{"id":11382,"date":"2025-05-21T09:49:41","date_gmt":"2025-05-21T08:49:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ceda.co.uk\/conference2025\/?p=11382"},"modified":"2025-05-21T09:49:42","modified_gmt":"2025-05-21T08:49:42","slug":"the-co-op-live-arena","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ceda.co.uk\/conference2025\/the-co-op-live-arena\/","title":{"rendered":"The Co-Op Live Arena"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Vision Commercial Kitchens<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Vision\u2019s delivery of the full catering package for Co-Op Live Arena in Manchester marked one of the largest and most complex foodservice projects ever undertaken by the team. Working as a trusted Tier 1 partner to BAM Construction, Vision was responsible for the installation of 32 bars, 15 kitchens, 9 marketplaces, and 18 cellars across five floors of the UK\u2019s largest indoor arena.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The appointment followed over a decade of successful collaboration between Vision and BAM, and the existing relationship helped streamline what became a highly demanding programme. From initial tender through to handover, Vision worked closely with BAM\u2019s site and commercial teams, managing a fast-moving programme and integrating a central CO\u2082 refrigeration pack system, 814 tagged assets, and extensive bespoke elements\u2014all delivered to high performance and safety standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vision was tasked with managing Stage 5 construction design, requiring the redrawing of every catering area and integrating those changes into a live site model. Design clashes, such as those around ductwork and structural beams, were resolved through ongoing model updates and site coordination. Close integration with M&E, HVAC, joinery, and fire systems was essential throughout, especially as scope changes were introduced\u2014including the late-stage addition of a beer delivery system, which required a full redesign of the refrigeration packs mid-project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The team worked across the entire project lifecycle, with three full-time project managers, a dedicated site lead, and a team of up to 60 operatives contributing over 25,000 labour hours. A dedicated off-site vesting and consolidation strategy allowed Vision to stage, label, and quality-check all equipment before it arrived on site\u2014improving delivery flow, maintaining cost control, and protecting against disruption. When a warehouse facility unexpectedly went into administration during the build, the team acted quickly to relocate \u00a35M worth of equipment, ensuring continuity without delaying programme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Health and safety were a core focus throughout. Vision achieved top scores in monthly H&S audits and won site supervisor of the month awards twice. RAMS were updated quarterly, toolbox talks were held weekly, and daily briefings supported safe operations across a complex multi-trade site. All snags and sign-offs were tracked through BIM360, with clear documentation shared regularly with the client team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the venue began live operations, Vision continued to support the client with dedicated on-site engineers during test events and early openings\u2014ensuring rapid response to any issues and maintaining continuity of service. Final commissioning, cleaning, and handover were all completed in line with BAM\u2019s KPIs. Comprehensive training was provided to the client team, including video support materials, and discussions began around long-term PPM planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the course of the build, Vision managed 75 costed variations, totalling \u00a31.2M, including client-requested upgrades to ventilation and beer systems. Alongside this, value engineering was carried out to offset costs\u2014saving over \u00a3100K through specification changes that maintained design intent without compromising quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Co-Op Live Arena now stands as a benchmark venue in the live entertainment sector, and Vision\u2019s role in its delivery reinforces the company\u2019s reputation for managing large-scale, high-pressure catering infrastructure projects with precision, adaptability, and long-term commitment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Vision Commercial Kitchens Vision\u2019s delivery of the full catering package for Co-Op Live Arena in Manchester marked one of the largest and most complex foodservice projects ever undertaken by the team. Working as a trusted Tier 1 partner to BAM Construction, Vision was responsible for the installation of 32 bars, 15 kitchens, 9 marketplaces, and…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11383,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11382","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-project-management"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ceda.co.uk\/conference2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11382","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ceda.co.uk\/conference2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ceda.co.uk\/conference2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ceda.co.uk\/conference2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ceda.co.uk\/conference2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11382"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ceda.co.uk\/conference2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11382\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ceda.co.uk\/conference2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11383"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ceda.co.uk\/conference2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11382"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ceda.co.uk\/conference2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11382"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ceda.co.uk\/conference2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11382"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}