly that are focused in and around that sector.”
Delegate behaviour, as well as organiser approaches, have changed. Wicks says: “There’s a sense that, particularly on the sustainability front, that it is now much more of a of a must-have and must-do rather than a nice to have.” A group-wide feedback system – ASM insights – provides intelligence on delegates and their preferences and Wicks says: “We’re seeing changes in menu preferences and there is a demand for EV charging, because delegates are arriving in electric vehicles more now than they ever did.”
Wicks notes Scotland is becoming an increasingly competitive marketplace and is confident that P&J Live has a unique offering. “The venue is large, agile and very versatile, making it suitable for just about anything. We’ve hosted events ranging from Clydesdale horses shows to indoor motocross and the Battle of the Brits. We’re also looking forward to the Rogue Invitational fitness event later this year.”
He tips us off that there are some “sizable announcements in terms of events over the coming months that will turn a few heads”.
On 8 July, P&J Live took a big step and launched a comprehensive sustainability strategy with the goal of achieving Net Zero Carbon emissions by 2050, starting with the measurement and reduction of its 2023 emissions. There are initiatives focused on energy, transportation, food supply, waste, and marketing all designed to contribute to halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
