Gary Roden appointed Executive Director & General Manager at Co-op Live
20 April 2023
(Manchester, 20 April 2023) Co-op Live today announce that established industry leader Gary Roden has been appointed as Executive Director & General Manager, overseeing the operation of the UK’s largest live entertainment arena and spearheading the venue’s future vision and strategy. Roden joins Co-op Live following over eight years at Ticketmaster UK, most recently as Senior Vice President of Client Development and Commercial.
Roden takes charge of the strategic and operational delivery of Co-op Live, a joint venture between Oak View Group (OVG) and City Football Group (CFG). The arena will have a capacity of 23,500 fans and play host to over 120 shows annually at Manchester’s Etihad Campus.
Gary Roden says: “I am delighted to be joining Co-op Live, leading the team in Manchester to launch and operate a gamechanging arena experience for both fans and artists. I can’t wait to get started, working with Oak View Group, City Football Group, key stakeholders and partners to launch what is not only set to be a groundbreaking arena for the UK, but one that will see Manchester firmly leading the way globally.”
Gary Roden will lead Co-op Live’s eight-strong executive team, assembling decades of experience across sport and entertainment, local authority, charity, and large-scale business.
Jessica Koravos, Co-Chair of Oak View Group International, notes: “Gary Roden’s experience speaks for itself, and we’re thrilled to have him join an already phenomenal team of exceptional industry leaders, and to continue to drive Oak View Group and City Football Group’s joint vision to deliver world leading, planet friendly entertainment.”
Gary Roden’s appointment marks another major milestone in Co-op Live’s journey to becoming the most sustainable and socially responsible arena in the UK. As well as pledging to support Manchester City Council’s target of becoming net zero carbon by 2038 the venue will donate at least £1m annually to the Co-op Foundation to support local and national initiatives focused on young people, food security, education and sustainability.
Bringing with him years of experience, Roden will guide Co-op Live to success with the delivery of world-class entertainment, unrivalled premium experiences, and driving a diverse, locally-supported workforce to further cement Manchester on the global touring circuit
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Contact
Ben Tipple
About Co-op Live
Oak View Group (OVG), City Football Group (CFG), Harry Styles, and Co-op are joining forces to create Co-op Live, the biggest and best arena in the UK. Based in Manchester, the project is injecting £365m of private investment into the Northwest. Co-op Live will be one of the world’s premier music and entertainment venues, rivalling New York’s Madison Square Garden, The Forum in LA and The O2 in London.
World class, planet friendly and at the heart of the local community, Co-op Live will deliver one of the world’s most pioneering, sustainable, and socially responsible venues, delivering Co-op’s vision of a fairer world into the entertainment industry. The project will create 3,350 constructions jobs and 1,000 roles and apprenticeships on completion of the venue as well as giving over £1m back to national and local good causes.
Co-op Live will be located on the Etihad Campus, and will host live music, sport, comedy, award shows and family entertainment. Co-op Live’s smart ‘bowl’ design means it is big but intimate with cutting edge visual technology, incredible acoustics and 32 bars, restaurants, lounges, and club spaces.
About Oak View Group
Oak View Group (OVG) is a global sports and entertainment company founded by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff in 2015. OVG is focused on being a positive disruption to business as usual in the sports, live entertainment, and hospitality industries and currently has eight divisions across seven global offices (Los Angeles, New York, London, Philadelphia, Austin, Toronto, and Manchester). OVG oversees the operations of Climate Pledge Arena at Seattle Center, UBS Arena in Belmont Park, NY, Moody Center in Austin, TX, Acrisure Arena in Greater Palm Springs, CA, as well as arena development projects for Co-op Live in Manchester, UK (alongside joint venture partners City Football Group (CFG), the world’s leading private owner and operator of football clubs); and projects for Arena São Paulo in São Paulo, BZ; CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore, MD; FirstOntario Centre Arena in Hamilton, ON; a New Arena and entertainment district in Las Vegas, NV; and a New Arena in Cardiff, Wales. More information at OakViewGroup.com, and follow OVG on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.