Lights, camera, action! NEC arenas could be used as film and TV studios

And the announcement is good news for the 2,000 part-time and full-time workers at the complex, who could be taken off furlough to provide staff for the productions.

Last week it was confirmed that the Utilita Arena Birmingham, in the city centre, and the Resorts World Arena on the NEC campus are going to be made available to film and TV productions.

NEC chief executive, Paul Thandi, speaking at the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) weekly briefing on July 24, said it is exciting news for both the company and their staff.

He said: “It’s good news, it’s a market that we’ve been targeting, and we’ve filmed before in our halls – we’ve had commercials take place in our halls and various other bits and pieces.

“And we are looking at targeting this market a bit more in terms of filming some programming. We’ve filmed JLR product launches and commercials on site actually. I can’t remember which car, but one of their European commercials was filmed on site.

“In terms of the arena, yes it will be arena staff, cause it’ll be our own staff. So one of the great things that the Chancellor and the government have done is also allow flexi-furlough, so you can take people off furlough, bring them back if there’s work, and then put them back onto furlough. So that’s something we’ll be doing, and we will of course use our own staff where possible.

“There’s one particular piece of business, should we be able to contract it, that is a specific arena setting. I can’t tell you what it is, but if it does get filmed there we’ll announce it, because it’s quite poignant at this point in time.”

Discussions have already taken place between the company and TV production companies, with the group’s managing director of arenas, Guy Dunstan, confirming last week that they had been in touch with Film Birmingham ‘to see where further opportunities are available.’

The Utilita Arena covers 62,500 square feet of space, with an additional 16,000 sq ft available at the sports hall facility directly below the arena, while Resorts World Arena covers 49,000 sq ft with an additional 30,500 sq ft available through the arena’s annex.

Production companies also have the opportunity to use the NEC’s 250,000 square metres of exhibition spaces for productions.

Guy Dunstan managing director of NEC Group Arenas added: “We remain hopeful that we can host the few arena events still in the diary for the autumn, but this is a moving situation.

"As the diary of arena events is looking thinner than normal, we are exploring alternative ways of utilising our spaces, including film and TV production, to bring business back into our venues.”