Located at the Xscape site next to junction 32 of the M62, the new venue has excellent transport links including its own railway station, making it ideally placed within 45 minutes drive time for most of the Yorkshire region. It has over 1,500 free parking spaces, offers over 15,000sq.ft of space and, say its owners, meets a critical need for large indoor venue facilities for the region, currently served by the Sheffield Hallam FM Arena and the Harrogate Conference Centre. The new XS!TE venue complements the existing facilities at Xscape which offers event organisers the additional benefits of a real snow ski slope, ice wall, bowling alley, ski ride and numerous bars and restaurants.
The £2 million development has been spearheaded by new company Xspace, a joint venture owned by local businessmen Adrian Brooks, managing director of staging specialists LiteStructures, and Jason Fenning who has significant experience in the leisure and entertainment industry. The venue features innovative use of staging and flexible facilities, devised by LiteStructures, to enable it to cater for the widest range of uses and provide a quick turnaround between events.
"XS!TE is sure to play a massive role in the entertainment and cultural life of the region, and will make certain that West Yorkshire features consistently on the touring circuit," said Adrian Brooks, highlighting the status of the new venue. "West Yorkshire is in desperate need of a new major arena to attract the top name acts, as well as boosting its conference, exhibition and convention facilities. We are delighted to be filling that void."
(Lee Baldock)
