City Begins the Process of Selecting Third-party Venue Manager for New Event Centre

The City of Greater Sudbury has issued a Request for Pre-qualification (RFPQ) to receive submissions from companies wanting to operate and manage the City’s planned new Greater Sudbury Event Centre.

The City is looking for an experienced firm that can provide input in the Event Centre’s final design, maximize revenue; minimize operating costs; increase venue programming; and work toward meeting the City’s goals as outlined in the Community Energy and Emissions (CEEP) Plan. 

The Services the operator will provide will include the management, operations, marketing, and programing of the 5,800-seat multi-purpose Event Centre. 

The RFPQ is the first step in a two-part procurement process. The second step will require short-listed firms to submit a proposal. The City will then select one of the firms as the venue manager. The entire process is expected to be complete, with an operator in place by early 2022, but that timeline is subject to change.

The new Event Centre has been endorsed by Greater Sudbury City Council as one of four priority projects. It will feature comfortable seating, modern dressing rooms, vehicle access to the event floor and ample parking. The Event Centre will be located on the Kingsway and will be co-developed and sited alongside a casino and hotel in what has become known as the Kingsway Entertainment District.

The Event Centre will be an improved community space that offers unique experiences for residents. It will also attract visitors from outside of the city and around the world.

While the City seeks to retain a venue manager, it is also commencing site grading work and finalizing and issuing the Design-Build Request for Proposal (RFP).

Construction of the Event Centre will begin when the final design is complete, with a planned opening expected at the end of 2024.

For more information on the Event Centre and the City’s other Large Projects, visit www.greatersudbury.ca/largeprojects.