Business News Deals Live Business

VMS Live adds another student venue to its roster

By Chris Cooke | Published on Tuesday 10 July 2018

Live firm VMS has announced a new five year deal with the University Of Exeter Students Guild that will see it take on the development and delivery of the student union’s entertainments programme and its venue the Lemon Grove. VMS has already worked on developing and managing event programmes and venues at a number of other British universities, including in Manchester, London and Norwich.

Commenting on the new partnership in Exeter, VMS’s Operations Director – Richard Maides – says the challenges there are similar to those faced by the University Of East Anglia venues in Norwich a few years back.

“A once thriving club and live venue has somewhat lost its direction and shine in the face of strong competition both locally and nationally”, he explains. “Working in partnership with the Guild we are putting in place a complete revamp of the club brands and venues operation. Plans are already well advanced for the autumn and we cant wait to get started”.

Speaking for the union, the Guild’s Director Of Commercial Services, Nicola Carter, adds: “[This partnership is] an incredible opportunity to develop our existing programme of events and to showcase the Lemon Grove as a leading venue in Exeter for live music, arts, and dynamic nightlife for students and residents alike”.

Elsewhere, VMS has announced one of those naming rights deals with ticketing firm Eventim for another of the venues it is involved in, The Olympia in Liverpool. Plus it has appointed DJ Tim Zee to the role of Development Manager, in which he will develop new club brands and partnerships, including in Exeter.