International entertainment identities take over

International entertainment identities take over helm at Vector Arena

New Zealand’s premier entertainment venue, Vector Arena, has new owner operators. The venue’s management has been taken over by two New Zealand-based international entertainment industry identities. Vector Arena is a public/private partnership with Auckland City Council.

Bruce Mactaggart and Stuart Clumpas believe the Arena, which has transformed New Zealand’s entertainment industry over the last three years, has even more potential as the lynchpin of the New Zealand concert and event industry.

The 12,000 seat, multi-purpose Vector Arena, which since it opened has hosted more than 200 events and welcomed more than 1.2 million visitors through its doors, is earmarked by the new owners for an increasingly diverse array of events.

Mactaggart had a lead role in Vector Arena’s design, construction and opening, during which time he was Chief Executive. Since then he has been the Arena’s Executive Chairman. Mactaggart is also Executive Director of the Immersion Edutainment Group, which originally conceived Walking with Dinosaurs – The Live Experience, which has become one of the most successful global touring shows in history.

Clumpas will be familiar to those in the international music scene from his 22 years as a leading European concert promoter, before selling his UK business and moving to New Zealand in 2001. He created and produced two of the major UK pop festivals, the legendary T In The Park and the V Festivals in association with Sir Richard Branson. A venue operator in the rock and pop world since 1984, Clumpas’ best known venture was Glasgow’s King Tuts Wah Wah Hut, where super group Oasis were discovered.

“Before Vector Arena opened in Auckland people often had to travel to Melbourne or Sydney to see their favourite artists or shows. Now the Arena has become one of the must-play venues on the world touring circuit and it hasn’t even begun to reach its full potential yet,” says Mactaggart.

“Both Stuart and I passionately believe in Vector Arena, and believe that it has an even more meaningful role to play in music, arts and culture in New Zealand in future years. Importantly, we didn’t want to potentially see the Arena pass into foreign ownership,” he says.

The new owners are committed to taking Vector Arena’s success even further, working towards more big production, concert activity and locally-focused community and sporting events. Announcements about world-class shows never seen before in New Zealand are expected in coming months.

“We’ve both chosen to emigrate to and live in New Zealand and want to make a meaningful contribution to the country that we call home. Both Bruce and I believe that our new role in this venue is well-founded - we have the international experience and connections, but live and work locally. We are positive about the role that Vector Arena has to play in the New Zealand entertainment scene, and confident we can make it an even greater success for all of New Zealand,” says Clumpas.

ENDS

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